2023 WSOP Day 45: Kulev Set to Claim $50K High Roller Title

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Jul 14, 2023 8 min read

There is less than a week of the 2023 World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas remaining, but the action refuses to slow down. Day 45 of this incredible series had eight events running at one stage, including the record-breaking 2023 WSOP Main Event.

Thai Ha was the day's only freshly minted champion. They triumphed in Event #83: $1,500 Short Deck, which only needed one-and-a-half days to whittle it 363-strong field to a winner, and not the advertised three. Ha took home their first WSOP plus $111,170 in cold, hard cash after denying David Prociak his second career bracelet.

Kulev is the Man to Catch Going into Day 3 of the $50K High Roller

Alex Kulev's rise to the world of high-stakes poker has been nothing short of extraordinary. The Ireland-based Bulgarian has soared through the ranks, and is now only four eliminations away from padding his bankroll with more than $2 million and having a gold WSOP bracelet adorning his wrist, in addition to the title of Event #84: $50,000 High Roller champion.

Kulev (19,800,000) will fancy his chances of glory despite his four remaining opponents reading like a who's who of the poker world.

Jake Schindler (13,550,000) is second in chips, with Hungary's Gergely Kulcsar (12,350,000) third. The 2021 WSOP Main Event champion Koray Aldemir (4,000,000) and Daniel Smiljkovic (3,150,000) sit down with short stacks, yet remain dangerous foes.

These five super high rollers return to the fray from 2:00 p.m. local time on July 14 and will play until only one of them has chips. Who will that person be? Return to PokerNews on July 14 to find out.

Event #84: $50,000 High Roller Final Five Chip Counts

2023 Main Event is Down to 15 Players; Maceiras Leads

There are only 15 players still with a shot at becoming the champion of Event #76: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship, and it is Spain's Juan Maceiras (108,000,000) who has one hand on the $12.1 million top prize.

Maceiras sits down on Day 8 with a commanding lead, although the amazing structure of this tournament means nobody is out of the running just yet.

Adam Walton (75,475,000) is in second place at the restart, while Jan-Peter Jachtmann (70,775,000) and Toby Lewis (50,500,000) are incredibly talented players who will influence where this event's bracelet eventually calls home.

Daniel Weinman (21,750,000) and the aforementioned Jachtmann are the only bracelet winners through to Day 8.

You can feast your eyes on a dedicated Main Event recap right here.

Return to PokerNews from 2:00 p.m. local time on July 14 to play down to the final table.

Event #76: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship Top 10 Chip Counts

Fagg Leads the Way in the $600 Ultra Stack

Only nine players remain in Event #81: $600 Ultra Stack, and it is John Fagg (91,000,000) that has one hand on the bracelet, and who is wondering how to spend the $401,250 top prize.

Fagg holds a substantial lead over the remaining players going into the final table, with Peyton Ethridge (70,000,000) his nearest rival some 11 big blinds behind. Fagg already has a WSOP Circuit ring to his name, and a bracelet would make a great bedfellow.

None of the players are particularly deep, with third-placed Min-Sung Lee (59,000,000) of South Korea sporting a 30 big blind stack, and three players returning to the action with less than 15 big blinds at their disposal.

Whoever comes out on top will become a WSOP champion for the first time in their careers. Return to PokerNews from 1:00 p.m. local time on July 14 to discover who that champion is.

Event #81: $600 Ultra Stack Final Table Chip Counts

$3K PLO Ends With Five Players, and Parry Leading

Event #82: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (6-Handed) requires an unscheduled fourth day, as five players still have chips in front of them. Matthew Parry is the chip leader going into the unplanned Day 4, his 13,105,000 stack is worth 82 big blinds.

Parry may hold the chip lead but it is the young man returning in third place, with 8,835,000 chips, that everyone has their eye on. With all due respect, Ian Matakis was a relatively unknown quantity going into the 2023 WSOP, but his performances at the tables have put him on the poker map.

Matakis leads the Player of the Year race by 437 points, thanks to 19 cashes, four final tables, and one bracelet victory. Taking down this event on July 14 will all but guarantee the Minnesota-based grinder will be the 2023 WSOP Player of the Year.

Dustin Goldklang (11,490,000), Cuba Levenberry (4,915,000), and Lawrence Wayne (2,200,000) are the other three players that have reached the finale on merit.

Play resumes at 1:00 p.m. on July 14. Tune into PokerNews to see which of these five finalists gets the job done.

Event #82: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (6-Handed) Final Five Chip Counts

Imsirovic Through to Round 2 of the $1,500 Shootout

Round 1 of Event #85: $1,500 Shootout is done and dusted with 100 of the 987 entrants progressing from their respective tables, locking in a min-cash of $5,759 as a result.

Each of those surviving 100 players will be looking to do the same again; outlasting the nine opponents they're seated with and progressing to the ten-handed final table where at least $19,003 is up for grabs. The eventual champion receives a WSOP bracelet and $237,367.

The controversial Ali Imsirovic, fresh from his confessions of wrongdoing, made an appearances and progressed from his table. Other top-tier players to look out for on Day/Round 2 include Valentino Konakchiev, Nam Le, five-time WSOP champion Adam Friedman, Faraz Jaka, Yuri Dzivielevski, Chino Rheem, Dinesh Alt, Brian Hastings, Claas Segebrecht, and Jake Schwartz.

July 14 at 10:00 a.m. is when play resumes, and PokerNews' live reporting team will be on hand bringing you all of the updates that you can handle.

Zamani Claims an Early Lead in the Poker Hall of Fame Bounty

Martin Zamani busted a poker legend on his way to bagging the chip lead on Day 1 of Event #86: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty. Zamani was responsible for ending Billy Baxter's run prematurely, and he finished the night with 1,258,000 chips, some 36 big blinds more than Osman Ihlamur in second place.

Fifteen Poker Hall of Fame members entered this event, each with a bounty on their heads worth the year they were inducted. Only Phil Hellmuth (281,000), and Eli Elezra (254,000) made it to Day 2.

The newest Poker Hall of Fame inductee, Brian Rast, fell at the hands of Ferenc Szuchopa. They couldn't quite put Rast's chips to good use because they fell before the money places.

Only 150 of the 1,417 entrants bagged and tagged at the close of play. They all return from 12:00 p.m. local time on July 14 to play down to a winner. Stay with PokerNews throughout this remarkable event.

Event #86: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty Top 10 Chip Counts

End of Day 1 Chip Counts

Split Pot Experts Turn Out in Force for the Omaha/Stud8 Event

Event #87: $2,500 Mixed Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better drew in 460 players and 247 of them progressed to Day 2. The slow structure and split-pot format meant more than half of the players navigated their way through the first day, leaving those with chips wondering how long they will have to grind to capture the $221,733 top rize.

Patrick Leonard (211,500) looks set to be in this event for the long haul because he bagged up the Day 1 chip lead, and was the only player with more than 200,000 chips.

Scott Numoto (198,800), Jude Arena (183,700), Xixiang Luo (181,100), and Maksim Pusarenko (180,200) make up the overnight top five.

Bracelet winners Daniel Strelitz (165,200) and Nathan Gamble (148,000) find themselves in the top ten, while Max Pescatori (122,800), Benny Glaser (105,200), Ryan Hughes (96,200), and Daniel Negreanu (81,800) are still in the mix.

Day 2 commences at 1:00 p.m. local time on July 14, with ten one-hour levels planned. Stay with PokerNews for all of the action, as it happens, from this tournament.

Event #87: $2,500 Mixed Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Top 10 Chip Counts

What to Expect on Day 46 of the 2023 WSOP

You would be wrong if you thought that the 2023 WSOP action was slowing down because the curtain comes down on July 18. It seems that the WSOP does not do slowing down, in fact, Day 46 of the series looks set to be one of the busiest days yet!

All eyes will be on Event #76: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship, and rightly so because by the end of night, the final table should be set! We cannot wait for that to happen because it is a magical time for any poker player or fan.

You will read all about how Event #81: $600 Ultra Stack, and Event #84: $50,000 High Roller awarded their respective bracelets, the latter paying out a whopping $2,087,073 to its champion. Event #82: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (6-Handed) will also conclude.

Event #85: $1,500 Shootout will play down to a final table, while Event #86: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty and Event #87: $2,500 Mixed Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better continue trimming their fields.

Three more events start as the weekend approaches. First, there is Event #88: $1,500 The Closer, although it does not close the series, so is a bit of a weird name.

Then there is Event #89: $1,000 Flip and Go Presented by GGPoker, which you may recall Scott Seiver firing 43 bullets at in 2022 and not reaching the "go" stage! Seiver will be hoping to spend a little less in 2023.

Rounding out the new tournaments is Event #90: $10,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em Championship, which is nailed on to bring out the big guns.

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• Tags WSOP23 Adam Friedman Ali Imsirovic Benny Glaser Brian Rast Faraz Jaka Ian Matakis Jake Schindler Jan-Peter Jachtmann Juan Maceiras Koray Aldemir Max Pescatori Mike Thorpe Nathan Gamble Patrick Leonard Phil Hellmuth Scott Seiver Toby Lewis Thai Ha
• Related Players Phil HellmuthMax PescatoriScott SeiverToby LewisFaraz JakaBrian Rast