Level: 22
Blinds: 100,000/150,000
Ante: 150,000
2023 WSOP Paradise
Event #5: $25,000 High Roller PLO
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2023 WSOP Paradise
Buy-in
$25,000
Prize Pool
$3,500,000
Entries
140
Level
24
Blinds
125,000 / 250,000
Ante
250,000
Entries
32
Players Left
1
Accused Private Poker Game Cheater: "I Didn't Bring Any Cards Anywhere"
Level 21
: Blinds 75,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
One day after being accused of cheating a California home game out of millions, Tony Mars issued a statement to PokerNews denying the allegations.
Wesley Fei and Nikhil "Nik Airball" Arcot, both Hustler Casino Live regulars, claim that Mars, who also plays on HCL, brought a special UV-marked deck that allowed him to decipher face-down cards.
The alleged scandal occurred in a game at a private residence in Yorba Linda, California, a community in Orange County.
Dinner Break
Level 21
: Blinds 75,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
The nine remaining players are now on 60-minute dinner break and will return at about 9:55 p.m. local time.
Moncek Hits River Double Before Dinner
Level 21
: Blinds 75,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
In the final hand of the level, Michael Moncek raised to 450,000 in the cutoff. Imad Derwiche reraised the pot from the next seat and Moncek got it in for Derwiche to call.
Michael Moncek: A♦K♦10♠4♦
Imad Derwiche: A♣A♠6♣4♣
The J♣10♣7♦ flop gave Moncek middle pair and a gutshot broadway draw while Derwiche remained ahead with aces and held the nut flush draw. Nothing changed with the 8♠ turn but the 10♥ river gave Moncek trips tens.
Derwiche sunk into his chair and shook his head, while the stack of Moncek was counted. His double was for 1,355,000 and put another big dent into Derwiche's stack. The T-5,000 chips were then raced off and below are the updated dinner break counts of the final nine contenders.
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Schulman | United States | 1,950,000 | 13 |
| 2 | Dan Shak | United States | 2,150,000 | 14 |
| 3 | Matthew Wantman | United States | 2,225,000 | 15 |
| 4 | Isaac Haxton | United States | 975,000 | 7 |
| 5 | Michael Moncek | United States | 3,050,000 | 20 |
| 6 | Imad Derwiche | France | 3,450,000 | 23 |
| 7 | Tyler Brown | United States | 1,150,000 | 8 |
| 8 | Nikolaos Lampropoulos | Greece | 4,125,000 | 28 |
| 9 | Yuri Dzivielevski | Brazil | 1,825,000 | 12 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
4,125,000
265,000
|
265,000 |
|
||
|
3,450,000
-1,100,000
|
-1,100,000 |
|
3,050,000
1,650,000
|
1,650,000 |
|
||
|
2,225,000
125,000
|
125,000 |
|
2,150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
1,950,000
-150,000
|
-150,000 |
|
||
|
1,825,000
-650,000
|
-650,000 |
|
|
||
|
1,150,000
-50,000
|
-50,000 |
|
|
||
|
975,000
-125,000
|
-125,000 |
|
|
||
Schulman Doubles Through Derwiche
Level 21
: Blinds 75,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
Nick Schulman opened pot to 450,000 before the action moved to current chip leader Imad Derwiche in the small blind who put Schulman all in. He snap-called and the hands were tabled with Schulman at risk.
Nick Schulman: A♠A♥3♦6♦
Imad Derwiche: K♥K♦J♠8♠
The full board ran out 2♠4♦4♣7♠9♣ and Schulman earned the pure double to move up the leaderboard.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,550,000
-2,150,000
|
-2,150,000 |
|
|
2,100,000
600,000
|
600,000 |
|
|
||
Another Kings Versus Aces Showdown Avoided
Level 21
: Blinds 75,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
Imad Derwiche raised to 325,000 and the action then reached Dan Shak, who potted to 1,175,000 on the button.
"Two aces?" Derwiche asked when the blinds had folded and flicked in one time bank extension right away.
Derwiche needed the thirty additional seconds to make up his mind, rearranging the cards high-up before folding and exposing K♠K♥ face-up.
Shak returned the favour and flashed his A♥A♦8♦2♥.
"I have only seen one king this entire final table so far," Tyler Brown joked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,700,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
2,000,000
500,000
|
500,000 |
|
|
1,200,000
-250,000
|
-250,000 |
|
|
||
No Flops But Some Action
Level 21
: Blinds 75,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
Isaac Haxton raised the pot two times in a row to force folds and chip back up without showdown.
Dan Shak then raised to 425,000 and Matthew Wantman moved all-in from the next seat. It folded back to Shak, who tanked for a while and exposed suited kings. Wantman returned the favour and flashed his A♦A♥J♣7♠ for Badugi aces.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,100,000
600,000
|
600,000 |
|
|
1,500,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,500,000
-450,000
|
-450,000 |
|
|
1,100,000
400,000
|
400,000 |
|
|
||
Wantman Doubles Through Haxton
Level 21
: Blinds 75,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
The action folded all the way to Matthew Wantman in the small blind who opened to 325,000 before getting a call from Isaac Haxton in the big blind.
The Q♣5♣2♠ flop landed and Wantman led all in for his last 200,000. Haxton called and the cards hit their backs.
Matthew Wantman: A♣8♠6♣4♣
Isaac Haxton: K♠5♥6♥7♦
The A♠ and 4♠ completed the board and Wantman retained life in the tournament after a pure double through Haxton.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,500,000
650,000
|
650,000 |
|
|
700,000
-600,000
|
-600,000 |
|
|
||
Level: 21
Blinds: 75,000/125,000
Ante: 125,000
Moncek Loses to Derwiche; Doubles Lampropoulos
Level 20
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Michael Moncek raised to 350,000 on the button and Imad Derwiche called out of the small blind as they headed to the 6♠6♥3♠ flop. Derwiche check-called for 450,000 before they checked down the 6♣ turn and K♦ river.
Derwiche revealed the A♥Q♠4♠4♥ for sixes full of fours and won the pot.
In the next hand, Moncek opened to 350,000 once more and Nikolaos Lampropoulos defended the big blind. Following a A♥K♠9♥ flop, Lampropoulos checked and Moncek continued for 850,000. The check-shove by Lampropoulos followed and Moncek called after a few seconds.
Nikolaos Lampropoulos: A♣Q♥J♥4♠
Michael Moncek: A♦Q♠9♠7♦
Moncek's two pair were very vulnerable against Lampropoulos' straight and flush draw with a redraw to superior two pair. One of the many outs came with the 10♣ turn and the 2♠ river secured the double-up of Lampropoulos for 1,505,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,600,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
|
|
3,860,000
2,010,000
|
2,010,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,400,000
-2,600,000
|
-2,600,000 |
|
|
||