2023 WSOP Paradise

Event #3: $25,000 GGMillion$ High Rollers Championship
Day: 3
Event Info

2023 WSOP Paradise

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
kk
Prize
$2,726,300
Event Info
Buy-in
$25,000
Prize Pool
$13,325,000
Entries
533
Level Info
Level
34
Blinds
1,000,000 / 2,000,000
Ante
2,000,000
Players Info - Day 3
Entries
8
Players Left
1

Event #3: $25,000 GGMillion$ High Rollers Championship

Day 3 Completed

Samuel Mullur Wins WSOP Paradise $25,000 GGMillion$ High Rollers Championship ($2,726,300)

Level 34 : Blinds 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Winner Samuel Mullur
Winner Samuel Mullur

On the third and final day of play, Austria’s Samuel Mullur won his first bracelet and $2,726,300 by conquering Event #3: $25,000 GGMillion$ High Rollers Championship at the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise. Mullur defeated American actor Frank Brannan in heads-up play following a three-hour battle at Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas.

The high roller tournament drew a whopping 533 entries from two live starting flights and an online flight to create a prize pool of $13,325,000. 80 players advanced to the live felt on the second day in the money, and only eight returned to Day 3 with eyes on the bracelet.

Event #3: $25,000 GGMillion$ High Rollers Championship Final Table Results

PlacePlayerCountryPrize
1stSamuel MullurAustria$2,726,300
2ndFrank BrannanUnited States$1,684,500
3rdDaniel SmiljkovicGermany$1,192,300
4thDamian SalasArgentina$856,800
5thArunas SapitaviciusLithuania$625,400
6thKlemens RoiterAustria$463,700
7thAdrian MateosSpain$349,400
8thMatthew StumpfCanada$267,500
9thRenat BohdanovUkraine$208,300

Mullur, who had just over $100,000 in live tournament earnings before this victory, increased his career live earnings by 2,626% and told PokerNews he was “very grateful” to be in the position he’s in.

“I had a couple interesting hands… two or three hands where I’m still unsure if I made the best play,” he said in a winner’s interview. “But other than that I’m really happy with how I performed.”

Samuel Mullur and Rail
Samuel Mullur and Rail

“I’m working with Fedor, I’m working with a couple other guys… and I’m just very happy to be a part of their team. I feel like I’m working with the best in the world and it makes me so happy to be where I’m at,” he said. “Also the support of (my) family and my brother (who) was railing like crazy… shout out to all of them.

GGMillion$ High Rollers Championship Action

The 80 players who made it to Day 2 were all in the money and guaranteed a payday of at least $42,200. Some of those who fell on the second day include 2022 WSOP Main Event champion Espen Jorstad (71st - $42,200), 2021 WSOP Main Event champion Koray Aldemir (64th - $46,100), and GGPoker ambassadors Bertrand Grospellier (63rd - $46,100), Ren Lin (59th - $46,100), Fedor Holz (35th - $66,600), Daniel Negreanu (26th - $77,000), and Jason Koon (22nd - $90,700).

Germany’s Daniel Smiljkovic led the pack into the final day and got off to a hot start when he eliminated Matthew Stumpf in eighth place for $267,500. Four-time bracelet winner Adrian Mateos was fortunate to make it to the final day as he lost a pot against Erik Seidel on Day 2 that left the Spanish pro with a single big blind which he was able to run back up. Still, he couldn’t complete the “chip and a chair” story as he then fell to Smiljkovic in seventh place for $349,400.

Daniel Smiljkovic
Daniel Smiljkovic

When six players remained, Mullur was the short stack but that quickly changed when he doubled twice to take the chip lead. Mullur stayed near the top of the counts and continued his hot streak as he got into a blind-versus-blind confrontation against chipleader Klemens Roiter with ace-king against tens. A king on the turn vaulted him in front and he took the clear chip lead.

Roiter was left with enough for only a small blind, and although he doubled up several times, he was eventually eliminated in sixth place for $463,700. Lithuanian Arunas Sapitavicius followed him out the door shortly after when he got his short stack in with ace-deuce against Mullur’s pocket tens and failed to improve, eliminating him in fifth place for $625,400.

Mullur held more than 65% of the chips when four-handed play and was set to score another knockout before Brannan came from behind to stay alive with a double. 2020 WSOP Main Event champion Damian Salas had his eyes on another bracelet, but he ran king-queen into Brannan’s ace-king and was eliminated in fourth place for $856,800. Not long after, Smiljkovic got his shorter stack in with king-nine against Brannan’s ace-four and found no help, eliminating the German player in third place for $1,192,300.

When heads-up play began, Mullur held a chip lead of nearly two-to-one, but it would prove to be a lengthy battle that would last more than three hours. Mullur almost claimed the title shortly after heads-up play began when he got ace-king in against Brannan’s king-queen. Brannan turned a flush, however, and the stacks were nearly even.

Frank Brannan - Samuel Mullur
Frank Brannan - Samuel Mullur

The two continued to exchange chips before Brannan took the lead and held double his opponent’s stack. Brannan had an opportunity to win on the turn with his top pair of jacks against Mullur’s pocket kings, but he couldn’t improve. Kings would prove to be the hand of the day as Brannan soon jammed his stack in with queen-ten and ran right into pocket kings once again. Mullur flopped a full house and swiftly ended the tournament to claim his first WSOP bracelet.

That wraps up the PokerNews live reporting team’s coverage of Event #3: $25,000 GGMillion$ High Rollers Championship from Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Stay tuned as PokerNews continues to provide coverage of other events here at Atlantis Resort.

Tags: Adrian MateosArunas SapitaviciusDamian SalasDaniel SmiljkovicFrank BrannanKlemens RoiterMatthew StumpfSamuel Mullur

Frank Brannan Eliminated in 2nd Place ($1,684,500)

Level 34 : Blinds 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Frank Brannan
Frank Brannan

Frank Brannan shoved from the button for 27,400,000 and Samuel Mullur made the call with the bigger stack.

Frank Brannan: Q10
Samuel Mullur: KK

Mullur's German/Austrian rail cheered loudly when they saw the cards being revealed.

The flop came K88 for his rail to erupt in even more cheers as Mullur hit a full house.

Only running cards to a straight flush could help Brannan but the 6 on the turn wasn't that, The 3 on the river completed the formalities as his rail ran up to the stage to celebrate with him.

Winner Samuel Mullur
Samuel Mullur and his rail

Brannan made his way off the stage as he was eliminated in second place for $1,684,500 while Mullur walked away with $2,726,300 and his first WSOP bracelet.

A recap of today's action is to follow.

Player Chips Progress
Samuel Mullur at
Samuel Mullur
133,200,000
34,400,000
34,400,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Frank Brannan us
Frank Brannan
Busted
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Frank BrannanSamuel Mullur

Mullur Doubles Into Chip Lead

Level 34 : Blinds 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Samuel Mullur
Samuel Mullur

Samuel Mullur raised to 4,500,000 from the button and Frank Brannan defended the big blind.

The flop landed 2510 and Brannan checked. Mullur bet 2,500,000 and Brannan check-raised to 8,000,000. Mullur called.

The J came on the turn and Brannan fired out a bet of 14,000,000. Mullur used a time extension before he moved all in for 35,900,000, and Brannan quickly put in the chips for a call.

Samuel Mullur: KK
Frank Brannan: J4

The players and the rails awaited the final card in anticipation as Brannan needed a jack or four to win the tournament, but the 7 river kept the kings in front, and Mullur secured the pot to take a sizable chip lead.

Player Chips Progress
Samuel Mullur at
Samuel Mullur
98,800,000
53,900,000
53,900,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Frank Brannan us
Frank Brannan
34,400,000
-53,900,000
-53,900,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Frank BrannanSamuel Mullur

Brannan Extends Chip Lead

Level 34 : Blinds 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante

Samuel Mullur raised to 4,500,000 from the button with 64 and Frank Brannan defended the big blind with J7.

The dealer fanned out the 7AA flop and Brannan checked. Mullur bet 2,500,000 and Brannan called.

The 2 landed on the turn, Brannan checked again, and Mullur sized up to nearly a pot-sized bet of 15,000,000. Brannan thought about it and called, and the K river was checked through.

Brannan tabled his hand and took the pot to hold nearly double Mullur's stack.

Player Chips Progress
Frank Brannan us
Frank Brannan
88,300,000
18,000,000
18,000,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Samuel Mullur at
Samuel Mullur
44,900,000
-18,000,000
-18,000,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Frank BrannanSamuel Mullur

Small Pot for Mullur

Level 34 : Blinds 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante

Frank Brannan limped in from the button with the 107 and Samuel Mullur checked with the Q5.

The flop came 2KA, Mullur check-called the 2,000,000 bet of Brannan.

The turn was the 2, they both checked to the 3 on the river. They both checked again for Mullur to claim the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Frank Brannan us
Frank Brannan
70,300,000
-3,000,000
-3,000,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Samuel Mullur at
Samuel Mullur
62,900,000
3,000,000
3,000,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Frank BrannanSamuel Mullur

Brannan Takes More on Flop

Level 34 : Blinds 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante

Samuel Mullur limped the button with Q10, Frank Brannan raised to 10,000,000 in the big blind with AK, and Mullur called.

The dealer fanned out the 76K flop and Brannan continued for 7,500,000, causing Mullur to muck.

Player Chips Progress
Frank Brannan us
Frank Brannan
73,300,000
4,000,000
4,000,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Samuel Mullur at
Samuel Mullur
59,900,000
-4,000,000
-4,000,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Frank BrannanSamuel Mullur

Back to Almost Even

Level 34 : Blinds 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante

Samuel Mullur limped in from the button with 43 and Frank Brannan defended with the K9.

The flop came 7J3, they both checked to the 7 on the turn. Brannan checked, Mullur bet 3,000,000 and was called.

The river completed the board with the 3 for Mullur to improve his pair of treys to trips. Brannan checked for the final time. Mullur barreled a bet of 15,000,000 over the line for Brannan to flick his cards into the muck.

Player Chips Progress
Frank Brannan us
Frank Brannan
69,300,000
-6,500,000
-6,500,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Samuel Mullur at
Samuel Mullur
63,900,000
6,500,000
6,500,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Frank BrannanSamuel Mullur

Level: 34

Blinds: 1,000,000/2,000,000

Ante: 2,000,000

Brannan Folds In Last Hand Before the Break

Level 33 : Blinds 1,000,000/1,500,000, 1,500,000 ante

Frank Brannan limped in on the button with the A3 and Samuel Mullur checked with the 75.

The flop came 662, they both quickly checked to see the 7 on the turn. Mullur bet 3,000,000 and Brannan came along to the 9 on the river.

Mullur continued with a bet of 3,500,000 for Brannan to fold and leave the table quickly as they had another break scheduled.

Player Chips Progress
Frank Brannan us
Frank Brannan
75,800,000
3,400,000
3,400,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Samuel Mullur at
Samuel Mullur
57,400,000
-3,400,000
-3,400,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Frank BrannanSamuel Mullur