The three-day Event #34: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout at the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) attracted 1,267 players, a nice increase from last year’s 1,137 entries. In the format of a freezeout, where players have only one opportunity for glory, Antonio Galiana seized the moment and captured his first-ever WSOP bracelet and a massive $439,395 money prize.
This victory marks the Spaniard’s biggest achievement in live tournament poker, as according to The Hendon Mob, Galiana had only $50,000 in career tournament winnings before this win. Despite his limited success in live poker, Galiana demonstrated exceptional skill and composure at the tables, eventually defeating Johan “YoH ViraL” Guilbert in a heads-up play.
YoH ViraL, an energetic French poker professional and vlogger known for his aggressive play and regular appearances in high-stakes cash games, had to settle for runner-up for the second time in his WSOP career. In a crucial spot during the heads-up match, Galiana pulled off one of the craziest bluffs in WSOP history on a monotone board with complete air, giving him an additional boost on his way to the victory.
Event #34: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Earnings |
| 1 |  Antonio Galiana | Spain | $439,395 |
| 2 |  Johan Guilbert | France | $292,927 |
| 3 |  Jeremy Ausmus | United States | $209,358 |
| 4 |  Juha Helppi | Finland | $151,592 |
| 5 | Romain Lewis | France | $111,222 |
| 6 | Joshua Reichard | United States | $82,702 |
| 7 |  Patrick Leonard | United Kingdom | $62,334 |
| 8 | David Goodman | United States | $47,632 |
| 9 |  Eoghan O’Dea | Ireland | $36,908 |
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Event #34: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout Final Table Recap
Day 3 of Event #34: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout started with 13 players from the original field of 1,267, all eyeing the first-place prize of $439,395. The colorful international field included representatives from seven different nations. Antonio Galiana led with 90 big blinds, followed closely by a strong field that included many bracelet winners such as Patrick Leonard, Jeremy Ausmus, Roman Lewis, and Juha Helppi.
One of the bracelet winners was also Brett Apter, who unfortunately became the final table bubble boy, finishing in 11th place. Joshua Reichard entered the final table as a massive chip leader with 71 big blinds, followed by Galiana with 47. The rest of the players had 30 big blinds or less, making for a dynamic and tension-filled finale.
David Hoffenberg, the shortest stack with less than four big blinds, was the first to be eliminated. Hoffenberg put his remaining chips in from an early position, with both blinds calling. After checking the flop and turn, Eoghan O’Dea bet out on the river, and Helppi folded. O’Dea revealed a runner-runner straight, while Hoffenberg’s flopped trips were mucked in disappointment.
Next, O’Dea moved all-in over Helppi’s open with ace-queen, only to be called by Roman Lewis with ace-king. A king on the flop left O’Dea drawing practically dead, sending him out in ninth place. David Goodman, seeking to add a live bracelet to his online one from last year’s $400 PLOSSUS event, was eliminated in eighth place. His pocket tens were no match to Galiana’s pocket queens, with a third queen on the turn sealing his fate.
In a clash of European bracelet winners, Helppi opened with ace-five, and Patrick “Pads” Leonard three-bet with ace-ten. Helppi’s four-bet was called by Leonard, whose hopes were dashed when the flop showed K♦2♠5♣, giving Helppi a pair of fives, and Leonard exited in seventh place.
Joshua Reichard’s attempt to bluff Jeremy Ausmus out of a pot on a 3♣10♣2♣7♠2♠ board backfired. Reichard’s J♥8♣ failed to move Ausmus off A♥Q♥, and Reichard was left with one chip. He was eliminated shortly after, remaining one of the best players yet to win a WSOP bracelet.
Romain Lewis was the first of the two Frenchmen to exit, losing to Galiana’s pocket sixes with ace-queen. A set on the flop for Galiana left Lewis drawing dead by the turn, finishing in fifth place with $111,222. Helppi’s short stack was then eliminated in fourth place by Ausmus’ queen-ten, leaving Helppi with his second final table finish of the 2024 WSOP.
In the final three, Jeremy Ausmus attempted to push “YoH ViraL” out of a pot but ran into his pocket aces. Ausmus needed considerable help, which never arrived, finishing in third place for $202,358.
Heads-up play between Galiana and Guilbert started with Guilbert holding a slight lead, which quickly evened out.
Then all hell broke loose on what seemed the most innocent of boards, where most players would simply accept a chop and move on, but not these two. Both checked until the river on a monotone board of 10♣6♣3♣8♣2♣ when Galiana first put out a bet with 7♠5♥. Guilbert saw an opportunity with J♠2♦ and raised the pot. After going into the tank, Galiana re-raised. When you think that enough is enough, Guilbert, a high-stakes cash game regular known for never bowing out, puts in another big re-raise. In what is probably one of the biggest and best bluffs in the history of the World Series of Poker, Galiana decided to five-bet all-in. The Frenchman waved a white flag and folded, and Galiana triumphantly threw 7♠5♥ on the table to show a bluff right in Guilbert’s face.
This didn’t break Guilbert’s spirit, but he couldn’t regain control despite doubling up and taking a chip lead. In the final hand, his all-in move with A♥5♦ was called by Galiana with Q♠9♠. The board Q♣J♦10♥ gave Galiana the upper hand, and the turn and river didn’t help Guilbert, who finished as the runner-up. Antonio Galiana claimed victory, earning his first WSOP bracelet.
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* Images and hands courtesy of WSOP and PokerNews.
