Frank Maggio Wins Record-Setting Seniors Championship

The World Series of Poker annual $1,000 Seniors Championship grew into one of the most well-attended events of the summer and 2017’s event drew a record 5,389 entrants. The field was so large a fourth day was added for the final table, shown exclusively on PokerGO, and Frank Maggio won $617,303 and his name on the Golden Eagle Trophy.

It’s the largest score by a tremendous margin for Maggio, from a suburban Chicago. “I’ve been coming out here every year since I turned 50 to play the Seniors event and some other stuff,” he said. “I cashed a couple years ago and this year is a big surprise.”

“I got the good hands at just the right moments,” Maggio said. His point was proved by winning the final hand against William Murray with pocket jacks.

Frank Maggio wins the 2017 WSOP Seniors Championship! pic.twitter.com/ry2d5bNLK8

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) June 20, 2017

Gina Bacon was the last woman standing in sixth place and was overwhelmed by the moment.

The final table of feels ???? #WSOP pic.twitter.com/oWeROnDXQp

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) June 19, 2017

Dan Heimiller won the event in 2014 for a slightly larger prize as a smaller percentage of the field was paid out. His ninth place finish was his 19th WSOP final table and 70th cash.

Dan Heimiller final tabled the Seniors Championship for the second time. (Photo: PokerPhotoArchive.com)

The field generated a prize pool of $4,850,100 which paid an astonishing 807 players with at least a min-cash of $1,499. The top 54 players earned five-figure payouts with 2017 Super High Roller Bowl entrant Bill Klein just missing the final table in 12th place., David Plastik, Blair Rodman and Pete Vilandos made deep runs.

Final Table Payouts

1. Frank Maggio – $617,303
2. William Murray – $381,233
3. Dieter Dechant – $281,691
4. Mark Lillge – $209,715
5. Anthony Licastro – $157,321
6. Gina Bacon – $118,923
7. Lewis LeClair – $90,594
8. Paul Spitzberg – $69,552
9. Dan Heimiller – $53,817