Most poker players concentrated on the 2023 PokerStars North American Poker Tour’s (NAPT) large tournaments including the $10,300 Super High Roller and $1,650 NAPT Main Event. Yet, players like Eli Elezra, Soren Lundgren, Griffin Benger, and Andrew Yeh won interesting side tournaments in the NAPT.
Elezra Tops the $5,300 8-Game
Event No.23:$5,300 8-Game featured 32 players including Mori Eskandani and Phil Hellmuth, who formed a $160,000 prize pool that the leading six entrants shared. It lasted for two days and Elezra thrashed Michael Martinelli in the last hand. He won the $53,540 first-place prize and Spadie trophy.
What Were the Biggest Scores?
- Eli Elezra from the U.S.-$53,540
- Michael Martinelli from the U.S.-$34,920
- Julien Martini from France-$24,055
- David Funkhouser from the U.S.-$17,850
- Erik Sagstrom from Sweden-$13,970
- David “ODB” Baker from the U.S.-$10,865
The Last Chance Super Hyper Turbo Awards Griffin Benger $17,250
Event No.32:$1,100 NLH Last Chance Super Hyper Turbo had 41 participants and a $50,000 prize pool, which was less than its initial guarantee. Benger was a commentator in the NAPT Main Event and hurriedly joined the Last Chance. He beat his opponents and took home $17,250.
The Top Payouts
- Griffin Benger from Canada-$17,250
- Huigang Zhang from the U.S.-$11,250
- Jedrzej Smaruj from Poland-$7,750
- Joel Isla from Spain-$5,750
- David Levy from the U.S.-$4,500
- Dongwoo Ko from Canada-$3,500
Andrew Yeh’s Determination in the $550 8-Game Pays Off
The $550 Buy-In $20,000 Guaranteed 8-Game had 65 players and a $31,200 prize pool that the nine leading entrants shared. Yeh defeated Benjamin Miner in a tough battle of the blinds to win $9,355 and a Spadie trophy.
What Did the Leading Players Win?
- Andrew Yeh-$9,355
- Benjamin Miner-$6,085
- Oliver Vereschagin-$4,320
- Bob Chow-$3,325
- Nathan Gamble-$2,560
- Kao Saechao-$1,965
- Ari Engel-$1,515
- Daniel Anton-$1,170
- Vincent Calicchia-$905
Lundgren Is the NAPT Seniors Event’s Champion
The 2023 NAPT $550 Seniors (50+) Event featured 87 players who formed a $41,760 prize pool that surpassed its initial $20,000 guarantee. Melvin Hicks and David Gutfreund cashed despite missing a seat at the final table.
It was Lena Evans’ second final table in the NAPT after exiting the Women’s Event in the sixth position. She took home $1,630 after finishing eighth. Soren Lundgren eliminated their opponents and won $8,257.
The Finalists’ Prizes
- Soren Lundgren-$8,257
- Mimi Roeder-$8,257
- Jack Sloan-$8,256
- Nader Hatem-$4,170
- Jason Patton-$3,205
- Mari Martinez-$2,550
- Kenji Ypshimura-$2,040
- Lena Evans-$1,630
- Nina Hazdovac-$1,305
