WSOP 2024 Day 18 Recap: Galiana Bluffs for Glory, Phil Hui Breaks the Tape in H.O.R.S.E. and Ivey Strong in Latest High Roller

An incredible bluff, a comeback from the Poker Gods and a top ten full of different nationalities. Day 18 of the 2024 WSOP had it all and provided thrilling entertainment for viewers on PokerGO and railbirds in Las Vegas alike on Friday night. With the Horseshoe and Parsis casinos packed to the rafters, it was a day of drama as more legends took gold. 

Galiana Grabs Gold With Brilliant Bluff

Antonio Galiana sealed a memorable victory to win his first WSOP bracelet after one of the greatest ever bluffs in poker history. With fewer chips than his heads-up opponent, Game of Gold Season 1 contestant Johan Guilbert, Galiana five-bet all-in with the worst hand, an offsuit seven-five with an all-club board on display.

Guilbert didn’t have a club either and was forced to fold. Galiana didn’t know that, however, and it was an astonishing move that earned him a crucial heads-up lead. In truth, it was a brilliant bluff that would have been virtually impossible to call, so many chips being at stake. 

From there, Galiana used his lead to wear down Guilbert and take gold, winning the title and $439,395 top prize. 

The final table was one where other big names fell just short. Fantasy Draft king Jeremy Ausmus reached third place for $202,358, while Finnish player Juha Helppi added a fourth place finish to a fifth place earlier in the WSOP. French star Romain Lewis rounded out the top five, while British pro Patrick Leonard endured a more difficult day, going from second in chips at kick-off to out in seventh place for $62,334. 

You can watch the moment the WSOP world stood still and Galiana bluffed for his tournament life right here.

WSOP Event #34 $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. 8-Max Day 2 Chip Counts

Ivey and Negreanu Both Survive Day 1 of $50k High Roller

There were 134 total entries in the $50,000 High Roller Event #39, with the Japanese professional Masashi Oya on top of the 68 survivors. Totalling 1.57 million chips at the close of play, Oya finished ahead of a top ten also featuring German player Marius Gierse (1,516,000), Bulgarian Alex Kulev (1,358,000), Russia's Artur Martirosian (1,015,000), British hope Philip Sternheimer (965,000) and Argentina's Nacho Barbero (948,000) as ten countries filled the ten spots on that list. 

A little further back, legends assemble. The 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Ivey (888,000), Swedish megastar Viktor Blom (866,000), British pro Ben Heath (859,000), Spanish multiple WSOP title holder Adrian Mateos (844,000), Andrew ‘Chewy’ Lichtenberger (764,000), Isaac 'Action' Haxton (740,000), David Coleman (613,000), and Daniel 'Kid Poker' Negreanu (458,000) all made Day 2.

Others such as Nick Petrangelo, Espen Jorstad, Alex Foxen, Stephen Chidwick, Sam Soverel, Brian Rast and Nick Schulman all busted during Day 1. 

WSOP Event #39: $50,000 High Roller Day 1 Chip Counts

Margolin the Master So Far in Deepstack Event 

Day 2 of the $800-entry Deepstack No-Limit Hold'em Event #36 event ended with Israel's Timur Margolin (44,350,000) in charge as he bagged a vast stack more than most. Michael Allen (31,400,000) was second in chips, but behind the top two, everyone is playing a big game of catch-up, with $25k Fantasy hopes Adam Hendrix (14,200,000) and Joseph Couden (12,850,000) needing a lot of recovery on the final day.

The top prize of $342,551 and WSOP gold bracelet drifted past several stars on the penultimate day as legends like Martin Zamani (27th) and Chris Brewer (24th) both busted late in the day after the field had already lost Ari Engel, Joe Cada, Michael Wang, and Ryan Reiss.

WSOP Event #35 $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. 8-Max Day 2 Chip Counts

Hui Rides High in H.O.R.S.E. Finale

Phil Hui won his fourth WSOP bracelet after a staggering comeback in the heads-up H.O.R.S.E., as both he and Daniel Mayoh raced for the line in the $1,500-entry Event #35. With 835 total entries and a top prize of $193,545, 

With a busy day's play seeing 23 of the runners reduced to just 10 by the first break in play, the possibility of a late finish seemed unlikely. Players such as Yuri Dzivielevski, Daniel Strelitz, and 'Miami' John Cernuto all missed out as the two men destined to do battle for the bracelet at the last got heads-up. 

Hui held a slim advantage with the final duel beginning but in the early stages of his battle with Mayoh, everything went wrong. The British player established a 10:1 chip lead at one point but Hui came roaring back and after being caught bluffing in Omaha Hi-Lo to lose his lead, Hui got it back in Razz and Seven Card Stud before making two pair in Stud Hi-Lo and managing to get Mayoh committed - and the not to hit - with a flush draw to finish it off.  

WSOP Event #35 $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. 8-Max Day 2 Chip Counts

Weisman Chasing Anderson in Big O Championship

Day 2 of the $10,000-entry Event #37, the Big O Championship saw 332 players whittled down to just 19 survivors ahead of the final day and the awarding of a bracelet and top prize of $681,998. Top of the leaderboard is Calvin Anderson, whose stack of 2,385,000 chips puts him well clear of many, although only a big bet ahead of nearest rival John Fauver (2,125,000).

Already a bracelet winner this summer, Dylan Weisman will be a big threat on 1,700,000 chips, with Michael Rocco (1,640,000), David Benyamine (1,350,000) and Ryan Hughes (925,000) all still in the hunt. Anson Tsang (890,000) and Adam Friedman (415,000), along with Phil Ivey's heads-up opponent in midweek, Danny Wong (890,000), will all be hoping tomorrow is their day. 

Players such as Brian Rast, Nick Schulman, Benny Glaser, Yuri Dzivielevski, Kevin Gerhart, Phil Hellmuth, Scott Seiver and Joao Vieira all busted outside the money places.

WSOP Event #37 $10,000 Big O Championship Day 2 Chip Counts

Two Bracelet Events Begin

Two more events began, with the $1,500 Monster Stack Event #38 piling in players. Ryan Sullivan sits atop the leaderboard in the first of those, with his 'Monster Stack' of 915,000 way ahead of most and still clear of Cristian Tuica (728,500) and John Oshea (609,500) in second and third. With 3,139 players, Ryan Leng (502,500) also made the top ten as the prizepool exceeded $4.19m on Day 1a. 

Event #40, $1,500 Razz ended Day 1 with 547 entries and 136 survivors. A top prize of $141,374 awaits the winner, with Andrew Kerstine (288,500) the current chip leader. John Racener (178,000), James Obst (151,000), Mike Gorodinsky (141,500) 'Miami' John Cernuto (108,000) all still challenging.

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