WSOP 2024 Day 4 Recap: Willis and Chen Win Gold, Faraz Jaka Reaches Final Four of Heads-Up Championship

The fourth day of action in the 2024 World Series of Poker saw two bracelets won by first-time winners, and the final four were reached in the $25,000 Heads-Up Championship. Phil Ivey sat down in his first WSOP Event of the summer in Las Vegas, while the Dealer's Choice event saw big names reach the final day.

Daniel Willis Sun Runs in Kickoff for $209k 

The first bracelet event of the day to be won was claimed by British player Daniel Willis. He took home $175,578 when he beat fellow talented professional Michael Wang heads-up after a glorious final table. Willis came into the action with the chip lead and made his opponents pay, enjoying some golden spots. 

After David Niedringhaus busted in eighth place, John Marino lost when his pocket sevens were beaten by Shawn Smith's pocket tens, leaving Marino out in seventh for $28,501. Michael Wang began his ascent up the leaderboard by taking out Daniel Sherer before the Japanese player Yoshinori Funayama shoved with jack-eight. Daniel Willis had an easy call with pocket kings and reasserted his full authority on the chip counts. 

Moments later, Steven Borella moved all-in with king-deuce and Willis woke up with pocket aces, calling to once again take out another opponent with consummate ease. Shawn Smith lost a coinflip to Wang to leave play heads-up and while Wang did briefly take the lead, Willis scored a big pot with a flush and then turned trips against Wang's top pair, calling Wang's shove to take home the WSOP bracelet and a life-changing top prize. 

Event #3: $500 WSOP Kickoff Final Table Results

Chen the Champion After Omaha Hi-Lo Heroics

James Chen won Event #4, the $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Event, for $209,350 as he triumphed heads-up against Lewis Brant at an all-American final table. A total of 22 players made the final day but after exits for fancied players 'Miami John' Cernuto in 10th and Jamie Kerstetter in 9th place, the final table of eight was formed. 

Coming into the final day, Adam Nattress was the chip leader but he eventually fell in fourth place for a score of $69,129. Sovann Pen had dominated periods of the final table but bowed out in third place, leaving what looked like a procession for James Chen to be completed.

Lewis Brant fought back bravely and did double back into contention but Chen, who had started the heads-up battle with ten times the chips of his opponent, rebuilt that lead and made a full house by the river when the chips were committed pre-flop to get gold. Having fallen just short in 2023 when Ben Lamb beat him to the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship, it was finally Chen's time in 2024 as he took home his first-ever WSOP and the top prize of $209,350. 

Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Final Table Results

Jaka and Martirosian Could Meet in Half-Million Heads-Up Battle 

With four players remaining, the battle to become the $25,000-entry Heads-Up Champion is on! With 16 players kicking off the action on the penultimate day of the event, each player knew that Round 3 would be pivotal. Win it and the min-cash of $86,000 was locked up, better than three times the buy-in. Lose it and there would be no return on the $25,000 entry fee.

Cary Katz lost to Artur Martirosian in the Round of 16 and the Russian professional took out Patrick Kennedy in the quarterfinals to roar into the final four. Martirosian will play Darius Samual after he asked for a change of deck against John Smith in the final last-eight clash before taking care of his more decorated opponent. 

John Smith's dream was ended but another poker legend made the semifinals as Faraz Jaka beat Sam Soverel and Owen Messere to reach the final four. Jaka will play Nikolai Mamut after he beat first James Gorham and then Marko Grujic to leave himself with a chance of taking home the $500,000 top prize. 

Both Samual and Mamut have never won a WSOP bracelet before but the same cannot be said for Martirosian and Jaka, who are shooting for their third and second bracelets respectively. Tomorrow's live final – which will be shown on PokerGO - looks set to be a classic showdown for the gold.

Shaun Deeb and 'Johnny World' Chase Seventh Bracelet in Dealer's Choice Event 

Event #7, the Dealer’s Choice 6-Max event, concluded with 10 players remaining chasing the top prize of $138,296 in Las Vegas. Chip leader after the Day 2 action ended was Clint Wolcyn (2.77m) but he is closely pursued by Brayden Gazlay (2.37m) and Robert Wells (1.96m) in the top three. 

A little further back, both John Hennigan (1.87m) and Shaun Deeb (585,000) will be hoping to win their seventh WSOP bracelets when play resumes on the final day. While legends of the game such as Allan Le (17th for $6,998), Jeff Madsen (12th for $6,998) and Roland Israelashvili (11th for $8,823) all went close to making Day 3, they were ousted late. Others such as Swedish phenom Viktor Blom (1.65m) and Ryan Pedigo (910,000) both pose a big threat heading into the denouement of another WSOP bracelet event.

Event #7: $1,500 Dealer's Choice 6-Max Final Day Chip Counts

Ivey and Zack Survive PLO Event But Kid Poker Crashes Out 

The 8th event on the 2024 WSOP Schedule this year is the $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha event. Whoever had Phil Ivey to take his seat can pat themselves on the back because the 10-time WSOP bracelet winner sneaked in to late register the event after enjoying a Tiger Woods charity event and ran his stack up to 159,000 chips by the close of play. That was good for an above-average stack of the 130 survivors from 734 entries on Day 1. 

Ivey is still some way from claiming the top prize of $606,654 and his 11th WSOP bracelet (only Phil Hellmuth would ave more with 17) but he has a shot and is joined by players such as Farid Jattin (588,000), Julien Sitbon (542,000), Joao Simao (512,000), Anthony Zinno (486,000), Joao Vieira (466,000), and Chance Kornuth (400,000) in tomorrow's Day 2. 

Dan Zack also survived, after busting in a crazy four-way all-in hand to re-enter and run his own stack up to 230,000. Daniel Negreanu and Adam Hendrix were two players who failed in that endeavour and won't be joining the former WSOP Player of the Year in the Day 2 seat draw. 

Chip leader as play closed down for the night was Jered Laurence (887,000), with Yang Wang (885,000) in hot pursuit. A prize pool of $3,371,000 is up for grabs, with just 110 of the 130 players who will start Day 2 making the money.

Event #8: $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha Day 1 Chip Counts

Mystery Millions Provides More Thrills on Day 1b 

Israel's Liran Betito ended Day 1b of the $1,000-entry Mystery Millions in the lead as he topped a field of 171 survivors with 2.72 million chips on Friday night. One of the most popular events of the World Series of Poker since its introduction, the Mystery Millions will save its biggest drama for Day 2 and beyond but to be a part of it, you have to survive Day 1 and Day 1b was a classic.  

With 3,272 total Day 1b entries, the field for the event (adding on Day 1a) is an incredible 5,519, with Canadian player Nicholas Lee nearest to Betito on 2.58 million chips. With big hitters in the game of poker such as Ian Steinman (1,675,000), James Calderaro (1,660,000), Michael Banducci (1,205,000), the 2004 Main Event runner-up David Williams (1,080,000) and Triple Crown (WSOP, WPT and EPT) winner Roberto Romanello (1,015,000) all still involved after terrific performances on Day 1b, Day 2 is going to be one for the books.

Event #5: $1,000 Mystery Millions Day 1b Chip Counts

Big Field in First Limit Hold'em Event of the Summer

The first Limit Hold'em event of the 2024 WSOP saw 434 entries reduced to 118 players as the $1,500-entry Limit Hold’em Event #9 saw legends take to the felt. The chip leader at the close of Day 1 was American Abdulrahim Amer (308,500), with Howard Mann (290,500) and Christopher Bartley (233,200) closest in attendance.

Brazilian pro Renan Bruschi (184,000) finished inside the top 10, while Nick Guagenti (170,000 in 11th place), Kenny Hsiung (141,000), Brock Parker (85,500), and Juha Helppi (36,500) all survived to Day 2. 

Event #9: $1,500 Limit Hold'em Day 1 Chip Counts

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