2024 WSOP Daily Recap: Clement Richez & Michael Rocco Win First Bracelets; Ankit Ahuja’s FT Run Fuels India’s Hopes For a Third

Day 49 of the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) was a day of triumph and heartbreak, with two players grabbing their first-ever bracelets and a whole lot of others falling by the wayside. While the Main Event finalists took a breather, the action was still sizzling across seven other events.

Event #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship was a nail-biter, with France`s Clement Richez coming out on top and taking home a jaw-dropping $1,041,989. His victory over Adam Owen in the final heads-up match was a masterclass in poker strategy and a moment of pure joy for the French poker community.

Meanwhile, Michael Rocco finally broke his bracelet curse, clinching his first win in Event #94: $10,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em after an impressive nine previous final table appearances. He outlasted a tough field of 28 players on the final day, including defending champion Alexandre Reard, proving his mettle on the biggest stage.

The Indian contingent also had plenty to cheer about, with Ankit Ahuja making a deep run in Event #95: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold’em. He holds the sixth-largest stack among the nine finalists, but with everyone relatively short-stacked, it’s still anyone’s game, giving him a real shot at becoming the third Indian to win a bracelet this year. Another Indian player, Kunal Patni, finished 102nd for a respectable $4,119 (~₹3.44 Lakhs).

Over at Event #93: $777 Lucky 7’s No-Limit Hold’em, Himmat Singh is flying the Indian flag high. He bagged the 12th largest stack on Day 1C and is heading into Day 2 with a fighting chance. He’s joined by fellow Indian players Abhishek Paul and Ashish Munot from Day 1B, so there’s plenty of potential for an Indian to make a deep run in this one.

And let’s not forget Jagdeep Singh, another Indian poker star who’s still in the running in Event #97: $3,000 6-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha. He’s got a tough road ahead with a short stack, but you know what they say about PLO – anything can happen!

Day 49: What Happened?

The Horseshoe erupted in a chorus of “Allez!” as Clement Richez, draped in the French “Le Tricolore” flag, triumphantly hoisted his first-ever WSOP bracelet. He conquered a record-shattering field of 3,177 players in Event #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship No-Limit Hold’em, pocketing a life-changing $1,041,989. UK’s Adam Owen finished runner-up for a still-impressive $694,714.

“I’m shaking, I could cry,” Richez exclaimed, overwhelmed by the magnitude of his victory. “I didn’t think this would give me so many emotions. I was on the verge of crying during the winner’s photo, and I’ll probably cry after this because I need to release all the pressure.” For Richez, this victory was a monumental leap from his previous biggest score of $188,000 from a 50th-place finish in last year’s Main Event for his 50th place finish.

But don’t let the tears fool you; Richez played with ice in his veins throughout the tournament. “I was very focused and didn’t feel any doubt,” he said. “I didn’t even know what first place paid. I just played each hand, one at a time, trying to make the best decisions.” This unwavering focus propelled him from starting his first-ever final table in fourth place to becoming the champion, a dream realized for the French poker pro.

“Reaching my first final table was already a dream,” Richez shared. “The more players went down, and then suddenly I was heading up. It was even more of a dream. It’s amazing, every poker player dreams to have a bracelet. It was not even my goal, but once I won, I realized that all this time, it was my goal.”

Adding a personal touch to his victory, Richez’s wife, who had arrived from France just in time to rail him at the final table, shared an emotional embrace following his win.

With its record-breaking field, the $3K Mid-Stakes Championship was a wild ride from the start. The final day kicked off with 17 players, quickly condensing to an unofficial final table of ten. Some big names, including Tjan Tepeh (11th for $82,081), Xing He (12th for $65,157), Luis Dorneles (13th for $65,157), Hannes Jeschka (14th for $52,150), Mihai Niste (15th for $52,150), Aristeidis Moschonas (16th for $52,150), and Samuel Wilkinson (17th for $52,150) were eliminated before the official final table was set.

The final table action was fast and furious. Stefan Dimitrov (10th for $82,081), David Brehme (9th for $104,248), Boris Kuzmanovic (8th for $133,479) and Andrey Pateychuk (7th for $172,285) were among the early casualties. David Uvaydov and Dong Chen put up impressive fights, finishing in fifth and fourth place, respectively. Uvaydov earned a career-best $293,950, while Chen, despite being short-stacked for most of the final table, climbed up the ranks to collect $388,519.

Alec Torelli aggressively wielded his initial chip lead in the three-handed battle, but Adam Owen ultimately eliminated him in third place with $517,525.

The heads-up duel between Adam Owen and Clement Richez was a rollercoaster of shifting momentum. Owen started with the chip lead, but Richez relentlessly chipped away at his stack, eventually seizing control and sealing the deal.

This victory marks a significant milestone for French poker as Richez joins the ranks of WSOP bracelet winners. His compatriot, Malo Latinois, is also competing in the Main Event final table, leaving Richez optimistic about a French sweep. “If he wins, it would be crazy!” he exclaimed.

The tournament also saw strong performances from Indian players, with recent bracelet winner Aditya Agarwal leading the charge with a 116th-place finish for $8,989 (~₹7.51 Lakhs). This adds to his impressive 2024 WSOP tally, which now totals a whopping $208,613 (~₹1.74 Crores) across three deep runs.

Several other Indian players cashed in the event, such as Aditya S (214th for $7,032; ~₹5.87 Lakhs), Ashish Munot (249th for $7,032; ~₹5.87 Lakhs), Siddarth Singhvi (250th for $7,032; ~₹5.87 Lakhs), Natural8 India Executive Director and Ambassador Kunal Patni (255th for $7,032; ~₹5.87 Lakhs), Avneesh Munjal (329th for $6,006; ~₹5.02 Lakhs), and Sriharsha Doddapaneni (348th for $6,006; ~₹5.02 Lakhs), demonstrating the growing strength of India’s poker talent on the international stage.

Event #94: $10,000 6-Handed No Limit Hold’em Championship was packed with high-stakes drama and fierce competition. But when the dust settled, Michael Rocco emerged from the chaos as the champion, finally capturing his first WSOP bracelet after a decade of grinding and an agonizing ten final table finishes.

Rocco beat out a field of 502 top-notch players to claim the grand prize of $924,922, the lion’s share of the $4,668,600 prize pool – not too shabby for three days’ work! His victory was met with an outpouring of support from his fellow poker players, who were genuinely thrilled to see him finally grab that elusive bracelet.

This win was especially sweet for Rocco, who admitted to feeling the pressure of not having a bracelet after making ten final tables. He’d even taken an intense 98-day self-improvement course, waking up at the crack of dawn to study ICM spots and hone his skills. Clearly, that dedication paid off!

Rocco was honest about his relief and joy at finally getting the monkey off his back. He’s actually planning to shift gears and focus on an agricultural business, so this victory might be the perfect way to cap off his high-volume tournament career. But with the WSOP Player of the Year title within his grasp, who knows? Maybe he’ll stick around for a while longer, given his current red-hot form.

Now, let’s talk about the runner-up, Alexandre Reard. This guy is a poker beast! He won the same event in 2023 and fought tooth and nail to defend his title. He even held a commanding chip lead at one point on the final day. Despite a few unlucky breaks at critical moments, Reard still walked away with a hefty $610,013 for his incredible performance.

The final day started with 28 players and quickly dwindled down to the final table. We saw some big names exit early, like bracelet winner Daniel Smiljkovic (23rd for $38,326) and Pokerstars Team Pro Alejandro Lococo (19th for $38,326). Then, in a dramatic double elimination, Connor Rash (8th for $78,455) and Brad Albrinck (9th for $78,455) were sent packing by Reard’s flopped set of kings, setting up the final table.

The final table action was intense, with chip leads changing hands multiple times. Spanish poker sensation Adrian Mateos briefly held the top spot after hitting a straight, but Reard bounced back with a rivered flush.

Fahredin Mustafov, who started the day as the chip leader, suffered a fatal setback after a heartbreaking flip and finished in seventh place ($104,465). Egor Procop (6th for $142,316) and Adrian Mateos (5th for $198,261) were next to go, with Reard knocking out the latter in a sweet act of revenge. Aram Zobian‘s impressive short-stack run ended in fourth place ($282,302).

The final three players battled it out until the very end of the scheduled day, with Aleks Dimitrov eventually succumbing to Reard in a two pair vs. two pair cooler in third place with $410,657.

The heads-up duel between Rocco and Alexandre Reard was a rollercoaster. Despite starting with a 3:1 chip disadvantage, Rocco quickly doubled up with a set of sevens against Reard’s eights. In the final hand, Rocco sealed the deal with a full house on the river, solidifying his place in WSOP history and bringing the exciting tournament to a close.

Day 1C of Event #93: $777 Lucky 7’s No-Limit Hold’em was an absolute madhouse and the most bustling of the three starting flights, with a whopping 3,235 entrants flooding the tables. After 22 levels of intense poker action, only 150 survivors remained. Combined with players from Day 1A and Day 1B, a total of 300 players will return to the felt for an electrifying Day 2 showdown.

Leading the charge is the Philippines’ Marc Rivera, who bagged a monster stack of 3.255 Million chips (81 BBs). He’s sitting pretty atop the leaderboard, followed by Jeffrey Smith with 2.38 Million, narrowly edging out Ukraine’s Artem Metalidi with 2.375 Million in third.

But let’s not forget India’s very own Himmat Singh, who’s been quietly building momentum throughout this WSOP. He might have only cashed in a couple of events like Event #20: $300 Gladiators of Poker No-Limit Hold’em and Event #38: $1,500 Monster Stack No-Limit Hold ’em, but he’s been saving his best for this one. Singh bagged a massive 1.68 Million chips (42 BBs), putting him in 12th place among the Day 1C survivors and making him a serious contender for the title.

Singh isn’t the only Indian player to watch out for on Day 2. Abhishek Paul (975,000) and Ashish Munot (535,000), who qualified from Day 1B, are also returning to the felt, ready to make their mark.

And it’s not just these three; several other Indian-origin players are in the mix as well, including Venkatara Ganne (1.37 Million), Rajesh Mehta (720,000), Gurpreet Lubana (685,000), Manoj Batavia (605,000), Dinesh Alt (460,000), and Karanvir Singh (310,000).

The Day 2 field is a star-studded affair featuring some of the biggest names in the poker world. Two-time bracelet winner Ilija Savevski (1.365 Million) is a force to be reckoned with, as are Jack Duong (1.145 Million), Jessica Vierling (1.095 Million), and poker legend Kathy Liebert (1 Million). Other notable players like Levi Berger (920,000), last year’s Main Event sixth-place finisher Dean Hutchison (945,000), Anthony Spinella (385,000), and Bin Weng (380,000) are also in the hunt for the title.

Day 2 of Event #95: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold’em was a hullabaloo of poker action filled with thrilling upsets and high-stakes poker drama. After 12 hours of intense play, the field was whittled down to just nine finalists, all hungry for the coveted bracelet and the biggest share of the juicy $2,253,480 prize pool.

Leading the charge is David Stamm, who’s sitting pretty with a mountain of chips – 6.35 Million (25 BBs), to be exact! Hot on his heels is the charismatic Naseem Salem, aka “Nick the Businessman,” who bagged 6.125 Million. Jamie Walden rounds out the top three with 5.875 Million. But with the average stack hovering around 18 big blinds, it’s still anyone’s game.

All eyes are on India’s Ankit Ahuja, the two-time GPI Player of the Year (India), as he carries the nation’s hopes for a historic third bracelet this year. This former Senior Product Development Manager at PokerStars started Day 2 strong with 417,000 chips (52 BBs), ranking him 14th among the 167 returning players and never looked back, showcasing a mix of calculated aggression and smart plays to secure his spot at the final table.

He went head-to-head with some of the biggest names in the game, taking down massive pots against Leo Fernandez, Paraskevas Tsokaridis, and Akinobu Maeda, pushing his stack to 2.80 Million. Despite losing a chunk of his chips to Henrik Juncker, Ahuja rallied back and ended Day 2 with 2.975 Million chips (12 BBs), ranking sixth on the final table leaderboard.

Kunal Patni, the big boss at Natural8 India, also made it to Day 2 but unfortunately fell in 102nd place, cashing for $4,119 (~₹3.44 Lakhs). It wasn’t the ending he hoped for, but it was still a respectable showing, bringing his total series earnings to a decent $47,183 (~₹39.44 Lakhs) across six deep runs.

The final table is packed with talent, including Adam Hendrix (4.475 Million), Christopher Stevenson (3.10 Million), Akinobu Maeda (1.825 Million), Martin Finger (1.80 Million), and Henrik Juncker (1.15 Million).

The event itself was a spectacle, attracting 1,979 players and featuring a unique twist: bounties on the heads of poker legends based on the year they were inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. Legends like Johnny Chan, Billy Baxter, Barry Greenstein, Scotty Nguyen, Barbara Enright, Tom McEvoy, Phil Hellmuth, Berry Johnston, and Eli Elezra added extra spice to the tournament.

Three Hall of Famers managed to cash in on the action, but not before adding some extra cash to their bankrolls. Mori Eskandani finished 55th for $5,880, with his bounty worth $2,018 going to Daniel Chase.

Erik Seidel finished 17th for $13,031, with his bounty of $2,010 claimed by Akinobu Maeda.

Finally, Jack McClelland finished 15th for $13,031, with Adam Hendrix earning $2,014 on his elimination.

Oshri Lahmani (11th for $20,100) was the last player to be eliminated before the final table, falling to David Stamm’s aggression in a blind-on-blind battle.

Jose Paz-Gutierrez from Bolivia, a successful mixed-game player, finished in 10th place for $20,100.

Day 2 saw some other notable exits, including Martin Jacobson (19th for $10,748), Rafael Reis (27th for $9,012), Brian Green (74th for $4,827), and Tobias Peters (82nd for $4,494).

Event #96: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E. is heating up as it barrels towards the finish line! After two intense days of mixed-game action, Albert Daher is sitting pretty at the top of the chip counts with a formidable stack of 3.63 Million (30 BBs) among ten finalists. But don’t count out the competition just yet – Michael Moncek and David Benyamine are hot on his heels with 3.245 Million and 3.235 Million chips, respectively, making them the only other players to break the 3 Million chip barrier.

One of the most exciting storylines in this high-roller showdown is the potential for Scott Seiver to make history. He’s already snagged three WSOP bracelets this series and if he takes down this event, he’ll become the first player ever to win four bracelets in a single year! Seiver has been a mixed-game beast, dominating Event #10: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship, Event #40: $1,500 Razz, and Event #72: $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship. He’s currently leading the WSOP Player of the Year race, and a win here would solidify his legendary status in the poker world and bolster his candidacy for the Poker Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible next year.

The race for the bracelet is wide open, though, with Chinese poker stars Yueqi Zhu (2.055 Million) and Xixiang Luo (1.305 Million) also in the hunt for their second gold bracelet. Even Phil Ivey (1.21 Million), who recently won his 11th bracelet, is a threat despite starting the final day a bit short-stacked with only ten big blinds.

Matt Glantz (900,000) and Adam Friedman (370,000) are the two underdogs at the final table along with Seiver, making them the only three players with less than ten big blinds. Notably, Glantz and Daher are the only two finalists who have yet to capture a WSOP bracelet. Could one of them pull off an upset and grab their first piece of WSOP gold?

Day 2 saw a flurry of action, with 58 players returning from Day 1 and 25 new entries joining the fray, bringing the total field to 120 and creating a massive $2,232,500 prize pool. The eventual champion will walk away with a staggering $725,796, plus the bragging rights that come with a WSOP bracelet.

Even defending champion Josh Arieh took a shot on Day 2, but he busted out early in the first level. Some other big names like Daniel Negreanu, Benny Glaser, Nacho Barbero, Jesse Lonis, and Brian Rast also tried their luck but couldn’t make it into the money.

The bubble burst with the elimination of Matthew Ashton by David Benyamine in a hand of Omaha Hi-Lo, securing payouts for the remaining players.

Phil Hellmuth, the poker world’s resident drama king, was in rare form on Day 2. He had his usual ups and downs, alternating between joyous celebrations and expletive-laden rants. But even he couldn’t survive the day`s onslaught, ultimately finishing 18th for $52,632.

Other notable players who cashed out on Day 2 include Jason Mercier (11th for $55,263), Ali Eslami (12th for $52,632), Kane Kalas (13th for $52,632), Nick Guagenti (14th for $52,632), Paul Volpe (15th for $52,632), Eric Wasserson (16th for $52,632), and Ian Johns (17th for $52,632) and many others.

Day 1 of Event #97: $3,000 6-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha was an absolute rollercoaster, leaving only 134 players from the starting 844 to return for Day 2. Scott Ball emerged as the undisputed chip leader, amassing a jaw-dropping 1.015 Million chips (that’s 254 big blinds!). Stanislav Barshak and Hokyiu Lee trail far behind, rounding out the top three with stacks of 779,000 and 774,000, respectively.

India’s Jagdeep Singh also threw his hat into the ring and managed to squeak into Day 2 with 40,000 chips (10 BBs). This guy’s got some PLO skills, having already cashed in two other WSOP events this year, finishing 116th in Event #90: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha for $3,230 (~₹2.70 Lakhs) and 111th in WSOP Online Event #25: PLO 6-Max Championship for $2,035 (~₹1.70 Lakhs). However, with 134 players remaining and only the top 127 getting paid at least $6,021, he will have to navigate some tricky waters to reach the money line and possibly make a deep run.

Another player to watch out for is Indo-American Lance Patel, who bagged a more comfortable stack of 218,000, putting him in a good position for a deep run.

The field is still full of big names, including Shaun Deeb and Alex Livingston, who bagged hefty stacks of 761,000 and 756,000 chips, respectively. Other familiar faces like Jesse Lonis (732,000), Ian Matakis (405,000), Alex Foxen (351,000), Ethan Yau (275,000), Dylan Weisman (224,000), Calvin Anderson (199,000), and Yuri Dzivielevski (126,000) also survived the Day 1 carnage and will be returning for Day 2.

Unfortunately, not everyone made it through. The day marked the end of the road for many poker legends, including Cliff Josephy, Chance Kornuth, David Prociak, Chris Hunichen, Benny Glaser, Ren Lin, and even Daniel Negreanu. But there’s still plenty of talent left in the field, and Day 2 promises to be a thrilling showdown.

Day 1A of Event #98: $1,500 The Closer No-Limit Hold’em was a packed house, drawing in 814 eager poker players. After 20 levels of intense action, only 84 managed to survive the day, locking in their spots for Day 2.

Leading the pack is Daniel Rezaei, who’s sitting pretty with a massive 1.83 Million chip stack (92 BBs!). Robert Nemeskerikiss and Kazuhiko Yotsushika aren’t far behind, with 1.435 Million and 1.335 Million chips, respectively, rounding out the top three.

This event holds a special significance for Indian poker players, thanks to the past successes of Paawan Bansal (2018 runner-up) and Abhinav Iyer (2019 champion). While no Indian players made it through Day 1A, Indian-American Rohit Kwatra made quite a splash, bagging the sixth-largest stack of 1.195 Million (60 BBs). We’ll also see Indian-origin players Jaspal Brar (820,000) and Mukul Pahuja (585,000) returning on Day 2.

The remaining field is stacked with talent, including big names like Yuval Bronshtein (720,000), the six-time bracelet winner Brian Hastings (630,000), Marco Johnson (370,000), and Ryan Riess (335,000).

Last year’s The Closer was a massive success, attracting 3,531 entries and a prize pool of $4,713,885. With Day 1B still to come, it’s anyone’s guess whether this year’s event will top those numbers. But one thing’s for sure: the competition is fierce, and the stakes are high.

Day 50: What’s Happening?

Day 50 of the 2024 WSOP is shaping up to be an absolute scorcher, with six bracelet events in play and two poised to crown their champions.

All eyes are on Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship, where the final nine players will return from their day off at 1:30 PM (local time) to battle it out for a seat in the final four. This record-breaking tournament will be a marathon session of high-stakes poker showcasing the best of the best.

Meanwhile, the final table of Event #95: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold’em is set to reconvene at 12 PM (local time) at the Horseshoe Events Center. With blinds at 125K/250K and a 250K big blind ante, these nine players will battle tooth and nail until one is left standing. India’s Ankit Ahuja is in the mix, hoping to make history with a third bracelet win for India in a single series.

The final day of Event #96: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E. will also kick off at 2 PM (local time). Ten players, including legends like Phil Ivey and Scott Seiver, will vie for the top spot. This one’s going to be a wild ride, with blinds at 30K/60K, betting limits of 60K/120K and a mix of poker games that will put these players’ skills to the ultimate test.

Over at Event #93: $777 Lucky 7’s No-Limit Hold’em, 300 players will return for Day 2 at 10 AM (local time), battling it out across 17 forty-minute levels. The blinds are going up to 20K/40K with a 40K ante, so expect to see some big moves and even bigger pots.

Day 2 of Event #97: $3,000 6-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha is also heading into Day 2 at 1 PM (local time) with 134 players remaining. The blinds are at 2K/4K with a 4K big blind ante, and with the money bubble looming, the tension is sure to be thick as these players fight for their share of the $2,253,480 prize pool across ten hour-long levels.

For those who missed the action in Day 1A, Day 1B of Event #98: $1,500 The Closer No-Limit Hold’em begins at 12 PM (local time). Players will start with 50,000 chips and play 20 half-hour levels. The survivors will join the Day 1A crew for Day 2 on July 17.

In a rare occurrence, no new events will start on July 16, as the WSOP focuses on bringing the ongoing tournaments to their thrilling conclusions. The next event, Event #99: $1,000 Super Turbo No-Limit Hold’em, is scheduled to begin on July 17, only after all in-play events, including the Main Event, have reached their final stages.

Here’s what went down on Day 49.

Content & Images Courtesy: World Series of Poker

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