Event #6: $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship
Day 2 Started
2024 World Series of Poker
Event #6: $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship
Day: 2
Event Info
2024 World Series of Poker
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
Buy-in
$25,000
Prize Pool
$1,504,000
Entries
64
Level
63
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
0
Entries
16
Players Left
4
Players Left 1 / 64
Filter
(1)
Yesterday's initial field of 64 has been narrowed down to the final 16 here at Event #6: $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship inside Horseshoe and Paris in Las Vegas.
Among them is 77-year-old fan favorite John Smith, who is somewhat of an enigma in a field largely dominated by younger poker professionals. Smith, who regularly competes in the event, is best known for his back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2016 and 2017. Smith also placed 11th in the event in 2014.
"I keep winning and I play the best players. I seem to do well at it," Smith replied when asked what it was about heads-up action that keeps him coming back. Smith explained that while he only plays in tournaments about five times a year, he keeps his skills sharp by playing in home games often.
Other notables still in contention include Faraz Jaka, Sam Soverel, Kane Kalas, and Artur Martirosian — who will be chasing his second heads-up World Series of Poker bracelet (and third bracelet overall) after winning a $10k online championship event last year.
Here's a look at the completed and upcoming matches thus far:
Updated Live Bracket and Round 3 Matches
| Player 1 | Player 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cary Katz | vs. | Artur Martirosian |
| Patrick Kennedy | vs. | Michael Steele |
| Darius Samual | vs. | Matthew Wantman |
| Weston Mizumoto | vs. | John Smith |
| Nikolai Mamut | vs. | James Gorham |
| Marko Grujic | vs. | Joseph Miller |
| Faraz Jaka | vs. | Sam Soverel |
| Owen Messere | vs. | Kane Kalas |
Matches will take place at 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. with breaks between matches. Players will begin with the 600,000 in chips they carried over from Day 1 and blinds will start at 1,000-2,500. Levels will continue to last 20 minutes each and everyone who wins in Round 3 will lock up a min-cash of $86,000. The semi-finals and grand finale will take place Saturday on Day 3.
$25,000 Heads-Up Championship Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $500,000 |
| 2 | $300,000 |
| 3-4 | $180,000 |
| 5-8 | $86,000 |
Stay tuned to PokerNews as we continue to bring you all the heads-up No-Limit Hold'em action from this prestigious championship event!
The players are just taking their seats, and play will begin shortly.
The remaining 16 players have taken their seats and action is now underway!
Level: 25
Blinds: 1,000/2,500
Ante: 0
Level 25
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 0 ante
Michael Steele opened on the button to 6,000 and called when Patrick Kennedy three-bet to 25,000 from the big blind.
Kennedy continued with a pot-sized bet on the 9♣8♠5♦ flop before check-folding to a bet of 80,000 on the 3♠ turn to give Steele the lead.
A few hands later, Steele kicked off the action again, making it 8,000. Kennedy remained active and raised to 28,000. Steele responded with a four-bet to 100,000 and was called.
With 200,000 in the middle on the 10♦3♣3♠ flop, Steele fired out another 55,000 and was called. The American looked to end it on the 2♦ turn, jamming for Kennedy's last 350,000.
"This is so sick," agonized Kennedy as he used up one of his time banks. He peeked at his cards a few more times, before folding to concede the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
850,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
350,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
Level 25
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 0 ante
Darius Samual opened to 5,500 from the button and folded to Matthew Wantman's 28,000 three-bet.
The following hand, Wantman limped in, and Samual checked. Neither player took a stab on the flop and turn, with the board showing 9♣8♦3♠7♠10♥ as they got to the river.
Samual led out for 5,500 but folded when Wantman made it 18,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
680,000 | |
|
||
|
520,000 | |
|
|
||
Level 25
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 0 ante
Marko Grujic opened to 6,000 on the button and Joseph Miller called.
Miller then check-called a 5,000 bet from Grujic on the 6♠J♥3♠ flop and a 22,000 bet from Grujic on the K♣ turn.
Both players checked down on the river and Miller turned over J♠4♠ for a pair of jacks, which got a nod of acknowledgement from Grujic followed by a muck to send the pot Miller’s way.
Across the table, James Gorham has built up a similar chip lead over Nikolai Mamut.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
650,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
||
|
640,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
560,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
550,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
Level 25
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 0 ante
On a board of Q♥4♥2♣9♣7♥, Artur Martirosian and Cary Katz were involved in a sizable pot, with over 200,000 in the middle.
The third heart on the river slowed down the action, which went check-check.
Martirosian's two-pair, queens and deuces, Q♠2♠ bested Katz's A♦A♣ to take the lead in the first level of play.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
700,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
||
|
500,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
||
Level 25
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 0 ante
Kane Kalas raised it up to 6,000, before being three bet by Owen Messere to 27,500. Kalas elected to make the call and see a flop.
The flop ran out J♠6♥2♠, and both players decided to check.
The turn brought the 2♦, Messere fired out a bet of 70,000, and Kalas made the call to head to the river.
With 195,000 in the pot, the board was completed with the A♦. After using a time bank, Messere went for the knockout early, declaring all in. Kalas wasted little time and threw his cards in the muck, giving Messere the early lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
725,000
125,000
|
125,000 |
|
475,000
125,000
|
125,000 |
