Event #59: $1,000 Battle of the Ages
Day 3 Completed
Event #59: $1,000 Battle of the Ages
Day 3 Completed
A new event to the schedule, Event #59: $1,000 Battle of the Ages at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) saw a staggering 3,074 entrants, generating a huge prize pool of $2,815,784. In the end, it was Sebastiaan de Jonge left standing to claim the first-place prize of $335,390.
Alongside the enormous sum of money amassed to compete for, there was something else at play: generational bragging rights. This unique structure saw those aged over 50 years old play in a separate Day 1 flight from those aged under 50. Once the cream of the respective age groups had risen to the top, the two fields were combined to see which would triumph - experience or youth.
It took just over 20 hours of play, including spilling over into an unscheduled Day 3, to whittle the field down to one player. Coming into the final day with 2,650,000 in chips, just five big blinds, De Jonge battled back to emerge victorious, flying the flag high for the under-50s contingent.
De Jonge will take home $335,390, a WSOP bracelet, bragging rights, and the knowledge that he will forever be the first Battle of the Ages champion.
Place | Player | Country | Prize |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Sebastiaan de Jonge | Netherlands | $335,390 |
2 | Ignacio Sagra | Argentina | $223,394 |
3 | Hakeem Mashal | United States | $165,944 |
4 | Srivinay Irrinki | United States | $124,269 |
5 | Joseph Roh | United States | $93,820 |
6 | Jack Maskill | United Kingdom | $71,416 |
7 | Allan Le | United States | $54,814 |
8 | Xia Wang | Macau | $42,424 |
9 | Kelley Slay | United States | $33,112 |
"Incredible run, actually really lucky, ridiculously lucky. It's funny how many rivers, how many good rivers, you need to win the tournament. If you think back on all the rivers you had, it's really insane," De Jonge told PokerNews following his big win.
This was De Jonge's first WSOP final table, first WSOP win and, of course, first bracelet. The first-place prize is also De Jonge's largest ever tournament score, and as a result, moves him into the top 50 for his nation's all-time money list, the Netherlands. Last but by no means least, De Jonge's name will forever be etched in history as the first ever champion of the WSOP Battle of the Ages.
When questioned as to which of the above meant the most, he said, "The bracelet by far. The final table was already really cool to make it, out of 3,074 players, like I said, you have to [go on an] incredibly good run. [But] just really happy, really, really happy, really good feeling to win."
When asked if this settles the score on which generation plays better poker, De Jonge gave a humble answer, "It's not as simple as that. The older guys were playing well; they were often a little less technical, less GTO than the younger guys, but the tournament, the blinds were going so fast, and everybody was playing really slow. It was not a lot of poker, it was a lot of all in and survive, survive, survive; so I am the biggest survivor, I guess."
With stacks short and blind levels ever-increasing, chips were sure to fly from the get-go.
Xia Wang was the first to fall, coming into Day 3 with just five big blinds, she wasn't able to spin up a stack, departing in eighth place.
Just 15 minutes later, Allan Le suffered the same fate. The 25K Fantasy Draft player found his remaining chips in the middle versus a dominating hand, and couldn't catch up to stay alive.
Eventual champion, De Jonge, then made quick work of Jack Maskill and start-of-day chip leader Joseph Roh, sending them both to the exit in quick succession.
Srivinay Irrinki then departed in fourth place, all in with the best hand. He couldn't hold on versus Ignacio Sagra.
Hakeem Mashal was next to fall, losing a flip versus De Jonge and departing in third place.
De Jonge then faced Sagra for the title, going into heads-up with a slight chip disadvantage.
The duo exchanged pots back and forth before a huge hero call, and crucial hold, swung things in De Jonge's favour.
With stacks short, three rapid fire all-ins went in favor of De Jonge, seeing Sagra eliminated in second place and De Jonge triumphing.
"Actually, we are going to play the tag team [event] right now, then I am going to have some dinner, then I am going to find a party to drink a little bit."
That concludes the PokerNews coverage for this event, but stay tuned for our continuing coverage of the 2025 WSOP.
Sebastiaan de Jonge shoved the button and Ignacio Sagra called off his stack of 6,200,000.
Ignacio Sagra: J♣4♦
Sebastiaan de Jonge: J♦9♠
De Jonge had a chance to win it all, and took a huge leap toward doing so on the 9♥K♦7♥ flop. A 5♣ on the turn sealed the deal, and a meaningless 4♣ hit the river, which meant Sagra had to settle for second.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
![]() |
61,500,000
9,100,000
|
9,100,000 |
|
||
![]() |
Busted |
Level: 41
Blinds: 1,000,000/2,000,000
Ante: 2,000,000
Sebastiaan de Jonge min-raised to 3,200,000 and Ignacio Sagra shoved. De Jonge called for his stack of 25,400,000.
Sebastiaan de Jonge: Q♠Q♦
Ignacio Sagra: A♠4♦
It was De Jonge's turn to pick up a premium, and if his big pair could hold, he would have the majority of chips in play.
The flop of 6♠8♠4♣ gave Sagra a few more outs, and the 2♠ on the turn gave him a flush draw. Luckily for De Jonge, the 2♥ on the river bricked out, and he doubled up.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
![]() |
52,400,000
27,000,000
|
27,000,000 |
|
||
![]() |
9,200,000
27,000,000
|
27,000,000 |
Ignacio Sagra raised the button to 3,200,000 and Sebastiaan de Jonge shoved for 24,600,000. Sagra snap-called
Sebastiaan de Jonge: K♦4♦
Ignacio Sagra: K♠K♥
Sagra was a clean runout away from bagging himself a bracelet, though had to fade some chop outs after both picked up a gutshot on the 9♠Q♥10♦ flop. There were more outs to fade when De Jonge improved to a flush draw on the 8♦ turn, but the hand even with both players pulling their chips back when the J♠ river gave them both a straight.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
![]() |
36,200,000
5,600,000
|
5,600,000 |
![]() |
25,400,000
5,600,000
|
5,600,000 |
|
Sebastiaan de Jonge announced a raise of 3,000,000, but was forced to make it 3,200,000 with his Q♣4♠. Ignacio Sagra called with 10♣8♣.
When the flop came 4♣A♦7♣, Sagra checked and De Jonge bet 3,200,000. Sagra then shoved, and De Jonge called off his stack of 11,500,000 total after around three minutes.
De Jonge had to fade both the turn and the river, and made trips when the 4♥ peeled off. The river brought an A♠, which gave De Jonge a full house and the double-up.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
![]() |
31,000,000
7,500,000
|
7,500,000 |
|
||
![]() |
30,600,000
7,500,000
|
7,500,000 |
Ignacio Sagra limped in with 9♣7♥ on the button and Sebastiaan de Jonge checked J♥3♦ in the big blind.
On the 2♣7♣J♠ flop, De Jonge led out for 2,900,000 and Sagra dropped in the call with his pair of sevens.
A 4♣ on the turn gave Sagra a flush draw, but he had a tough decision to make as De Jonge shoved for 12,900,000. Sagra took some time to think it over, but eventually folded.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
![]() |
38,100,000
4,500,000
|
4,500,000 |
![]() |
23,500,000
4,500,000
|
4,500,000 |
|
Level: 40
Blinds: 800,000/1,600,000
Ante: 1,600,000
Sebastiaan de Jonge limped in and Ignacio Sagra made it 4,500,000. De Jonge then shoved, and Sagra called for his stack of 20,700,000.
Ignacio Sagra: A♣Q♣
Sebastiaan de Jonge: A♠4♦
Disaster for De Jonge, who surely thought he was trapping. The runout of 9♦10♣5♠8♠9♠ changed nothing, and Sagra doubled up to regain the chip lead.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
![]() |
42,600,000
20,700,000
|
20,700,000 |
![]() |
19,000,000
20,700,000
|
20,700,000 |
|