The latest set of WSOP bracelet winners ranged from first-time winners to a French multiple bracelet winner in the Razz Championship. The action was fast and frantic at times in Bally’s and Paris ballrooms on the Las Vegas Strip. If you want to win gold in Sin City, these events proved that you’ve got to mix it with the best!
Jinho Hong Wins Debut Bracelet
Event #76 saw the $1,979 buy-in Poker Hall of Fame Bounty tournament conquered by Jinho Hong for a top prize of $276,067. With Hong taking control early in the day and never really letting go. With Punnat Punsri starting the final second in chips, those two players finished in the same formation as if they were F1 drivers who started on the front of the grid.
Players such as Yuri Dzivielevski and George Rotariu both fell to the winner, those two in the same hand, as others such as bracelet winner Daniel Weinman busted in fourth place for $86,730.
When Punsri’s pocket kings beat Jakob Miegel’s pocket tens, the lead was with the Thai player, but Hong came roaring back to deny his experienced adversary and win his first WSOP gold bracelet along with the $276,067 top prize.
WSOP 2022 Event #76 $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty Final Table Results: |
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Place | Player | Country | Prize |
1st | Jinho Hong | South Korea | $276,067 |
2nd | Punnat Punsri | Thailand | $170,615 |
3rd | Jakob Miegel | Germany | $120,756 |
4th | Daniel Weinman | U.S.A. | $86,730 |
5th | Pavel Spirins | Latvia | $63,225 |
6th | Yuri Dzivielevski | Brazil | $46,791 |
7th | George Rotariu | Romania | $35,164 |
8th | Bas de Laat | Netherlands | $26,841 |
9th | Dov Markowich | Canada | $20,814 |
Pulusani Wins After Nine-Year Break
Nine years after his first bracelet win, Sandeep Pulusani won his second bracelet in Event #77, the $1,500 Mixed NLHE/PLO event. Coming into the final table seventh in chips, Pulusani recovered the dominate the very late stages of this event and win the $277,949 top prize.
After William Leffingwell busted in eighth for $30,129, Norwegian Vegard Andreassen (7th for $39,114) and Noah Bronstein (6th for $51,372) left to send play five-handed.
Vincent Lam and the overnight leader Aden Salazar both lost out before heads-up, with PLO specialist Esther Taylor facing a chip deficit of 2:1 to overcome. The tournament ended in NLHE, however, as Taylor’s queen-seven lost to Pulusani’s pocket nines for the win.
WSOP 2022 Event #77 $1,500 Mixed NLHE/PLO Final Table Results: |
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Place | Player | Country | Prize |
1st | Sandeep Pulusani | U.S.A. | $277,949 |
2nd | Esther Taylor | U.S.A. | $171,787 |
3rd | Aden Salazar | U.S.A. | $124,864 |
4th | Vincent Lam | Canada | $91,800 |
5th | Richard Kellett | United Kingdom | $68,274 |
6th | Noah Bronstein | U.S.A. | $51,372 |
7th | Vegard Andreassen | Norway | $39,114 |
8th | William Leffingwell | U.S.A. | $30,129 |
Sebastian Aube Wins Event #78 for $499,636
Canadian player Sebastian Aube won Event #78, the $2,500-entry NLHE tournament for $499,636, beating Julien Loire heads-up. A total of 22 players returned to the felt for the final day, with stars such as Kenny Hallaert (22nd), overnight leader David Miscikowski (13th) and Thomas MacDonald (11th), all missing the final table despite cashing.
Jonathan Zari left in ninth place, before Ran Koller (8th for $52,240) and Matt Berkey (7th for $68,102) both departed.
Julien Loire made the final duel with 20 million chips, but Aube had the chip lead with 27 million and after his full house beat Loire’s rivered straight, the Canadian claimed his first gold bracelet at the French player’s expense.
WSOP 2022 Event #78 $2,500 NLHE Final Table Results: |
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Place | Player | Country | Prize | |
1st | Sebastien Aube | Canada | $499,636 | |
2nd | Julien Loire | France | $308,817 | |
3rd | Brian Etheridge | U.S.A. | $222,762 | |
4th | Axel Hallay | France | $162,627 | |
5th | Leandro Vlastaris | U.S.A. | $120,177 | |
6th | Santiago Plante | Canada | $89,905 | |
7th | Matt Berkey | U.S.A. | $68,102 | |
8th | Ran Koller | Israel | $52,240 | |
9th | Jonathan Zarin | U.S.A. | $40,588 |
Julien Martini Wins Fourth Bracelet in Razz Victory
French poker player Julien Martini won his fourth WSOP bracelet after getting the better of Hal Rotholz in Event #79, the $10,000-entry Razz Championship. With nine players making the final table, Ziya Rahim had busted in ninth, before the overnight chip leader Brandon Shack-Harris left in eighth place after a horrible run of cards ended his hopes of more gold.
After six-time WSOP winner Brian Hastings fell just short in seventh place, Max Pescatori followed him from the table before Brazilian poker pro and GGPoker ambassador Felipe Ramos departed in fifth as he again fell short of his first bracelet.
When the 2021 WSOP Main Event world champion Koray Aldemir went in fourth place for $111,991, Chinese mixed game specialist Yueqi Zhu busted in third for $149,958, as Martini
beat Rotholz heads-up in quickfire fashion with a monster chip lead of better than 11-to-1 in chips helping him grab the $328,906 top prize.
WSOP 2022 Event #79 $10,000 Razz Championship Final Table Results: |
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Place | Player | Country | Prize |
1st | Julien Martini | France | $328,906 |
2nd | Hal Rotholz | U.S.A. | $203,281 |
3rd | Yueqi Zhu | China | $149,958 |
4th | Koray Aldemir | Germany | $111,991 |
5th | Felipe Ramos | Brazil | $84,683 |
6th | Max Pescatori | Italy | $64,847 |
7th | Brian Hastings | U.S.A. | $50,295 |
8th | Brandon Shack-Harris | U.S.A. | $39,561 |
9th | Ziya Rahim | U.S.A. | $31,456 |
Romans Voitovs Wins Third Latvian Bracelet in Mixed Game Victory
Finally, in Event #80, Latvian player Romans Voitovs won the $600-entry Mixed NLHE/PLO event to claim only the third bracelet for his country in poker history. A massive 76 players started the final day, but by the time the eight-handed final table gathered, Voitovs had a huge lead with 21 million chips around treble everyone else’s chips except Michael Dobbs, who would make the heads-up.
After players such as Justin Barnum (3rd) and Jordan Russell (6th) departed before the final duel, Voitovs had a 3:1 lead, with Dobbs seen off thanks to a turned straight beating pocket aces, leading to the Latvian rail going crazy and Voitivs banking a cheque for $158,609.
WSOP 2022 Event #80 $600 Mixed NLHE/PLO Final Table Results: |
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Place | Player | Country | Prize |
1st | Romans Voitovs | Latvia | $158,609 |
2nd | Michael Dobbs | U.S.A. | $98,026 |
3rd | Justin Barnum | U.S.A. | $72,544 |
4th | Francisco Baruffi | Brazil | $54,172 |
5th | Richard Bai | U.S.A. | $40,822 |
6th | Jordan Russell | U.S.A. | $31,046 |
7th | Jacob Staley | U.S.A. | $23,831 |
8th | Andrew Peplinski | U.S.A. | $18,464 |
Photographs courtesy of PokerGO, home of the 2022 World Series of Poker, with final table live streams throughout July.