2023 WSOP Day 44: Wang Claims $50,000 High Roller Chip Lead

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Yang Wang

The 44th day of the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas was meant to only see one champion crowned, but it turned out two players received some WSOP hardware.

Event #80: $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. did have a fourth day on the schedule, but it was not required, thanks, partly, to Josh Arieh steamrolling his way to a sixth career bracelet. Arieh defeated Dan Heimiller heads-up to rake in another $711,313 in winnings, his second bracelet of 2023, and his sixth overall.

Spain's Samuel Bernabeu became a WSOP bracelet winner for the first time after outlasting 2,067 opponents in Event #79: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em. Only 24 of those that started the tournament with high hopes returned for the third and final day, and it was the Spaniard who came out on top. They banked $682,436 and the event's bracelet.

Yang Wang Leads Stellar Field in the $50K NLHE High Roller

The 133-strong Day 1 field of Event #84: $50,000 High Roller was cut down to a more manageable 44 over the course of 12 levels, and it is China's Yang Wang (2,175,000) who bagged the most chips.

Wang has already cashed in the $100,000 High Roller and the $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller, so is going for a hattrick of in-the-money finishes against stellar fields.

German superstar Fedor Holz (1,990,000) bagged up the second largest stack, while Holz's fellow German Stefan Schillhabel (1,915,000) rounds out the top three.

Others to bag and tag at the end of Day 1 include Vlad Darie (1,830,000), 2021 WSOP Main Event champion Espen Jorstad (1,340,000), soccer star Sergio Aguero (880,000), Daniel Negreanu (685,000), Jason Koon (650,000), PokerStars Ambassador Alejandro Lococo (645,000), David Peters (550,000), and short-stack Sean Winter (155,000).

This year's turnout is far greater than in 2022, and is set to further improve because late registration remains open until the start of Day 2, which commences at 1:00 p.m. local time on July 13. As always, PokerNews is the place for all your WSOP updates.

Event #84: $50,000 High Roller Top 10 Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Yang WangChina2,175,000109
2Fedor HolzGermany1,990,000100
3Stefan SchillhabelGermany1,915,00096
4Vlad DarieRomania1,830,00092
5Dylan LindeUnited States1,770,00089
6Jake SchindlerUnited States1,740,00087
7Masashi OyaJapan1,430,00072
8Espen JorstadNorway1,340,00067
9Brandon WittmeyerUnited States1,330,00067
10Nacho BarberoArgentina1,305,00065

It's getting Serious in the Main Event With Only 49 Players Remaining

Joshua Payne
Joshua Payne

Only 49 players remain in the hunt for a $12.1 million payday, as Event #76: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship completed its sixth day of action.

Joshua Payne (47,950,000) was the man that bagged the biggest stack as the curtain came down on proceedings. Payne leads from Juan Maceiras Lapido (40,500,000), Daniel Weinman (24,375,000), Richard Ryder (22,650,000), and Tim Van Loo (21,700,000).

Play resumes at 12:00 p.m. local time on July 13, and PokerNews will be on the ground throughout. Why not check out a full recap of the Main Event Day 6 action while you wait for the cards to be back in the air?

Event #76: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship Top 10 Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Joshua PayneUnited States47,950,000240
2Juan Maceiras LapidoSpain40,500,000203
3Daniel WeinmanUnited States24,375,000122
4Richard RyderUnited States22,650,000113
5Tim Van LooAustria21,700,000109
6Alec TorelliUnited States21,075,000105
7Daniel ScrogginsUnited States20,800,000104
8Pierpaola LamannaItaly18,875,00094
9Nicholas GerrityUnited States18,075,00090
10Ryan TamaniniUnited States17,325,00087

Day 1b of the $600 Ultra Stack Sees Malboubi Shine the Brightest

Rassoul Malboubi
Rassoul Malboubi

Another 4,116 players bought into Event #81: $600 Ultra Stack on Day 1b, but only 312 of those starters had chips requiring bagging and tagging after 22 action-packed levels.

Rassoul Malboubi (3,615,000) weather the storm the best. Having reached the final table of the Super Seniors event earlier in the summer, Malboubi has done his chances of sitting under the spotlights gain no harm at all.

Also through to Day 2 are the likes of Leonard Clementi (3,500,000), Robert Sherwood (2,880,000), Ben Farrell (1,500,000), Scott Bohlman (1,205,000), Women in Poker Hall of Famer Kathy Liebert (1,000,000), Dinesh Alt (535,000), and Tommy Nguyen (525,000).

The survivors from Day 1a and Day 1b combined at 10:00 a.m. local time on July 13 to play another 17 levels. Return to PokerNews then to follow all the updates from this monster-sized tournament.

Event #81: $600 Ultra Stack Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Rassoul MalboubiUnited States3,615,00090
2Leonard ClementiUnited States3,500,00088
3David RichUnited States2,950,00074
4Qiang XuChina2,940,00074
5Robert SherwoodUnited Kingdom2,880,00072
6Samuel Von KennelUnited States2,375,00059
7Shane RoseUnited States2,320,00058
8Michael LaneUnited States2,300,00558
9Brandon HamletUnited States1,980,00050
10Michael MajaraisUnited States1,965,00049

Drinan On Course to Become the $3K PLO 6-Max Champion

Connor Drinan
Connor Drinan

Connor Drinan (4,225,000) is on course to capture the second WSOP bracelet of his career, with the Chicago native returning to the final day of Event #82: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (6-Handed) second in chips.

Only Dustin Goldklang (4,225,000) has more chips at their disposal from the 35 players still in the hunt for the $480,122 top prize.

Although Drinan and Goldklang possess the largest stacks, there are some superb poker players in the chasing pack that will fancy their chances of striking poker gold.

Lukas Zaskodny (2,035,000) and Brandon Shack-Harris (1,865,000) already have a bracelet each, while Day 1 chip leader Tyler Gaston (1,745,000) kept his foot on the gas on Day 2.

Three-time bracelet winner Norbert Szecsi of Hungary (420,000) is at the wrong end of the overnight counts, but a player with his skills cannot ever be written off.

Return to PokerNews from 1:00 p.m. local time on July 13 to see who walks away with the latest WSOP PLO title.

Event #82: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Handed Top 10 Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Dustin GoldklangUnited States4,225,000169
2Connor DrinanUnited States3,270,000131
3Marc LagazeUnited States2,530,000101
4Matthew ParryUnited States2,500,000100
5Benjamin JuhaszHungary2,480,00099
6Lukas ZaskodnyCzech Republic2,035,00081
7Brandon Shack-HarrisUnited States1,865,00075
8Tyler GastonUnited States1,745,00070
9Joshua StefanskyUnited States1,670,00067
10Eric HayesUnited States1,430,00057

Prociak Has the Biggest Stack in the $1,500 Short Deck

David Prociak
David Prociak

Event #83: $1,500 Short Deck was scheduled to run over three days, but only nine of the 363 starters remain after Day 1, so this event is all but guaranteed to wrap up during its second day.

David Prociak (2,040,000) has one hand on this event's bracelet, which would be the second of his career if he can get the job done. It has been seven years since Prociak won his first bracelet, so some may say another victory is long overdue.

Ryan Laplante (711,000) is in a similar position. The popular grinder also won his one and only bracelet in 2016. Laplante sits down on Day 2, seventh in chips.

A 12:00 p.m. local time restart is scheduled on July 13, and PokerNews will eat its hat if this event requires a third day to conclude!

Event #83: $1,500 Short Deck Top 10 Chip Counts

PlacePlayerCountryChips
1David ProciakUnited States2,040,000
2Robert JamesUnited States1,622,000
3Thai HaVietnam1,200,000
4Matan GabayIsrael1,054,000
5Moses AloshIsrael784,000
6Ryan LaplanteUnited States771,000
7Wai Kiat LeeMalaysia734,000
8Marcos ExterkotterBrazil611,000
9Adam AdlerUnited States515,000

What to Expect on Day 45 of the 2023 WSOP

The 2023 WSOP Main Event is rapidly heading towards the business end of the tournament, with Event #76: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship reaching Day 7. The prize money and pressure are huge, so do not miss any of the action.

Event #81: $600 Ultra Stack will see its bumper crowd significantly trimmed down during its Day 2, while Event #84: $50,000 High Roller continues inching towards a conclusion.

Champions will be crowned in Event #82: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (6-Handed) and Event #83: $1,500 Short Deck as another trio of tournaments get underway.

Event #85: $1,500 Shootout is the first of those three newcomers, followed by Event #86: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty, and then Event #87: $2,500 Mixed Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better. The 2023 WSOP is determined to end with a bang!

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