Tamasauskas and Elias Triumph in Opening Events of 2023 Poker Masters

The high-stakes excitement was unmistakable as the 2023 Poker Masters series kicked off, setting the stage for some big poker moments. With the coveted Purple Jacket on the line, these prestigious tournaments saw elite players clashing head-to-head, hoping to etch their names in poker history.

In Event #1 $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em, Vladas Tamasauskas snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Beginning the final table sixth out of seven in chip count, Tamasauskas displayed remarkable resilience, eventually overcoming start-of-day chip leader Aram Zobian in a heads-up.

Lithuanian also started the heads-up with a 2:1 deficit but managed to pick up a pace, turn it around, and set up a successful trap in the last hand, as he limped with pocket nines, while Zobian pushed all-in with Q2.

The board blanked, and Tamasauskas pocketed a cool $239,000.

2023 Poker Masters Event #1 Final Table Results

Focus quickly shifted to Event #2, where Darren Elias stole the spotlight. Like Tamasauskas, Elias started the final day on the short end of a stick but found an early momentum and eventually toppled the lately very hot Bin Weng. A crucial turning point for Elias was when his ace-jack of hearts rivered a flush against Weng’s set of eights.

In the end, Eric Baldwin tried to challenge Elias during heads-up, but Elias’s expertise shone through. Baldwin found himself in a difficult spot when he paid off Elias’s river raise, holding a mere pair of sixes against Elias’s dominating queens. Baldwin pushed all-in with J8s in the final hand, but Elias confidently called with ace-queen, which held firm, securing his victory for the $223,100 first-place prize.

“It feels good competing against the best players; it is my favorite place to play,” Elias said after the win. “Any time you get to win in a place like this, it’s awesome.

2023 Poker Masters Event 2# Final Table Results