WSOP 2023: Anirban Das Barrels Into Day 7 of the Main Event Ranked #18 in Chips Among 49 Survivors; Nikita Luther & Aditya S Bow Out on Day 6

Day 44 of the ground-breaking 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) delivered on all fronts. Seven captivating bracelet tournaments were underway, with the spotlight shining brightly on the $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship.

Day 6 of Event #76: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship saw three Indians battling fiercely to make Day 7. Out of the triumvirate, only WSOP debutant Anirban Das prevailed, marching forward with 13,375,000 chips, the 18th largest stacks amongst the 49 players left in contention to win the World Championship bracelet. The former Zynga staffer now stands tantalizingly close to eclipsing Nishant Sharma‘s record-setting Main Event run from 2018.

Though Das had a turbulent day on the felts, he played some astonishing hands, one of which was shared by PokerNews.

???? Anirban Das is making use of his full range DEEP in the @WSOP Main Event – including this WILD bluff with a…unexpected hand… pic.twitter.com/jcak4Wxs29

— PokerNews (@PokerNews) July 13, 2023

Unfortunately, Indian poker icon Nikita Luther‘s quest came to a heartbreaking conclusion on Day 6, finishing in 96th place with a commendable $78,900 – her second-largest WSOP score. Luther’s exit came in a gut-wrenching hand where her lost to Andrew Hulme‘s . Despite the bitter end, Luther’s formidable run established a new record for the deepest WSOP Main Event run by an Indian woman. As one of the last two female players remaining on Day 6, she passed the baton to France’s Estelle Cohuet, who was eliminated in 68th place for $130,300.

PokerGO tweeted a clip of Luther`s unfortunate dismissal, with even poker legend Phil Helmuth congratulating her on her commendable finish.

Great run @nikitaluther!

— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) July 13, 2023

Aditya S was the first among the Indian contenders to bow out on Day 6. His journey ended at the hands of Ukraine’s Artem Metalidi in level 27, finishing in 109th place for $67,700, marking this as his best WSOP cash-in so far.

You can watch the WSOP Main Event Day 6 live stream replay below.

Event #79: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em held the potential for an Indian bracelet win, with Kartik Ved and Shashank Jain powering into Day 3 among 24 contenders. Ved was on the brink of making the final table but sadly stumbled at 10th place, bagging $47,516. His second 10th-place finish in the series following the same result in Event #44: $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em boosted his series winnings into six figures, i.e., $115,336.

Not long before Luther departed from the Main Event, Shashank Jain met a similar fate in the $2.5K NLHE when his fell against James Anderson‘s , wrapping up his journey in 20th place for $24,635. This marks Jain’s second-best score in the series and his most significant WSOP payout. However, his sixth-place finish in the $2,200 Mystery Bounty at the Wynn Summer Classic for a staggering $104,445 holds the record for the biggest win by an Indian this summer – a record which is no longer valid, with Anirban Das guaranteed at least $188,400 in the Main Event.

Meanwhile, Nishant Sharma narrowly missed advancing to Day 3 in Event #82: $3,000 6-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha. He was the second last elimination of the day, falling in 37th place for $11,214, with the remaining 35 players set to continue the battle on Thursday.

Day 1B of Event #81: $600 Ultra Stack concluded with 312 players from a massive field of 4,116 entries braving the day’s competition. Among the survivors were two Indian players, Nipun Java (605,000) and Zarvan Tumboli (225,000), both advancing to Day 2 with below-average stacks.

The event also witnessed several Indians posting cash finishes, including Kartik Ved (360th for $1,201), Ankit Ahuja (451st for $1,051), Sivakumar Sachidanandan (467th for $1,051), and Gokul Raj (616th for $960).

Day 44 saw two coveted WSOP bracelets claimed. Josh Arieh triumphed over Dan Heimiller in Event #80: $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. High Roller after a riveting heads-up match to secure his sixth WSOP bracelet and a substantial $711,313 first-place prize. This victory places Arieh in an exclusive club, as he becomes the fifth player this year following Jeremy Ausmus (Online Event #8: $3,200 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller), Shaun Deeb (Event #27: $1,500 Eight Game Mix), Brian Rast (Event #43: $50,000 Poker Players Championship) and Jason Mercier (Event #60: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw) to secure a sixth bracelet this series. Two-time bracelet winner Heimiller didn’t walk away empty-handed, taking home $439,622 for his commendable second-place finish.

Arieh’s recent victory is not an isolated feat, as it closely follows his success earlier in Event #22: $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship. Moreover, this latest triumph has catapulted Arieh into a prime position in the WSOP Player of The Year race, placing him a close second behind Ian Matakis, making him a strong contender to win this prestigious title for the second time in three years.

The second bracelet of Wednesday was secured by Spain’s Samuel Bernabeu. He won his inaugural bracelet in Event #79: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em, netting $682,432 as the first-place prize. Meanwhile, James Anderson earned a respectable $421,761 for his commendable runner-up finish.

Here are the Day 44 highlights!

Securing his sixth WSOP bracelet, Josh Arieh outplayed a field of 112 seasoned players in Event #80: $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. High Roller, taking home a whopping $711,313 in winnings. Dan Heimiller performed commendably, finishing as the runner-up and earning $439,622. With this remarkable victory, Arieh has risen to prominence as the fifth player to win six gold bracelets in this year’s WSOP, propelling him to the number two spot in the WSOP Player of The Year race, just behind the current frontrunner, Ian Matakis.

After enduring three intense days of competition in an event filled with top-tier players, Samuel Bernabeu triumphantly added his name to the list of WSOP bracelet victors. Conquering a field of 2,068 entries in Event #79: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em, Bernabeu claimed a grand first-place prize of $682,436 and his maiden WSOP gold bracelet. His closest competitor, James Anderson, achieved a commendable second place, earning $421,761.

Notably, online bracelet winner Kartik Ved entered Day 3 with the 16th largest stack, standing at 2,220,000 amongst the 24 remaining competitors. Although he exhibited great resilience, his journey ended in 10th place.

Ved’s elimination came after he raised to 400,000 from the button, only to have Zlatin Penev move all in from the small blind for 2,250,000. Undeterred, Ved risked his tournament life and called.

Kartik Ved

Zlatin Penev

As fate would have it, the board ran , and Penev’s Queen-high flush led to Ved’s departure in 10th place, earning him $47,516.

On the other hand, Shashank Jain had returned on Day 3 as the third shortest stack at 950,000. He managed to strategically climb a few rungs on the prize ladder before being ousted in 20th place.

Jain’s elimination bore striking similarity to Nikita Luther‘s exit in the Main Event. Derek Normand initiated the action with a 200,000 open from the early position, which led to Jain moving all-in for 1,050,000 in the big blind. James Anderson escalated the stakes by going all-in, causing Normand to deliberate. Expressing his dilemma, Normand commented, “Agh, this would be so much easier if it was just me and you,” referring to Jain. After another thirty seconds of consideration, Normand folded, and the cards were tables.

Shashank Jain

James Anderson

Reacting to their hands, Normand lamented, “See, that’s exactly what I didn’t want to see! I had pocket eights!”

The board ran , and with Anderson’s two pair on the flop, Jain’s tournament journey concluded in 20th place, securing him $24,635.

From a record-breaking horde of 10,043 players in Event #76: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship, the field has been whittled down to just 49 hopefuls following a grueling Day 6 filled with dramatic twists and high-profile eliminations.

Emerging at the forefront is 23-year-old Joshua Payne, who stylishly navigated the day’s play donning sleek cyborg sunglasses, amassing a chip-leading stack of 47,950,000. Payne’s closest competitor is Spain’s Juan Maceiras Lapido, the only other player to cross the 40 Million chip threshold, concluding the day with 40,500,000 chips.

Other prominent contenders include Conscious Poker founder Alec Torelli, sitting comfortably with 21,075,000 chips, and Daniel Scroggins close behind with 20,800,000 chips. Noteworthy pros such as Britain’s Toby Lewis and Japan’s vlogger Masato Yokosawa also remain in the hunt.

Among the three Indians that entered Day 6, only one remains standing – Anirban Das. The 37-year-old Gurgaon resident showcased a volatile but tenacious performance throughout the day, concluding the day’s events holding the 18th largest stack, with 13,375,000 chips.

Entering Day 6 with the sixth-largest stack of 9,230,000, Das got to work immediately. During Level 26, he faced a slight setback against Daniel Scroggins, which shaved his stack down to 7,775,000. However, showcasing his mettle, Das had replenished his holdings to 10,250,000 by the subsequent level.

In Level 28, Das found himself playing a noteworthy hand against Juan Maceiras Lapido. After opening to 240,000 from the middle position, Das contested Lapido’s big blind. Both players cautiously checked the flop . Lapido, taking the lead, bet 400,000 on the turn, which Das called. The river brought further intrigue as Lapido wagered a sizable bet of 1,600,000. Unfazed, Das retaliated with a daring raise to 4,000,000, causing Lapido to fold instantly. Displaying the card, Das added an element of mystery, boosting his stack to 11,000,000.

Despite a slight dip just before the dinner break, Das bounced back remarkably in Level 29, even orchestrating an elimination. Das knocked out Ludovic Geilich (76th for $109,400) when the latter’s failed to overcome Das’ , with the board showing . Das’ stack skyrocketed to 12,150,000, and midway through level 29, he was sitting on a stack of 17,000,000.

The same level witnessed Das execute a stellar bluff against Liran Betito. The crucial hand unfolded as Daniel Scroggins raised to 350,000 on the button, and Das responded with a three-bet to 925,000. Betito attempted to seize control with a four-bet to 2,250,000, forcing Scroggins to fold. After a thoughtful pause, Das called, leading to a flop of . Betito continued with a bet of 975,000, only to face a crafty check-raise to 2,600,000 by Das, resulting in Betito folding. Adding drama, Das revealed his bluff to the stunned table, catapulting his stack to an imposing 24,500,000.

However, by the final break, Das had fallen to 20,000,000. Early in Level 30, he suffered a significant blow against Eric Schneider, further reducing to 18,000,000. Despite bleeding chips against Scott Berko and Lapido in subsequent hands, Das remained resilient.

His clash with Lapido saw a pot exceeding 10 Million at stake. With the board revealing , Das braved a bet of 2,600,000. However, Lapido’s snap-call unveiled a rivered flush against Das’ ace-high, drastically slashing Das’ stack to 10,000,000.

In the night’s closing stages, Das briefly exchanged chips with Schneider but managed to recuperate some losses, concluding the day with a commendable stack of 13,375,000. Despite the fluctuating fortunes, Das’ resilience remains unyielding, setting the stage for an exciting Day 7.

The day witnessed one of the most poignant departures, that of Nikita Luther, the 2018 WSOP Tag Team bracelet winner. She commenced the day with a promising stack of 4,380,000 and claimed a seat at the WSOP feature table for the second day in a row.

Luther’s performance was highlighted by a critical hand during Level 26. WPT commentator Tony Dunst instigated the play by raising it to 175,000 from under the gun, holding . Luther, demonstrating strategic prowess, retaliated with a three-bet to 525,000 from the middle position, her hand consisting of . However, Henry Chan, seated in the hijack, was dealt and boldly went all-in for 2,005,000. Dunst promptly folded, leaving Luther to ponder her options. “Probably a flip,” she commented, weighing her decision. After much deliberation, Luther chose to fold, stating it was “too expensive,” which got her stack down to 3,650,000 as Chan seized the pot.

Later, Luther found herself contending against Nate Silver when he raised to 160,000 from the middle position, followed by Dunst calling from the button. With stakes rising, Luther pushed all in from the big blind, and Silver matched the call for his remaining 2,335,000. Dunst folded, revealing his . Silver’s faced off against Luther’s . The board ran , getting Silver, the FiveThirtyEight founder, a double up, consequently reducing Luther’s stack to a mere 1,230,000.

Fast forward two levels, and Luther, with her last 2,285,000, was all-in from the small blind against Andrew Hulme in the middle position.

Nikita Luther

Andrew Hulme

With a dominant hand, Luther appeared set for a comeback as the flop revealed . However, a startling turn of pushed Hulme ahead, leaving Luther on the precipice of elimination. The final blow came with the river’s , culminating in Luther’s 96th-place exit, earning her $78,900. This left Estelle Cohuet as the last woman standing in the Main Event.

We had the opportunity to ask Nikita Luther a couple questions following her deep run in the @WSOP Main Event!????????????@nikitaluther is unfortunately eliminated in 104th place for $67.7K.

We look forward to seeing more of Nikita in the future ????

The 2023 WSOP live coverage is… pic.twitter.com/MAAwuX2JuH

— Poker Org (@pokerorg) July 13, 2023

Cohuet’s journey, however, concluded one level later when her met its match in Indo-American pro Raj Vohra‘s . The latter’s hand converted into the top pair on the runout, leading to Cohuet’s 68th-place departure, garnering her $130,300.

The last Woman in the Main Event! ????????

Estelle Cohuet only has $5,481 in live earnings! ???? pic.twitter.com/tp8MeGSDuV

— Poker Org (@pokerorg) July 13, 2023

Even though Aditya S began Day 6 with a commendable stack of 5,945,000, the momentum seemed elusive. By Level 27, his stack had alarmingly shrunk to 840,000, and his elimination was looming just a few hands away.

Following a considerable loss, S put his remaining 7 big blinds at stake, pushing all-in with . Artem Metalidi, holding , decided to call. The showdown played out with opening on the board, and Metalidi’s Ace kicker won him the pot, resulting in S’s exit at 109th place with a $67,700 prize.

Amit Makhija (57th for $156,100), Kunal Shah (106th for $67,700), and Senthuran Vijayaratnam (153rd for $67,700) were among the Indian-origin players who fell out on Day 6.

Meanwhile, Sachin Joshi (13,350,000), Raj Vohra (4,300,000), and Harsheel Kothari (1,600,000) were the Indian-origin players who carried stacks through to Day 7.

Day 7 of the Main Event is slated to kick off Thursday, July 13, at noon (local time).

Following 22 grueling levels of play on Day 1B of Event #81: $600 Ultra Stack No-Limit Hold’em, 312 contenders have secured their spots for the upcoming day. This flight attracted a staggering 4,116 participants, elevating the overall field count to 7,207 and creating a substantial prize pool for the subsequent two days of the event. The frontrunner of the pack is Rassoul Malboubi, who wrapped up his day with an impressive 3,615,000 in chips.

Two Indian competitors, Nipun Java (605,000) and Zarvan Tumboli (225,000), managed to secure their positions for Day 2, albeit with stacks slightly below the average.

Other Indian players who cashed on Day 1B include Kartik Ved (360th for $1,201), Ankit Ahuja (451st for $1,051), Sivakumar Sachidanandan (467th for $1,051), and Gokul Raj (616th for $960).

Day 2 of the tournament will resume at 10 AM (local time) on July 13.

The second day of Event #82: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Handed has drawn to a close, with Dustin Goldklang (4,225,000) securing his position as the frontrunner amongst the 35 finalists progressing to Day 3. The day started with a total of 216 players, whittled down from an initial pool of 1,013 entrants. The fierce competition generated a prize pool of $2,704,710.

Connor Drinan (3,270,000), Marc Lagaze (2,530,000), and Matthew Parry (2,500,000) constituted the upper tier of stacks, being the only contestants marching into Day 3 with over 100 big blinds.

Indian representative, Nishant Sharma, began Day 2 with a healthy stack of 360,000, poised to advance to Day 3. Unfortunately, he narrowly missed the cut, concluding the event as the second-last player to bow out, securing 37th place and earning $11,214. This marked Sharma’s most significant stride in the 2023 WSOP and his sixth series achievement, elevating his total series winnings to $55,431.

Each of the remaining 35 players is now guaranteed a minimum payout of $13,343, with the ultimate victor set to claim $480,122 and the prestigious WSOP gold bracelet. The tournament resumes at 1 PM (local time) on July 13 for Day 3.

Event #83: $1,500 Short Deck No-Limit Hold’em was marked by a rapid-paced elimination sequence as the contestant count plummeted from 363 players to a mere nine within the first 15 levels of play.

Emerging at the pinnacle by the day’s end was David Prociak, who amassed an imposing 2,040,000 in chips. Robert James (1,622,000) and Thai Ha (1,200,000) trail closely behind, securing the second and third-largest stacks, respectively.

Day 2 is set to commence at noon (local time) on July 13. With each of the nine finalists guaranteed at least $8,586, they will all be vying for the grand prize of $111,170 and the much-sought-after gold bracelet.

Event #83: $50,000 High Roller had an incredibly successful start with 137 participants, significantly surpassing the previous year’s count of 107. Following 12 intense levels of play, only 44 contestants remained in the field.

Yang Wang concluded the day leading the pack, boasting an impressive 2,175,000 chips. Fedor Holz (1,990,000) and Stefan Schilhabel (1,915,000) were hot on his heels, securing the second and third-largest stacks.

Late entrants still have the chance to register until the start of Day 2, scheduled to kick off at 1 PM (local time) on July 13.

Content & Images Courtesy: WSOP

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