2023 WSOP Day 21 Highlights
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Two Bracelets Awarded at the 2023 World Series of Poker in Action-Packed Day
On an eventful day at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, the 2023 World Series of Poker witnessed the crowning of two new bracelet winners. Meanwhile, Dan Cates’ ambitious quest for a three-peat in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship ended abruptly.
Event #41: $1,500 Big O Crowns Scott Abrams as Champion
Event #41 introduced a brand-new tournament to the 2023 WSOP lineup: the $1,500 Big O. With 1,458 players competing, the stakes were high, and aspirations soared. However, only one player emerged victorious as a WSOP champion. Scott Abrams claimed the coveted bracelet and a top prize of $315,203 by defeating Robert Williamson III heads-up.
Qiang Xu Triumphs in Event #42: $800 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack (8-Handed)
Event #42, the $800 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack (8-Handed), attracted a massive field of 3,778 players. Despite the fierce competition, Qiang Xu proved his mettle and claimed his first gold bracelet and a substantial $339,033 prize.
James Obst Leads the Pack in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship
Event #43, the prestigious $50,000 Poker Players Championship, witnessed a late influx of 26 participants, bringing the total attendance to 99. Only 32 players remained with chips that required bagging and tagging when the day’s action concluded. Day 2 proved challenging for Dan Cates, the event’s reigning champion having won in both 2021 and 2022. Cates, sporting a Terminator outfit throughout the tournament, failed to terminate his opponents as Daniel Alaei eliminated him during a Limit 2-7 Triple Draw round in Level 10. Cates humorously declared, “I’ll be back,” but his hopes of a third bracelet in this event will have to wait until the 2024 edition. As Day 2 concluded, James Obst from Australia emerged as the chip leader with an impressive stack of 2,972,000. Daniel Alaei, with 2,064,000 chips, was the only player to hold a stack exceeding two million. Phil Ivey (1,655,000), Talal Shakerchi (1,598,000), and Johannes Becker (1,387,000) rounded out the top five chip counts, setting the stage for an intense Day 3.Field Narrowed to 42 in the Monster Stack Tournament
Event #39, the $1,500 Monster Stack, witnessed an intense Day 3 as players battled for dominance. Despite starting with one of the shortest stacks, Xuming Qi from China emerged as the chip leader as they head into the fourth and final scheduled day with an impressive 24,300,000 chips. Marcos Exterkotter (23,575,000) and Steven Snyder (21,275,000) also secured stacks exceeding 20 million. Among the remaining players, three bracelet winners maintained their hopes of adding to their collection. The 2009 WSOP Main Event champion Joe Cada is still in the hunt with 8,950,000 chips. Arash Ghaneian (6,575,000) and Jesse Rockowitz (2,250,000) held shorter stacks, with Rockowitz being the second shortest. Day 4 is scheduled to commence at 12:00 p.m. local time on June 20, where the action will continue until a single player possesses all the chips in play, securing the championship.
