Event #26: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack
Day 2 Completed
2023 World Series of Poker
Event #26: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2023 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$800
Prize Pool
$3,341,888
Entries
4,747
Level
44
Blinds
0 / 0
Ante
0
Entries
339
Players Left
2
Day 2 of Event #26: $800 No-Limit Holdem Deepstack Ends During Heads-Up Play
Level 43
: Blinds 1,500,000/3,000,000, 3,000,000 ante
After an intense day of poker in Event #26: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack at the 2023 World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas the tournament had reached heads-up play.
There were multiple chip leaders on the final table throughout the day, but after 43 levels, only Matthew Elsby and Renji Mao were left standing.
Elsby came into the final table first in chips but lost that lead to Mao during six-handed play. Mao held the lead going into heads-up, but before the night ended, it was Elsby who is going into the final day with 118,900,000 chips and the advantage. Mao's stack is still perfectly healthy at 71,100,000 and is just one hand away from being back in the driver’s seat.
The players that made the final table were guaranteed $30,253, but they were all shooting for the first-place prize of $402,588 and the coveted WSOP gold bracelet.
Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Payout (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
The player pool was filled with notable names that made deep runs but didn’t make the final table. Some of those names included Bryn Kenney (76th - $5,145), Dinesh Alt (13th - $24,063), and former WSOP main event champion Ryan Riess (15th - $19,291).
The final table started ten-handed with Cosmin Joldis being eliminated in tenth Place ($30,253) after his king-jack suited was bested by Elsby’s pocket queens. Michael Younan was eliminated in ninth place ($38,332) after his ace-seven couldn’t hold up to Renji Mao’s ace-king.
The players then saw Vito Branciforte eliminated in eighth place ($48,947) after a brutal ace on the river gave Ta-Wei Tou the better hand and sent Branciforte to the rail. Jesse Rosen put up a great fight but was eliminated in seventh place ($62,984) after JJ Liu’s pair of aces held.
Qiwen Chen was eliminated in sixth place ($81,666) after both Liu and Tou called his short stack all in and he could not improve against their hands. Tou had an impressive showing but was eliminated in fifth place ($106,693) after his king-jack could not overcome Mao’s ace-king.
The legendary Liu was eliminated in fourth place ($140,442) on a brutal runout that had her trip aces lose to the better trip aces of Renji Mao.
Third place was reserved for Anthony Potis, who had the largest, loudest rail at the final table. Anthony played short-stack ninja for many levels and made about $150,000 in pay jumps on his way to a third-place finish ($186,250). He had a brutal knockout when he got it in good with his pocket aces against Elsby’s king-nine suited, but Elsby drilled a flush on the river to send Potis to the rail.
With Potis’ knockout, the tournament progressed to the heads-up stage, where Elsby battled with Mao. Moa held a commanding chip lead before a huge hand where all the chips got in on a flopped straight from Elsby and a nut flush draw for Mao. Elsby won that hand and drew almost even in chips. He would then grind his way into the chip lead, where he stayed until play concluded. The heads-up duo return to the fray at 12 p.m. local time on June 13 for the bracelet, glory, and a $402,588 top prize.
Stay tuned into PokerNews for the conclusion of Event #26: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deep Stack and all the other WSOP tournaments going on all summer long.
End Of Day Chip Counts
Level 43
: Blinds 1,500,000/3,000,000, 3,000,000 ante
The tournament director made the decision for the final two players to bag up for the night and return tomorrow to play down to a winner.
A full recap of the day will be available shortly.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
118,900,000
41,900,000
|
41,900,000 |
|
||
|
71,100,000
-41,900,000
|
-41,900,000 |
|
|
||
Elsby Flops Straight To Score Massive Double Up
Level 43
: Blinds 1,500,000/3,000,000, 3,000,000 ante
Matthew Elsby limped in on the button and Renji Mao bumped it up to 8,000,000 from the big blind, which Elsby called.
The flop fanned out 8♠7♥6♠ and Mao announced all in, covering the 30,200,000 remaining for Elsby, who snap-called.
Matthew Elsby: 9♥5♥
Renji Mao: A♠J♠
Elsby flopped the nine-high straight while Mao had the nut-flush draw. The turn fell the 8♦ and river the 5♣ giving Elsby the checkmark and full double up of Mao.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
113,000,000
-30,000,000
|
-30,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
77,000,000
30,000,000
|
30,000,000 |
|
|
||
Mao Goes Big On River
Level 43
: Blinds 1,500,000/3,000,000, 3,000,000 ante
In a pot with roughly 25,000,000 in the middle on a completed board showing 9♠6♥3♦10♠3♠, Matthew Elsby checked his option to Renji Mao on the button who fired out a bet of 20,000,000 and Elsby went deep in the tank.
After close to a minute of thought, Elsby announced call and Mao tabled Q♠7♠ for a rivered flush to score the pot when Elsby tossed his cards into the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
143,000,000
31,000,000
|
31,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
47,000,000
-31,000,000
|
-31,000,000 |
|
|
||
Heads-Up Chip Counts
Level 43
: Blinds 1,500,000/3,000,000, 3,000,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
112,000,000
-12,000,000
|
-12,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
78,000,000
8,000,000
|
8,000,000 |
|
|
||
Level: 43
Blinds: 1,500,000/3,000,000
Ante: 3,000,000
Anthony Potis Eliminated in 3rd Place ($186,250)
Level 42
: Blinds 1,300,000/2,500,000, 2,500,000 ante
The action was on Matthew Elsby on the button who went all in having Anthony Potis covered in the small blind. Potis took one look at his cards and announced "I would like to be all in". Renji Mao folded in the big blind and the players were off to a runout.
The hands were tabled.
Anthony Potis: A♦A♥
Matthew Elsby: K♣9♣
Elsby couldn't have asked for much more on a 6♣K♠2♣ flop that also had Potis and his rail calling for "red cards".
The Q♦ turn looked clean but the 4♣ river gave Elsby the flush and sent Potis to the rail in third place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
70,000,000
41,000,000
|
41,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
J.J. Liu Eliminated In 4th Place ($140,442)
Level 42
: Blinds 1,300,000/2,500,000, 2,500,000 ante
The action folded to J.J. Liu in the small blind who moved all in for 25,000,000 and was quickly called by Renji Mao in the big blind with the bigger stack.
J.J. Liu: A♣3♠
Renji Mao: A♥6♠
The flop came A♠A♦2♥ and looked to be a good chance for a chop, however, the turn fell the 5♣ and river the Q♥ to give Mao the win with his six-kicker. Liu was eliminated in fourth place for $140,442.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
124,000,000
35,000,000
|
35,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Ta-Wei Tou Eliminated in 5th Place ($106,693)
Level 42
: Blinds 1,300,000/2,500,000, 2,500,000 ante
Action folded to Ta-Wei Tou in late position who went all in for his tournament life. Action then folded to Renji Mao on the button who rejammed and had the table covered. The remaining players folded and they went to a full board.
The cards were tabled.
Ta-Wei Tou: K♠J♣
Renji Mao: A♣K♣
The board ran out 7♣4♦8♦3♠K♦ and Tou hit the rail in fifth place.
Renji Mao now holds the chip lead with half the chips in play.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
89,000,000
54,000,000
|
54,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |