Event #74: $1,000 Mini Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2023 World Series of Poker
Event #74: $1,000 Mini Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2023 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$1,000
Prize Pool
$4,678,730
Entries
5,257
Level
44
Blinds
2,500,000 / 5,000,000
Ante
5,000,000
Entries
5
Players Left
1
Bradley Gafford Wins the Mini Main Event for $549,555
Level 44
: Blinds 2,500,000/5,000,000, 5,000,000 ante
Start of the day low-stack Bradley Gafford has won Event #74 $1,000 Mini Main Event No Limit Hold’em for $549,555. Gafford from San Diego, California came into the day with only six big blinds and made the biggest comeback since Lazarus to take the top prize and the coveted World Series of Poker Gold Bracelet.
Gafford, who outlasted 5,257 players over three days of play, secured their biggest recorded cash despite coming into Day 3 with only six big blinds. In the first significant hand of the day, Gafford doubled up against Jennifer Abad when his pocket threes bested Abad’s ace-king.
The power shift came when Gafford doubled through Josh Reichard twice in the space of three hands. Firstly, Gafford flopped quad threes, then shortly after his pair of aces beat Reichard’s kings which spearheaded a chain of momentum that Gafford did not surrender.
The winning moment was when Gafford in the small blind forced Reichard all in with only three big blinds. Gafford hit a three on the turn to make two pair to knockout Reichard to win their first-ever bracelet.
Event #74: $1,000 Mini Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Winner | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bradley Gafford | United States | $549,555 |
| 2 | Josh Reichard | United States | $339,646 |
| 3 | Jeremy Oleon | France | $255,215 |
| 4 | Jennifer Abad | United States | $193,103 |
| 5 | Oliver Berens | United States | $147,129 |
Winners Reaction
PokerNews asked Gafford if he believed he could win the bracelet despite being short-stacked coming into the final day. “I knew that there would be a possibility if I could win the first flip of the day. I just thought everything would go my way today and it did!”
Gafford was asked how it felt to win his first bracelet. “It has come way earlier than I thought, and I haven’t really processed it yet and I am sure there will be a lot of deeper thinking over the next couple of days.”
And finally, Gafford was asked if he was planning on jumping into the Main Event. “Absolutely I was planning on playing tomorrow (Day 1c) but we will see what happens tonight and I might jump in the final flight (Day 1d).
Day 3 Action
It looked like Reichard would steamroll his opponents throughout the two hours of play. Starting the day fourth in chips Reichard soon amassed a huge chip lead thanks to an aggressive style of play. He knocked out Oliver Berens after flopping a set of tens against their ace-queen.
Jennifer Abad had the most eccentric rail at the final table, one member of her squad was giving out t-shirts with ‘Jenny for the Mini’ printed on them and tried to coax members of her rivals’ rails to join them. Unfortunately, this exuberance didn’t help Abad out who finished fourth after getting it in with king-jack and running into Reichard’s ace-high which held.
The overnight chip leader Jeremy Oleon could not get going on the final day. The Frenchman struggled to make any hands and was knocked out in third place after Reichard made a flush against their pair of kings.
Despite knocking out Berens, Abad, and Oleon, Reichard could not find the knockout moment on Gafford, and the start-of-day short-stack was not going to be denied their first WSOP Gold Bracelet.
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Josh Reichard Eliminated in 2nd Place ($339,646)
Level 44
: Blinds 2,500,000/5,000,000, 5,000,000 ante
Bradley Gafford jammed all in from the small blind. Josh Reichard called for his tournament life from the big blind as both players revealed their hands.
Josh Reichard: A♠9♣
Bradley Gafford: 4♦3♥
The board ran out J♥J♣6♥3♣5♠ for Gafford to eliminate Reichard in second place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
315,400,000 | 18,400,000 |
|
Busted |
Gafford Leaves Reichard Short Stack
Level 44
: Blinds 2,500,000/5,000,000, 5,000,000 ante
Josh Reichard bet for 16,000,000 from the button. Bradley Gafford defended from the big blind.
The flop came 10♥6♠3♥ and Gafford was quick to check to Reichard. He led out for 12,000,000 and was quickly raised to 36,000,000. Reichard jammed all in and was snap-called by Gafford.
Bradley Gafford: Q♦10♠
Josh Reichard: 10♦2♠
The board completed 7♦5♣ for Gafford to scoop the pot and a commanding chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
297,000,000 | 162,000,000 |
|
|
18,400,000 | -160,600,000 |
Reichard's Aggression Pays Off
Level 44
: Blinds 2,500,000/5,000,000, 5,000,000 ante
Josh Reichard bet 12,500,000 from the button. Bradley Gafford defended from the big blind.
The flop came A♥8♣4♥ and Gafford checked to Reichard. He led out for 6,000,000 and was quickly raised to 19,000,000. Reichard found the call.
When the A♦ peeled off on the turn, Gafford checked. Reichard fired for 20,000,000 and found a quick fold from Gafford.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
179,000,000 | 23,000,000 |
|
|
135,000,000 | -23,000,000 |
Reichard Gains Parity With Gafford
Level 44
: Blinds 2,500,000/5,000,000, 5,000,000 ante
Bradley Gafford moved all in from the small blind and was snap-called by Josh Reichard in the big blind for 75,900,000.
Josh Reichard: K♦K♠
Bradley Gafford: A♣10♥
The flop of Q♠J♣6♣ gave Gafford a gutshot straight draw and the 4♣ turn produced the backdoor flush draw for Gafford. But the 2♦ was the massive brick that Reichard requested to secure a double up which brought both players virtually dead level.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
158,000,000 | -51,800,000 |
|
|
156,000,000 | 87,000,000 |
Jérémy Oleon Eliminated in 3rd Place ($255,215)
Level 44
: Blinds 2,500,000/5,000,000, 5,000,000 ante
Jérémy Oleon moved all in from the small blind for 21,500,000 and was called by Josh Reichard in the big blind.
Jérémy Oleon: K♦4♥
Josh Reichard: A♥3♥
Oleon took the lead on the flop of K♥8♦6♥ with a pair of kings, but the J♥ on the turn gave Reichard a lock on the hand with the flush. The A♣ completed the board and the Frenchman exited in third place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
75,400,000 | 6,400,000 |
|
Busted |
Gafford Takes Commanding Chip Lead
Level 44
: Blinds 2,500,000/5,000,000, 5,000,000 ante
Josh Reichard moved all in from the button and Bradley Gafford called for 102,400,000 in the small blind.
Bradley Gafford: 10♥10♦
Josh Reichard: 8♥6♥
Gafford was ahead and had to dodge Reichard's flopped open-ended straight draw on the board of 9♠7♣3♥8♣J♠, but made a straight of his own to take the pot and hold two-thirds of the chips in play.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
209,800,000 | 98,800,000 |
|
|
69,000,000 | -90,000,000 |
Gafford Wins Sweat Against Reichard to Double Up
Level 44
: Blinds 2,500,000/5,000,000, 5,000,000 ante
Josh Reichard jammed all in from the button. Bradley Gafford called for less from the small blind and both players revealed their hands.
Bradley Gafford: A♠Q♦
Josh Reichard: 10♣6♣
The board ran out 3♦K♣5♣J♦8♥ for Gafford to scoop the pot with ace-high after the dangerous flop. With this pot, Gafford narrows the lead between himself and current chip leader Reichard.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
159,000,000 | -13,000,000 |
|
|
111,000,000 | 41,800,000 |
|
|
40,000,000 | -47,000,000 |
Level: 44
Blinds: 2,500,000/5,000,000
Ante: 5,000,000