All things considered, this year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP) tourney series was a shattering success. Omitting the case that saw deuce of the same cards dealt on the dud and a sour participating crap-shooter write up that led to chaos, the 2022 WSOP confirmed that poker is alive and advantageously around the world.
The total series – all 89 live events – saw telling participation, still though there were noneffervescent some concerns o'er COVID-19. Compared to 2019, the lastly time a total live WSOP schedule was held, some events increased their attendance by 27% or even 44%.
The Main Event, always a immense draw, attracted a lot of attention as stove poker players around the man set their sights on the $80-million prize pool. There were 8,663 entries, besting the 2019 case past 97. However, it was allay just now shortsighted of the record of 8,773 circle in 2006.
New Home, New Stakes
For almost deuce decades, poker game players had grown habitual to descending on the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino to take part in the WSOP. Of course, they had no more quality since the Rio was hosting the series. However, continued complaints of nonunionized events, uncleanliness and understaffing would eventually drive a change.
This year, the serial moved to Bally’s and City of Light Las Vegas on the Vegas Strip. It was a poignant move, as the WSOP began at Binion’s Horseshoe. Before the ending of this year, Bally’s testament alteration its make to Horseshoe.
Players liked the changes they saw erst they got over some initial trepidation. Shaun Deeb commented during one case that the chips were “amazing,” and the cards were “holding upwardly amend than to the highest degree years.” Eli Elezra added that Bally’s and genus Paris were a “dream come up true” for stove poker players.
Daniel Negreanu was surprised at how comfortably everything went. He said that he had expected a “shit show,” adding that he was “shocked to control it’s gone really smoothly.”
Negreanu was on a seeking to win his 7th WSOP bracelet. However, he felled seam short. DNegs had several telling runs, cashing inwards 12 events, but in the end missed simply over $1 million.
He’s frustrated, as evidenced past his burst followers a peculiarly unrelenting unsound beat out inward the $250,000 Super High Roller No-Limit Hold’em event. However, he’ll live back, perhaps mostly online. His topper musical score was 5th property for $88,081, which he picked up at a $7,777 buy-in online event.
Negreanu’s execution wasn’t all bad. His team up took secondly in the $25,000 WSOP Fantasy League for $100,000. It’s a small consolation, but a comfort nonetheless.
The Ups and Downs of Poker
Negreanu’s long-time salamander challenger and archenemy Phil Hellmuth didn’t get too much chance at the felt, either. Just past showing upward as Darth Vader for the Main Event doesn’t signify the ram is with you.
The Poker Brat had hexad cashes at this year’s WSOP. Among these was a second-place goal inwards the $3,000 buy-in Freezeout No-Limit Hold ’em event. However, the repose of the time, the cards didn’t autumn his way.
Even his Main Event effort was unsuccessful. He didn’t win a bingle manus before falling before of the first off breakout on Clarence Day 2ABC. The 16-time WSOP bracelet winner hasn’t made the money inward the Main Event since 2015.
Poker pro Matt Glantz may make fallen inwards 40th set in the $1,000 buy-in Million Dollar H.M.S. Bounty event, but he certainly didn’t take the air off without a Brobdingnagian payday. His finish gave him nigh $20,000, but, after eliminating another player, he had a slam at a openhanded premium prize.
Sifting through and through all of the envelopes, his deal eventually settled on I that mat up the likes of a winner. It was, as Glantz picked up the $1-million bounty, the biggest the event offered.
The giving winner was Norway’s Espen Jorstad. He scored the win at the Main Event, pocketing $10 1000000 inwards cash in and pick upwards his foremost bracelet.
He’ll donjon most of it, too. Although he is originally from Norway, he at present calls the UK home. As such, he doesn’t have to pay off taxes on the winnings. However, he relieve has to part some of the money, as he received championship from other players.
That’s ease a great deal break than it could hold been. Runner-up Baron Adrian Attenborough cashed for $6 million. However, because the Aussie resides inwards the US, $2.4 jillion of that goes to the government.
WSOP Odds and Ends
The final event, the Tournament of Champions, wrapped upwards on Wednesday. When all the cards and chips stopped-up(a) flying, Benjamin Kaupp was the last player standing inward the exclusive freeroll, pick upward $250,000.
The serial publication had to overcome a few controversies, as well. In the case that saw Glantz nock his huge bounty, ane washout produced 5-3-3. The only if job was that both 3s were the 3 of spades.
The helping hand was ruled dead, everyone got their chips back up and play resumed. However, not before the floorperson threatened – illegally – to disqualify any somebody who discussed the misdeal on social media. The threat didn’t work.
There were also repeated grumblings over the involvement inward the WSOP by players the fire hook community would sort of avoid. Several players are facing accusations of cheating or make been proven to be cheaters at other events. However, nothing prevents them from showing up on the circuit.
That could change, but it testament get hold of a monumental effort. An initiative is underway to make a universal poker game shitlist for cheaters.
On Saturday, with the Main Event underway and the WSOP having avoided major conflicts, an participating crap-shooter awake(p) at the MGM Grand made its path through Vegas. That caused panic and chaos at the poker game tournament, which left several players, including Negreanu, with serious injuries. However, what was thought to live gunshot was really a glassful door existence humbled by a dissatisfied gambler.