Poker enthusiasts have already watched 32 live tournaments in the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP). Twelve of them awarded players who have won bracelets in the past.
John Monnette, a 41-year-old Las Vegas player, beat the odds when he defeated 521 opponents to win his fifth gold bracelet and $145,863 in the $1,500 Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw Lowball tournament.
He is the 35th player to win more than four titles at the WSOP. Also, his latest victory increased his lifetime poker winnings to almost $4 million.
Monnette said in an interview after the event that the title meant a lot to him, and WSOP gives players unique energy as they face talented opponents from all over the world. Yet, each of them is normally determined to win the bracelet.
The champion has won five gold bracelets from various poker variants. He won his first bracelet in 2011 after winning the $2,500 Eight-Game Mix and won the second one in 2012 after leading in the $5,000 Seven-Card Stud tournament.
Monnette had a five-year bracelet dry spell between 2012 and 2017 before winning 2017 $10,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Single-Draw Lowball Championship. He bagged his fourth bracelet in the 2021 $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship. The poker pro mostly plays cash games compared to tournaments.
Even so, he has made several interesting scores in 2023. The $1,500 Triple Draw Deuce-to-Seven title was his second one this year and sixth final-table finish. It earned him 840 Card Player Player of the Year (POY) points, thus increasing his total points to 2,375 and improving his position in the ongoing 2023 POY competition to 40th place.
The Top Finalists' Payouts
- John Monnette-$145,863 and 840 POY points
- Christopher Chung-$90,150 and 700 POY points
- Patrick Leonard-$60,915 and 560 POY points
- Joshua Damm-$42,030 and 420 POY points
- James Williams-$29,625 and 350 POY points
- Ryan Hughes-$21,342 and 280 POY points
The Final Day's Highlights
Only 18 players advanced to Day 3, the event's final day, with Benny Glaser leading in the chip standings. Monnette had the second-largest stack after outperforming renowned players like Carol Fuchs, Allen Kessler, Tom Schneider, Michael Rodrigues, and Glaser.
Ryan Huges, a three-time bracelet champion, left the table in sixth place with $21,342. Patrick Leonard got busted in third place with $60,915 despite winning tens of millions in online events.
Monnette put him in a tricky spot during a three-handed action. But Leonard recovered his stack and made an 8-5-4-3-2 run leaving Monnette in a tough situation.
Christopher Chung won Leonard's remaining chips and got a significant lead over Monnette. Chung busted Leonard at midnight and clashed with Monnette for over two hours.
Monnette regained the lead after losing some chips. He got an 8-6-4-3-2 in the final hand after the second draw, which he won. Yet, he beat Chung in the third draw, sending him home as the runner-up with $90,150.
