The official first event of The 55th World Series of Poker (WSOP) is finished and Asher Conniff managed to win his first WSOP bracelet in Event 1: $5,000 Champions Reunion after an impressive comeback. Along with the prestigious bracelet, Conniff took home the $408,468 prize. He overcame Halil Tasyurek in an intense heads-up match that lasted three levels. Tasyurek earned $272,305 for his runner-up finish.
The event saw 493 players competing, generating a prize pool of $2,047,800. Conniff shared his excitement after the victory, saying, “It’s incredible, man, just to not have to think about trying to win one anymore is great, and obviously the money, the experience — it’s awesome, I’m so happy.”
When asked about his previous tournament experiences, Conniff commented, “I think one of the advantages that I have is that I’ve been in live streams and spots before where people can see my cards [on the stream], and there’s bright lights, and it’s stressful. I’ve been here before, so I know what to do.“
Event #1: $5,000 Champions Reunion Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Asher Conniff | United States | $408,468 |
| 2 |  Halil Tasyurek | Turkey | $272,305 |
| 3 |  Yuzhou Yin | China | $188,342 |
| 4 |  Jonathan Pastore | France | $132,545 |
| 5 | Terry Fleischer | United States | $94,936 |
| 6 | David Coleman | United States | $69,231 |
| 7 |  Nenad Dukic | Serbia | $51,416 |
| 8 |  Michael Acevedo | Costa Rica | $38,903 |
| 9 | Bryce Welker | United States | $29,999 |
The 2024 series began in spectacular fashion, with Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup champion, 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner, and “Original Misfit” Jonathan Marchessault delivering the iconic “Shuffle Up and Deal” to kick off the WSOP’s first opening weekend event centered around previous Main Event champions, Event #1: Champions Reunion No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout.
Highlights from the Final Day
The Champions Reunion featured a unique twist, offering free entry to any previous WSOP Main Event champion. A special $10,000 WSOP Main Event seat was awarded to players who managed to eliminate any past champion. Among those who cashed were Greg Merson (67th), Daniel Weinman (52nd), Dan Harrington (37th), and Qui Nguyen (21st).
On Day 3, ten players battled for the bracelet, including former champions Aram Zobian and Jonathan Pastore. Zobian was the first to exit, with his A♣J♥ failing to improve against Pastore’s J♦J♠, setting the stage for the final table of nine.
Bryce Welker, the short stack, was the first to be eliminated after his K♦Q♦ fell to Conniff’s A♦Q♣, earning $29,999. Michael Acevedo followed in eighth place, his J♣10♣ running into David Coleman’s A♠K♠ for a $38,903 payday.
Nenad Dukic finished seventh after his K♠J♦ couldn’t overcome Terry Fleischer’s 9♦9♠, earning $51,416. David Coleman was next, his A♣9♦ losing to Conniff’s A♥J♣, finishing sixth for $69,231.
Terry Fleischer, who had led earlier, was out in fifth after a bluff gone wrong against Halil Tasyurek, collecting $94,936. Jonathan Pastore‘s rollercoaster run ended in fourth place, his 4♦4♠ losing to Tasyurek’s overcards, netting $132,545.
Yuzhou Yin secured third place after his A♠2♣ couldn’t catch a break against Tasyurek’s A♥9♦, earning $188,342.
Heads-Up Battle and Conniff’s Victory
Tasyurek started the heads-up with a commanding chip lead, but Conniff’s resilience shone through. Conniff’s K♦5♠ manged to beat Tasyurek’s A♠7♣ when a five hit the flop. Another critical moment saw Conniff’s K♥10♦ overtake Tasyurek’s A♣10♣ when a king appeared on the flop.
The pivotal hand of the match came during Level 32 when Conniff made an ace-high hero call, shifting the momentum in his favor. In the final hand, Tasyurek’s J♦9♠ ran into Conniff’s 10♦10♣, and a clean board secured Conniff’s victory.
With this win, Conniff secures his first WSOP bracelet and $408,468, while Tasyurek takes home $272,305. The event was a thrilling start to the 2024 WSOP, and PokerPro will continue to cover all 99 bracelet events throughout the series. Congratulations to Asher Conniff on his remarkable achievement.
