Event #67: $500 Salute to Warriors - No-Limit Hold'em
Day 3 Completed
2024 World Series of Poker
Event #67: $500 Salute to Warriors - No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2024 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$500
Prize Pool
$1,851,970
Entries
4,517
Level
44
Blinds
2,000,000 / 4,000,000
Ante
4,000,000
Entries
17
Players Left
1
Level 44
: Blinds 2,000,000/4,000,000, 4,000,000 ante
Event #67: $500 Salute to Warriors No-Limit Hold’em at the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) saw a staggering 4,517 entries, generating a total prize pool of $1,851,970. In the end, everyone in this event was a warrior of sorts, but only one could be left standing. That man was Ben Collins from the United Kingdom and he had $207,486 to celebrate with as well as the elusive gold bracelet.
Winner's Reaction
An overwhelmed and elated Collins had this to say:
“It’s just surreal still… like, all along the way you think about holding the bracelet, you get the support from everyone which then keeps you going as you get further… to actually do it, is just ridiculous.”
Collins has a long history with the game of poker – from dealing games for his dad as a teenager, to playing online professionally from 2009-2012, to winning a bracelet at the 2024 World Series of Poker hosted by Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, cementing him in the history of the game.
Collins went on to dedicate this victory to his wife and daughter, who spent the first week of his poker trip with him but had to head home back over the pond. Collins was eager to give them a call to celebrate his victory.
Event #67: $500 Salute to Warriors Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize [USD] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Collins | United Kingdom | $207,486 |
| 2 | Stavros Petychakis | Greece | $138,423 |
| 3 | Tolga Gesli | United States | $105,360 |
| 4 | Paul Serrate | Bolivia | $76,338 |
| 5 | Rami Hammoud | Canada | $57,420 |
| 6 | Dane Harnett | New Zealand | $43,564 |
| 7 | Ben Snodgrass | United States | $33,341 |
| 8 | Siavash Bahri | United States | $25,742 |
| 9 | Gerald Schnierer | United States | $20,052 |
| 10 | Richard Juliano | United States | $15,759 |
Final Table Action
Despite the American theme of this particular tournament, it proved to be quite an international affair with six countries represented at the final table. Two American short stacks’ luck ran out shortly after consolidating to one table, as Richard Juliano (10th - $15,759) and Gerald Schnierer (9th - $20,052) were quickly dispatched.
Siavash Bahri appeared to be building traction when he got a full double-up holding black aces. Only two orbits later, Bahri had aces again and it seemed he would be getting the maximum again but the rivered straight of Ben Collins left him flabbergasted and on his way to the payouts window in eighth.
Funnily enough, two players at the table shared a birthday on this very day of the final table in Ben Snodgrass and Tolga Gesli who got to talking and realized they’d both been smiled upon in a happy coincidence. Snodgrass was the first birthday boy to fall when he got looked up by the better hand of his birth mate, Tolga Gesli and had to settle for seventh place.
New Zealand’s, Dane Harnett, had been down to only one big blind late in the tournament but somehow converted it to a deep run. Ultimately, his luck ran out when he got short and ran into the ace-high of Paul Serrate to be eliminated in sixth place.
Rami Hammoud fell in fifth place to Ben Collins and was quickly followed by Paul Serrate in fourth who relinquished the majority of his chips to Collins before getting felted by Petychakis.
Three-handed was anyone’s game for a moment but Collins luck was insurmountable when he cracked the kings of Tolga Gesli to enter heads up with a significant lead.
Heads Up Play
Heads up, the pendulum swung back and forth, as both players held the chip lead at different points during the match. Stavros Petychakis had come into the day with the chip lead and spent most of the day top three in the counts. Petychakis had a chance to win the bracelet but his sixes were outran by the overcards of Collins. Towards the end of the match it seemed Petychakis would run away with it but over a series of just a few hands, Collins went from having 24,000,000 in chips to the full count of 225,000,000.
Salute To Warriors
The Salute to Warriors event was unique in that $40 from every entry was donated to the United Service Organizations, generating a tremendous boon for them of $180,680.
Plenty of notables and pro players were in the fray in this particular event but it feels right to honor those who served their country and dedicated themselves to something greater than the great game; kudos to all the veterans, weekend warriors and lovers of poker.
The 2024 World Series of poker is only two-thirds of the way through, so make sure you’re checking back with PokerNews for all the live action and results.
Level 44
: Blinds 2,000,000/4,000,000, 4,000,000 ante
Ben Collins has won Event #67 Salute to Warriors for $207,486. Winners recap to follow.
Level 44
: Blinds 2,000,000/4,000,000, 4,000,000 ante
Ben Collins was on the button and wagered 88,500,000 enough to put Stavros Petychakis all in. Stavros Petychakis made the call from the big blind.
Stavros Petychakis: A♠2♥ 
Ben Collins: A♥8♥
The board ran out 9♣8♣3♦6♥J♠ sending Stavros Petychakis to the payout desk in second place, bringing Event #67 to a close.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
225,000,000
89,000,000
|
89,000,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 44
: Blinds 2,000,000/4,000,000, 4,000,000 ante
Ben Collins went all in over the top of the an open from Stavros Petychakis. After getting a count, Petychakis made the call.
Ben Collins: Q♦9♣
Stavros Petychakis: 6♣6♦
"Malaka..." was all Petychakis could say when the board ran out Q♣4♠A♥7♥K♥, awarding another double to Collins who caught the card he needed.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
136,000,000
81,000,000
|
81,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
89,000,000
-81,000,000
|
-81,000,000 |
Level: 44
Blinds: 2,000,000/4,000,000
Ante: 4,000,000
Level 43
: Blinds 1,500,000/3,000,000, 3,000,000 ante
Don't get bluffed when your name is Phil Hellmuth and you're at the same table as Shaun Deeb. He'll take pleasure in it and laugh at your expense.
On Saturday, PokerNews captured the end of an entertaining hand at the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) involving two legends of the game — Hellmuth and Dan Smith.
Level 43
: Blinds 1,500,000/3,000,000, 3,000,000 ante
Ben Collins shoved all in on the button. Stavros Petychakis called out of the big blind.
Ben Collins: K♠10♣
Stavros Petychakis: K♥2♠
The board ran out 4♥A♦J♥6♦3♥ giving Collins a much needed double up to keep his bracelet hopes alive in Event #67.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
170,000,000
-20,000,000
|
-20,000,000 |
|
|
55,000,000
20,000,000
|
20,000,000 |
|
|
||
Level 43
: Blinds 1,500,000/3,000,000, 3,000,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
190,000,000
25,000,000
|
25,000,000 |
|
|
35,000,000
-25,000,000
|
-25,000,000 |
|
|
||
Level 43
: Blinds 1,500,000/3,000,000, 3,000,000 ante
Action was picked up on the turn with a board reading 3♣7♣8♦4♣, Stavros Petychakis bet 7,500,000 and Ben Collins made the call.
The river was the 7♦ and Petychakis checked. Collins decided to wager 22,000,000. After some thought Petychakis made the call. Collins tabled 10♥5♥, Stavros Petychakis flipped over A♠6♦ for the winner.
Petychakis appears to be in the zone as his daring call with ace-high has helped extend his chip lead over Collins.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
165,000,000
29,000,000
|
29,000,000 |
|
|
60,000,000
-29,000,000
|
-29,000,000 |
|
|
||