Chad Eveslage Wins 8-Max WSOP High Roller Event for $1.4 million

The latest high roller World Series of Poker event, the 8-Max High Roller Event #8, came to a conclusion in Las Vegas last night with Chad Eveslage winning his first-ever WSOP bracelet at Bally’s under the glare of the Thunderdome lights.

Seeing off the challenges of players such as Byron Kaverman, WSOP World champion Koray Aldemir and 2021 Player of the Year at the World Series Josh Arieh along the way, Eveslage’s win was the biggest of his poker career and ended his wait for WSOP gold in spectacular fashion.

Fifteen Fight for a Final Table Place

The 25,000 High Roller event was eight-handed from the kick-off to the final deal and as such, players were having the time of their lives. It is often said that eight players at a standard ‘full ring’ table is exactly the right amount to play among and the atmosphere was certainly reflective of this preference.

Across nine hours on the final day, play went from 15 to a winner, and the action was fast from the off. Justin Young (15^th for $65,511) lost out to Aldemir’s pocket queens when his shove with ace-five couldn’t hit a rocket. Calvin Lee (14^th for $65,511) busted next when his own pocket queens couldn’t hold against Chris Brewer’s ace-king, a four-flush being made on the turn that left the unfortunate Lee drawing dead.

After Taylor von Kriegenbergh busted next, with his aces shot down by Reagan Silber’s kings to miss out in 13^th for $77,056. Jesse Lonis was shortly in the same boat drifting to shore as he busted in 12^th for the same amount, his ace-four no match for Silber’s ace-king.

In 11^th place, one of the most dangerous players to face at any table met his demise, Byron Kaverman cashing for $92,725 when he ran jack-seven into Antonio Lievano’s pocket eights. Silber crashed out in 10^th for the same amount as Kaverman when ace-queen couldn’t beat Brewer’s ace-king on an ace-high board. The official final table was set minutes later when Daniel Colpoys won $114,094 in ninth place, his pocket fives no match for Pocket Fives’ own Josh Arieh, whose cowboys shot down Colpoys.

Eveslage Takes Control of End Game

With eight players at the final stage of the tournament, it wasn’t long before the event was down to a lot less. Ognyan Dimov left in eighth place for $143,480 before Antonio Lievano busted in seventh for a little more, the American cashing for $184,324.

It was soon afterward that the reigning WSOP Main Event champion Koray Aldemir fell in sixth place for $241,791, but he wasn’t the only one who busted in the hand, as Brek Schutten crashed out in fifth at the same time, cashing for $323,730. Eveslage was the winner of the hand, holding king-eight which rivered a straight against the king-queen of Aldemir and the ace-jack of Schutten.

Down to just four players, Josh Arieh was running short, but he doubled up through the chip leader Eveslage to survive. Arieh’s ace-seven won a flip against Eveslage’s pocket fours and that put pressure on the similarly short-stacked Chris Brewer. Arieh was the man who busted him, as his pocket sixes held in his second successful coinflip in two. Brewer’s king-ten got no help and he hit the rail for $442,213.

Arieh Shot Down in Third  

“Arieh was out in third place for $616,047 and in unlucky fashion.”

After losing a pivotal hand with fours full against Jake Schindler’s fives full, the 2021 WSOP Player of the Year Arieh was down to five big blinds. One double up against the same player came almost immediately, but Arieh was out in third place for $616,047 and in an unlucky fashion. All in for 10 big blinds, Arieh was well ahead pre-flop when the chips went in as Schindler held deuces and Arieh pocket jacks.

Sadly for him and his investors on Pocket Fives, Arieh saw Schindler hit a deuce on the flop. A three of spades on the turn gave the POY hope, with spade outs added to jacks for a miraculous save. But the river sent him home instead, albeit with a superb score of over $600,000, over 20 times his investors’ investments.

Heads-up started out remarkably evenly considering Eveslage’s prior lead, but he regained it pretty quickly and saw it out when he turned two pair against Schindler’s flopped two pair. Schindler cashed for $874,915 in second place, with Eveslage claiming his first-ever WSOP bracelet and the top prize of an eye-watering $1,415,610.