In a thrilling conclusion to Event #5: $1,000 Mystery Millions at the 2024 World Series of Poker, Malcolm Trayner emerged victorious, securing his first WSOP bracelet and a staggering $1,000,000 prize. The Australian poker player outlasted a massive field of 18,409 entrants, culminating in an intense heads-up battle with Carson Richards, who took home $536,080 for his second-place finish.
The tournament boasted a record-setting prize pool of $16,199,920, making it the largest Mystery Millions event ever. Trayner, visibly elated after his win, described his emotions as a mix of excitement, happiness, and disbelief. “A lot of happiness as well,” he added, reflecting on the magnitude of his achievement.
At just 24 years old, Trayner’s composure was notable. He admitted to initial nerves, saying, “I made a few mistakes earlier with falling out of turn and things like that.” However, once he settled in, he focused on playing his best poker, treating the chips before him as his primary objective rather than the substantial prize money at stake.
Trayner’s immediate plans for his winnings are modest: a celebratory dinner with friends and possibly treating his girlfriend to a business-class flight. With this victory, he skyrocketed from 170th to 35th on Australia’s All-Time Money List, doubling his lifetime tournament earnings.
2024 WSOP Event #5: $1,000 Mystery Millions Final Table Results
Place | Player | Country | Prize |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Malcolm Trayner | Australia | $1,000,000 |
2 | Carson Richards | United States | $536,080 |
3 | Eugene Tito | United States | $407,970 |
4 | Junho Song | United States | $312,250 |
5 | Oshri Azran | United States | $240,350 |
6 | Amir Mirrasouli | United States | $186,080 |
7 | Michael Miller | United States | $144,900 |
8 | Christopher Castellan | United States | $113,490 |
9 | Jake Brown | United States | $89,411 |
This year’s Mystery Millions event also featured two $1,000,000 mystery bounties, adding to the excitement. The first golden envelope was pulled by Ukraine’s Valentyn Shabelnyk, who became the first player to win $1,000,000 in the 2024 WSOP edition. Remarkably, Shabelnyk seemed more concerned about missing a hand than his seven-figure payout. DJ Buckley claimed the second million-dollar bounty, his joy evident in his ecstatic reaction .
The final day of the tournament began with 18 players, including notable bracelet winners Alex Ziskin and China’s Pei Li, both of whom were eliminated early on. The final table was set during Level 42 when Paul W. Lee’s elimination in 11th place and Jefferson James’ exit in 10th place brought the remaining nine players to the feature table, streamed live on PokerGO.
The final table saw a series of dramatic hands. Carson Richards gained momentum early by eliminating Jake Brown in 9th place. Brown, holding K♣4♣, was unable to overcome Richards’ K♦Q♥ on a board that ran out in Richards’ favor. Brown’s exit was followed by Christopher Castellan, who lost a crucial flip against Richards’ A♠K♠ despite flopping a flush draw with 8♠8♥.
As the tournament progressed, Michael Miller, holding 8♦5♦, shoved into Junho Song’s K♥K♣ and was sent home in 7th place. Amir Mirrasouli‘s A♣10♦ couldn’t hold against Trayner’s 6♥6♠, and Oshri Azran’s A♠Q♠ fell to Trayner’s J♦8♦, securing Trayner another elimination.
Junho Song moved all-in with J♠8♦ and was called by Richards’ A♠K♦. The board fell A♥Q♦6♥9♠3♣, and Song’s tournament ended in 4th place with $312,250.
Eugene Tito, holding A♠6♦, was dominated by Richards’ A♥A♦. The board offered no help, and Tito exited in 3rd place for $407,970.
Ultimately, Trayner and Richards faced off in an extended heads-up duel. Richards briefly took the lead with a flush but Trayner regained control. The final hand saw Trayner’s K♠J♣ dominate Richards’ Q♦10♣ as a king on the turn sealed Trayner’s victory.