Ian JohnDan is indeed the man! Daniel Weinman has become the latest WSOP Main Event winner!
And in doing so, he has broken the record for the biggest cash prize awarded at a WSOP Main Event – $12.1 million.
That eclipses the previous record of $12m which was won by Jamie Gold at the WSOP Main Event in 2006.
But before we take a look at Weinman’s journey to the top, let’s recap some of the big stories of WSOP Main Event 2023!
WSOP Main Event 2023 Stories
Hoover’s King Quads
On Day 5, Logan Hoover went all in against Aditya Systla holding Ace King offsuit, while his opponent revealed a pair of queens.
The flop came down with a 7, Queen and King, which meant that while Hoover had paired his king, his opponent now had trips.
Furthermore, another king would give Systla a full house against a set of kings and that is exactly what happened on the turn.
Needing a king or ace, Hoover cried for the Ace before the river was turned, but instead another King turned up, the third in a row, meaning Hoover’s quad kings beat Systla’s full house.
Dunst Heads Out To Hulme’s Straight Flush
Respected American poker professional Tony Dunst got into a steamer of a pot with Andrew Hulme in Level 29 of the event.
In a three-way hand with Ryan Tosuc, the trio of players aw the flop of Q and 10 of Diamonds and 6 of spades, which was followed by an Ace of spades and Jack of diamonds on the turn and river.
Hulme made a big bet of 1,825,000 which Tosuc quickly folded. Dunst considered his options holding a King and Queen which gave him a 10-Ace straight. Dunst went all in when calling but Hulme revealed the 8 and 9 of diamonds.
That put him on a straight flush of diamonds from 8 to Queen, sending Dunst out of the tournament.
Notable Stars Fall Early
The WSOP Main Event 2023 will also be remembered for the game’s top stars falling early in the tournament.
Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Jason Koon and many more all failed to make it into the latter stages of the tournament.
The dearth of superstars later on in the tournament didn’t affect the quality of play though because new names came through to catch viewers eyes.
WSOP Main Event Final Day Delight
Weinman has one previous WSOP bracelet to his name in 16 years of competing. The Georgia native triumphed over compatriots Steven Jones and Adam Walton to claim the prize in a shorter-than-expected final day.
Jones finished second pocketed $6.5m for his efforts, while Walton netted $4m
This is the moment that Daniel clinched his win and with it that $12.1m record breaking prize.
And while Weinman will be counting his cash and wondering what to do with it, it could all have been so very different.
As a look at what happened on Day Eight will clearly show.
Weinman’s Day Eight Miracle Sets Foundation For Win
Having made it into Day Eight of the tournament with 15 players remaining, Weinman had secured a hefty payday.
Jack O’Neill’s departure from the event in 15th place saw that number drop to 14. It was at this point that Weinman had his massive stroke of luck.
In a hand that probably defined the tournament, the dealer dealt pocket kings to Josh Payne, pocket Queens to Jose Aguilera and pocket jacks to Weinman.
Unsurprisingly, the trio remained in the hand after the flop and when Josh Payne went all-in, both Aguilera and Weinman called.
Both the latter pair had enough to cover Payne’s shove. But if he had lost the hand, Weinman would be down to his last few big blinds and in a precarious position.
With the flop revealing Ace, 7 and 4, none of the three players had improved their hand and Payne was a comfortable favourite to win the hand.
Then with Weinman at the rail, looking downcast and rueing his decision, he saw the dealer turn over another jack on the river.
Suddenly, with one card remaining, Weinman was now ahead and with the turn not revealing a King or Queen, Weinman survived and sent Payne out of the tournament.
He also almost trebled his chip-stack putting him in a much stronger position at the table.
You can see how the drama unfolded below:
That jack on the turn not only saw Weinman win the pot and send Joshua Payne out of the tournament – It laid the foundation for Weinman’s eventual victory.
But as Weinman himself admitted, he had the luck at the right time.
“Incredibly Lucky”
Speaking after his win, Weinmann explained that he was undecided about coming to play in the WSOP this year.
“I was honestly on the fence about even coming back and playing,” stated Weinman to reporters after his win.
“To win this Main Event, it doesn’t feel real. I mean, [there is] so much luck in a poker tournament. I thought I played very well, but so many hands [were] incredibly lucky for the situations to arise.”
And while admitting he had luck on his side at certain points in the event, Weinman was confident as he head to the final three.
“Final tables can go so many different ways. You need some cards to get chips, there were a lot of good players left with a lot more tournament experience than me,” he stated.
“But when we got down to three, I did feel like I was the best player of the three. And a couple of good hands at the right time; it all came together.”
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