The 2023 World Series of Poker Main Event finally played down from 10,043 entrants to the last player standing in Las Vegas. Atlanta-based pro Daniel Weinman is the 2023 WSOP Main Event champion and he earned a first-place payday worth $12.1 million. He also snagged a second-career bracelet. Americans finished 1-2-3 in this year's Main Event. Steven Jones was the runner up and he won $6.5 million for second place. Adam Walton won $4 million for a third-place finish.
Ship it to the ATL! Three players returned to the final day of action in the 2023 WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas. The first day of the final table saw six eliminations on Sunday. Three Americans were still alive and hunting for the first-place booty worth $12.1 million. They each locked up at least $4 million, which was set aside for the third-place finisher. The runner-up would take home $6.5 million. Not too shabby, eh?
For a quick recap... the 2023 WSOP Main Event attracted a record-breaking field of 10,043 runners. Yes, not only did this year's field smash the previous record from 2006, but it also passed 10,000 entrants for the first time in history.
The prize pool for the $10,000 buy-in affair was a tick under $93.4 million, and the top 1,507 places earned a cut of the cheesecake. First place would bank a record-setting $12.1 million.
Steven Jones, a real estate broker from Phoenix, entered the final day of the Main Event as the chip leader with 238M.
Daniel Weinman, a pro from Atlanta, was one of two bracelet winners at the final table. He was considered the best player remaining out of the final three. Weinman was second in chips with 199M.
Adam Walton, the lone Las Vegas resident among the final nine, began the final table as the chip leader on Sunday. When the final day resumed on Monday, Walton was the so-called short stack with 165.5M.
Three-handed didn't last long. It took 23 hands before someone busted. On Hand #164, Jones opened with a 6M raise, Weinman re-raised to 27M, and Walton shoved for over 200M. Jones folded, and Weinman snap-called. Walton tabled pocket eights, which were way behind Weinman's pocket rockets. The Aces held up and Weinman dragged the pot. Walton headed to the rail in third place, which paid out $4 million.
When heads-up began, Weinman he held over 443M, and Jones was the shorty with 160M in the all-American finale.
It's no surprise that the heads-up joust didn't last long during one of the fastest final tables in recent memory. It took 24 hands of heads-up action before there was one player left standing.
Weinman held a sizable chip lead 431M to 171M heading into the final hand. Jones raised to 7M and Weinman called.
The flop was 
. Weinman check-raised 18.5M and Jones called.
The turn was the 
and fireworks ensued. Weinman bet 38M, Jones tanked for a few minutes then shoved for 146M, and Weinman called.
Jones held 
for just a pair of Jacks with an eight-kicker. Weinman was ahead with 
and a pair of Jacks and a King-kicker. Jones was praying for an eight to stave off elimination and double up.
The 
fell on the turn, which did not help Jones. Weinman won the pot and the tournament while his boisterous rail went berserk.
Jones saw his epic run end, but he collected $6.5 million for a runner-up finish.
Seriously, if you blinked then you missed the conclusion of this year's final table. It took over 40 hands before the first player busted. During a span of 100 hands, the final table went from nine to two. In one of the quickest heads-up battles, Weinman knocked out Jones in 24 hands.
Weinman banked $12.1 million for first place plus the swanky Main Event bracelet.
2023 WSOP Main Event
Buy-in: $10,000
Entrants: 10,043
Prize Pool: $93,399,900
Payouts: 1,507
Final Table Results:
1. Daniel Weinman (USA) - $12,100,000
2. Steven Jones (USA) - $6,500,000
3. Adam Walton (USA) - $4,000,000
4. Jan-Peter Jachtmann (Germany) $3,000,000
5. Ruslan Prydryk (Ukraine) $2,400,000
6. Dean Hutchinson (UK) $1,850,000
7. Toby Lewis (UK) $1,425,000
8. Juan Macerias (Spain) $1,125,000
9. Daniel Holzner (Italy) $900,000
