Stephen Chidwick Wins 2024 U.S. Poker Open $25,200 Finale

Stephen Chidwick received the first-ever U.S. Poker Open participant of the collection honors when the high-stakes match collection debuted in 2018. More than six years later, the British poker professional emerged victorious within the ultimate occasion of the 2024 USPO, topping a subject of 52 entries within the $25,200 buy-in no-limit maintain’em match to stroll away with $429,000.

This was his forty fourth recorded match title. It introduced his lifetime earnings to greater than $57.6 million, good for third place on poker’s all-time cash listing.

This was already the twelfth ultimate desk and third title of 2024 for Chidwick. The two-time Card Player Player of the Year award winner secured 420 POY factors for this newest victory, growing his complete to three,236. As a consequence, he now sits in fourth place on this yr’s standings, that are offered by Global Poker.

The 34-year-old from Deal, England additionally earned 257 PokerGO Tour factors for the victory. This was one in all 4 cashes he made in the course of the USPO. With 427 complete factors and $597,850 in complete earnings for the collection, Chidwick completed second within the factors race for the competition. He additionally climbed to sixth within the seasonal PGT rankings, with certified cashes to date.

This occasion ended up with a $1,300,000 prize pool due to the 52 entries made. The high eight finishers cashed, with David Coleman being the primary participant eradicated after the bubble burst late on day 1. He earned $52,000 and 70 factors for his eleventh POY-qualified rating of the yr. With 3,876 factors and greater than $1.6 million in earnings, he stays the participant to beat within the POY race.

The second and ultimate day of the occasion started with Chidwick main the seven contenders who returned to the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas. Jesse Lonis was the primary to fall, along with his J-8 suited working into the Okay-J of Chidwick. Both gamers hit a jack on the flip, however Chidwick’s superior kicker performed by the river to finish Lonis’ run in seventh place ($52,000). This was his fourth money of the collection, together with a win in occasion no. 2 for $252,450. Lonis now sits in second place within the POY standings, with two titles and 12 final-table finishes to date in 2024. His POY earnings already exceed $1.6 million. He additionally moved into eighth place within the PGT season-long standings.

With that, Aram Zobian formally locked up the participant of the collection honors with 4 final-table finishes, one title, and $613,540 in complete earnings. Had Lonis received this occasion and Zobian completed outdoors the highest 5, Lonis would have been the collection points-race winner. As it turned out, although, Zobian collected the $25,000 PGT passport and the golden eagle trophy because the USPO champion. Zobian was the subsequent to hit the rail. He obtained his final 13 or so massive blinds in three-bet shoving from the massive blind with A-3. Chidwick, who had opened from the hijack, referred to as with pocket tens and held via a king-high runout to slender the sector to 5. Zobian cashed for $78,000 for his sixth-place displaying. His success at this collection has moved him into third place within the PGT rankings and to fifteenth on the POY leaderboard.

Short stack Cary Katz managed a double up via Chidwick throughout five-handed play, however quickly misplaced an enormous chunk of his stack with the nut flush draw and a gutshot towards the turned journey fives of Brandon Wittmeyer. Katz check-folded on the river after lacking his attracts and was left with fewer than 13 massive blinds. After dwindling even additional, he obtained all-in with Okay-Q main the 10-9 suited of Chidwick. An motion flop noticed Katz hit high pair whereas Chidwick picked up flush and straight attracts. Chidwick improved to 16 outs after the flip paired his 9. The river introduced the 8, giving Chidwick a jack-high straight flush to win the pot. Katz was awarded $104,000 because the fifth-place finisher. He now has greater than $40.1 million in profession earnings.

Dan Smith’s run on this occasion ended when his A9 bumped into the A10 of Wittmeyer. The battle of the blinds noticed Wittmeyer open-shove for round 15 massive blinds from the small blind. Smith referred to as within the massive blind and a Q63A10 runout gave him two pair and the pot. Smith, who received occasion no. 3 earlier this collection, cashed for $130,000 this time round. He now has greater than $54.8 million in complete scores to his identify. His two titles and 5 ultimate tables this yr have catapulted him inside the highest 20 within the POY rankings. He additionally moved to twenty third within the PGT factors race.

Three-handed play noticed Chidwick start to drag away from the remainder of the sector. In the subsequent massive conflict he three-bet with AOkay from the small blind dealing with the button open for 130,000 by Wittmeyer, who held 1010. Wittmeyer responded to the 350,000 elevate by shifting all-in for 1,200,000 complete. Chidwick referred to as and the race was on. The board got here down OkayQ874 and Wittmeyer was knocked out in third place ($182,000). The bracelet winner from Chicago now has greater than $1.9 million in complete cashes to his identify.

Heads-up play started with Chidwick holding 5,700,000 to bracelet winner Andrew Lichtenberger’s 2,100,000. Lichtenberger obtained worth with a rivered pair of tens towards Chidwick’s ace-high to almost shut the hole. The two had been primarily tied when the decisive hand of the match arose. With blinds of 25,000-50,000 and a 50,000 massive blind ante, Lichtenberger raised to 135,000 on the button with 1010. Chidwick three-bet to 575,000 with AOkay and snap referred to as when Lichtenberger shoved. Lichtenberger had Chidwick lined by simply 45,000 heading into the flop. The 966A7 runout noticed Chidwick make aces and sixes to win the pot and all however lock up the title.

The blinds truly went up for the next hand, giving Lichtenberger simply 1.5 small blinds to work with. He obtained all-in with 33 and was flipping towards the 84 of Chidwick. The 1042JOkay formally ended Lichtenberger’s match in second place ($273,000). The rating noticed his profession earnings edge previous $21 million.

Here is a have a look at the payouts and rankings factors awarded on the ultimate desk:

Here are the ultimate high ten within the USPO factors race standings:

Photo credit: PokerGO / Antonio Abrego.