Event #76: $10,000 MAIN EVENT No-Limit Hold'em World Championship

The record-breaking 2023 World Series of Poker Main Event is one step closer to crowning a winner at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. Out of a staggering field of 10,043 entries who ponied up the $10,000 buy-in for the biggest live poker event of the year, only three players remain in contention for the largest portion of the gargantuan $93,399,900 prize pool.

Steven Jones soared to the top of the leaderboard and boasts 238,000,000 to his name, while Daniel Weinman (199,000,000) and Adam Walton (165,500,000) follow suit not far behind. The chip leader holds 119 big blinds while Walton still has almost 83 big blinds at his disposal, promising deep-stacked action for the conclusion of the tournament.

The penultimate tournament day lasted a total of 116 hands during which the field was reduced from nine hopefuls to just three contenders, all of which hail from the United States. Chances of a potential Main Event champion from Germany for the third time within the last five years came to an end when Jan-Peter Jachtmann was knocked out in fourth place.

Having lost several pots in quick succession to tumble towards the bottom of the leaderboard, the German businessman and Pot-Limit Omaha aficionado three-bet jammed for 27 big blinds with king-queen right into the pocket aces of Walton. Once it was his turn to act, Walton instantly grabbed his cards and triumphantly slammed them on the felt before heading to his rail and high-fiving everyone already. There was no miracle escape for Jachtmann and the action for the evening concluded.

Loud "USA,USA,USA" chants could be heard all over the Horseshoe Event Center when it came time to bagging and tagging, and the first winner from the United States will be crowned since John Cynn back in 2018.

Seating Chart for the Final Day

Jones started the penultimate tournament day second in chips and was responsible for several eliminations to bring the event one step closer to a winner.

"It feels amazing. Everything came into plan as as as I wanted to do it today. Worked out really well, picked up some big hands at some key spots," Jones confirmed.

Second in chips is Walton, who entered with the most chips but experienced a roller coaster ride that would have left many others frustrated. However, his boisterous rail made sure that he stayed on track and finished on a high.

"I mean, frustrated? No, Obviously, I was wishing for something better. But like, this is obviously, like such a fun time. Everybody's here. Yeah, Not. Not especially by the end."

The previous best WSOP Main Event finish of Weinman was a 173rd place but he is now guaranteed at least $4 million with pay jumps worth millions of dollars. He relaxed on the golf course with fellow finalist Toby Lewis on the day off prior to the first final table stage. Lewis' bid for a maiden WSOP gold bracelet and next major live poker title was cut short in seventh place while Weinman retained his chances of more WSOP honours.

"The day today couldn't have gotten much better," he concluded and added. "I thought I had a lot of big hands early, made some chips, didn't really get put to too many tough decisions, which was fortunate because there were a couple of spots where Adam really could have put me in the blender and kind of got fortunate that he gave up on a couple of hands, kind of just had the cards. Don't really think I did anything too special. Just played really solid poker, made a few hands at the right time and looking forward to a battle tomorrow."

All three Americans now have one night to prepare for the final stage, which will once again be shown on the PokerGO live stream platform. There are 43:33 minutes left in level 40 at blinds of 1,000,000-2,000,000 with a big blinds ante, which makes for an incredible average of 100 big blinds to chase the $12,100,000 top prize.

"Yeah, I expect tomorrow to be a battle. It's probably going to be a really long day. Obviously, some good players left. It's it's going to I think it's going to be a long day," chip leader Jones predicted after bagging and tagging for the night.

It only took slightly more than two and a half levels to wrap up the day but the first elimination only unfolded in hand #43 but caused fireworks thereafter. In the span of eight hands, three of the finalists were sent to the payout desk and half a dozen players suddenly remained.

First to depart was Italian apple tree farmer Daniel Holzner who had navigated a shorter stack for a long time leading up to the nine-handed final table. He was chipped down to a short stack and doubled only to then lose a flip with ace-jack against the pocket tens of Jones.

Only two hands later, it was game over for Juan Maceiras. The Day 7 chip leader experienced a torrid run all day long and ultimately saw his hopes of a comeback cut short by Lewis when king-nine ended up second-best versus ace-ten. Despite winning that pot, Lewis remained a short stack and bowed out seven hands later when Jones once more prevailed in a flip with pocket tens versus king-jack.

Dean Hutchison boasted one of the loudest rails in the Thunderdome but never pulled away from a short stack. In the final hand ahead of the second break, the Scotsman put his hopes on pocket fives but Jachtmann had him pipped with pocket sevens in the big blind.

That elimination ensured a pay jump for fellow short stack Ruslan Prydryk, who went on to double once the action resumed. However, Prydryk saw his stack cut down throughout several hands without a showdown and Weinman dealt the final blow in a preflop contest. For his efforts, Prydryk collected $2.4 million and jumped into fifth place on the Ukrainian all-time money list according to The Hendon Mob.

Tournament staff informed the final four players to wrap up with three remaining or upon conclusion of the next level. It would only take another ten hands for Jachtmann to become the distinct short stack and he jammed two paint cards at the worst possible time to settle for a career-best score of $3 million.

Final Table Results and Remaining Payouts

All three Americans now have locked up $4 million already but each elimination comes with a massive seven-figure pay jump. The action resumes the following day as of 1 p.m. local time and the PokerNews live reporting team will be back to provide hand-for-hand coverage according to the delay of the PokerGO live stream as of 2 p.m. local time on Monday, July 17, 2023, until the new WSOP Main Event champion has been crowned.

Hand #116: Steven Jones opened to 4,000,000 in the cutoff and Adam Walton called on the button. Jan-Peter Jachtmann three-bet jammed a stack of 54,000,000 in the big blind and Walton called with a bigger stack.

Jan-Peter Jachtmann:   
Adam Walton:   

Jachtmann had run into aces and got absolutely no help from the     flop. The   turn had him drawing dread before a blank river confirmed his elimination.

Steven Jones	238,000,000	0
Daniel Weinman	199,000,000	0
Adam Walton	165,500,000	0
Jan-Peter Jachtmann	0	-54,000,000

Hand #107: Adam Walton limped out of the small blind with    and Daniel Weinman raised to 6,000,000 from the big blind with   , shutting down Walton.

Hand #108: Seven Jones raised to 4,000,000 with    and Jan-Peter Jachtmann defended the big blind with    to the     flop. The German checked and subsequently called Jones' bet of 3,500,000 before checking the   turn. Jones fired another bet worth 12,000,000 into 18,000 and Jachtmann checked his stack before coming along.

That brought them to the   river, which paired the board and completed a potential flush draw. Jachtmann bet 24,000,000 and Jones double-checked his cards. After one minute of consideration, Jones raised to 65,000,000 and Jachtmann folded.

Hand #109: Walton raised it up to 4,000,000    from under the gun, Jones called in the big blind with   .

The     from was checked right away to the   turn, which brought no betting action either.

On the   river, Jones checked and Walton bet 8,000,000 into 11,000,000. Jones reluctantly called with his queen-ten but Walton had the best of it with the king-ten.

Hand #110: Weinman made it 4,000,000 to go with    and Walton defended the big blind with   . On a flop of    , Walton check-called for 2,000,000 and the   turn went check, check.

Walton bet the   river for 5,000,000 and Weiman reluctantly folded.

Hand #111: Walton limped the small blind with    and Weinman knuckled it back with    to the     flop. No betting action led to the   turn on which Walton bet 4,500,000 and Weinman folded.

Steven Jones	209,500,000	30,500,000
Daniel Weinman	190,000,000	-33,000,000
Adam Walton	112,500,000	20,000,000
Jan-Peter Jachtmann	90,500,000	-46,500,000

Hand #106: Ruslan Prydryk open-jammed a stack of 24,000,000 from the hijack and Daniel Weinman called in the cutoff to put the Ukrainian at risk.

Ruslan Prydryk:   
Daniel Weinman:   

The flop landed     to give Weinman the lead with two pair but Prydryk was left hope with four outs to Broadway. His outs increased on the   turn before the   bricked off to mark his elimination in fifth place for $2,400,000 as Weinman lept into the chip lead.

Daniel Weinman	223,000,000	53,000,000
Ruslan Prydryk	0	-24,000,000

Hand #99: Andrew Walton opened to 4,000,000 with    and he earned two callers in Ruslan Prydryk on the button with    as well as Jan-Peter Jachtmann in the big blind with   .The     flop was checked to Walton, who bet 3,500,000 and Prydryk was the only one to come along.

On the   turn, both checked and Walton bet the   river for 8,000,000 and Prydryk folded.

Hand #100: Jachtmann limped the small blind with   , Steve Jones raised to 7,000,000 with    and that won him the pot.

Hand #101: Daniel Weinman raised to 4,000,000 in the small blind with   , earning the blinds and big blind ante.

Hand #102: Jones opened to 5,000,000 on the button with   , Prydryk jammed out of the big blind for 33,000,000 with    and Jones folded.

Hand #103: Jachtmann raised to 4,000,000 first to act with   . Prydryk in the small blind three-bet to 13,000,000 with    and Jachtmann then four-bet to 41,000,000 to bring a fold from Prydryk.

Steven Jones	187,000,000	-4,000,000
Daniel Weinman	166,000,000	0
Jan-Peter Jachtmann	144,000,000	9,000,000
Adam Walton	77,500,000	9,500,000
Ruslan Prydryk	28,000,000	-14,500,000

Hand #90: Adam Walton raised to 4,000,000 as the first player to act with the   . Daniel Weinman three-bet to 11,500,000 on the button with    and Walton quickly called when it was turn to act.

The duo headed to the     flop on which Walton led for 10,000,000 and Weinman asked for his stack size before moving all-in, forcing the snap-fold of Walton.

Hand #91: The action folded to Steven Jones in the small blind and he made it 6,500,000 to go with the   , Walton called withz   . On a     flop, Jones bet and Walton folded as the rail of the former chanted his name several times.

Hand #92: Jan-Peter Jachtmann raised to 4,000,000 in the cutoff with the   , all players behind folded.

Hand #93: Jones made it 4,000,000 from the cutoff with    and Walton called on the button with   . Ruslan Prydryk three-bet to 16,000,000 in the small blind with his    and the action folded back to Jones. He gave it some thought and moved all-in with the biggest stack as both opponents folded.

Steven Jones	186,000,000	28,500,000
Daniel Weinman	152,000,000	22,500,000
Jan-Peter Jachtmann	146,000,000	4,000,000
Adam Walton	77,000,000	-35,000,000
Ruslan Prydryk	41,500,000	-20,000,000

Hand #79: Jan-Peter Jachtmann completed in the small blind with    and Steven Jones called in the big blind with the   . Both players checked on the      flop and Jachtmann checked before Jones bet 1,600,000 on the   turn. Jachtmann called. Jachtmann checked again on the   river and Jones bet 4,700,000. Jachtmann laid it down.

Hand #80: Steven Jones raised to 5,100,000 in the small blind with the    and Adam Walton folded the    in the big blind.

Hand #81: Jan-Peter Jachtmann opened the    to 3,200,000 in the cutoff and Adam Walton called in the small blind with   . Walton checked on the flop of     and Jachtmann checked back. Walton checked again on the   turn and called as Jachtmann bet 2,000,000. Walton checked once more on the   river and Jachtmann checked back. Jachtmann showed the winner with his jack for the flush to beat out the lower flush of Walton.

Hand #82: Steven Jones with the    opened to 3,200,000 in the cutoff and Adam Walton called on the button with the   . Jones checked on the flop of     and called as Walton bet 2,500,000. Jones checked again on the   turn and Walton sized up to 8,500,000. Jones called. Jones checked again on the   river and Walton pulled the trigger with a bet of 45,000,000. Jones folded.

Hand #83: Dean Hutchison open-jammed a stack of 19,200,000 in the small blind with his    and Daniel Weinman folded in the big blind.

Steven Jones	175,400,000	-600,000
Daniel Weinman	138,800,000	-7,200,000
Jan-Peter Jachtmann	130,600,000	13,200,000
Adam Walton	112,600,000	5,000,000
Ruslan Prydryk	22,700,000	-6,400,000
Dean Hutchison	22,400,000	-4,000,000

Hand #69: Dean Hutchison opened to 3,200,000 from middle position holding the    and Ruslan Prydryk defended out of the big blind with the   . Prydryk led out for 3,000,000 on the flop of     and Hutchison raised all in for 20,500,000. Prydryk quickly folded.

Hand #70: Jan-Peter Jachtmann with the    opened to 3,500,000 in the hijack and Steven Jones called in the cutoff with the    as Dean Hutchison called in the big blind with   . All three players checked on the     flop and Jachtmann bet 5,000,000 on the   turn to get folds from both opponents.

Hand #71: Jan-Peter Jachtmann opened to 3,200,000 in middle position with    and Adam Walton called in the hijack with the    before Daniel Weinman called in the big blind holding the   . Action checked to Walton on the flop of     and he bet 4,800,000. Weinman called and Jachtmann folded. Weinman checked again on the   turn and Walton sized up to 12,500,000. Weinman called. Weinman checked again on the   river and Walton checked back. Weinman showed his suited connectors to win the pot with a backdoor flush.

Hand #72: Daniel Weinman completed in the small blind with    and Jan-Peter Jachtmann checked his    in the big blind. Weinman bet 1,600,000 on the     flop and Jachtmann called. Weinman sized up to 11,000,000 on the   turn and Jachtmann folded.

Hand #73: Adam Walton opened to 3,200,000 with the    from under the gun and Jan-Peter Jachtmann called out of the small blind with the   . Jachtmann checked on the flop of     and Walton checked back. Jachtmann checked again on the   turn and Walton also checked. Jachtmann then bet 6,000,000 on the   river and Walton folded.

Steven Jones	176,000,000	-6,700,000
Daniel Weinman	146,000,000	29,300,000
Jan-Peter Jachtmann	117,400,000	7,800,000
Adam Walton	107,600,000	-24,500,000
Ruslan Prydryk	29,100,000	-8,600,000
Dean Hutchison	26,400,000	2,700,000