Josh Arieh scored his sixth World Series of Poker bracelet in the $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. High Roller event last night, winning $711,313 and giving Poker Hall of Fame voters yet another reason he could be inducted. It’s his second bracelet of the 2023 Series, his first coming in the $10,000 Limit Championship event.
Four of his six bracelet came in two Series — he also won two bracelets in 2021, which propelled him to the Player of the Year prize. He now sits with 3,688.64 points, just 399,94 behind current surprise Player of the Year leader Ian Matakis, who has 18 cashes so far — but no victories.
Arieh’s win in the mixed-game event is his 15th cash of the 2023 Series.
Final table packed with killers
The final table was loaded with players who have put results on tape, including 2018 Poker Hall of Fame inductee John Hennigan and Mike Matusow, who along with Arieh, made the 2023 Poker Hall of Fame shortlist.
“I’m so stoked,” Arieh told the WSOP after his win. “It was a tough field and I was the last person to go on a heater. I feel amazing and I’m very fortunate. I just caught whatever I needed. The limits get so big that you just have to win the pots you play in.”
Finishing runner-up was Dan Heimiller, who is having an amazing WSOP this summer. The retired taxi driver and self-described semi-professional poker player has 14 cashes so far, including a third-place finish in the $1,000 Senior’s event where he won $356,116. He is looking for his third bracelet. This was his second largest cash, about $200,000 shy of his bracelet win in the Seniors event in 2014 that was good for $627,462.
China’s Yingui Li secured his largest tournament cash for finishing third in this tough format. He’s been grinding poker tournaments since at least 2013.
Joao Vieira pushed his tournaments winnings towards the $8 million mark with his fourth place finish. The man from Portugal owns two WSOP bracelets and has cashed a dozen times this WSOP.
Matusow bowed-out in fifth. He came as close as you can get to winning his fifth bracelet in June, but couldn’t close the deal in the $1,500 Seven Car Stud Hi-Lo 8OB event. He hasn’t won a bracelet since 2013.
Hennigan was also hunting for bracelet number six — which is where he ended up in the event that brought in 112 entries. The cash did push his WSOP earnings over the $6 million mark. It was his second final table of 2023, two of his seven cashes this year.
German’s Johannes Becker was searching for his second bracelet, but stalled in seventh.
Scott Seiver brought his four bracelets and smile to the final table, but couldn’t get any momentum going and was the second person to be bumped from the final table. Seiver has more than $25 million in tournament cashes. This is only his third cash of this WSOP, but one of those was for $101,319 for finishing fifth in the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. championship.
New York’s Hal Rotholz is still looking for his first WSOP bracelet. The runner-up in the $10,000 Razz Championship last year, this finish pushed his WSOP cashes over the half-milly mark.
WSOP $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E final table payouts
| 1 | Josh Arieh | United States | $711,313 |
| 2 | Dan Heimiller | United States | $439,622 |
| 3 | Yingui Li | China | $319,906 |
| 4 | Joao Vieira | Portugal | $236,163 |
| 5 | Mike Matusow | United States | $176,904 |
| 6 | John Hennigan | United States | $134,491 |
| 7 | Johannes Becker | Germany | $103,795 |
| 8 | Scott Seiver | United States | $81,337 |
| 9 | Hal Rotholz | United States | $64,733 |
Arieh’s win certainly boosts the argument that he should be in the Poker Hall of Fame, but he’s not holding his breath he’ll get in this year.
“It’s definitely in the back of my mind. This year belongs to (Brian) Rast, he’s an absolute crusher and he did what he had to do. Maybe one year when they fix the nomination process and more than one player gets in, then maybe I’ll have my turn. I’ll just keep playing and doing what I do and whatever happens happens,” he said.
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