Wednesday, June 28 was one of the most lucrative days for several poker players at the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Horseshow Las Vegas an…
2023 WSOP Day 30: Four Millionaires and Three Bracelets Winners Crowned
Wednesday, June 28 was one of the most lucrative days for several poker players at the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Horseshow Las Vegas and the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. Not only did Moldova wave its flag at the WSOP for the first time but four different players won at least $1 million in prizes.
Pavel Plesuv won the bracelet in the $1,500 Millionaire Maker after defeating Florian Ribouchon heads-up, while Ka Kwan Lau defeated Sergio Martinez Gonzalez to find WSOP gold in the $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller. All four players added more than $1 million to their wallets.
Robert Schulz also found WSOP glory on Wednesday with many other events getting one step closer to their exciting conclusions.
Read more about what transpired on Day 30 of the 2023 WSOP and what’s to come on Wednesday:
Pavel Plesuv Earns First Trophy for Moldova in Event #53: $1,500 Millionaire Maker ($1,201,564)
Moldova is a small country of fewer than 3 million residents wedged between Romania and Ukraine that has received some global attention due to its proximity to the battlegrounds of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While there is an active poker community in Moldova, most of the players are relatively unknown on a global scale. One exception to this is online and live poker beast Pavel Plesuv.
Plesuv added to his growing poker legacy while bringing huge poker pride to his country thanks to bringing home Moldova’s first WSOP bracelet in a huge way with a seven-figure haul of $1,201,564 after shipping the five-day Event #53: $1,500 Millionaire Maker No-Limit Hold’em for $1,201,564.
Domination might be an understatement in describing Plesuv’s performance as he came into the final day with the chip lead and never looked back. He held a massive chip lead heads-up against Florian Ribouchon before sending him home with the tasty seven-figure runner-up prize of $1,003,554 after his king-queen suited held against jacks on a king-high flop.
“It feels amazing, as you said I had some deep runs in the World Series but no bracelets,” Plesuv said after winning his maiden bracelet according to WSOP. “So, it’s really nice to win my first bracelet in such a big field, and for such a big amount and my best cash. It feels amazing.”
Event #53: $1,500 Millionaire Maker Final Table Results
Event #53: $1,500 Millionaire Maker broke new records not only for the WSOP but for a $1,500 buy-in event with 10,430 entries creating a massive $13,905,360 prize pool. The top 1,563 players banked at least a min-cash of $2,400. Check out the final table results below:
| Place | Winner | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pavel Plesuv | Moldova | $1,201,564 |
| 2 | Florian Ribouchon | France | $1,003,554 |
| 3 | Paul Gunness | United States | $650,058 |
| 4 | Andreas Kniep | Germany | $501,182 |
| 5 | Anton Smirnov | Russia | $373,524 |
| 6 | Myles Mullaly | United States | $287,522 |
| 7 | Vitor De Souza Coutinho | Brazil | $222,749 |
| 8 | Andras Matrai | Hungary | $173,683 |
| 9 | Charles Benoit | Canada | $136,302 |
Ka Kwan Lau Wins Event #57: $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller ($2,294,756)
Two years ago, Hong Kong’s Ka Kwan Lau, known by many in the online poker circles as “kaju85”, traveled from his home in Andorra to play in poker’s annual summer camp. Lau is one of the most feared pot-limit Omaha beasts in the game and came one player shy of earning his first WSOP bracelet in the 2021 WSOP Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller where he finished runner-up for $773,708. The headlines in that event was all about Shaun Deeb who defeated Lau to win his fifth of six bracelets and the $1,251,860 top prize.
This year’s event was much bigger and set not only a new gold standard for the WSOP but with 449 entries and a $10,551,550 prize pool Event #57: $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller was the largest Omaha event in poker history.
Lau was able to sing his redemption song in a huge way as on Wednesday he defeated Sergio Martinez Gonzalez heads-up to win the $2,294,756 top prize for nearly double what he would have won if he defeated Deeb two years ago.
“I feel great,” Lau shared according to WSOP after his epic victory. “It feels like I have been missing something and now it is complete… I am very happy with that. I came here two years ago to win the bracelet.”
The new global Omaha tournament record could be shattered once again with Event #71: $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller kicking off the first of its four days on Friday, June 30. Lau won’t be able to win that one as he will be traveling back home and missing the rest of the WSOP for a very good reason.
“I will miss the tournament,” Lau said about the $50,000 buy-in Omaha event. “I am waiting for my second daughter and she is going to come in a week or ten days. I think it is a great moment to come back home and be with my wife and my daughter. It is okay for this year, I will just relax and see how my daughter grows, but next year it is very probable that I will come here again with them.”
Event #57: $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ka Kwan Lau | Hong Kong | $2,294,756 |
| 2 | Sergio Martinez Gonzalez | Spain | $1,418,270 |
| 3 | Andjelko Andrejevic | Serbia | $989,464 |
| 4 | Roger Teska | United States | $701,522 |
| 5 | Mads Amot | Norway | $505,588 |
| 6 | Quan Zhou | China | $370,498 |
| 7 | Firas Kashat | United States | $276,141 |
| 8 | Jeremy Ausmus | United States | $209,392 |
Robert Schulz Wins Event #59: $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout
Robert Schulz defeated a field of 1,598 unique players to win a lion’s share of the $4,266,660 prize pool after defeating Julien Sitbon heads-up in Event #59: $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout.
The first bracelet was bittersweet for Schulz as he battle it out at an entertaining final table en route to winning the $675,275 top prize, which was easily the biggest in Schulz’s poker career.
Barak Wisbrod led the way both to start the third and final day and at the final table with Schulz staying in the middle of the pack.
Schulz began his climb by eliminating Shon Aroeti in 10th place when his big slick held against ace-ten. The lead then bounced around between James Mendoza and Wisbrod before Schulz won a big pot against Mendoza with a flush to snag the chip lead for the first time on the final day with six players remaining.
Although Schulz was able to extend his chip lead after his ace-queen won a flip against jacks to eliminate Robert Burlacu in sixth place, Mendoza won a big pot with cowboys against Schulz’s tens to regain the lead, however, this was a prelude for what was to come.
Eventually, Mendoza wrestled back the chip lead before the defining hand of the event took place. Mendoza four-bet jammed with tens and was snapped off by Schulz with cowboys. The board ran dry and Schulz began the heads-up action with a nearly 4:1 chip advantage against Sitbon.
Sitbon was down to under 10 big blinds when he jammed the button with queen-five. Schulz called with ace-deuce and won his first bracelet after the board ran dry.
Event #59: $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Schulz | Germany | $675,275 |
| 2 | Julien Sitbon | France | $417,338 |
| 3 | James Mendoza | Philipines | $303,884 |
| 4 | Barak Wisbrod | Israel | $233,657 |
| 5 | Dario Sammartino | Italy | $166,404 |
| 6 | Robert Burlacu | Romania | $125,170 |
| 7 | Nazar Buhaiov | Ukraine | $95,203 |
| 8 | Kunal Patni | India | $73,225 |
| 9 | Jesse Lonis | United States | $56,963 |
| 10 | Shon Aroeti | Israel | $44,823 |
Brad Ruben Leads Star-Studded Final Five in Event #60: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw
One might expect a lot of new names when a $1,500 buy-in event is down to just five players. This is quite the opposite in Event #60: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw as each of the five players remaining are well-known accomplished poker beasts.
The top three players have already notched up an impressive 18 WSOP bracelets combined with four-time WSOP champion Brad Ruben leading the way with a 53 big blind stack of 4,265,000 when the action resumes for the added fourth day on Thursday at 12 p.m at the Horseshoe.
Meanwhile, Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel is hunting for his 10th bracelet with a second-place stack of 3,065,000. Seidel will join an exclusive list of 10-time WSOP bracelet winners joining the likes of fellow Poker Hall of Famers Phil Ivey, Johnny Chan, and the recently deceased Doyle Brunson who all have found WSOP glory 10 times. He would only be behind the legendary Phil Hellmuth who is battling every day in hopes of winning a record 17th bracelet.
We haven’t seen five-time WSOP champion Jason Mercier that often in recent years. Quality is better than quantity for some players and Mercier hopes that is the case on Thursday when he will begin in third place with 2,565,000. Meanwhile, two poker OGs are hunting for their first bracelets in Mike “SirWatts” Watson with 2,350,000 and Jon “PearlJammed” Turner coming in with the shortest stack of 1,390,000.
Although the money won’t be life-changing for any of the five players, they all have locked up $31,114 and won’t be complaining on their way to the bank if they win the coveted bracelet and the $151,276 top prize.
Event #60: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw Final Day Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brad Ruben | United States | 4,265,000 | 53 |
| 2 | Erik Seidel | United States | 3,065,000 | 38 |
| 3 | Jason Mercier | United States | 2,565,000 | 32 |
| 4 | Mike Watson | Canada | 2,350,000 | 29 |
| 5 | Jon Turner | United States | 1,390,000 | 17 |
Farhad Davoudzadeh Leads Event #61: $1,000 Super Seniors
The four-day Event #61: $1,000 Super Seniors No-Limit Hold’em is halfway through with 108 players surviving after two days of play from the original field of 3,121 entries from players at least 60 years of age for a $2,777,690 prize pool.
Day 2 played well past the money bubble with the top 469 players guaranteed at least a $2,400 min-cash. The returning players have all locked up a bit more with $2,931 secured when the action resumes on Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Horseshoe in hopes of getting one step closer to the bracelet and the $371,603 top prize.
Farhad Davoudzadeh will start the day as the clear chip leader with a 120 big blind stack of 1,200,000 with Jeanclaude Perrot (1,615,000), Mark Gerecke (1,600,000), Ronald Lane (1,525,000), and Federico Trujillo (1,425,000) rounding out the top five.
Event #61: $1,000 Super Seniors Day 2 Top 10 Leaderboard
| Place | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Farhad Davoudzadeh | Iran | 2,400,000 | 120 |
| 2 | Jeanclaude Perrot | United States | 1,615,000 | 81 |
| 3 | Mark Gerecke | United States | 1,600,000 | 80 |
| 4 | Ronald Lane | United States | 1,525,000 | 76 |
| 5 | Federico Trujillo | Argentina | 1,425,000 | 71 |
| 6 | Rassoul Malboubi | United States | 1,310,000 | 66 |
| 7 | Brendan Byrne | Ireland | 1,285,000 | 64 |
| 8 | Scott Laird | United States | 1,190,000 | 60 |
| 9 | Andreas Boelling | Germany | 1,167,000 | 58 |
| 10 | Craig Jones | United States | 1,145,000 | 57 |
Eran Camri Leads Final 28 in Event #62: $1,500 Mixed No-Limit Hold’em / Pot-Limit Omaha
The three-day Event #62: $1,500 Mixed No-Limit Hold’em / Pot Limit Omaha combines the two most popular forms currently in poker. Just 28 players remain from the record-breaking field of 2,076 entries with $13,396 already secured with their eyes on the coveted bracelet and the tasty $410,659 top prize.
The top four players including Eran Camri (4,255,000), Charles Honkonen (4,160,000), Bart Lybaert (4,050,000), and Goufeng Wang (3,960,000) are striving for their first bracelets and are closely grouped around 70 big blinds when the action resumes at the Horseshoe at 1 p.m. on Thursday. Behind that group are two players including four-time WSOP champion Upeshka De Silva (3,165,000) and five-time bracelet winner Robert Mizrachi (3,100,000) with a combined seven bracelets and hungry for more.
| Place | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eran Carmi | Israel | 4,255,000 | 70 |
| 2 | Charles Honkonen | United States | 4,160,000 | 69 |
| 3 | Bart Lybaert | Belgium | 4,050,000 | 67 |
| 4 | Guofeng Wang | China | 3,960,000 | 66 |
| 5 | Upeshka De Silva | United States | 3,165,000 | 52 |
| 6 | Robert Mizrachi | United States | 3,100,000 | 51 |
| 7 | Eric Pfenning | United States | 2,760,000 | 46 |
| 8 | Mohammad Siddiqui | United States | 2,585,000 | 43 |
| 9 | William Nguyen | United States | 2,530,000 | 42 |
| 10 | Matthew Bretzfield | United States | 2,400,000 | 40 |
Maximillian Schindler Leads Final 17 in Event #63: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
Event #63: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship features an interesting combination of some of the best old-school and new-school poker players. The event attracted 141 entries to create a $1,311,300 prize pool.
The action is down to 17 players, each locking up the same min-cash that Brian Hastings, Dylan Linde, Mark Gregorich, Chad Eveslage, and Matt Grapenthien earned before losing their stacks on Wednesday’s Day 2 when the action returns to the Horseshoe on Thursday at 2 p.m.
Maximillian Schindler leads a star-studded field in a quest for his first WSOP bracelet and the $344,677 top prize with a 31 big bet stack of 1,250,000. WSOP winners Andres Korn (926,000) and Joao Vieira (837,000) are just behind Schindler.
Meanwhile, GGPoker Ambassador and six-time WSOP Champion Daniel Negreanu will have his fans engaged if he can pull off a Cinderella story as he will start off the final day in his hunt for his seventh bracelet with just over one big bet in his stack with 51,000 in chips.
Event #63: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship Final Day Top 10 Leaderboard
| Place | Player | Country | Chips | Big Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maximilian Schindler | United States | 1,250,000 | 31 |
| 2 | Andres Korn | Argentina | 926,000 | 23 |
| 3 | Joao Vieira | Portugal | 837,000 | 21 |
| 4 | Ryan Miller | United States | 763,000 | 19 |
| 5 | Yong Wang | China | 752,000 | 19 |
| 6 | Dan Colpoys | United States | 619,000 | 15 |
| 7 | Bryn Kenney | United States | 601,000 | 15 |
| 8 | Craig Chait | United States | 498,000 | 12 |
| 9 | Bruno Fitoussi | France | 467,000 | 12 |
| 10 | Eddie Blumenthal | United States | 427,000 | 11 |
Other Events in Action
The four-day Event #64: $600 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack Championship attracted 4,303 entries to generate a $2,194,020 prize pool. The top 646 players secured at least a min-cash of $960 with the field down to just 543 players when the action resumes at the Horseshoe on Thursday at 1 p.m. with their eyes on the $271,032 top prize awarded to Friday’s scheduled bracelet winner with Steven Stolzenfeld and Adel Kabbani on top of the pack with more than 100 big blinds each.
The four-day Event #65: $5,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em already broke records on its first day with 1,098 entries creating a $5,046,200 prize pool and counting. These figures will grow with late registration open until cards are in the air for Day 2 on Thursday at 12 p.m. Yuliyan Kolev leads the way with 208 big blinds in the hunt for his second WSOP bracelet after previously shipping 2022 WSOP Event #37: $1,500 Millionaire Maker for $1,125,141 during last year’s poker marathon.
Split pot players came out in full force for the three-day Event #66: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better with 1,125 entries creating a $1,501,875 prize pool. The action moved past the money bubble with the top 169 players earning at least a min-cash of $2,409 and just 168 players remaining when the action resumes on Thursday at 1 p.m. Nick Guagenti bagged the overnight chip lead with 656,000 in chips for 109 big blinds. The American is no stranger to WSOP success as he won an online bracelet event during the pandemic in 2020 and hopes to add a second in this live bracelet event.
June 29, 2023 WSOP Schedule
Three new WSOP bracelet events debut on Thursday, June 29, 2023 headlined by thousands of ladies flocking to compete in the biggest women-only poker event of the year in Event #67: $1,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship kicking off the first of its four days at 10 a.m. While we say, women only, men can in theory enter as well if they wish to pony up $10,000. Don’t be that guy regardless of the state of your finances as this event is also about ladies competing against each other and the growth of the community.
Meanwhile, a bracelet is scheduled to be awarded in the single-day Event #68: $1,000 Super Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold’em with cards in the air at 12 p.m. Don’t be surprised if another day is added as the field here is also expected to be huge. The final new event will be another entertaining one to watch unfold with the best draw players battling it out in the three-day Event #69: $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship starting at 2 p.m.
The field is already impressive in the smaller version of that event with many big names remaining in the top five hunting for WSOP glory today in the final day of Event #60: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw. Two more bracelets are scheduled to be awarded to make it a total of four assuming they all end as scheduled. In other words, be ready for tomorrow’s recap as there will be tons of excitement to report.
Below is a look at today’s schedule while head to the PokerPro opening WSOP article to check out the full schedule of the 2023 World Series of Poker.
| Time | Event | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 10 a.m. | Event #61: $1,000 SUPER SENIORS No-Limit Hold’em | Day 3 of 4 |
| 10 a.m. | Event #67: $1,000 LADIES No-Limit Hold’em Championship | Day 1 of 4 |
| 12 p.m. | Event #60: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw | Day 4 of 4 |
| 12 p.m. | Event #65: $5,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em | Day 2 of 4 |
| 12 p.m. | Event #68: $1,000 Super Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold’em | Day 1 of 1 |
| 1 p.m. | Event #62: $1,500 Mixed No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha | Day 3 of 3 |
| 1 p.m. | Event #64: $600 Deepstack Championship No-Limit Hold’em | Day 2 of 4 |
| 1 p.m. | Event #66: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better | Day 2 of 3 |
| 2 p.m. | Event #63: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship | Day 3 of 3 |
| 2 p.m. | Event #69: $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship | Day 1 of 3 |
Images and hand details courtesy of WSOP/PokerNews.
Article by Jason Glatzer
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