The 2023 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event crowned a champion at the King's Casino in RozVegas. Austria's Max Neugebauer outlasted 817 runners and defeated Taiwan's Eric Tsai heads-up to win the 2023 WSOP Main Event and coveted bracelet. First place paid out €1.5 million, or approximately $1.6 million.
Ship it to Austria. The 2023 WSOP Europe is in the books. The poker world gathered at the King's Casino in Rozvadov for the annual pilgrimage to RozVegas for the European version of the World Series of poker. This year's WSOP Europe had 15 bracelet events with the Main Event as the marquee tournament.
The 2023 WSOP Europe Main Event had a €10,350 buy-in, which attracted 817 runners. The prize pool was €7.761 million, with €1.5 million set aside to the champion. This year's Main Event paid out 123 runners.
The Main Event final table of eight included players from Austria, Taiwan, Italy, USA, Sweden, Ukraine, Germany, and Lithuiana. Amogn the final eight were Eric Tsai, Max Neugebauer, Michele Tocci, Kasparas Klezys, Michael Rocco, Nils Pudel, Ruslan Volkov, and Alf Martinsson.
Taiwan's Eric Tsai bagged the chip lead on the penultimate day with over 23.6M. Kasparas Klezys from Lithuania was the second-biggest stack with a shade under 14M. Max Neugebauer had the third biggest stack with 10.3M. Germany's Nils Pudel was just short of 10M. American Michael Rocco held 8M. The three short stacks included Michele Tocci (6.5M) from Italy, Ukraine's Ruslan Volkov (6M), and Sweden's Alf Martissson (3.15M).
Alf Martinsson was the first player to bust on the final day. He made a valiant final stand with Ace-trey, but Michele Tocci was ready to rumble with pocket tens. The board ran out 
:10s and Tocci rivered a full house. Martinsson failed to improve, and the Swde banked €148,000 for eighth place.
Ruslan Volkov picked a spot and attempt to double up with pocket tens against Kasparas Klezys's 
. Volkov turned a pair of Aces, which held up. Volkov bowed out in seventh place, which paid out €193,000.
Michael Rocco looked like he was trying to steal the blinds with a button raise, so Nils Pudel called from the big blind thinking he could ambush the American with 
. Nope. Rocco had pocket Aces. Pudel could not improve and the pocket rockets held up. Germany's Pudel was eliminated in sixth place, which paid out €255,000.
Michael Rocco was the last American standing, and he busted in fifth place. Rocco's Ace-seven could not come from behind to beat Michele Tocci's picket tens. Rocco flopped a seven and improved to two pair, but Tocci held a higher two pair. The turn and river did not help the American, and Rocco hit the bricks in fifth place which paid out €341,000.
Kasparas Klezys was picked off in a battle of the blinds. Klezys shoved with Queen-eight, and Max Neugebauer snap-called with King-Jack in the big blind. Klezys flopped a pair of eights, but Neugebauer flopped top pair. On the turn, Neugebauer improved to top two par, which held up. Klezys banked €464,000 for fourth place.
Short-stacked Michele Tocci made a final stand with pocket Jacks and big-stacked Max Neugebauer was up for the challenge with King-four offsuit. Tocci's Jacks were good on the flop and the turn, but the spiked on the river and Neugebauer dragged the pot.
Tocci's epic run ended in third place, which paid out €639,000. Tocci secured a buy-in via a qualifier that was a modest €230. Heck of a run.
With two remaining, it was a battle between Taiwan and Austria to determine the champion and newest bracelet winner. Max Neugebauer led 54.1M to Eric Tsai's 17.4M.
The final hand was an unusual battle of Jack-eight versus Jack-nine.
Neugebauer trailed with 
against Tsai's 
. The flop was 
. Neugebauer took the lead with a pair of eights, but Tsai flopped a monster draw -- with a chance to improve to a gut-shot straight flush. Neugebauer check-called the flop. The turn was the 
, and Neugebauer check-called again. The turn was the 
. Neugebauer checked with just a pair of eights. Tsai missed all his draws, but bombed it all-in for 16M. Neugebauer tanked for a bit before he called with his bluff catcher. The pair of eights were good enough to win.
Tsai was knocked out in second place, which paid out €891,000. Not too shabby for a runner-up score, eh?
Neugebauer banked €1.5 million for first place and slapped a bracelet around his wrist.
Some of the noteworthy players who went deep and cashed in the 202 WSOP Europe Main Event included... Dario Sammartino, Timo Kamphues, Davidi Kitai, Maria Lampropulos, Adrian Mateos, Alex Keating, Stephen Chidwick, Andras Nemeth, Wing Po Liu, Fabian Gumz, Manig Loeser,Tobias Peters, Daniel Dvoress, and Vladas Tamasauskas.
2023 WSOP Europe Main Event
Buy-In: €10,350
Entrants: 817
Prize Pool: €7,761,500
Payouts: 213
Final Table Results:
1. Max Neugebauer (Austria) €1,500,000
2. Eric Tsai (Taiwan) €891,000
3. Michele Tocci (Italy) €639,000
4. Kasparas Klezys (Lithuania) €464,000
5. Michael Rocco (USA) €341,000
6. Nils Pudel (Germany) €255,000
7. Ruslan Volkov (Ukraine) €193,000
8. Alf Martinsson (Sweden) €148,000
