World Poker Tour (WPT) Ambassador Brad Owen will return for his shot at a spot on the Mike Sexton Cup after he turned 15 big blinds into the third-biggest chip stack at the end of Day 4 to qualify for the televised six-handed final table in Las Vegas.

The 2023 WPT Gardens Poker Championship drew 346 entries for a prize pool of $1,678,100.

Owen bagged 3,350,000 for the Day 5 finale and he is joined by chip leader Ryan Salunga with 7,265,000 and Chris Lee with 3,975,000. Ky Nguyen, Josh Lachman, and Joey Deluca round out the final six that will return to HyperX ESports Arena at Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 27 to play for the top prize of $357,380 and a seat at the $10,000 WPT World Championship in December.

The popular streamer and regular cash game player made a late run that included the eighth-place elimination of Steven Spunt with Owen’s trademark pocket jacks.

“Best jiggities ever,” Owen told WPT at the conclusion of Day 4. “I looked down at it, and I’m sure it wasn’t really visible but I kind of chuckled in my head a little bit and I was like ‘Oh this is fitting.”

Owen held on with the jacks and went on to eliminate Thomas Choi in seventh to lock in his spot at the televised final table in Las Vegas. A fourth-place finish or better would give Owen the biggest score in his career.

2023 WPT Gardens Poker Championship Final Table

Everyone is Chasing Salunga

Meanwhile, Salunga has already guaranteed his first big score and a sixth-place prize of $71,200. The lowest payout of the afternoon will take Salunga over $100,000 in lifetime earnings after a series of strong finishes throughout the California poker scene in 2023.

Lee enters Saturday’s final table as the most accomplished tournament player with over $1.5 million in earnings, according to the Hendon Mob. His only other cash in 2023 was a fourth-place finish at this year’s PokerGO Tour PLO series for $207,500. Lee won a WSOP bracelet in 2011 in the $2,500 10-Game tournament and he was the runner-up in the 2017 $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha event.

Career Paydays

Nguyen returns with a long list of tournament accomplishments and this is his biggest score—a prize that will move him to just short of $400,000 in lifetime earnings. This is also Nguyen’s second WPT cash of the year after a run to 12th in the $10,000 Deep Stack at the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown. Lachman, the short stack, is also cashing the largest check of his poker-playing life, but this is his second deep charge at a WPT Main Event after a run to 27th in the 2016 Legends of Poker.

Deluca will enter the final day with the second shortest stack, but he brings with him a long list of cashing finishes on the L.A. tournament scene. He’s also among those picking up his biggest win yet, but he has tallied over $320,000 in tournament winnings in tournaments all over Los Angeles.

The final six players will reconvene on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Vegas time to play down to a winner. All of the action will be featured on the WPT livestream with a 30-minute security delay beginning at 4:30 p.m.

_{*Images courtesy of WPT.}

Live Reporting Executive

Las Vegas-based PokerNews Live Reporting Executive, originally from Chicago, IL

With the 2023 World Series of Poker just around the corner, PokerNews is continuing to look at past WSOP Main Event champions and what they’ve been up to since winning poker’s big one.

Our last installment of the series looked at the winners from 2015-17, with this edition focusing on John Cynn, Hossein Ensan, and Damian Salas who all triumphed in 2018, 2019 and 2020 respectively.

John Cynn: 2018 Main Event Champion ($8,800,000)

John Cynn must have thought he’d blown his chances of becoming the WSOP Main Event champion when he busted in 11th place during the 2016 edition of poker’s most famous live tournament. The $650,000 Cynn won that day after outlasting most of the 6,737 entrants will have gone some way to numbing the pain, but the nature of large-field poker tournaments means most players do not get many shots at a life-changing prize.

Fastforward three years and Cynn was one of 7,874 entrants in the $10,000 WSOP Main Event, the second-largest Main Event in history at the time. After ten days of intense poker action, including a final table spanning 442 hands, Cynn had redemption for his near miss, and become poker’s world champion.

Cynn found himself heads-up against Tony Miles in what became the ultimate slugfest. Cynn and Miles butted heads for ten hours before something finally gave, and Cynn clinched the title.

With blinds of 2,000,000/4,000,000/500,000a, Cynn opened to 9 million before calling a 34 million three-bet. Miles led out for 32 million on the king-king-five flop, Cynn called, and an eight landed on the turn. Miles moved all-in for 114 million, sending Cynn into the tank for over a minute, before he emerged with a call. Cynn showed king-jack for trip kings, and was way ahead of Miles’ queen-eight. The inconsequential four on the river brought the curtain down on an epic one-on-one battle.

2019 WSOP Main Event Final Table Results

Cynn Since Becoming World Champion

Cynn has not been overly active since reeling in the $8.8 million first-place prize of the 2018 WSOP Main Event. Indeed, Cynn has only managed six cashes since becoming world champion.

Two of those scores tipped the scales at six figures. Cynn finished fourth in a $25,000 High Roller at the partypoker MILLIONS South America festival for $110,000 in March 2019.

In March 2020, Cynn was the runner-up in a $25,500 Short Deck event at the partypoker MILLIONS Sochi Super High Roller Series for $252,000.

Cynn’s last recorded in-the-money finish came during the 2022 WSOP Main Event, where his 550th place finish came with a $25,500 prize.

Hossein Ensan: 2019 Main Event Champion ($10,000,000)

Iranian-German poker pro Hossein Ensan triumphed in the 2019 WSOP Main Event, which was the second-largest Main Event at the time. Ensan overcame 8,568 opponents to get his hands on $10 million of the $80,548,600 prize pool, adding a WSOP bracelet to the WSOP Circuit ring and European Poker Tour (EPT) title he already possessed.

Ensan navigated his way to the nine-handed final table with more than a third of the chips in play, but the victory was far from a done deal because there were some supremely talented players in contention for the title.

Eventually, Ensan found himself heads-up against Italian superstar Dario Sammartino. On the 301st hand of the final table’s action, and with blinds of 2,000,000/4,000,000/4,000,000a, Ensan made it 11 million to go with pocket kings, and Sammartino looked him up with eight-four of spades. Sammartino check-called a 15 million bet on the ten-six-deuce flop, which had two spades.

Sammartino checked again on the offsuit nine turn, opening the door for Ensan to fire a 33 million bet. Sammartino responded with an all-in check-raise of 140 million, which Ensan snapped off. The river needed to be a spade to prevent Ensan from winning the WSOP Main Event, and although the queen on the river was black, it was a club. Ensan banked $10 million, leaving Sammartino to console himself with a $6 million consolation prize.

2019 WSOP Main Event Final Table Results

Ensan Since Becoming World Champion

Ensan almost added a second WSOP bracelet to his wrist a few months after his Main Event victory, when he finished third in the €25,500 WSOP Europe Platinum High Roller. It was a result that added €251,837 ($281,436) to Ensan’s bankroll.

Although Ensan has racked up more than a dozen cashes since his WSOP Main Event victory, only his near miss in the WSOP Europe High Roller and a 14th place finish in the 2022 EPT Prague Main Event weigh in at more than $50,000

Damian Salas: 2020 Main Event Champion ($2,550,969)

Argentina’s Damian Salas will forever be remembered for winning the strangest WSOP Main Event in history. The 2020 WSOP was severely disrupted by global COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the WSOP heading online to the virtual felts of GGPoker and WSOP.com.

There were online editions of the WSOP Main Event held for Americans on WSOP.com and for the rest of the world on GGPoker. Combining those fields meant there were 1,379 entrants in 2020, and combined prize pools of $13,238,400.

Salas reached the final table of the international leg of the 2020 WSOP Main Event, which took place in the live setting of King’s Resort in Rozvadoz, Czech Republic. That final table should have played out nine-handed, but China’s Peiyuan Sun opted not to travel, so they received ninth-place money.

The Argentinian came out on top and hauled in $1,550,969 for his victory, while earning the right to play the WSOP.com Main Event champion, Joseph Hebert, heads-up for $1 million in Las Vegas in April 2021. Salas defeated Hebert in Vegas, taking his total take-home pay to $2,550,969.

2020 WSOP Main Event Final Table Results

_{*China’s Peiyuan Sun has opted not to travel and finished in ninth place ($75,360) as per the rules}

Salas Since Becoming World Champion

Salas is quite a prolific poker tournament player, particularly in the online poker world. Just three months after defeating Hebert in Las Vegas, Salas won his first PokerStars Spring Championship Of Online Poker (SCOOP) title, before adding another in the 2022 SCOOP.

2022 was a solid year for Salas, who finished 27th in the WSOP Main Event for $262,300 and busting in eighth-place in the €10,300 EPT Barcelona High Roller for €115,780 ($116,489).

After nearly eight hours of final table play, Jared Jaffee stands alone at the top of the 2023 World Poker Tour (WPT) Choctaw Main Event for his second WPT title. Jaffee took home $400,700 for the victory along with a seat at the $10,000 WPT Championship in December.

“Ten years is a long time,” Jaffee said about his first WPT victory in 2013 in a post-win interview with PokerNews. “This first one was so surreal because it was my first major tournament and I almost couldn’t believe that it happened. Now I can’t believe that it has taken ten years to do this again.”

The feeling is different now and so is the win’s impact on Jaffee’s poker career.

“I feel like that [the 2013 win] was this ecstatic feeling that I did it, and this one is more about solidifying my career and what I’ve been working for.”

Mike Vanier finished third and Bin Weng finished fourth, while Rusty Farrin and two-time WPT champion Erkut Yilmaz rounded out the six-handed final table.

The tournament drew 612 entries to Choctaw Casino and Resort in Durant, Oklahoma and 78 players shared a prize pool of $2,142,000.

2023 WPT Choctaw Final Table Results

*-includes a seat at the $10,000 WPT Championship in December

Before Thursday night, two WPT champions (Yilmaz and Jaffee) remained at the WPT Choctaw final table, but Weng’s victory in the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown made him the third.

Weng’s Run Comes to an End

Weng’s bid for consecutive victories came up short with a fourth-place finish for $143,000. He adds that score to his win on Thursday night at the WPT Hard Rock Poker Showdown final table for $1,128,250. A second win would have put Weng into a club of back-to-back WPT winners that includes Marvin Rettenmaier, Darren Elias, and Anthony Zinno.

Read More About Bin Weng’s Win in the WPT SHR Poker Showdown!

Final Table Action

Farrin was the beneficiary of the first of two early doubles that set the tone for the afternoon. The Arkansas native got the last of it in on the river with aces and sixes and Vanier paid him off with kings and fours.

The second early double came when Vanier got his shrinking stack in with a suited ace-king against the pocket tens of Weng. The board ran out with a flush for Vanier and he moved into the third slot on the leaderboard with six players still remaining. The hand came just after Jaffee took a pot from Weng to assume the overall chip lead.

All six players still remained at the first break, with Jaffee on top and Vanier trailing in second. Weng had dropped down to the third slot and Farrin was the short stack with just under 2 million.

Yilmaz was the first to go after the initial break when he shoved with pocket fives and Vanier called with a suited ace-ten. The board ran out with an ace on the turn and Yilmaz hit the rail in sixth for $81,700. Meanwhile, Jaffee jumped to 12 million in a clash that sent Weng down the leaderboard.

Weng got a few chips back in a battle of the short stacks with the elimination of Farrin in fifth place. Both players got it in with an ace, but Weng had the better one to send Farrin home with $107,000. The elimination set the table for the final four players, with Vanier in the lead with over 15 million, while Jaffee trailed with 10 million and Weng and Ignacio fought for third place with just over 2 million each.

Weng’s run soon came to an end when he shoved just over 10 big blinds with king-jack and Jaffee took him out with ace-nine. The fourth-place finish was good for $143,000 and the end of an impressive run in consecutive WPT main events.

The final trio battled and at one point all three players were nearly even, but Jaffee pulled away with the lead and he had around 17 million when Vanier picked up queens and shoved with 7,000,000. Jaffee turned over a suited ace-six and caught runner-runner clubs to send Vanier to the rail in third place for $192,000.

Jaffee entered heads-up play with nearly a 3-to-1 chip advantage over Ignacio, but the oldest player at the final table (53) soon fought back to even the counts. After a bit of back-and-forth, Ignacio fell behind again before he got it in with ace-nine. Jaffee put him at risk with pocket nines and held on for his second WPT title.

Be sure to return on Saturday night for the last of three WPT final tables when the WPT Gardens Poker Championship plays down to a winner at the HyperX ESports Arena in Las Vegas.

_{*Images courtesy of WPT.}

Live Reporting Executive

Las Vegas-based PokerNews Live Reporting Executive, originally from Chicago, IL

Are you one of the many PokerNews readers that are part of our ever-growing Discord channel? Do you regularly enjoy tons of value through our PokerNews-exclusive freerolls and PokerStars Home Games? Well, we have some fantastic news because PokerNews and PokerStars have come together to bring you the action-packed Summer Series.

The Summer Series runs throughout June and sees a brand new added-extra tournament take place each and every day. Make sure you are in your seats for 8:00 p.m. BST each day so you do not miss any of the action.

We have used the valued feedback from our Discord channel members to devise a bustling schedule that will put your poker skills to the ultimate test.

You and your fellow PokerNews readers will fight it out for supremacy across a range of poker variants, including No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, Seven Card Stud, 8-Game, and even 2-7 Triple Draw.

Throw into the mix turbos, progressive knockouts, and deep-stacked events, and you have all the ingredients for a thrilling month of poker at PokerStars.

PokerNews Summer Series Schedule

Most of the Summer Series events come with an affordable $1.10 buy-in, but there are a handful of special tournaments costing $2.20, $5.50, and $11, the latter reserved for the series-ending Main Event.

Becoming a poker champion in any of the 30 Summer Series events not only sees you walk away with the lion’s share of the prize pool, but also a free tournament ticket worth ten times the event’s buy-in!

PokerNews Freerolls Offers Readers More Added Value on PokerStars in June

Take down a $1.10 buy-in Summer Series tournament and bag yourself a free $11 ticket. Finish in first place in the eagerly-anticipated Summer Series Main Event, and we will put a $109 ticket into your PokerStars account. $109 is enough to buy you into the world-famous PokerStars Sunday Million! Imagine how cool it would be to play in online poker’s most famous Sunday event for free.

The value does not stop there because PokerNews is also giving away two tickets worth $215 each! The first of these $215 tickets is awarded to the Player of the Series, determined by points earned during all 30 events.

Play in at least 20 of the Summer Series events, and your name goes into a prize draw where the other $215 ticket awaits the draw’s winner.

How To Join Our Discord Channel

Becoming a member of our Discord community is a simple task. Follow this link and you’ll be whisked away to the official PokerNews Discord server where you will find all of the latest news, promotions, PokerNews-exclusive freeroll password, and live reporting links, in addition to being able to talk poker with like-minded people; you can even bemoan your luck and post your bad beat stories!

How to Join PokerNews’ Home Games at PokerStars

You need a PokerStars account to join the PokerNews Home Games. Download PokerStars via PokerNews if you do not already have an account, and make a deposit using the bonus code “STARS400” for a 100% match up to $400 first deposit bonus.

Once you have a shiny new PokerStars account, or once you log into the account you already have, click the Home Games tab in the PokerStars client, and click “Join a Club.” All that is then required is to enter the details from the graphic above, and you are good to go once one of the PokerNews team accepts you into the club. This is usually done quickly, but please allow 24 hours to be accepted; don’t leave registering for the PokerNews Home Games Summer Series until the last minute, or you could miss out!

The 80th edition of the world-famous Monaco Grand Prix takes place on May 28, so PokerNews takes a look at some of the awesome free attractions visitors can enjoy before or after the race.

Are you looking for the top 5 best free things to do in Monaco? Well, we’ve got you covered! It’s one of the top poker destinations in the world, but you don’t need to be super rich (although it might help) to have a good time on the French Riviera. Here are the top free things to do in Monaco.

1. Visit Monte-Carlo Casino

Given that this is PokerNews, where better to start if you’re looking for free things to do in Monaco than a casino? But not just any casino, the Monte-Carlo Casino no less.

What is the Monte-Carlo Casino and why Visit?

Sure, the Bellagio, Las Vegas is pretty special, and the Venetian in Macau is impressive, but there’s something truly unique about Monaco’s oldest casino. Opened in 1865, to this day it still carries the charm of an old-fashioned establishment. But don’t be mistaken, this building is far from old and rundown. Its high golden ceilings and glistening chandeliers, plus its location on the famous Place du Casino (Casino Square) give it a look and feel more like a palace than a casino.

Though not strictly free to visit if you want to enter and play a few hands on the tables (the minimum bet for most games is surprisingly just €5), experiencing the atmosphere and seeing the casino’s beauty from the outside is still worth the trip. What’s more, for any car lovers out there, you’ll do well to not spot one or two supercars parked outside.

If poker is more your thing (and let’s face it, you’re on PokerNews so it should at least be on your radar) why not visit during the prestigious Monaco leg of the EPT? Not only will you see a few recognisable faces, but you’ll feel the buzz of one of the biggest annual poker tournaments in the calendar - with first place this year winning €750,000.

Mike Watson Becomes Third Player in History to Win Two Live EPT Main Event Titles

2. Visit Larvotto Beach

Everyone loves a trip to the beach, and the Côte d’Azur is home to some of the most beautiful coastlines in Europe. Monaco isn’t synonymous with its beaches, but there are options if you’re looking to build a sandcastle or two.

What is Larvotto Beach and why Visit it?

Due to its miniature size, Monaco has very few beaches and some are even private and not accessible to the public. What’s more, with all its supercars, yachts and casinos, people tend to overlook heading to the beach when in Moncao. However, Larvotto Beach, located to the north of the principality, is a little gem of a spot that will set you back nothing apart from the cost of your beach towel and shorts.

It’s not the largest beach by any means, so if you’re there at the height of the season you might be struggling for space. But Larvotto Beach is still well worth a visit, with its turquoise waters and soft sand.

PokerStars Casino Offers Chance To Win Epic Las Vegas Formula One Experience

3. Visit Fairmont Hairpin Curve

This is one for the F1 fans. Monaco is known for glitz, glamour and, to us at least, a bit of poker as well. But if there’s one sporting event other than the EPT that Monaco is renowned for, it’s the most captivating Grand Prix of the Formula 1 season.

What is the Fairmont Hairpin Curve and why Visit it?

Fairmont Hairpin Curve is perhaps one of the most recognisable corners in Formula 1. Its steep, sharp bend is a nightmare for the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen to navigate, but when it’s not race week you can cruise down a legitimate part of an existing F1 track with a lot more ease.

And why stop there? Whether you drive a Ferarri or a Fiat, you can drive the entire Monaco Grand Prix circuit - although we’d recommend doing so at a time when F1 isn’t in town as the areas become restricted in the lead-up.

If you do find yourself on the French Riviera on grand prix day, you can still get involved. While the majority of places are restricted for general public access, you’ll still be able to walk around, soak up the atmosphere and see one of two cool things (for motor enthusiasts at least) free of charge.

There’s plenty more F1-related news in the poker sphere as well. Global Poker, for instance, put on a Turbo Series in May 2023 where players could win an exclusive Ferrari experience. Stay tuned to PokerNews for more potential F1 prizes from Global Poker. Also, a partnership between PokerStars and Red Bull has entered its second year, showing that there is plenty of crossover between poker and F1 - not to mention the array of drivers that play poker recreationally.

PokerStars Debuts Between the Lines - The Ultimate F1 and Poker Video Series

4. Visit Princess Grace Japanese Garden

If anyone has been to Monaco, one thing that is noticeable (apart from billionaires driving, wearing and living in things that cost 100x my annual salary) is how pristine the streets are. This is evident from the several gardens and parks as well, all being in showroom-like condition. One park in particular stands out - the Princess Grace Japanese Garden.

What is the Japanese Garden, and why Visit it?

Japan and Monaco have little in common, but the Japanese Garden adds a lovely bit of character to the principality. Despite being just 0.7 hectares in size, it has its own hill, waterfall and even a Zen garden for meditation. Located between the Monte-Carlo Casino and Larvotto Beach, the Japanese Garden offers a surreal, authentic oriental experience right in the middle of luxury skyscrapers, looming hills and a slice of the Côte d’Azur.

Why Do Formula 1 and Poker Go Hand-in-Hand?

5. Visit Prince’s Palace of Monaco

Albert II is the current Prince of Monaco and has reigned since 2005. Like any prince, he lives in a palace most definitely fit for a king, and while it might not quite be on the levels of Buckingham Palace, his residential home is still impressive nonetheless.

What is the Prince’s Palace and why Visit it?

The Prince’s Palace has an illustrious history dating back to 1191. It’s the official residence of the sovereign prince of Monaco and was a fortress before being turned into a palace. You can go inside for a fee, but there’s plenty of value in visiting the outside.

Not only is it an experience in itself to see the palace from the outside, you’ll also catch the changing of the guards every day at 11:55. What’s more, the views out across the nearby harbour are absolutely stunning.

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