2023 World Series of Poker

Event #61: $1,000 Super Seniors
Day: 4
Event Info

2023 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
99
Prize
$371,603
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,000
Prize Pool
$2,777,690
Entries
3,121
Level Info
Level
36
Blinds
300,000 / 600,000
Ante
600,000
Players Info - Day 4
Entries
13
Players Left
1

Event #61: $1,000 Super Seniors

Day 4 Completed

Austria's Klaus Ilk Wins 2023 WSOP Event #61: $1,000 Super Seniors for $371,603

Level 36 : Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Klaus Ilk
Klaus Ilk

After four grueling days of poker, and outlasting 3,121 opponents, Klauz Ilk of Austria won the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Event #61 $1,000 Super Seniors No Limit Hold’em tournament for $371,603, and a gold bracelet at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.

Ilk, who started the day with only eight big blinds, managed to outlast 12 other competitors to land the first prize. Ilk is only the seventh Austrian to lay their hands on the most coveted prize in poker — a WSOP gold bracelet!

It was the 66-year-old’s biggest cash by far. With this win, he also increased his recorded lifetime winnings tenfold with his previous biggest cash coming last year for $11,351.

Throughout the day it looked like Farhad Davoudzadeh would steamroll his opponents to victory with an aggressive brand of poker that catapulted him into the chip lead. However, his momentum came off the tracks after moving all in preflop with ace-jack and running into Ronald Lane’s pocket kings to play for a third of the chips in play. The board was clean for Lane who went heads-up with Ilk with a four-to-one chip lead while Davoudzadeh settled for third place.

2023 WSOP Super Seniors Final Table Results

RankPlayerCountryPrize
1Klaus IlkAustria$371,603
2Ronald LaneUnited States$229,685
3Farhad DavoudzadehIran$172,058
4Ronald SwainUnited States$129,812
5Kevin DankoUnited States$98,644
6Federico TrujilloArgentina$75,503
7Arnon GrahamUnited States$58,213
8Rassoul MalboubiUnited States$45,213

From that moment on, Ilk hardly lost a pot heads up against Lane. Ilk doubled up after spiking a seven on a flop to beat Lane’s ace-high. Ilk managed to erode Lane’s stack and took the chip lead after hitting an ace on the river to beat Lane’s pocket jacks.

The winning moment came when Ilk called an all-in on the flop with pocket nines after Lane shoved with a double-gutter straight draw. Lane missed his draws to mint Ilk as the winner.

Ronald Lane
Ronald Lane

Winners Reaction

After the tournament, Ilk spoke to PokerNews and was asked what it meant to be only Austria’s seventh bracelet winner. – “More than I could possibly say, my main aim was to climb the ladder and win more money, so I am not sure if I am awake or asleep!”

Ilk entered the day last in chips with only eight big blinds, and he was asked how he manage to navigate the field to victory? – “Luck! The poker gods were definitely with me, and I guess I played my best poker.”

So, how would the latest WSOP bracelet winner celebrate his victory tonight?

“First, I need to move hotels and check in to the new place. My phone did not stop vibrating all day so I need to message my friends and family back home in Austria and hopefully, I can settle down with a nice bottle of wine.”

Early Action

Overall, it was a tentative start from the 13 returning players with the day's first elimination happening 20 minutes into Level 31. James Martini shoved with queen-jack and ran into Lane’s ace-queen and went home in 13th place.

Robert Whalen departed in 12th place, while Kevin Parmely may have got a brief stay of execution after Federico Trujillo accidentally exposed pocket aces while Parmely was still putting chips into the middle after min-raising. Trujillo mistook this as a call of his shove but received a three-hand penalty for turning up his cards. Parmely eventually exited in 11th.

The ten remaining players merged onto the unofficial final table. Jimmie James finished in 10th and Richard Wallace finished in ninth place who both missed out on a spot at the official final table.

The Day 3 chip leader Rassoul Malboubi was the next to head to the pay cage after shoving on the flop with a pair of deuces. Unfortunately for him, Ronald Swain had flopped top pair and called Malboubi’s shove.

Arnon Graham who pushed pocket sevens into the pocket tens of Kevin Danko busted in seventh place. Despite having the loudest rail at the final table, Trujillo exited in sixth place after his pair of tens was beaten by Lane’s pocket jacks.

The source of Ilk’s epic resurgence in the tournament can be found when they knocked out Danko in fifth place. Danko was ahead with eights and sevens, but an ace on the river gave Ilk aces and eights to take a big pot and knock Danko out.

Swain left the tournament in fourth place after shoving with ace-queen and running into Lane’s pocket aces. But the Austrian Ilk was not to be denied their biggest-ever poker windfall and earning a WSOP gold bracelet.

That does it for updates from Event #61: $1,000 Super Seniors, but there are still plenty of tournaments still to come from the 2023 WSOP. Click here to see what other live updates are happening now.

Tags: Arnon GrahamFarhad DavoudzadehFederico TrujilloJames MartiniJimmie JamesKevin DankoKevin ParmelyKlaus IlkRassoul MalboubiRichard WallaceRobert WhalenRonald LaneRonald Swain

Ronald Lane Eliminated in 2nd Place ($229,685)

Level 36 : Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Ronald Lane
Ronald Lane

Ronald Lane raised to 1,300,000 before Klaus Ilk made it 3,600,000. Lane called and the flop was 764.

Ilk fired 4,000,000 and Lane shoved around 17,000,000. Ilk did a little bit of math before he decided to call.

Ronald Lane: 108
Klaus Ilk: 99

The board finished up with 23 and Ilk held on with the pocket nines to eliminate Lane in second place for $229,685.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Klaus Ilk at
Klaus Ilk
62,420,000
26,920,000
26,920,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Profile photo of Ronald Lane us
Ronald Lane
Busted

Tags: Klaus IlkRonald Lane

The Chad & Jesse Poker Show Episode #9: Japanese Vlogging Superstar Masato Yokosawa

Level 36 : Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante

On the latest The Chad & Jesse Poker Show straight from the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP), Chad Holloway and Jesse Fullen welcome renowned Japanese vlogger Masato Yokosawa, AKA “World Wide Yokosawa.”

While players in the United States might think folks like Brad Owen and Andrew Neeme has the biggest vlog followings in the world, that distinction actually belongs to Masato, who regularly clears 600K views on each of his vlogs!

The Japanese vlogging sensation opens up about his start in poker, what inspired him to start a vlog, and how he’s managed to turn it into a smashing success with the help of a creative team. He also talks about his desire to win a WSOP gold bracelet, how Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth are perceived in his home country, and what the future looks like for poker in Japan.

Chad and Jesse then do a new "Calling the Clock" segment in which they offer quick two-minute dialogues for topics on “The Board.”

Ilk Grabs the Chip Lead

Level 36 : Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Klaus Ilk
Klaus Ilk

Ronald Lane bet 2,300,000 from the small blind and was met with a raise to 4,600,000 from Klaus Ilk in the big blind.

Both players checked to the river with the board reading QQ49A and Ilk bet 2,000,000. "Did I let you get there?" Lane asked. After a couple of minutes, Lane made the call to see the bad news. Ilk turned over A7 to river top pair while Lane revealed pocket jacks.

The Austrian Ilk came into the day as the shortest stack out of 13 players with only eight big blinds. Ilk now has all the momentum to claim the Bracelet.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Klaus Ilk at
Klaus Ilk
35,500,000
8,500,000
8,500,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Profile photo of Ronald Lane us
Ronald Lane
26,500,000
-7,000,000
-7,000,000

Meet Ian Matakis, Shaun Deeb's Surprising WSOP Player of the Year Competitor

Level 36 : Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Ian Matakis
Ian Matakis

Shaun Deeb has some legit competition for 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Player of the Year, and it isn't Daniel Negreanu or Phil Ivey. The name you need to learn, if you haven't become familiar with him already, is Ian Matakis, who is about to take over the lead, and it appears he's going to be in the POY race until the end.

PokerNews caught up with the Minnesota native on break of Event #65: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em (6-Handed), where he's still in it on Day 3.

Read the Full Interview Here

Tags: Ian Matakis

Ilk Scores a Quick Double

Level 36 : Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante

Klaus Ilk raised to 2,000,000 and Ronald Lane made it 6,000,000. Ilk called from the button and the final two players went to a flop.

The flop was 572 and Lane slid out a big stack of pink T-500,000 chips to put Ilk all in. Ilk called quickly and the cards were turned up.

Klaus Ilk: A7
Ronald Lane: AQ

The board finished up K8 and Ilk held on with a flopped pair of sevens to double at the start of heads-up play.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Ronald Lane us
Ronald Lane
33,500,000
-13,500,000
-13,500,000
Profile photo of Klaus Ilk at
Klaus Ilk
27,000,000
13,450,000
13,450,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Klaus IlkRonald Lane

Farhad Davoudzadeh Eliminated in 3rd Place ($172,058)

Level 36 : Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Farhad Davoudzadeh
Farhad Davoudzadeh

Farhad Davoudzadeh shoved for over 10,000,000 and Ronald Lane called without hesitation to put him at risk.

Farhad Davoudzadeh: AJ
Ronald Lane: KK

The board ran out 357Q4 and the kings held to eliminate Davoudzadeh from the tournament in third place for $172,058.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Ronald Lane us
Ronald Lane
47,000,000
5,000,000
5,000,000
Profile photo of Klaus Ilk at
Klaus Ilk
13,550,000
-2,250,000
-2,250,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Profile photo of Farhad Davoudzadeh ir
Farhad Davoudzadeh
Busted
Day 2 Chip Leader

Tags: Farhad DavoudzadehRonald Lane

Ronald Swain Eliminated in 4th Place ($129,812)

Level 36 : Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Ronald Swain
Ronald Swain

Ronald Swain bet 2,500,000 from the button and was met with a raise of 7,000,000 in the big blind by Ronald Lane. Swain responded by moving all in for 14,350,000 and was snap-called by Lane.

Ronald Swain: AQ
Ronald Lane: AA

Swain made his move at the wrong time running into the rockets of Lane. The board of A10962 improved Lane to a set to win the hand and to knock Swain out in 4th place who will claim $129,812, which is the biggest tournament score of his life.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Ronald Lane us
Ronald Lane
42,000,000
17,500,000
17,500,000
Profile photo of Ronald Swain us
Ronald Swain
Busted