The first World Series of Poker bracelet of 2024 has been awarded. This 12 months’s WSOP Tournament of Champions wrapped up on May 24 at The Commerce Casino & Hotel in Los Angeles. The invitational occasion sported a subject of 562 contenders who had received a WSOP Circuit gold ring or a WSOP bracelet over the previous 12 months. Only one would stroll away with a brand new piece of {hardware} for his or her assortment, although, and that was California’s Dong Meng.
Meng earned a seat on this occasion because the champion of the 2023 WSOP $1,000 Flip & Go occasion. He bested a subject of 1,022 entries final fall to earn his first bracelet and $160,490. This newest win noticed him safe his second bracelet and a $200,000 payday. He now has greater than $547,000 in profession earnings to his identify.
This occasion performed out over the course of three days. The closing day started with eight gamers nonetheless in competition and Meng within the center of the pack. A cooler led to the tip of Alan Merdita’s run in eighth place ($20,000). He picked up pocket kings towards the pocket aces of Cody Bell and acquired all-in after a jack-high flop. The bigger pair held as much as slender the sector to seven.
Meng scored his first elimination of the day when his prime pair, king kicker bested the identical pair and decrease kicker of Scott Dulaney (seventh – $26,000).
Ramon Kropmanns was on the preferable aspect of a brutal preflop cooler, with pocket aces dealing with the A-Okay of Rick Gebhart. The flop gave Gebhart a gutshot straight draw, which got here in with a jack on the river. Kropmanns was eradicated in sixth place ($35,000).
Cody Bell misplaced a flip with pocket deuces towards the Q-10 of Gebhart to complete fifth ($46,000). Despite profitable that race, Gebhart was finally the subsequent to go to the rail. His pocket nines had been outrun by the A-j of Meng in a preflop conflict, with Meng making a pair of jacks on the flip to take a wholesome chip lead into three-handed motion.
A battle of the blinds led to the subsequent elimination. Nathan Wasson limped in from the small blind with 2
2
for 200,000 complete and Meng raised to 600,000 from the massive blind with Q
Q. Wasson moved all-in for five,100,000 complete and Meng rapidly referred to as. The bigger pair held up and Wasson was knocked out in third place ($87,000).
Meng entered heads-up play with roughly a 3:1 chip lead over Kevin Will. He remained forward all through the ultimate showdown. In the final hand of the match, Meng raised from the button with AQ
and Will three-bet shoved for 18 massive blinds with Okay5. Meng referred to as and the board ran out J425Q to offer him prime pair, prime kicker. Will was awarded $120,000 because the runner-up.
Here is a have a look at the payouts awarded on the closing desk:
| Place | Player | Earnings |
| 1 | Dong Meng | $200,000 |
| 2 | Kevin Will | $120,000 |
| 3 | Nathan Wasson | $87,000 |
| 4 | Rick Gebhart | $63,000 |
| 5 | Cody Bell | $46,000 |
| 6 | Ramon Kropmanns | $35,000 |
| 7 | Scott Dulaney | $26,000 |
| 8 | Alan Merdita | $20,000 |
| 9 | John West | $16,000 |
Photo credit score: WSOP / Alicia Skillman.
