The 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event ended recently, but other tournaments are ongoing. Kang Hyun Lee won a bracelet and $236,741 in Event No.92: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout.
Leading in the tournament wasn't a piece of cake for him as he faced talented players like Vanessa Kade, Eric Mizrachi, Asher Conniff, and Kane Kalas. But Hyun's determination bore fruits as he topped the 1,710-entry field.
The Top Prizes
- Kang Hyun from Canada-$236,741
- Eric Mizrachi from the U.S.-$146,335
- Ivan Millian from the U.S.-$106,602
- Abdul Almagableh from the U.S.-$78,495
- Kane Kalas from the U.S.-$59,429
- Asher Conniff from the U.S.-$43,372
- Ricardo Nakamura from the U.S.-$33,461
- Vanessa Kade from the U.S.-$25,749
- Eider Cruz from the U.S.-$20,041
Action Highlights
Only 126 players advanced to the tournament's last day. Some of the skilled players who missed a seat at the final table included Angela Jordison, Giuseppe Pantaleo, Phil Laak, Mustapha Kanit, Jason DeWitt, Ian Steinman, and Cole Ferraro.
Quoc Le's run ended in 10th place when he lost his stack and failed to improve on the river, turn or flop hence reducing the unofficial final table's count. Eider Cruz followed him in ninth place after failing to get help when Ivan Millian's kings beat his tens.
Cruz's exit increased the action's pace as Vanessa Kade lost to Millian's aces and left the table in the eighth position. Ricardo Nakamura finished seventh after wagering his remaining chips and receiving a call from his opponent. Yet, his cards lost, and he exited the event.
Conniff got busted in sixth place when he used a pair to three-bet jam his chips before a better pair called him. Kalas finished fifth after Millian landed a flush on the river and dominated his hand.
The remaining four players battled it out for 30 minutes until Abdul Almagableh's run ended in fourth place after losing a coin flip. Millian followed him shortly in third place despite busting several players.
The former made an all-in bet call using his short stack against Hyun. But he got a premium holding and failed to double up his opponent and play more hands.
Millian's elimination setup heads-up action between Hyun and Mizrachi. The duo had 40 big blinds in total, and Mizrachi had less than ten blinds.
A flop didn't occur after several hands. Mizrachi called off a dominating hand and put a big blind to win the pot. Unfortunately, the board failed to improve, and he finished second with $146,335 as Hyun won the event.
The Champion's Reaction
Hyun was elated when he received the bracelet since it was the first in his career. The Canadian poker player loves playing pot-limit Omaha events and stated that he might sign up for the WSOP Paradise. But, he stated he would take several drinks while celebrating his victory.
