WSOP 2023 Day 45 Recap: Juan Maceiras Leads Final 15 in Main Event, Jachtmann and Lewis in Top Five

Just 15 players remain in with a chance of winning the 2023 WSOP Main Event and with it the $12.1 million top prize. After five more levels of play on Day 7, the starting field of 49 players were reduced to just 15 over an incredible day on the felt. With seven other WSOP bracelet events in progress, it was a busy day across both the Horseshoe and Paris casinos.

Maceiras Makes Hay on Day 7 of the Main

Spanish pro Juan Maceiras leads the final 15 players into three more days of poker in the world’s biggest poker tournament. The 2023 WSOP Main Event set a record field when 10,043 players participated and after a week of poker for everyone left in the tournament, that number is just 15.

Spanish player Maceiras is the only player remaining in the event from his homeland but will have his countrymen cheering his name at the final table of nine barring a spectacular collapse on Day 8 tomorrow. Maceiras has 108 million chips, and that’s a lead of over 32 million from Adam Walton (75.4 million), whose late full house over a flush catapulted him into second place.

Of the 15 Day 8 players, only six hail from the United States, with four British players in hot pursuit. Of those players from the United Kingdom, Toby Lewis is both the most revered and the biggest stacked, with the Hampshire man up to 50 million chips by the close of play.

Lewis’s stack is good enough for a top five finish on the day, but he sits behind German mixed game specialist Jan-Peter Jachtmann (70.7m) and Steven Jones (67.9m) on the leaderboard, with appearances from Daniel Weinman (21.7m) and the overnight leader Joshua Payne (31m) slightly lower down. With the minimum payout now over $430,000, the pressure is on and ICM pressure will start to affect every decision.

Tomorrow’s Day 8 will see six players eliminated as a final table of nine is reached. Who will reach that fabled final table is still anyone’s guess, but Juan Maceiras is currently the man – and the stack – to catch.

Kulev On Top in $50,000 High Roller

With just five players remaining, Dublin-based Bulgarian Alex Kulev leads the field in the $50,000 High Roller. A controversial name rose through the ranks on the penultimate day of action in this event – which has a top prize of $2 million. Jake Schindler will come into play second in chips as he bagged up 13.5 million, with Kulev’s stack of 19.8 million currently well clear.

Others to bag up with one day to go included in-form Hungarian Gergely Kulcsar (12.35m), German former WSOP Main Event winner Koray Aldemir (4m) and short stack Daniel Smiljkovic, who has just seven big blinds to play with.  

Martin Zamani Leads Largest-Ever Poker Hall of Fame Bounty Event

Martin Zamani ended Day 1 of the 2023 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty event in the clear as the massive chip leader with over 1.2 million chips. In an event that had a record-setting attendance of 1,417 this year, more than double the 2022 quotient, 150 players survived to Day 2, including Phil Hellmuth (281,000). The Czech player Roman Hrabec is a threat with 772,000, while a little further back, the presence of the former Main Event winner Martin Jacobson (523,000) points to an exciting day tomorrow.

Parry Pushing for Win, Matakis Chases POY Points

Five remain in the $3,000 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha Six-Max Event #82, with Matthew Parry (13.1 million) snatching the chip lead late on the penultimate of action. It’s the man in third place on the leaderboard with a day remaining who is attracting the most attention, however. Ian Matakis (8,835,000) has a great chance of winning the WSOP Player of the Year race, and as he is already leading, a win in this event – which would seal his second bracelet of the summer – could be pivotal in producing his flag in the Horseshoe next summer.

The overnight leader Dustin Goldklang (11.4m) who ended the penultimate day in this event second-placed, along with short stacks Cuba Levenberry (4,915,000) and Lawrence Wayne (2.2m) will both have something to say about that, but it’s a fascinating finale on the cards tomorrow for a top prize of $480,122.

Ha the Hero as Vietnamese Victory Defines Event #83

Vietnamese poker player Thai Ha crowned a brilliant tournament by winning the $1,500-entry Event #83 in Short Deck for a top prize of $111,170. Beating the overnight leader David Prociak heads-up, Ha’s debut bracelet win came in an event that had 363 entries overall. Also at the final table was Ryan Laplante but the popular streamer and America pro couldn’t get much going, sliding out in fifth place for a cash worth $21,863.

Final Table of Ultra Stack Sees Nine Remain

Just nine players remain in the $600-entry Ultra Stack Event #81 from 7,207 entries as the top prize of $401,250 goes on the line in tomorrow’s final. Eight Americans and one South Korean start the final, with John Fagg (91m) leading the way. Peyton Ethridge (70m) is in second place, while Logan Moon (24m) brings up the rear with a fairly even spread across the nine players.

Final Two Events Close for the Day

Two more events concluded their Day 1 flights as the action wound down in Las Vegas. In Event #85, the $1,500-entry Shootout event, controversial character Ali Imsirovic bagged up 250,000 chips, the same approximate stack as everyone who made it through by winning their 10-handed tables, of which there were 100. Other players to survive included Adam Friedman, Faraz Jaka, Kevin Allen, Yuri Dzivielevski, Chino Rheem, Brian Hastings, Katie Kopp and Jake Schwartz.

In Event #87, the $2,500 Mixed Omaha/Stud Hi-Lo event, British player Patrick Leonard bagged a big lead with 211,500 chips, as 460 played down to 247 on the opening day of the event. With a top prize of $221,733 on the line in this tournament, players such as Daniel Strelitz (165,200), Nathan Gamble (148,000), Max Pescatori (122,800) and Yuval Bronshtein (115,000) all ended the day with above-average chips.

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