While the GGPoker portion of the 85-event World Series of Poker Online series encountered difficulties yesterday, the bracelet events on WSOP.com have continued their once-a-day march through July.
The first 31 events of the WSOP Online series are available only to players on WSOP Nevada and WSOP New Jersey. Meanwhile, the global GGPoker site accessible in many countries (though not the United States) is hosting 54 more events through early September. The first two of those bracelet events on GGPoker had to be postponed yesterday due to server issues, though a third tournament was able to finish late last night.
Through the first 19 tournaments on WSOP.com, there have been more than 25,000 total entries (including re-entries), an average of 1,343 entries per tournament. The prize pools for those 19 events have added up to more than $16.1 million.
Players need not be residents of Nevada or New Jersey to play WSOP Online bracelet events on WSOP.com. However, they do need to be physically located in either of the two states in order to play on the respective sites.
After recapping results from Events #1-5 and Events #6-12, here is a rundown of the last seven days of WSOP Online series action.
Event #13: Michael Lech adds bracelet to WSOP-C ring collection
Last Monday, WSOP Circuit standout Michael “miguelfiesta” Lech won his first WSOP bracelet in Event #13, a $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout event listed as one of the two “high rollers” in the series.
With 649 players, the tournament featured a nearly $925,000 prize pool. Lech, who has won eight WSOP Circuit rings and finished runner-up in a bracelet event in 2017, earned just over $164,000 for the win.
Connor Drinan made the final table to win almost $30,000, his nickname of “666666” seemingly predicting his sixth-place finish.
Meanwhile Daniel “DNegs” Negreanu finished 27th for more than $6,000. That was Negreanu’s largest cash among the eight he has collected during the WSOP.com portion of the WSOP Online series. As a GGPoker ambassador, Negreanu will no doubt join those making the choice to play the remainder of WSOP Online events on GGPoker.
Event #14: 2015 Main Event champ Joe McKeehen wins High Roller, third career bracelet
Next came the largest buy-in WSOP event scheduled on WSOP.com this month, the $3,200 High Roller. Many familiar names made deep runs in Event #14 on Tuesday, with 2015 WSOP Main Event champion Joe “fanofdapoker” McKeehen outlasting them all to win his third career bracelet.
The 496-entry field created a more than $1.5 million prize pool, the highest of the series so far. From that, McKeehen won the largest share, taking almost $353,000 for the win.
Prolific WSOP casher Roland “prngls12” Israelashvili finished third for almost $149,000, and winner of a 2016 WSOP online bracelet Clayton “NevarLucky” Maguire took sixth for over $52,000.
Farid “GatoVolador” Jattin (14th), Blake “CheeetahGirl” Bohn (15th), Event #12 champion Ryan “joeyisamush” Depaulo (16th), and Loren “BabyJesus” Klein (18th) all made the final two tables.
Event #15: Guy Dunlap wins PLO High Roller, Daniels denied again
In only the second non-hold’em event of the series, Guy “PhilLaak” Dunlap won his first bracelet in Wednesday’s Event #15, the $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller.
A field of 663 entries built a prize pool of nearly $630,000, from which Dunlap took away just under $134,000 for first.
Shane “danish01” Daniels finished second for just over $82,000. It was the second runner-up finish in two weeks for Daniels, who also took second in the other non-hold’em tournament in the series, the $600 PLO8 6-Handed event won by Nathan Gamble.
Also making the final table were three-time bracelet winner Matt “jacksup” Matros (who finished seventh) and two-time bracelet winner Anthony “heheh” Zinno (who took eighth).
Event #16: Terrell Cheatham earns swift $500 Turbo win
It took Terrell “Heezahustla” Cheatham just seven-and-a-half hours on Thursday to win Event #15, a $500 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo.
Cheatham won a little more than $116,000 for overcoming a 1,528-entry field that generated a prize pool of just over $687,000.
Two-time bracelet winner Calvin “projector52” Anderson went deep before falling in 11th place.
Event #17: Pat Lyon captures $777 event for $173,000
It was Pat “IchiiKawawa” Lyon’s lucky day on Friday in Event #17, a $777 No-Limit Hold’em tournament that attracted 1,382 total entries.
The WSOP-C ring winner won his first bracelet and over $173,000. One-time bracelet winner Jim “BOCARATONE” Collopy was among those making the final table, finishing fifth for just over $40,000.
Roland Israelashvili was there at the end in another tournament as well, finishing 12th for a little more than $10,000. Israelashvili has cashed in nine WSOP events on WSOP.com this summer, and in six of the seven just last week.
Event #18: Scott Hempel wins $1,000 Turbo in seven hours
On Saturday, Scott “BudLightLime” Hempel took down Event #18, a $1,000 NLHE Turbo, to win over $181,000 and his first bracelet.
Hempel needed just over seven hours to best the 987-entry field. Hempel hails from Ontario, Canada, making him the second non-American to win a bracelet in the series so far. Event #11 winner Raman Afanasenka is from Belarus.
Notables going deep included WSOP bracelet winner Barry “puigmyfriend” Hutter (fifth), two-time World Poker Tour champion Aaron “TightisRight” Mermelstein (11th), and WSOP bracelet winner and online legend Chris “Benfleet” Moorman (27th).
Event #19: Kenny Huynh wins $400 NLH for almost $134,000
Finally, yesterday came Event #19, a $400 No-Limit Hold’em event. Kenny “Chopuh” Huynh took the title, winning his first bracelet and almost $134,000.
The Sunday tournament drew a big field of 2,545 total entries, creating a prize pool of a little more than $916,000. Vincent “meatball44” Ablahani (third) and Sang “youngkoi” Lee (fourth) were among those Huynh had to battle near the end for the win.
It was the biggest career score for the New Jersey-based Huynh, besting the just over $80,000 he won for finishing runner-up in a Parx Big Stax event in February.
2020 WSOP Online Series by the numbers (through Event #19)
| Event | Event | Buy-In | Players | Re-Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | First Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No Limit Hold’em Kick-Off | $500 | 1,195 | 520 | $771,750 | Jonathan Dokler | $130,425.75 |
| 2 | No Limit Hold’em 8-Handed Deepstack | $1,000 | 647 | 272 | $873,050 | Louis Lynch | $168,585.95 |
| 3 | No Limit Hold’em | $400 | 1,450 | 641 | $752,760 | Robert Kuhn | $115,849.76 |
| 4 | No Limit Hold’em Super Turbo | $500 | 828 | 351 | $530,550 | Matt Bode | $97,090.65 |
| 5 | No Limit Hold’em Freezeout | $1,000 | 854 | 0 | $811,300 | Allen Chang | $161,286.44 |
| 6 | Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 6-Handed | $600 | 497 | 336 | $449,820 | Nathan Gamble | $89,424.21 |
| 7 | No Limit Hold’em Knockout Deepstack | $800 | 989 | 0 | $731,860 | Joon Kim | $106,126.98* |
| 8 | No Limit Hold’em Freezeout | $500 | 1,479 | 0 | $665,550 | Alan Goehring | $119,399.67 |
| 9 | No Limit Hold’em 6-Max | $1,000 | 658 | 368 | $974,700 | Ron McMillen | $188,214.57 |
| 10 | No Limit Hold’em MonsterStack | $600 | 1,505 | 569 | $1,119,960 | Ryan Torgersen | $172,361.84 |
| 11 | No Limit Hold’em Turbo Deepstack 6-Handed | $500 | 1,081 | 610 | $760,950 | Raman Afanasenka | $128,600.55 |
| 12 | The BIG 500 No Limit Hold’em | $500 | 1,624 | 803 | $1,092,150 | Ryan Depaulo | $159,563.11 |
| 13 | No Limit Hold’em High Roller Freezeout | $1,500 | 649 | 0 | $924,825 | Michael Lech | $164,248.92 |
| 14 | No Limit Hold’em High Roller | $3,200 | 368 | 128 | $1,507,840 | Joe McKeehen | $352,985.34 |
| 15 | PLO 8-Max HR | $1,000 | 386 | 277 | $629,850 | Guy Dunlap | $133,780.14 |
| 16 | No Limit Hold’em Turbo | $500 | 1,044 | 484 | $687,600 | Terrell Cheatham | $116,204.40 |
| 17 | No Limit Hold’emæ | $777 | 917 | 465 | $967,400 | Pat Lyon | $173,551.56 |
| 18 | No Limit Hold’em 8-Handed Turbo DeepStack | $1,000 | 697 | 290 | $937,650 | Scott Hempel | $181,060.21 |
| 19 | No Limit Hold’em | $400 | 1,757 | 788 | $916,200 | Kenny Huynh | $133,856.82 |
*includes knockout bounties
