Event #1: $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em
Day 2 Completed
2022 World Series of Poker
Event #1: $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2022 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$500
Prize Pool
$349,440
Entries
832
Level
33
Blinds
150,000 / 300,000
Ante
300,000
Entries
82
Players Left
1
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
The 2022 World Series of Poker is officially in full swing. The first gold bracelet of the series was awarded today to Katie Kopp in Event #1: $500 Casino Employees Event No-Limit Hold’em.
Kopp, a long-time dealer and player from Cleveland, Ohio, navigated a field of 832 players to claim her first WSOP gold bracelet at Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas and the top prize of $65,168.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Katie Kopp | United States | $65,168 |
| 2 | Wyatt Frost | United States | $40,273 |
| 3 | Brandon West | United States | $28,356 |
| 4 | Shaun Colquhoun | United States | $20,275 |
| 5 | Joe Chang | United States | $14,725 |
| 6 | Vikram Vijay | United States | $10,865 |
| 7 | Gonzalo Gonzalez | United States | $8,147 |
| 8 | Arturo Jimenez | United States | $6,210 |
| 9 | Kyle Dempsey | United States | $4,813 |
Short stacked for much of the final table, Kopp caught fire down the home stretch. With her mother Patty by her side, and her rail raining down chants of ‘Can’t stop Kopp’, she eliminated her final three opponents en route to victory. For Kopp and her family poker runs deep.
“The feeling is so surreal being here with my mom,” she said. “We travel and deal together. My whole family plays poker. My grandpa taught us. My brother and sister both have rings and even my nine and 10-year-olds know how to play.”
Kopp, who finished third in this event back in 2018, was also the first person eliminated from this year's tournament on Day 1. She fired up her re-entry and the rest is history.
“Last time I was a short stack ninja and I did the same thing last time,” she said. “I want to buy a house, and this will really help me get there.”
Kopp had the loudest rail at the final table and by night's end, her mother was the last one at her side with tears in her eyes.
“My mom has been on her feet all day,” she said. “She’s railed me, standing on her feet the whole time. My mom loves poker. This is so exciting for her. I mean me and my mom, my mom is my best friend.”
Only 82 players returned for Day 2 out of the 832 entries. It took about seven hours of play to whittle the field down to the final table. Some of the players to fall just short of the final table were Kelli Phillips (12th - $3,043), Kenny Hallaert (15th - $2,483), and Charles Nguyen ($3,043).
Final Table Action
First to fall on the final table was Kyle Dempsey ($4,813) when he shoved his ace-four into the king-queen suited of Brandon West. Dempsey caught aces up on the flop, but West made a spade flush on the river to send him home in ninth.
Not long after, Arturo Jimenez ($6,210) ran into a huge cooler and also fell at the hands of West. Jimenez shoved his two pair right into the top set of West and bowed out in eighth.
Out in seventh was Gonzalo Gonzalez ($8,147), he found himself short and shoved with pocket deuces, only to be eliminated by Vikram Vijay when he paired his ace-six. Vijay ($10,865) wouldn't last very long either. After losing a massive all-in, he was left short and exited in sixth.
Out in fifth would be Joe Chang ($14,725) who got it in good with his pocket kings against the ace-queen of Wyatt Frost. Frost drilled an ace on the flop and that would be it for Chang.
Four-handed play dragged on for a couple of levels, with each player holding the chip lead at one point. Katie Kopp managed to triple up three times in one level to keep herself in contention. Eventually, it was Shaun Colquhoun ($20,27) who bowed out in fourth. He found himself short on chips and ended up losing a flip with king-eight suited to the pocket fives of Kopp.
Next to go was West ($28,356), he called a shove from Kopp to create a massive pot with king-queen but could not best the pocket fives of Kopp.
Heads up play didn’t last long, Kopp held a 5-1 advantage heading it, but Frost ($40,273) managed to double up to close the gap. That would be short-lived though as Frost shoved ace-nine right into the ace-queen of Kopp to claim her first WSOP bracelet.
“Dealing and playing gives you a greater appreciation for the game,” she said. “Also more opportunity to grow your game if you pay attention.”
Congratulations to Katie for winnings her first WSOP bracelet and keep following right here on PokerNews for our continuing coverage at the Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas.
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Wyatt Frost shoved the small blind for 7,500,000 and Katie Kopp quickly called.
Wyatt Frost: 
Katie Kopp: 
Kopp was in a great position with the better kicker and the board ran out 
, sealing the victory for Kopp. Wyatt takes home more than $40,000 for his great run.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
20,800,000
9,200,000
|
9,200,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Katie Kopp ripped it from the small blind and Wyatt Frost quickly called to put himself at risk.
Wyatt Frost: 
Katie Kopp: 
The flop of 
was clean for Kopp, but the spiked the turn to put Frost in front.
"Eight," yelled Kopp's rail.
But it was not to be as the 
fell on the river. Frost doubled and the players are virtually even in stack size.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
11,600,000
-3,700,000
|
-3,700,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
9,200,000
2,800,000
|
2,800,000 |
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
First, Brandon West opened to 800,000 and Katie Kopp moved all in, forcing a fold from West.
On the next hand, the action folded to Kopp in the small blind and she shoved again for 7,600,000 effective. West went deep into the tank.
"I don't think I can fold this," he said.
A few moments later he tossed in a call to create the biggest pot of the tournament.
Brandon West:
Katie Kopp: 
The board ran out 
and Kopp's rail exploded with more chants of "Can't stop Kopp" as West was forced to settle for third. Kopp takes a massive five-to-one chip lead heading into heads-up play.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
15,300,000
7,700,000
|
7,700,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Shaun Colquhoun raised from the button to 800,000 and Katie Kopp moved all-in with the bigger stack. Colquhoun called and was at risk.
Shaun Colquhoun: 
Katie Kopp:
The board ranout 
and the pair of fives of Kopp held for the knockout.
Colquhoun, the chip leader entering Day 2, will take home more than $20,000 for his great run.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,600,000
1,700,000
|
1,700,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Wyatt Frost raised in the highjack to 1,200,000 and Shaun Colquhoun called on the button.
Frost then checked the flop of 
, which prompted Colquhoun to bet 800,000. Frost then moved all- in over the top and Colquhoun snap-folded.
Frost then showed 
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,400,000
1,300,000
|
1,300,000 |
|
|
1,100,000
-5,400,000
|
-5,400,000 |
|
|
||
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Katie Kopp ripped it in from the button for 2,650,000 and Brandon West obliged to put her at risk.
Katie Kopp: 
Brandon West: 
The flop came 
to give Kopp an open-ended straight draw, much to the delight of her rail. The turn brought no help with the 
, but the river 
was just what Kopp needed as she made a straight.
"Can't stop Kopp," shouted her rail, as she moved back above the average stack size.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
5,900,000
2,200,000
|
2,200,000 |
|
|
||
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Katie Kopp was frst to act and she chose to open jam her remaining 1.7 million. It then folded around to Shaun Colquhoun in the big blind.
"I always lose to you," he remarked, as he threw in a calling chip, putting Kopp at risk.
Katie Kopp: 
Shaun Colquhoun: 
The 
flop gave Colquhoun the lead, but it was short-lived as Kopp made top pair on the turn. The river did not provide any help to Colquhoun as he doubled up Kopp yet again.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,500,000
-1,800,000
|
-1,800,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,700,000
2,000,000
|
2,000,000 |
|
|
||
Level 33
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Not many pots have seen the flop during this level, but Shaun Colquhoun has built a small chip lead in the process by taking down the blinds.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
8,300,000
2,300,000
|
2,300,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
6,000,000
-275,000
|
-275,000 |
|
|
5,100,000
-650,000
|
-650,000 |
|
|
1,700,000
-2,150,000
|
-2,150,000 |
|
|
||