2023 WPT World Championship Hands of the Week: WSOP Champ Felted By Hall of Famer

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Dec 20, 2023 4 min read

The World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship Festival at Wynn Las Vegas is nearing the end of the $10,000 WPT World Championship, and PokerNews has been on-site for the duration.

During that time we kept an eye on the live updates being provided by our friends on the WPT Live Reporting team. They captured a number of interesting and game-changing hands, which are highlighted below in the latest edition of "Hands of the Week."

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WSOP Champ Eliminated By Poker Hall of Famer

On Day 1d, it was Level 10 (3,000/5,000/5,000) when Scott Bohlman raised from middle position and Poker Hall of Famer and WPT co-founder Lyle Berman (pictured above in lead photo alongside Adam Pliska) called from middle position. 2017 WSOP Main Event champ Scott Blumstein then called from the hijack and it was three-way action to a flop of 7♥4♣2♠.

After Bohlman checked, Berman bet 20,000 and Blumstein called. Bohlman got out of the way and it was heads-up action to the 5♥ turn. Berman slowed down with a check but called when Blumstein bet 20,000.

After the J♥ appeared on the turn, Berman checked and Blumstein jammed for 132,000. Berman thought for a bit before calling with the A♥A♣ and it was good as Blumstein showed the K♠K♦.

Deeb Done & Dusted

Shaun Deeb almost didn't get to play in the WPT World Championship. Flight delays back from the WSOP Paradise caused him to nearly miss the tournament, but he managed to arrive just in time to max late reg. On Day 1d in Level 10 (3,000/5,000/5,000), Vyacheslav Stoyanov raised to 12,000 from the cutoff and then called when Deeb three-bet jammed for 66,000 out of the small blind.

Shaun Deeb: Q♣Q♠
Vyacheslav Stoyanov: A♠8♥

Deeb got it in good, but like his travels early in the day, lady luck was not on his side as the A♥A♣6♣ flop gave Stoyanov trips aces. Neither the 7♣ turn nor 7♠ river helped Deeb and his tournament was over shortly after it began.

Back-to-Back Blows to Carl Shaw

On Day 2 in Level 12 (4,000/8,000/8,000), Huifang Zhang got her stack of 136,000 all in preflop from middle position and was called by Carl Shaw in the cutoff. The latter was ahead with the K♥K♠ while the former held the A♣Q♥. The board ran out A♥Q♦J♠5♥J♥ and Zhang shipped the double.

Shortly after, a board read J♥7♠2♥Q♦ when Suren Dharanikota got all in holding the 2♠2♦ for a set against Shaw's two pair with the Q♣J♦. The 5♥ river was of no consequence and Shaw doubled up another player in near back-to-back hands.

Despite losing both of those hands, Shaw rebounded and went all the way to the unofficial final table, which is where he's at as we write this!

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The Hand Before the Money Bubble

PokerNews has already written about the hand that burst the money bubble late on Day 2, but did you know about the elimination hand before that?

It took place in Level 15 (10,000/15,000/15,000) on the second hand of hand-for-hand play when a player in early position moved all in for 82,000 with the K♣K♠ and Andrei Boghean called out of the cutoff with the J♠J♥.

The at-risk player held the superior pocket pair, and he maintained the lead through both the A♥10♣10♠ flop and 2♠ turn. Unfortunately for them, the J♣ spiked on the river to give Boghean a full house and to eliminate a player in 482nd place, just two spots shy of the money!

Brutal Spot for Poker Legend Kenna James

On Day 3 in Level 20 (25,000/50,000/50,000) just 138 players remained when poker legend Kenna James raised to 105,000 under the gun and Sam Rashid defended the big blind to see a flop of Q♦Q♥J♥.

Rashid checked and James bet 200,000. Rashid then check-raised to 400,000 and called when James three-bet to 800,000. When the 5♣ appeared on the turn, Rashid checked and James bet 1 million. Rashid once again woke up with a check-raise and this time it was to 2.43 million, which barely had James covered.

James hit the tank hard and burned through all of his 30-second time extensions before he called with the A♦Q♠ for trip queens with the best kicker. Unfortunately for him, he was looking for an ace as Rashid tabled the Q♣J♠ for the flopped nuts.

The 6♥ on the river wasn't what James needed and he had to settle for 138th place and $34,100 in prize money.

_{*Images courtesy of WPT.}

PR & Media Manager for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.

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