WSOP: Phil Ivey among 5 players to watch in 2023

A yr in the past, the World Sequence of Poker felt like a summer season housewarming social gathering as everybody concerned was adjusting to its new dwelling on the Strip.

Now, the WSOP is all settled in.

“This yr, the theme is ‘larger and higher,’ ” WSOP vice chairman Jack Effel stated. “We’re prepared for the largest Primary Occasion ever and the largest sequence ever.”

The 54th annual WSOP begins Tuesday at Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas, with the $500 buy-in On line casino Workers No-limit Maintain’em match together with the $25,000 buy-in Excessive Curler Six Handed No-Restrict Maintain’em occasion.

The $10,000 buy-in No-limit Maintain’em World Championship, often called the WSOP Primary Occasion, begins July 3. After narrowly lacking out in 2022 on the document for the biggest Primary Occasion subject, officers ran quite a few promotions and satellites to make sure they broke the mark this yr.

In all, the schedule options 95 dwell bracelet occasions and 20 on-line occasions with buy-ins starting from the $300 Gladiators of Poker No-limit Maintain’em with a $3 million assured prize pool to the $250,000 Tremendous Excessive Curler No-limit Maintain’em match.

Listed here are 5 gamers to observe this summer season on the WSOP

1. Phil Ivey

It’s at all times a thriller what number of occasions he’ll play, or whether or not he even reveals up in any respect. However few gamers transfer the needle on the WSOP the way in which Ivey does.

Final yr, he cashed in 9 occasions and narrowly missed out on his eleventh bracelet, ending second within the $100,000 buy-in Excessive Curler No-limit Maintain’em occasion. It is perhaps becoming if that is the summer season he breaks the tie for second-place on the all-time bracelet record with the late Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan.

2. Shaun Deeb

The five-time winner at all times performs properly on the WSOP. Final summer season, Deeb cashed in 18 occasions. He additionally gained the $1,700 buy-in WSOP Circuit Primary Occasion in March at Turning Stone Resort On line casino in Verona, New York, for greater than $275,000.

But it surely’s Deeb’s prop guess with billionaire Invoice Perkins that would be the dialog starter on the tables. Deeb wagered $100,000 that he can get all the way down to 17 p.c physique fats by the 2024 WSOP match and can win $1 million if he does.

3. Angela Jordison

The Oregon resident was one of many breakout gamers of the 2022 WSOP after a third-place end within the $1,000 buy-in Freezeout No-limit Maintain’em occasion for greater than $151,000 adopted by a deep run within the Primary Occasion.

Jordison crushed the WSOP Circuit this winter. She collected her first ring on the WSOP Circuit by profitable the $3,250 buy-in No-limit Maintain’em Excessive Curler at Thunder Valley On line casino in Northern California, then made the $1,700 Primary Occasion remaining desk a day later.

4. Jeremy Becker

The Las Vegas resident has change into a cult hero within the poker neighborhood lately for his astonishing run of success. Becker has gained 9 tournaments at Wynn Las Vegas since March 25, together with 5 this month alone. The newest was Sunday.

All of these victories got here in each day occasions with buy-ins of $200 or $300 and in opposition to small fields. However Becker has greater than $854,000 in profession dwell match earnings, and will probably be fascinating to see whether or not he can proceed his heater.

5. Matt Berkey

If there’s drama on poker social media, odds are Berkey might be in the midst of it. The Las Vegas resident is contemporary off wiping out Nik “Airball” Arcot for greater than $1 million of their heads-up grudge match on the Resorts World poker site.

Berkey has greater than $1.8 million in profession WSOP earnings and made one remaining desk final yr. However he’s nonetheless in quest of his first profession WSOP bracelet.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Observe @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.