WSOP 2023 Day 16 Recap: Five WSOP Bracelets Won on Winners Wednesday in Las Vegas

A stunning day of action took place in Las Vegas on Wednesday night as an incredible five players won gold WSOP bracelets at Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris casinos. John Monnette, Jans Arends, Ben Ector, Scott Dulaney and Mark Ioli all claimed gold as the 54^th annual World Series of Poker crowned more champions in one day than on any day of the 2023 WSOP so far.

 

Jans Arends Wins $100k High Roller for $2.5m and First Bracelet

 

All the action played out live on PokerGO as Dutch player Jans Arends won his second bracelet and the $2.5 million top prize in the Thunderdome at Horseshoe Las Vegas. Arends, who reached the final five of the $50k High Roller event too this series, only to fall short in third place, got the job done at the final table as he turned an overnight chip lead into debut WSOP gold.

 

Heading into the final table, Arends had the lead, but Cary Katz, another man without a WSOP bracelet in his trophy collection, was in hot pursuit. Biao Ding from China was the first man to bust, as he lost to a resurgent Chance Kornuth in sixth place. Ding cashed for $469,464, and at that stage, Arends was not winning as many pots as players such as Adrian Mateos and Chance Kornuth, both of whom had some serious momentum going.

 

Jeremy Ausmus had the exact opposite, never getting going to lose out in fifth for $619,919 before Chance Kornuth plummeted to short stack. The Chip Leader Coaching owner busted with a dominated ace to Cary Katz. Adrian Mateos was leading by some way, but the Spaniard, usually so reliable when he gets to the business end of events, managed to crash out in third when a straight was crushed by Arends’ flopped full house before losing a flip to bust.  

 

Arends had a 4:1 chip lead heading into the final duel and he wasn’t about to relinquish his grip on a first live WSOP title. Katz did score a double up after falling further behind, but it was a stay of execution, as his queen-four could only hit once against Arends’ ace-king which paired up on both flop and turn.

 

Arends, who previously won a WSOP Online bracelet in September of last year for $129,745, claimed his first-ever seven-figure score as he took down the tournament and banked what will end up as one of the biggest WSOP top prizes this summer.

 

 

WSOP 2023 Event #29 $100,000 NLHE High Roller Results:
Rank	Player	Country	Prize
1st	Jans Arends	Netherlands	$2,576,729
2nd	Cary Katz	United States	$1,592,539
3rd	Adrian Mateos	Spain	$1,142,147
4th	Chance Kornuth	United States	$833,854
5th	Jeremy Ausmus	United States	$619,919
6th	Biao Ding	China	$469,464
7th	Justin Bonomo	United States	$362,279
8th	Ren Lin	China	$284,979

 

Monnette on the Money for Fifth WSOP Bracelet

 

John Monnette took down his fifth WSOP title as he prevailed in the $1,500-entry Triple Draw Event #30. After getting the better of Chris Chung heads-up, Monnette told reporters that he enjoyed the experience of becoming only the 35^th player in history to win five bracelets.

 

“It means a lot, that’s why we’re here in these tournaments, just battling,” he said. “Nothing brings the energy that the WSOP does. 2-7 is a game I just played a ton like 15 years ago pre-Black Friday. It was kind of cool to get back to the roots, with the last two in Limit Hold ‘em and Triple Draw, games that I just grinded for years.”

 

At the final table, Allen Kessler again missed out on gold as he crashed out in 9^th, before overnight leader Benny Glaser lost out in 8^th and Michael Rodrigues failed in his attempt to win his second bracelet this series, busting in 7^th.

 

The final six were whittle down to three, which was when British online poker legend and Tag Team bracelet winner with world champion Espen Jorstad in 2022 Patrick Leonard fell. Monnette’s elimination of Leonard was vital, as it gave him the chips to survive the early exchanges of heads-up against Chung, who had built quite the lead three-handed.

 

Monnette came battling back and ultimately managed to bounce off the ropes on three separate occasions when Chung had him down to less than two big bets and one card away from defeat. Like a tennis players surviving match points, however, each time Monnette scrambled to his feet and got the metaphorical ball back, it served to make him look unbeatable. That proved to be the case as a crestfallen Chung missed out on the chance of winning his first bracelet in agonising fashion.

 

“It’s dedicated to my son, because he’s the fifth too,” said Monnette after the event. “I’m John Edward Monnette the fourth and he’s the fifth, so this one’s for my son, and Willow, my daughter I don’t want her to think I’ve forgotten about her. She’ll get the sixth!”

 

Who on Earth would lay that bet with Monnette once again proving unbreakable in mixed game bracelet events?

 

WSOP 2023 Event #30 $1,500 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Results:
Rank	Player	Country	Prize
1st	John Monnette	United States	$145,846
2nd	Christopher Chung	United States	$90,150
3rd	Patrick Leonard	United Kingdom	$60,915
4th	Josh Damm	United States	$42,030
5th	James Williams	United States	$29,625
6th	Ryan Hughes	United States	$21,342

 

Ben Ector Busts Every Player in Final Eight to Win First Bracelet

 

Benjamin Ector won his first-ever WSOP bracelet in a hugely dominant fashion after crushing the final table of Event #28, the $1,500-entry NLHE Freezeout event, taking home a top prize of $406,403 which nobody could say wasn’t earned. British player Dean Hutchinson busted to Santiago Plante in ninth place after a coinflip sent him home with $35,773, but thereafter, it was the Ector show and everyone else was just another victim in his poker slasher movie.

 

Ector dispatched German professional Dietrich Fast in eighth place, then made light work of the overnight leader, Matthew Hunt, as the two British players were sent packing in the first three eliminations at the final table. Plante fell to Ector, then so too did Divyan Satyarthi, Jean Lhullier and Nick Palma.

 

Adam Swan was a big underdog to win, but tried an audacious bluff in order to change matters. It was picked off by the relentless Ector, as a spectator yelled ‘He’s a god!” from the rail. It was impossible to disagree, and despite revovering a little, the writing was on the wall for Swan too, as a handful of pots later, Ector has etched his name into WSOP history, winning his first WSOP bracelet.

 

To chants of ‘Smelling salts!’ from his delirious rail – Ector has partaken in order to stay alert – the bracelet was handed over and Ector was mobbed by his friends. He won’t have any trouble staying awake tonight... the only issue might be getting any sleep!

 

WSOP 2023 Event #28 $1,500 NLHE Freezeout Results:
Rank	Player	Country	Prize
1st	Benjamin Ector	United States	$406,403
2nd	Adam Swan	United States	$251,158
3rd	Nick Palma	United States	$184,730
4th	Jean Lhuillier	France	$137,159
5th	Divyam Satyarthi	United States	$102,814
6th	Santiago Plante	Canada	$77,814
7th	Matthew Hunt	United Kingdom	$59,468
8th	Dietrich Fast	Germany	$45,895
9th	Dean Hutchison	United Kingdom	$35,773

 

Fireman Dulaney Hoses Opposition in Event #31

 

Firefighter Scott Dulaney made sure he ran his heater all the way through the final day in Event #31 as he saw off the opposition in Event #31, the $600-entry Mixed NLHE/PLO event. Dulaney triumphed against Sridhar Sangannagari heads-up to claim the $194,155 top prize at a final table that also included Barny Boatman.

 

The two-time WSOP bracelet winner busted in eight place for $23,371 in unlucky fashion as he shoved pocket jacks in No Limit Hold’em and Sangannagari called with ace-deuce. A deuce on the flop made no difference, but the ace on the turn and no help for the British poker legend on the river meant that the eventual winner would be a first-timer.

 

After winning the heads-up battle with Sangannagari, a delighted Dulaney told PokerNews: “I take aggressive firefighting tactics and apply them to the poker table. I’ve always done that and now it’s paying off.”

 

It certainly did today as he banked by far the biggest score of his poker career so far. Currently on fire, Dulaney will be one to watch if he plays some more bracelet events this summer.

 

WSOP 2023 Event #31 $600 Mixed NLHE/PLO Results:
Rank	Player	Country	Prize
1st	Scott Dulaney	United States	$194,155
2nd	Sridhar Sangannagari	United States	$120,004
3rd	Willie Smith	United States	$89,551
4th	Bjorn Gravlien	Norway	$67,359
5th	Zachary Vankeuren	United States	$51,072
6th	Charles Combs	United States	$39,037
7th	Michael Holtz	United States	$30,081
8th	Barny Boatman	United Kingdom	$23,371
9th	Keith Krumwiede	United States	$18,308

 

Ioli on Target in Six-Max Shootout

 

Mark Ioli added his name to the list of first-time WSOP bracelet winners this World Series as he won the $3,000-entry NLHE Six-Max Event #32 for $558,266 late on Wednesday, beating Colombian player Johann Ibanez heads-up for the title. At the six-handed final table, Julien Sitbon (5^th for $123,992) and Samy Boujmala (6^th for $90,791) both did France proud by cashing but ultimately fell short of the podium places along with Eshaan Bhalla (4^th for $171,874).

 

After British player Wing Liu was clipped in third for $241,767, Ioli and Ibanez did battle for the bracelet. It was a brutal slog, taking place over 150 minutes as Ioli finally got the better of his South American opponent. In the final hand, holding only a quarter of Ioli’s chips, Ibanez shoved with ace-ten and was unlucky to lose to Ioli’s king-jack as a king arrived on the flop and the turn to send American railbirds into raptures.

 

WSOP 2023 Event #32 $3,000 NLHE Six-Max Results:
Rank	Player	Country	Prize
1st	Mark Ioli	United States	$558,266
2nd	Johann Ibanez	Colombia	$345,034
3rd	Wing Liu	United Kingdom	$241,767
4th	Eshaan Bhalla	United States	$171,874
5th	Julien Sitbon	France	$123,992
6th	Samy Boujmala	France	$90,791

 

Talal Shakerchi Leads Final 13 in Razz Championship

 

British player Talal Shakerchi (1,104,000) leads the final 13 players to the last day of action in the $10,000-entry Razz Championship, also known as Event #3 on the 2023 WSOP schedule. On what was a bad day at the office for anyone to leave the event, stars of the game such as Daniel Negreanu, Shaun Deeb, Dutch Boyd and Brian Rast all busted before the bubble burst, but it was the financial whizz Shakerchi who will hope to put his high roller experience to use tomorrow in order to claim his first WSOP bracelet.

 

Others who are prominent in the final 13 players include second in chips Carlos Chadha-Villamarin (1,052,000) and Bryce Yockey, whose habit of reaching final tables in the past week alone would strike fear into the Night King’s heart in the dead of winter. John ‘World’ Hennigan (346,000) will attempt to win a WSOP bracelet from a shorter stack two days after frenemy Ben Lamb managed it.

 

WSOP 2023 Event #33 $10,000 Razz Championship Leaderboard:
Place	Player	Country	Chips
1st	Talal Shakerchi	United Kingdom	1,104,000
2nd	Carlos Chadha-Villamarin	United States	1,052,000
3rd	Michael Noori	United States	756,000
4th	Elior Sion	United Kingdom	745,000
5th	Bryce Yockey	United States	589,000

 

Arieh Leads from Mizrachi in PLO Event

 

Josh Arieh (1,196,000) will play down to a winner from the chip lead tomorrow as the five-time WSOP bracelet winner and 2021 Player of the Year attempts to equal his great friend Shaun Deeb’s haul of six. With the six-time winner Daniel Negreanu also still in there battling on 466,000 chips and Robert Mizrachi (829,000) in the top 5 of a 98-strong Day 2 field, anything could happen.

 

Arieh, however, will be the headline act as he looks to seal his second WSOP bracelet in the past few days and put himself in pole position to win his second POY title in three years, something that has never been achieved before in Player of the Year history since its inception in 2004.

 

WSOP 2023 Event #34 $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha Leaderboard:
Rank	Player	Country	Chips
1st	Josh Arieh	United States	1,196,000
2nd	Matthew Parry	United States	1,102,000
3rd	Eric Fields	United States	1,015,000
4th	Taehyung Kim	South Korea	951,000
5th	Robert Mizrachi	United States	829,000

 

Two More Day 1s Close After Excitement

 

Two final Day 1 flights took place on the 16^th day of WSOP Action in the 2023 World Series in Las Vegas. In Event #35, the $10,000-entry Secret Bounty event, 142 players survived from a  startng field of 568, with Aliaksandr Hirs (750,000) top dog.

 

The secret bounties come into play on Day 2, so players such as Loni Hui (616,000), Nate Silver (517,000) and David Peters (506,000) will all be licking their lips at the prospect of a bumper payoff to reward their survival as top players on Day 1.

 

WSOP 2023 Event #35 $10,000 Secret Bounty Leaderboard:
Rank	Player	Country	Chips
1st	Aliaksandr Hirs	Belarus	750,000
2nd	Yang Wang	China	710,000
3rd	Axel Hallay	France	708,000
4th	Ariel Mantel	Argentina	650,000
5th	Uri Reichenstein	Israel	626,000

 

In Event #36, the chip leader at the close of play in the $3,000 Nine Game Mix event was Yashou Chin (622,000), with strong top 10 showings from Argentinian Andres Korn (240,700) and Scott Bohlman (182,300) as the 361-strong field was chopped almost exactly in half to just 183 players.

 

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