Event #26: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack
Day 3 Completed
2023 World Series of Poker
Event #26: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2023 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$800
Prize Pool
$3,341,888
Entries
4,747
Level
44
Blinds
0 / 0
Ante
0
Entries
2
Players Left
1
Renji Mao’s Aggression Earns First WSOP Bracelet ($402,588)
Level 44
Renji Mao entered the added day of Event #26: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack at a significant chip disadvantage, but his revamped strategy paid off. After less than a dozen hands against Matthew Elsby, Mao had flipped the chip lead and was celebrating his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet.
The final two players bagged up after a grueling Day 2, with Mao using the 12-hour break to study and change his approach as the short stack today.
“I did a lot of homework last night and I think it’s great to have a break, luckily,” Mao told PokerNews moments after his victory.
“I changed my strategy completely today to be on a more aggressive end,” said Mao, whose adjustment paid off quickly to cement the biggest win of his poker career to date.
Mao took home $402,588 after defeating a field of 4,747 entries over three days of play. The win marked a triumphant return to Las Vegas and his first experience at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas as he was unable to travel since his run into the money in the 2019 WSOP Main Event. Mao earned his tenth career WSOP cash, though the win represented a larger prize than all previous results combined.
2023 WSOP Event #26 Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renji Mao | China | $402,588 |
| 2 | Matthew Elsby | United States | $248,833 |
| 3 | Anthony Potis | United States | $186,250 |
| 4 | JJ Liu | Taiwan | $140,442 |
| 5 | Ta-Wei Tou | Taiwan | $106,693 |
| 6 | Qiwen Chen | China | $81,666 |
| 7 | Jesse Rosen | South Africa | $62,984 |
| 8 | Vito Branciforte | Italy | $48,947 |
| 9 | Michael Younan | United States | $38,332 |
The massive field generated a staggering prize pool of $3,341,888, shattering last year’s tournament entry total by more than 700 players. Among the notable names to make deep runs were JJ Liu (4th - $140,442), Dinesh Alt (13th - $24,063) and former WSOP Main Event champion Ryan Riess (15th - $19,291).
Day 3 Action
Mao’s comeback today ended a rollercoaster heads-up battle, including a moment the previous night where his big chip advantage disappeared when Elsby flopped a straight. Elsby then ground out a nice lead of his own until play wrapped up for the night, leading to the fireworks on the added day.
After exchanging chips over the first four hands of play, Elsby was in prime position to take down the title with Mao at risk. Mao was behind until the river when he found a flush to regain the advantage. From there, only a few more hands were needed to see the cards turned over again. This time it was Elsby at risk, coming up empty while trying to chase down Mao’s ace-high. Elsby comes just shy of a second career bracelet, earning a runner-up finish for $248,833.
Mao now heads into the rest of the series with plenty of momentum, already having earned a ticket to this year’s WSOP Main Event. “My goal in poker is beyond the bracelet,” said Mao. “It’s more about enjoying the game, trying to improve, trying to be a better player, trying to be a better person in everything. The bracelet is just a small portion of it but it’s still a great thing for me.”
This concludes our coverage of Event #26: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack, but stick with the PokerNews live reporting team for action from all of the WSOP events in Las Vegas.
Matthew Elsby Eliminated in 2nd Place ($248,833)
Level 44
Renji Mao raised on the button and made a quick call when Matthew Elsby moved all in from the big blind. For the first time today, Elsby was at risk.
Matthew Elsby: K♠4♣
Renji Mao: A♦8♠
The flop of 2♣6♣9♣ provided no help to Elsby, who remained behind with king-high. The 9♦ turn and 5♦ river completed the board, leaving Mao's ace-high ahead while ending Elsby's run in second place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
189,900,000 | 47,900,000 |
|
Busted |
Mao Doubles on the River
Level 44
Renji Mao called on the button before Matthew Elsby raised to 10,000,000. Mao moved all in, which was quickly called by Elsby.
Renji Mao: K♣6♣
Matthew Elsby: A♠Q♦
Elsby took a commanding lead, connecting for two pair on the Q♠4♣A♣ flop. Mao picked up a flush draw, which missed on the K♦ turn but hit on the 10♣ river.
The tables were quickly turned, as Mao took a massive chip lead with the double-up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
142,000,000 | 71,000,000 |
|
|
46,500,000 | -70,500,000 |
Players Split First Four Hands
Level 44
The players have taken turns using the button to their advantage early, as each has taken down two of the first four pots.
This included an all in from Renji Mao, producing a quick fold from Matthew Elsby.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
117,000,000 | -1,900,000 |
|
|
71,000,000 | -100,000 |
Shuffle Up and Deal!
Level 44
Heads-up play has resumed to crown a champion.
Level: 44
Blinds: 0/0
Ante: 0
Final Two Battle for Event #26: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack Title
The battle for the latest 2023 World Series of Poker gold bracelet continues in Event #26: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack, as Matthew Elsby and Renji Mao need an extra day to crown a champion.
The massive field of 4,747 entries was down to 339 players to begin Day 2, but 43 levels of play were not yet enough to reach a conclusion at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
Elsby entered the final table as the chip leader, only to see Mao take the lead by the time the tournament was down to six. Elsby recovered before play finished for the night, and is returning today with 118,900,000 chips to Mao's 71,100,000. At stake is the first-place prize of $402,588, along with the WSOP hardware.
Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $402,588 | ||
| 2 | $248,833 | ||
| 3 | Anthony Potis | United States | $186,250 |
| 4 | JJ Liu | Taiwan | $140,442 |
| 5 | Ta-Wei Tou | Taiwan | $106,693 |
| 6 | Qiwen Chen | China | $81,666 |
| 7 | Jesse Rosen | South Africa | $62,984 |
| 8 | Vito Branciforte | Italy | $48,947 |
| 9 | Michael Younan | United States | $38,332 |
Mao has already secured the largest prize of his career and best WSOP result, easily surpassing the sum of his nine previous WSOP cashes. As for Elsby, the American pro is in great position to earn his second career bracelet, after taking down the $3,000 Limit Hold'em Six Handed event in 2015.
The added day will begin at 12:00 p.m. local time, with play restarting on Level 44 and blinds at 2,000,000/4,000,000 with a 4,000,000 big blind ante.
The PokerNews team will be at the feature table for heads-up action, along with all of the WSOP events in Las Vegas.
Event #26: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack
Day 3 Started