Event #4: Tournament of Champions
Day 1 Started
2023 World Series of Poker
Event #4: Tournament of Champions
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1
2023 World Series of Poker
Prize Pool
$1,000,000
Entries
741
Level
31
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
200,000
Entries
727
Players Left
224
An elite group of players will be making their way to the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas today for 2023 World Series of Poker Event #4: Tournament of Champions. The $1,000,000 freeroll is back but is now positioned at the beginning of the schedule.
The 2023 field is invitation only, limited to those winning a WSOP Circuit ring at a live event or during a online circuit from July 20, 2022 to May 22, 2023, as well as winners from WSOP Online 2022 and WSOP Europe 2022.
Last year's champion, Benjamin Kaupp, has qualified again by means of a Pennsylvania online Circuit ring win in August 2022 and there will be many more notable names looking to take the throne.
Landon Tice will have a seat in the tournament by way of a win in the March online Circuit here in Las Vegas. Ashley “PokerFaceAsh” Frank won her seat after an impressive win at the Tunica live circuit series in March. Recent WPT Champion, Bin Weng, will also be in the mix after a Las Vegas circuit ring win in August, along with plenty of other well-known players.
Day 1 has players starting with 30,000 chips and begins at 12 p.m. PDT. They will play ten 60-minute levels with 20-minute breaks every two levels and a 75-minutes dinner break after Level 6 (≈ 6:40 p.m.). Day 2 will begin on Thursday, June 1st, at 12 p.m. and will play ten more levels following the same schedule.
Day 1 Schedule
| Level | Duration (Mins) | Small Blind | Big Blind | Big Blind Ante |
| 1 | 60 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| 2 | 60 | 100 | 200 | 200 |
| 20-minute break | ||||
| 3 | 60 | 200 | 300 | 300 |
| 4 | 60 | 200 | 400 | 400 |
| 20-minute break | ||||
| 5 | 60 | 300 | 500 | 500 |
| 6 | 60 | 300 | 600 | 600 |
| 75-minute dinner break | ||||
| 7 | 60 | 400 | 800 | 800 |
| 8 | 60 | 500 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| 20-minute break | ||||
| 9 | 60 | 600 | 1,200 | 1,200 |
| 10 | 60 | 1,000 | 1,500 | 1,500 |
PokerNews will keep you updated throughout the World Series of Poker so be sure to check in for all the tournament live updates during the summer.
Level: 1
Blinds: 100/100
Ante: 100
Level 1
: Blinds 100/100, 100 ante
This summer, hundreds of thousands of players will pass through the doors of the newly-renovated Horseshoe Las Vegas, formerly known as Bally’s. For the second year in a row, the venue will play host to the annual World Series of Poker (WSOP).
As players pack the casino for the 54th annual WSOP, many of them will saunter by a lavish steakhouse. For some, it’ll be just another restaurant, maybe one they’ll attend to celebrate a bracelet win, but for others, they’ll recognize the name on the sign, the man responsible for poker’s premier event – Jack Binion.
Now 86 years old, Binion is a titan of the gaming industry and the son of casino magnate Benny Binion. Together, they launched the WSOP back in 1970 at Binion’s Horseshoe in downtown Las Vegas. Over the next four decades, Jack Binion would go on to change not only the poker landscape but also the casino industry throughout the United States. Along the way, he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame and became an icon of the game.
Binion doesn’t relish the spotlight, so interviews with the born-and-raised Texan are few and far between. However, late last year he sat down with PokerNews for an intimate and in-depth conversation about his life in poker.
Level 1
: Blinds 100/100, 100 ante
The 2023 Tournament of Champions is now underway, with an initial 455 entries.
Level 1
: 100/100, 100 ante
Just started my first ever WSOP tournament!!! So excited.. kind of nervous # wish me luck!!! #tournamentofchampions… https://t.co/HWNHc4LmpV
— Poker Mel (@pokermel91)
Level 1
: Blinds 100/100, 100 ante
On a board of Q♥K♦A♠ the under the gun player checked the action over to Donna Phillips in the big blind who lead out for 700 swiftly called by the out-of-position player.
The turn came the 3♣ and the action repeated with Phillips now betting 800.
The river lands the 6♥ and once checked to Phillips opted to check back and tabled K♥K♠. A flopped set to win this pot!
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
32,000
32,000
|
32,000 |
Level 1
: Blinds 100/100, 100 ante
With around 1,000 in the middle on the 7♦2♣J♦8♦3♣ board, Maurice Hawkins bet 2,300 from the cutoff and was quickly called by the button.
Hawkins tabled his K♦3♦ for the king-high flush. The button turned over his Q♦5♦ to show that he had an inferior queen-high flush.
"Where's the rest of the pot," commented a tablemate, who received a few laughs from some players.
In May, Hawkins won his record-extending 15th WSOP circuit ring at WSOP Harrah's Cherokee, winning a $2,200 buy-in High Roller event for $54,599.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
35,000
35,000
|
35,000 |
Level 1
: Blinds 100/100, 100 ante
In a three-bet pot on the 10♣3♦3♠ flop, Jeff Platt led for 1,700 from the small blind and was called by the big blind. On the 3♣ turn, Platt check-called for 5,000 which brought in the 5x river. Both players check through to showdown and Platt tabled QxQx which bested the big blind's A♦10♦
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
37,500
37,500
|
37,500 |
Level 1
: Blinds 100/100, 100 ante
The button raised preflop to 300, Scott Smile defended out of the small blind and the big blind promptly got out of the way.
The board came 3♠2♦4♦. Smile checks the action to the button who bet 400, and Smile called.
The K♠ on the turn slowed the action down as the play checked through.
The river card brought the A♦ and Smile now led for 2,500, almost twice the pot! The button couldn't call and conceded the pot to Smile.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |