Three big names in the world of poker claimed WSOP gold yesterday, all experiencing their first time in the WSOP winner’s circle. Many would have assumed players like Stephen Chidwick, Ari Engel, and Luke Schwartz had been there before, but none had actually won until this year.
On Saturday, June 22, this is what happened at the 50th Annual World Series of Poker.
Event 45: $25K PLO High Roller – Final
Total entries: 278Prize pool: $6,602,500Players paid: 42Final table payouts:1st place: Stephen Chidwick (UK) – $1,618,4172nd place: James Chen (Taiwan) - $1,000,2533rd place: Matthew Gonzales (USA) - $699,3644th place: Robert Mizrachi (USA) - $497,1125th place: Alex Epstein (USA) – $359,3206th place: Erik Seidel (USA) - $264,1867th place: Wasim Korkis (USA) - $197,6378th place: Ka Kwan Lau (Hong Kong) - $150,483
Event 47: $1K Ladies NLHE Championship – Day 3 of 4
Total entries: 968Prize pool: $871,200Players paid: 146Minimum payout: $1,496Winner payout: $167,308Day 3 players remaining: 6Final table chip counts:Tu Dao (Canada) – 5.42 million chipsJiyoung Kim (China) – 5.1 million chipsNancy Matson (USA) – 4.53 million chipsLyly Vo (USA) – 1.7 million chipsLexy Gavin (USA) – 1.43 million chipsSandrine Phan (France) – 1,185,000 chipsFinal table payouts thus far:7th place: Raylene Celaya (USA) - $20,5828th place: Stephanie Hubbard (USA) - $15,5449th place: Barbara Blechinger (USA) – 11,911Day 4 starting time: 12noon
Event 48: $2,500 NLHE – Final
Total entries: 996Prize pool: $2,241,000Players paid: 150Final table payouts:1st place: Ari Engel (Canada) - $427,3992nd place: Pablo Melogno (Uruguay) - $264,1043rd place: Wilbern Hoffman (USA) - $186,3924th place: Ben Keeline (USA) - $133,3065th place: David Baker (USA) - $96,6326th place: James Hughes (USA) - $71,0107th place: Truyen Nguyen (USA) - $52,9098th place: Ryan Olisar (USA) - $39,9809th place: Josh Arieh (USA) - $30,643
Event 49: $10K Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw – Final
Total entries: 100Prize pool: $940,000Players paid: 15Final table payouts:1st place: Luke Schwartz (UK) - $273,3362nd place: George Wolff (USA) - $168,9363rd place: Johannes Becker (Germany) - $116,2364th place: Mark Gregorich (USA) - $81,6355th place: Yueqi Zhu (China) - $58,5476th place: Calvin Anderson (USA) - $42,898
Stephen Chidwick didn’t just win any WSOP tournament as his first; he took down the $25K buy-in PLO High Roller for more than $1.6 million. After having cashed at the WSOP 52 times in the past, 13 of which were final table finishes, the high-stakes poker regular took this one down. “I try really hard to detach the bracelet and everything around it,” he said. “I have been here many times, and I had a lot of heartbreak over the years, too.”
And to finally win it? “It means a lot. It feels great,” Chidwick said. “I had so many people supporting me for the past 10 years since I have been grinding so hard to win a bracelet, and I know I have a lot of people in my corner that are really happy for me, and that means a lot.”
The rest of his series action will depend on his wife and infant daughter. Chidwick noted that they take priority, and he will base his play on the needs of his family.
https://twitter.com/WSOP/status/1142589622511230976
Ari Engel was another longtime poker pro that hadn’t won a WSOP gold bracelet until yesterday in the $2,500 NLHE event. He does have nine WSOP Circuit rings, but now he has the bracelet. But he never game up. “The competition in this was way tougher (than WSOP Circuit events). It means more from the poker accomplishment perspective.”
He acknowledged luck’s role in the win but also his own ability to take it down. “I sucked out so many times in this tournament; it’s ridiculous,” Engel said. “With this huge field of No Limit players, you play these expecting to win one in a lifetime. It’s a relief to not mess this up.”
https://twitter.com/WSOP/status/1142683792735268864
And then Luke Schwartz captured his first WSOP gold. That win came in the $10K Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship. “It feels pretty good, pretty relieving,” he commented. “It’s a nice thing to have as a poker player.”
He acknowledged the change that many have already seen in him, from a young pro with a temper to a more mature player with focus. When talking about the five-hour three-handed match in the tournament, Schwartz said, “Maybe the old me would’ve just got too frustrated and tilted, but I just took a deep breath … I just wanted the bracelet. I just wanted to win it.”
https://twitter.com/WSOP/status/1142706356631158790
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