2023 WSOP Main Event Hands of the Week: Royal Flush Twice in 4 Hands; Miracle Running Kings

The 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event will play down from nine to four later today, and then to a winner on Monday. It has been two weeks since the record-breaking tournament began, and needless to say, there have been some memorable moments.

The PokerNews Live Reporting Team has been busy capturing all the action in our live updates, and they’ve witnessed some hands go down that proved to be either entertaining, game-changing or just flat out brutal.

Below is a look at some of the best hands of the week from the 2023 WSOP!

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Amarapu Hits a Royal – Twice!

Ok, so this first hand wasn’t in the Main Event, but it’s definitely worth sharing. On Day 1 of Event #87: $2,500 Mixed Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better, it was Level 5 (1,000/2,000/200) when reporter Geoff Paul caught a couple of doozies.

According to Vasu Amarapu, who provided pictures, he took down a huge pot in Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better on a board of Q♣J♦K♦2♦Q♦. Amarapu’s opponent showed AxK♠K♣3x for kings full of queens, but Amarapu turned over A♦10♦7♣2♥ for a royal flush.

Three hands later, Amarapu bet on the turn with the board showing Q♥A♥3♦10♥. Everyone folded, and he turned over K♥J♥Qx10x for a second royal flush.

Hoover Catches a Miracle

On Day 5 of the Main Event, it was Level 24 (25,000/50,000/50,000) when David Salituro reported how fortunes can change with the turn of a card, and that’s exactly what happened to Logan Hoover.

Hoover was all in for 2,385,000 from early position and up against Aditya Systla in middle position.

Logan Hoover: A♣K♦
Aditya Systla: Q♣Q♥

“Hold up,” Hoover cried out as he stood up from his seat to await the flop. He hit the K♥, but the rest of the flop came Q♠7♣ and Systla made a set as Hoover turned away in disgust.

The turn, though, gave him some hope as it came K♣. “Ace one time,” he yelled out. He didn’t hit an ace, but the dealer did turn over the K♠ as Hoover made running quads.

“Yes,” Hoover yelled as he ran away from the table. A big crowd gathered around the table and took photos of the board as Hoover returned to rake in the pot.

“Excuse me, I just made quads in the Main Event,” Hoover said.

“That’s the sickest thing I’ve ever seen,” a tablemate told him.

Four-Way All-In Results in Two Casualties

On Day 6 in Level 28 (60,000/120,000/120,000, Christian Zetzsche reported that Steven Spunt had lost the vast majority of his stack in the previous hand and was in the big blind next. Yaroslav Ohulchanskyi raised from the hijack and Bradley Moskowitz jammed all-in from the cutoff with a shorter stack.

Allen Chang moved in from the small blind while Spunt was in there from the next seat. Ohulchanskyi called all-in to create a four-way all-in on a pay jump with three players at risk.

Steven Spunt: 6♥5♣
Bradley Moskowitz: A♥K♠
Yaroslav Ohulchanskyi: K♥K♦
Allen Chang: 9♠9♣

The board ran out 5♠3♣2♠7♦Q♠ and Spunt fell in 81st place, while Moskowitz earned the pay jump in 80th place. Ohulchanskyi won the side pots and soared past Chang.

“I was waiting for this hand all day long,” Moskowitz said before he and Spunt were escorted to the payout desk.

Torelli Celebrates with a Set of Crabs

In the same level, reporter Connor Richards saw Jose Aguilera opened to 250,000 in early position and Zachary Hall called from the next seat before Alec Torelli came along from the big blind.

Torelli and Aguilera checked on the 3♦6♥J♦ flop and Hall bet 175,000. Torelli check-raised to 700,000 and Aguilera folded as Hall called.

Torelli then bet 1,600,000 on the 8♣ turn and Hall took some time before putting out a stack of 500,000-chips to raise Torelli all in. Torelli quickly called with a stack of 4,785,000.

Alec Torelli: 3♥3♠
Zachary Hall: 5♥5♦

“I didn’t think you had that,” Hall said glumly after seeing Torelli was far ahead with a set.

The 7♣ bricked off on the river to avoid a gross two-outer and Torelli did a lap and clutched his heart after securing the big double-up through the start-of-day chip leader.

Hulme Rivers Straight Flush; Dunst Eliminated

One level later in Level 29 (100,000/150,000/150,000), Andrew Knowles saw Andrew Hulme open to 325,000 from under the gun and Ryan Tosoc put in a three-bet to 800,000 next to act. Tony Dunst called for his last 525,000 and it folded back to Hulme who made the call.

The flop came Q♦10♦6♠ and Hulme check-called a bet of 600,000 from Tosoc. On the A♠ turn both players checked their options to the J♦ river.

Hulme took a few seconds before sliding out a bet of 1,825,000 and Tosoc quickly let it go. Dunst tabled K♥Q♠ for a straight but was no good when Hulme rolled over 9♦8♦ for a straight flush to score the pot and send Dunst out in 66th place.

Max Pain for Payne as Final Table Nears

On Day 8, just 14 players remained in Level 36 (400,000/800,000/800,000) when Calum Grant reported that Joshua Payne made it 1,600,000 to go and Jose Aguilera three-bet to 4,500,000 on the button. Daniel Weinman on the button went into the tank and carefully studied the stack size of Aguilera before he four-bet jammed for 29,100,000.

Payne called all-in for 19,600,000 total and Aguilera looked up both opponents to create a three-way all-in!

Joshua Payne: K♠K♦
Jose Aguilera: Q♠Q♣
Daniel Weinman: J♠J♣

The A♥7♥4♠ flop changed nothing as Payne remained in the lead. Weinman then spiked the J♥ on the turn to send Payne into a world of pain.

Nothing changed on the 3♠ river and Payne was sent to the payout desk in agonizing fashion while Weinman sky-rocketed up the leaderboard, leaving Aguilera with a short stack.

Past WSOP Hands of the Week Recaps

Check out some of our past “Hands of the Week” recaps:

Executive Editor U.S.

Executive Editor US, PokerNews Podcast co-host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.