WSOP Day 45 Recap: Three Bracelets Won, Colpoys Leads from Holz, Chidwick and Rast in $50k High Roller

On a day where the ten players who had made the unofficial final table in the WSOP Main Event got a day to themselves, thousands of other players took to the felt at Bally’s and Paris as they bid to win gold. With three bracelet winners on the day, as well as a packed $50,000-entry High Roller event reaching Day 2, the action was hot in Las Vegas.

Julien Martini Wins Fourth Bracelet in Razz Victory

French player Julien Martini became a four-time bracelet winner as he beat Hal Rotholz to the gold in Event #79, the $10,000-entry Razz Championship. At a nine-handed final table containing the overnight chip leader, BrandonShack-Harris and five other bracelet winners, it was a set of players packed with quality.

After Ziya Rahim had busted in ninth, Shack-Harris was the player to bust in eighth place. Brian Hastings was going for a seventh WSOP bracelet, but he couldn’t make that leap, sliding out of contention in seventh place instead. Max Pescatori followed him from the felt before Brazilian player Felipe Ramos busted after the deck had been unkind to his chances in some key spots.

The 2021 world champion Koray Aldemir was in the running for his second bracelet, but the German couldn’t make the podium places, busting in fourth place for $111,991. Legendary Chinese mixed game player Yueqi Zhu was the man to miss out on the heads-up battle in third for $149,958, as Martini domainted the chipcounts and put his last couple of victims in the cage.

That was a locked cage when he beat Rotholz heads-up in no time at all, putting a 12:1 chip advantage to brutal use to close it out for the $328,906 top prize, Rotholz laddering brilliantly to a runner-up prize of $203,281.

Gregory Teboul Wins Lucky 7’s for $777,777

French player Gregory Teboul won the Lucky 7’s Final table for an eye-catching score of $777,777 and his first WSOP bracelet, getting the better of six Americans at the seven-handed final table. The day began with nine players, but the final seven were soon at the same felt, with Allen Cunningham determined to prove that he could win gold yet again from being a short stack, but the five-time bracelet winner crashed out to the eventual winner in a battle of the blinds.  

After the eliminations of Kyle Miholich and Jed Stewart, James Hughes was busted by the overnight chip leader Christopher Farmer, but Farmer was out next, busting in third for $207,777 to miss out on the heads-up battle. Teboul was facing a 2:1 chip deficit heading into the final duel, but overcame Rodney Turvin’s lead and ended affairs when ace-ten dominated and defeated Turvin’s ace-six.

Romans Voitovs Wins Third Latvian Bracelet in Mixed Game Victory

There was a historic victory in Event #80 as Latvian Romans Voitovs took down the $600-entry Mixed NLHE/PLO event as an exciting final table raced to a conclusion at Bally’s. A total of 76 players started the day, but it was a collection of quick eliminations that preceded the final table of eight players gathering to battle for gold.

When those final eight players assembled, Voitovs had a big lead over everyone, with 21 million chips around treble everyone’s chips except Michael Dobbs, whose experience has garnered him 13.7 million chips.  Voitovs scored a crucial double elimination of Dror Ramaty and Andrew Peplinski in 9^th and 8^th places respectively and from there, dominated his way to victory.

By the heads-up stage, the Latvian had a massive lead of 3:1 and while Dobbs was the more experienced player, the stacks decided the momentum of this event’s bracelet. Dobbs never got above 35 big blinds and eventually, that chip pressure told, although the last hand was a heartbreaker. All-in with pocket aces on a flop of 7-8-9, Dobbs was ahead of Voitovs’ queen-ten only until the turn of a six and after an inconsequential ace on the river ended the event, the Latvian rail went crazy in celebration of their country’s third bracelet.

Colpoys on Top in $50,000 High Roller

Daniel Colpoys left his opponents in the rear-view as he built up the chip lead after the first day of action in the $50,000-entry High Roller Event #83. Building a stack of 2,835,000 across the day, Colpoys finished ahead of Fedor Holz (2,530,000) and Stephen Chidwick (2,100,000) as one of the toughest fields in this year’s World Series.

Elsewhere in the top 10, Brian Rast (1,635,000), Chris Hunichen (1,380,000) and Joao Vieira (1,150,000) with other names such as Dan Smith (860,000), Justin Bonomo (810,000) and Scott Seiver (550,000) all still in there fighting in the top half of the remaining 32 players from 97 entries.

Players to bust on the day and miss out on bagging up included Bryn Kenney, Jason Koon, Erik Seidel, Daniel Negreanu, Cary Katz, Chris Brewer, Jake Schindler and David Peters.

Toby Lewis, Cliff Josephy and Adam Hendrix Chasing NLHE Glory 

The penultimate day of action in the $5,000 buy-in Freezeout Event #81 saw Peter Turmezey bag the chip lead with 8,810,000, over 2 million more than British poker hero Toby Lewis, who had 6,665,000 when play ceased on the day. Other big names in the chase for glory include Adam Hendrix (5,140,000), Cliff Josephy (4,180,000) and Francois Pirault (2,815,000). 

On a busy day of action, Marius Gierse just missed the money while players like Kitty Kuo (22nd) Nacho Barbero (17th) and Michael Mizrachi (12th) all busted before the final player needed to leave ahead of the final 10 being reached. That man turned out to be Mike Watson as he ran ace-king into pocket kings, losing out in 11th place for over $41,000 to the eventual chip leader.

1. Peter Turmezey - 8,810,000

2. Toby Lewis - 6,665,000

3. Adam Hendrix - 5,140,000

4. Cliff Josephy - 4,180,000

5. Francois Pirault - 2,815,000

6. Johannes Straver - 2,585,000

7. Mo Arani - 2,400,000

8. Michael Katz - 1,865,000

9. Caio Almeida - 1,860,000

10. Valentin Oberhauser - 1,470,000

Two Other Events Conclude 

In Event #82, there were 2,812 entries, but only 167 players survived an incredibly busy day at the felt, with Justin Lapka (2,245,000) the chip leader. With Ran Koller (1,010,000), Blair Hinkle (875,000) and Ari Engel (820,000) all in contention, players such as Dan Zack, Shaun Deeb and Daniel Weinman all leaving the action, with Deeb the only man who did so after the bubble burst. 

WSOP 2022 Event #82 $800 NLHE Deepstack Top 10 Chipcounts:               

1. Justin Lapka     - 2,425,000

2. Marcelo Giordano Mendes - 2,350,000

3. Selim Oulmekki - 2,030,000

4. Steve Savio - 1,965,000

5. Artem Metalidi - 1,895,000

6. Francis Anderson - 1,800,000

7. Ranganath Kanchi - 1,650,000

8. Martin Gavascinapoletano - 1,635,000

9. Marsel Backa - 1,605,000

10. Richard Alsup - 1,500,000

Andre Akkari Leads H.O.R.S.E. Charge 

The Brazilian poker professional Andre Akkari leads the charge in the 84th event of the WSOP, the $3,000-entry H.O.R.S.E. event. With players such as Joey Couden (178,100), Jeffrey Taylor (168,100) and Bruno Jais (149,900) all making the top 10, other names to make the Day 2 seats draw include six-time bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu (72,900), Mike ‘The Mouth’ Matusow (44,900), Todd Brunson (102,400), John Racener (62,200), and five-time bracelet winner and Poker Hall of Famer Eli Elezra (53,300).

WSOP 2022 Event #84 $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. Top 10 Chipcounts:                    

1.     Andre Akkari - 262,100

2.     Greg Dyer - 181,900

3.     Joey Couden - 178,100

4.     Tomasz Gluszko - 169,500

5.     Jeffrey Taylor - 168,100

6.     Paresh Doshi - 167,600

7.     Clifford Ziff - 154,400

8.     Mauricio Ferreire Pais - 152,700

9.     Bruno Jais - 149,900

10.  Jannicholas Neizert - 148,700

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