The inaugural World Series of Poker Paradise pageant reached its climax on Thursday, Dec. 14 with the conclusion of the $5,000 buy-in no-limit maintain’em predominant occasion. The $15,000,000 assured event attracted 3,010 complete entries, however just one participant would stroll away with the championship bracelet and the highest prize of $2,000,000: German on-line qualifier Stanislav Zegal.
The poker professional from Berlin has been enjoying for a dwelling since 2016. This was not solely his first bracelet win, however it was additionally his first stay final-table end.
“It was somewhat exhausting and needs to settle,” Zegal advised PokerInformation stay reporters after closing out the victory. “You at all times make plans for when stuff like this occurs, however then when it occurs it’s so overwhelming.”
In addition to the title and the cash, Zegal additionally secured an enormous haul of Card Player Player of the Year factors for this win. His 2,400 is nice for 154th place within the 2023 POY standings, that are introduced by Global Poker.
This occasion featured 4 beginning flights and three extra days of event motion. The prime 447 finishers earned a share of the prize cash, with a number of huge names working deep. Among those that cashed and got here near a final-table berth have been bracelet winner Sam Greenwood (thirty ninth), four-time bracelet winner David Peters (thirty fifth), Kevin Martin (twenty fifth), bracelet winner Timothy Adams (twentieth), bracelet winner Bryce Yockey (seventeenth), bracelet winner Vitor Dzivielevski 912th), 2023 WSOP predominant occasion third-place finisher Adam Walton (eleventh), and bracelet winner Mikita Badziakouski (tenth).
The final males standing!
Only seven gamers stay within the WSOP Paradise MAIN EVENT CHAMPIONSHIP, with $2M and the coveted WSOP bracelet to compete for.
All the motion can be streamed till a winner is topped, beginning at 15 min (3 PM EST).
Link: https://t.co/SNVAMotV7v pic.twitter.com/NrLpNJgmbt
— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) December 14, 2023
The closing day started with simply seven gamers nonetheless in competition, with Australia’s Daniel Neilson main and Zegal tied for second chip place with Gabriel Schroeder. Matt Glantz scored the primary knockout of the day. His pocket fours gained a preflop race towards the Okay-10 of Montgomery McQuade (seventh – $300,000) to slim the sector to 6.
Schroeder misplaced an enormous flip with A-Okay towards pocket queens for Michael Sklenicka to slip to the underside of the leaderboard. The Brazilian was unable to recuperate from that hit to his stack and was eradicated in sixth place ($400,000).
Sklenicka’s surge up the leaderboard continued because of his A-Q queen holding towards the Q-9 suited of Rui Sousa. The flop gave Sousa an open-ended straight draw, however he failed to enhance any additional and was knocked out in fifth place ($510,000).
Glantz’s run on this occasion got here to an finish when his Okay
Q bumped into the A
Q
of Neilson. Neither participant related with the board and Neilson’s ace excessive was sufficient to earn him the pot. Glantz, who famously drew the $1,000,000 envelope within the 2022 WSOP million greenback bounty occasion, took residence $685,000 for his fourth-place exhibiting. He now has greater than $8.3 million in recorded earnings to his title.
Neilson misplaced the bulk of his stack with prime pair, prime kicker towards the highest two of Zegal. He was quickly all-in with 7-4 suited towards the 10-9 of Sklenicka, who flopped two pair. Neilson picked up a gutshot straight draw, however the flip or river didn’t ship the required eight. Neilson, who completed runner-up within the $3,000 six-max occasion earlier this sequence, earned $900,000 because the third-place finisher. e now has greater than $3.5 million in lifetime cashes.
Heads-up play started with Zegal holding 94,100,000 to Sklenicka’s 32,500,000. Sklenicka bought all-in with A-J main Zegal’s A-9 suited and was nicely positioned to double, however the runout introduced an ace, a pair on the board, and a king to offer each gamers aces and fours with the identical kicker for a chop.
Not lengthy after that, Sklenicka raised from the button to 2,700,000 with 73. Zegal defended his huge blind with J
4 and the flop got here down 1042. Zegal check-called a 4,000,000 continuation wager and the Q rolled off the deck. Both gamers checked and the 5 appeared on the tip. Zegal checked once more and Sklenicka introduced an all-in for 16,000,000. Zegal went into the tank, however finally made the decision for about 13 % of his remaining chips. Fourth pair was adequate to earn him the pot and the title.
Sklenicka was awarded $1,200,000 because the runner-up, by far the most important rating of his profession. He now has greater than $2.5 million in lifetime earnings.
Here is a take a look at the payouts and POY factors awarded on the closing desk:
| Place | Player | Earnings | POY Points |
| 1 | Stanislav Zegal | $2,000,000 | 2400 |
| 2 | Michael Sklenicka | $1,200,000 | 2000 |
| 3 | Daniel Neilson | $900,000 | 1600 |
| 4 | Matthew Glantz | $685,000 | 1200 |
| 5 | Rui Sousa | $510,000 | 1000 |
| 6 | Gabriel Schroeder | $400,000 | 800 |
| 7 | Montgomery McQuade | $300,000 | 600 |
| 8 | Luke Graham | $250,000 | 400 |
| 9 | Junio Guelpa | $200,000 | 200 |
Winner picture credit score: WSOP / Tomas Stacha.
