2023 World Series of Poker

Event #28: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout
Day: 3
Event Info

2023 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a8
Prize
$406,403
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,500
Prize Pool
$2,731,410
Entries
2,046
Level Info
Level
35
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Players Info - Day 3
Entries
17
Players Left
1

Event #28: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout

Day 3 Completed

Benjamin Ector Busts Seven Straight to Win Event #28: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout ($406,403)

Level 35 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Benjamin Ector
Benjamin Ector

Benjamin Ector is now a first-time bracelet winner after taking down Event #28: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout at the 2023 World Series of Poker for $406,403 following a brief heads-up battle with runner-up Adam Swan ($251,158).

The Freezeout event drew a field of 2,046 unique entries for a prize pool of $2,731,410 and saw 17 players returning for Day 3, including third-place finisher Nick Palma ($184,730) and Germany's Dietrich Fast (8th - $45,895), the only bracelet winner at the nine-handed final table.

Start-of-day chip leader Matthew Hunt was looking to close out on a maiden bracelet but lost two massive flips to Ector to give up the chip lead and eventually fall in seventh place for $59,468. Ector then used the chip lead to steamroll the remaining final table eliminating every player along the way.

2023 WSOP Event #28 Final Table Results

 PLACEPLAYERCOUNTRYPRIZE (IN USD)
 1Benjamin EctorUnited States$406,403
 2Adam SwanUnited States$251,158
 3Nick PalmaUnited States$184,730
 4Jean LhuillierFrance$137,159
 5Divyam SatyarthiUnited States$102,814
 6Santiago PlanteCanada$77,814
 7Matthew HuntUnited Kingdom$59,468
 8Dietrich FastGermany$45,895
 9Dean HutchisonUnited Kingdom$35,773

Winner's Reaction

Ector was ecstatic to have won his first gold bracelet after having a long successful career playing online, he moved to Mexico to play when Black Friday hit.

He also had a deep run in the $1,500 No Limit Hold’em Monster Stack Event at the 2019 WSOP. Ector recalled starting the final table with the chip lead and ending up in fifth place which was a real disappointment at the time. He moved back to Mexico to relax and take some time away from poker and just recently started playing live again.

Ector has played at many final tables and had a solid aggressive strategy heading into the final table despite not starting as the chip leader this time. He remained patient and waited for the right opportunities to make his moves.

A turning point for Ector was where his ace-king won a race against Hunt's pocket eights and from there, Ector started to run away with the tournament.

Once he gained a substantial chip lead, he systematically knocked out each player from eighth to second place and in between, used his aggression to win small pots, and continued building his stack.

In most of the eliminations Ector showed the dominating hand except against Santiago Plante where Plante had Big Slick suited, and Ector had five-four off but called due to the pot odds, ultimately hitting a straight.

His rail was chanting, "Smelling salts, smelling salts," as Ector had been using them to stay alert and sharing them with other players.

Ector was texting his mom in Atlanta and his sister in Salt Lake City to relay the good news that he had won.

He plans to play more events during this summer's WSOP and make some more final tables.

Benjamin Ector
Benjamin Ector
Benjamin Ector
Benjamin Ector

Day 3 Action

Day 3 kicked off with 17 players at two tables with Hunt as the chip leader. The tables played for about five hours and finally whittled down in players when Rene Lazaro was the last person eliminated before the final table redraw.

The unofficial final table consisted of ten players which included bracelet winner Dietrich Fast who was eliminated in eighth place and Day 2 chip leader Hunt went out in seventh place.

Swan and Palma were in the final three and attempted to overcome the chip leader’s reign and doubled up a few times but couldn’t keep up any momentum to surpass Ector.

Palma went out in third place when his jack-ten failed to complete a flush against Ector's dominating ace-ten.

Nick Palma
Nick Palma

The heads-up match between Swan and Ector did not last long and ended after Swan was betting third pair strongly and Ector made a big call with second pair.

The very next hand, Swan moved his short stack in with ten-nine suited and Ector called with the Deadman's hand. Swan didn't hit his outs and finished runner-up.

Adam Swan
Adam Swan

Be sure to keep it with the PokerNews team throughout the 2023 WSOP for live updates from the floor at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.

Tags: Adam SwanBenjamin EctorDean HutchisonDietrich FastDivyam SatyarthiJean LhuillierMatthew HuntNick PalmaRene LazaroSantiago Plante

Adam Swan Eliminated in 2nd Place ($251,158)

Level 35 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Adam Swan
Adam Swan

Adam Swan opened to 1,000,000 on the button and Benjamin Ector defended in the big blind.

Ector checked on the flop of QA10 and Swan continued for 600,000. Ector called. Ector check-called again on the 4 turn when Swan sized up to 1,850,000.

Both players checked on the 5 river and Ector showed the winner with Q8 for second pair.

"Great turn call!" someone screamed from his rail.

The next hand, Ector open-jammed and Swan called off in the big blind with around 6,700,000.

Adam Swan: 109
Benjamin Ector: A8

The flop landed 4J2 to keep Ector's ace-high ahead and his rail erupted in celebration as the A on the turn had Swan drawing dead to bring Ector his first bracelet.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Benjamin Ector us
Benjamin Ector
51,000,000
9,000,000
9,000,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Profile photo of Adam Swan us
Adam Swan
Busted

Tags: Adam SwanBenjamin Ector

Four in the Window

Level 35 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Benjamin Ector
Benjamin Ector

Benjamin Ector raised enough to put Adam Swan all in and Swan called on the big blind.

Adam Swan: A4
Benjamin Ector: A3

The rail yelled, "four in the window", as the board ran out J5438 and Swan doubled his stack.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Benjamin Ector us
Benjamin Ector
42,000,000
-2,000,000
-2,000,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Profile photo of Adam Swan us
Adam Swan
9,000,000
2,000,000
2,000,000

Tags: Adam SwanBenjamin Ector

"He's a God!": Ector Picks Off River Check-Raise

Level 35 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Benjamin Ector
Benjamin Ector

Benjamin Ector opened on the button and Adam Swan defended to see a flop of Q5J. Swan checked and Ector bet 600,000. Swan called.

Swan checked again on the 3 turn and Ector checked back. Swan checked once more on the 6 river and Ector bet 1,700,000. Swan check-raised to 4,500,000 and Ector went deep in the tank as he drank from his water bottle. Eventually, he called.

"Good call," Swan said as he tabled A6 for bottom pair to lose to the second pair of Ector with J9.

"Let's f***ing go!" someone screamed from Ector's rail.

"He's a god!" screamed someone else.

"I thought it was a good bluff," Swan told his rail.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Benjamin Ector us
Benjamin Ector
44,000,000
13,000,000
13,000,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Profile photo of Adam Swan us
Adam Swan
7,000,000
-13,000,000
-13,000,000

Tags: Adam SwanBenjamin Ector

Level: 35

Blinds: 250,000/500,000

Ante: 500,000

Nick Palma Eliminated in 3rd Place ($184,730)

Level 34 : Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
Nick Palma
Nick Palma

Benjamin Ector continued with his aggressive play and announced, "all in" in the small blind and Nick Palma in the big blind called.

Nick Palma: J10
Benjamin Ector: A10

The rail yelled for a spade as the board played out Q2492 but the spade did not come and Ector won Palma's chips.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Benjamin Ector us
Benjamin Ector
31,000,000
6,000,000
6,000,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Profile photo of Nick Palma us
Nick Palma
Busted

Tags: Benjamin EctorNick Palma

Swan Spikes River to Double Through Ector

Level 34 : Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
Adam Swan
Adam Swan

Benjamin Ector open-jammed on the button and Adam Swan went in the tank in the big blind.

"How much do you have?" Swan asked Nick Palma.

"I mean, I'm going to win the tournament, so I wouldn't worry about me," Palma replied before Swan called off for 8,300,000.

Adam Swan: AQ
Benjamin Ector: J10

Ector took a big lead as the flop landed 52J and the 2 turn didn't change anything. However, the dealer then put the Q out on the river and Swan doubled up to stay alive.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Benjamin Ector us
Benjamin Ector
22,000,000
12,000,000
12,000,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Profile photo of Adam Swan us
Adam Swan
16,500,000
12,500,000
12,500,000
Profile photo of Nick Palma us
Nick Palma
5,400,000
-600,000
-600,000

Tags: Adam SwanBenjamin EctorNick Palma

PokerNews Podcast: Aceholes Guests Nikki Limo & Caitlin Comeskey

Level 34 : Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante

On the latest PokerNews Podcast episode, Chad Holloway and Jesse Fullen continue The Chad & Jesse Poker Show straight from the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP).

This week, they are joined by Acesholes Podcast hosts Caitlin Comeskey and Nikki Limo, who discuss their respective backgrounds in both entertainment and poker. The competitive duo, who are only separated by a few thousand in career earnings, then played a fun game of "Who Said It - Phil Hellmuth or Kanye West?"

Chad and Jesse then do a new "Calling the Clock" segment in which they offer quick two-minute dialogues for topics on “The Board.”

Click here to listen to the new PN Podcast!