Chris Hunichen Wins 1st WSOP Bracelet in $100K High Roller

Chris Hunichen is now a WSOP bracelet winner after winning Event #47: $100,000 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller at the 2024 World Series of Poker. Hunichen topped the 112-entrant field to win the $2,838,389 first-place prize after defeating six-time WSOP bracelet winner Jeremy Ausmus in heads-up play.

Hunichen has had numerous close calls at the WSOP with seven WSOP final tables. In 2020 he finished runner-up in the WSOP Online $25k Poker Players Championship for $1,332,087, and in 2022, he finished third in the $250,000 Super High Roller for $1,931,718. Today was Hunichen's day as he emerged victorious to win his first WSOP bracelet and collect his largest career score. According to The Hendon Mob, Hunichen has amassed more than $13.79 million in lifetime career earnings, which vaults him into 83rd on the All-Time Money List.

Event #47 attracted 112 entrants and created a prize pool of $10,836,000, which improved on last year's event, which had 93 entrants. Day 2 played down to the final six players as Viktor Blom held the chip lead ahead of Hunichen. Justin Saliba was the first to fall when he was all-in with king-jack against the ace-queen of Jeremy Ausmus who finished fifth in this event last year. Ausmus flopped two pair, and when Saliba couldn't find the cards to keep him alive, the tournament was down to five players.

After doubling up Chance Kornuth, Aleks Ponakovs was eliminated in fifth place. The 2022 winner of this event was all-in with king-jack against the ace-five of Kornuth. The ace-high flop ended Ponakovs run in fifth place. Ausmus then secured a double into the chip when he turned the nut straight. Kornuth was eliminated next when he called all-in with pocket nines but was outdrawn by the king-six of of Ausmus who shoved from the small blind.

Hunichen was the next to be at-risk with pocket fives against Ausmus' ace-jack. The ace on the turn appeared to seal the deal, and Hunichen went in for a hug to Ausmus. Ausmus declined, and a five spiked on the river to double Hunichen back into contention. Hunichen then hit a three-outer when his ace-six spiked the river against Blom's ace-king as he now held the chip lead for the first time. Nothing went right for Blom at the final table, and when he was at-risk with king-jack, he managed to spike a jack. Hunichen held a flush draw and made it on the turn as Blom improved to trips. No full house fell for Blom on the river, and he exited in third place.

At the beginning of heads-up play, Hunichen held better than a two-to-one chip lead over Ausmus, and immediately extended that out to nearly a four-to-one chip lead. It was Ausmus' turn for some luck as he hit his own three-out to stay alive before clawing back to even. After some back-and-forth and lead exchanges, the final hand would occur when Ausmus was all-in on a nine-high flop with pocket jacks. Hunichen held nine-seven suited, and when the river landed the dagger third nine, he was crowned the $100,000 No-Limit High Roller champion as Ausmus settled for second place.

2024 WSOP Event #47: $100,000 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller Results

PGT Leaderboard Top 10

These are the leaderboard standings as of Thursday, June 20, 2024. The complete and current PGT leaderboard is at pgt.com/leaderboard.

Following Hunichen's first WSOP bracelet, he climbs into 27th on the PGT leaderboard with 550 PGT points. Ausmus now is one of seven players with more than 1,000 PGT points this season; having moved to 1,021 PGT points from his 12 cashes. He currently sits sixth on the PGT leaderboard, while third-place finisher Viktor Blom is now seventh. Blom has 1,000 PGT points from his three WSOP cashes. 

Chance Kornuth has cashed in four PGT-qualifying events this WSOP, and sits in fourth on the PGT leaderboard with 1,041 PGT points. Fifth-place finisher Aleks Ponakovs climbs into 72nd overall on the PGT leaderboard, while Justin Saliba sits 28th overall with 543 PGT points from his nine PGT cashes this season.

The next eligible WSOP event to earn PGT points is Event #55: $250,000 No-Limit Hold'em Super High Roller, beginning on June 21. Following that will be Event #57: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo on June 22, and then the Event #58: $50,000 Poker Players Championship, beginning on June 23.

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