Benjamin Ector amazed his rail when he won $406,403 in the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Event No.28: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout. He beat Adam Swan in a tough battle of the blinds.
The tournament attracted 2,046 entrants who formed a $2,731,410 prize pool. Yet, only 17 players advanced to Day 3, including Dietrich Fast and Nick Palma. Matthew Hunt was the stack leader for a while, but Ector beat him in two huge flips, thus dropping his position at the chip standings.
What Did the Top Players Take Home?
- Benjamin Ector from the U.S. – $406,403
- Adam Swan from the U.S. – $251,158
- Nick Palma from the U.S. – $184,730
- Jean Lhuillier from France – $137,159
- Divyam Satyarhti from the U.S. – $102,814
- Santiago Plante from Canada – $77,814
- Matthew Hunt from the United Kingdom – $59,468
- Dietrich Fast from Germany – $45,895
- Dean Hutchison from the United Kingdom – $35,773
The Final Day's Highlights
Hunt was the chip leader when Day 3 began, facing 16 opponents. They played for five hours as some players got busted. Rene Lazaro's run ended in 10th place, and the remaining players set a nine-handed table.
The unofficial table comprised ten players, such as Dietrich Fast, who got busted on Day 2 in eighth place. Hunt left the event in the seventh position. Still, Palma and Swan were among the last three players, and they doubled up severally to overcome Ector's chip lead.
Palma exited the event in the third position after Ector's dominating ace-ten beat his jack-ten. A heads-up match between Ector and Swan lasted for a short period. It ended when Swan wagered the third pair, and Ector used a second pair to call.
Swan used ten-nine suited to swiftly move his stack in the next hand as Ector used Deadman's hand to call. Swan hit outs and lost the title to Ector.
Ector Celebrates His Victory
Ector was elated after defeating Swan in the tournament's last hand. Besides, he won his first gold bracelet despite being a successful online poker player.
The champion performed well in the 2019 WSOP $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack Event. He kicked off the final table's action as the stack leader but left in the fifth position. Ector traveled to Mexico and didn't play poker for a while.
He has played many competitive events and is popular for his aggressive playing strategy. Ector disclosed that he was composed throughout the recent Event No.28: $1,500 NLH Freezeout and didn't rush to make moves.
Luck was on his side when his ace-king beat Hunt's pocket eights, and he started widening his stack lead. Ector busted several players from the eighth to the runner-up and won a few small pots that helped him grow his stack.
Ector had the dominating hand most of the time except when he clashed with Santiago Plante, who held Big Slick suited. The former used five-four to call and got a straight.
