WSOP 2023 Day 43 Recap: Rigby the Star Again on Day 5 of WSOP Main Event, Bracelet Win for Daniels in Lucky 7’s Event

The fifth day of action in the WSOP Main Event might just have been the craziest ever seen. On a day packed with incident, controversy and above all else, entertainment, there was a big leader left in the Main Event as 149 players survived from 441 who began the day. In other events, Shawn Daniels won his first bracelet in an emotional play-out in the Lucky 7’s, while Joao Viera and Josh Arieh battled for supremacy in the $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. High Roller.

Main Event Drama Sees Rigby Bust Kornuth

There may not have been a more dramatic Day 5 in the history of the Main Event and on Tuesday night, the action didn’t disappoint at the Horseshoe in Las Vegas. The day began with 441 players still in with a chance of winning the $12.1 million top prize but ended with just 149 still in the hunt.

Top of the leaderboard after five days of action was Zachary Hall, who ended play on 16.3 million. Hall’s tournament life was on the line back on Day 3 as he called off his stack and was at risk of elimination to British pro Chris Da-Silva. Hall had ten-six for two-pair on a flop that had given Da-Silva a set of sixes. Happily for Hall, an amazing two-outer suck-out came on the river when he hit a ten and since that moment, Hall has gone from being one card from a defeat outside the money places to being in pole position to win the eight-figure top prize.

Behind Hall, Bryan Obregon (12,295,000) got closest, but there were plenty of big names who bagged up. WPT anchor and journeyman crusher Tony Dunst (8,285,000) as will the British professional Andrew Hulme (11,065,000). Outside the top 10, John Racener (7,670,000) is looking to go one better than his previous Main Event runner-up appearance in 2010 for $5.5 million.

Yesterday’s end-of-day leader Ryan Tosoc (7,625,000) made a superb call to continue in his efforts to win the world championship, and there were huge clashes all day on the PokerGO stream, with Toby Lewis bluffed off a pot where he rivered the nut flush.

The biggest pot of the championship took place on Day 5 when Nick Rigby shoved pre-flop with pocket aces and was sensationally called by Chance Kornuth with a suited ace-king. Rigby, who earlier called Robert Heidorn’s ace-king shove with ten-seven and won, held to knock out perhaps the most experienced and in-form player remaining in the draw at that stage.

Lucky 7’s Won by Shawn Daniels for First Bracelet

The $777 buy-in Lucky 7’s Event #77 was won by American Shawn Daniels as he triumphed for his first-ever WSOP bracelet victory. Getting the better of Julien Montois heads-up, the overnight leader Anthony Scarborough busted in 4^th place for $168,777 at an exciting final table.

Seth Davies Leading Event #79 After Huge Day 2

American high roller regular Seth Davies leads Event #79, the $2,500-entry No Limit Hold’em event which saw just 24 players remain in with a chance of becoming champion when tomorrow’s final day takes place. Davies, who has never won a WSOP bracelet before, has a massive lead, with his 9,425,000 chips more than double everyone’s stack except his closest challengers Justin Kindred (6m) and Ramon Fernandez (5.02m).

Legends Lining Up in $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. Event

There are some of the biggest players in the world lining up in Event #80, the $25,000-entry H.O.R.S.E. event. Joao Vieira (2,595,000) leads the remaining 15 players in the hunt for a bracelet and the $711,313 top prize, but he has enormous competition in his rearview, with Josh Arieh (2,040,000) breathing down his neck in a bid to win a second bracelet this summer.

Johnny ‘World’ Hennigan (1,588,000) is close by, with Mike Matusow (705,000) clinging on in the top 10 after what he admitted were three tough hours of poker to close the day.

Land Ahoy in Ultra Stack

Matthew Land made sure that there was clear water between him and the remaining 243 survivors who join him in Day 2 of Event #81, the $600 Ultra Stack event. With 2,160,000, he ended the day just ahead of Jiawei Mao (2,150,000), with Christina Gollins (2,000,000) third in chips after Day 1.

Gaston Leading the Leader

Event #82, the $3,000-entry PLO 6-Max event, saw over a thousand whittled down to 238 on the first day its event, with Tyler Gaston (552,500) leading from the overall leader in the WSOP Player of the Year race, Ian Matakis (490,500). Elsewhere in the top 10, mixed game lover Dylan Weisman (455,500) scored heavily too.

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