The US stands out as the nation with probably the most World Sequence of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, however it might’t declare all of them. The listing of successful international locations simply grew a bit longer this week, including Moldova and Poland with their first two live-poker match wins.
Poker gamers take part in a WSOP match. Gamers from Moldova and Poland have given their international locations their first reside WSOP match bracelets. (Picture: Las Vegas Evaluate-Journal)
The US tops the WSOP bracelet listing with 1,453, in accordance with The Hendon Mob, with Canada (78) and England (60) in second and third. Even Morocco and Kosovo have been on the listing for a few years.
Due to sturdy performances that included beating a number of high-profile gamers, Moldova and Poland now seem on the listing for reside match wins. With extra poker forward within the ongoing sequence, there’s nonetheless an opportunity for these two international locations so as to add extra {hardware} to their collections.
Poland Earns WSOP Bracelet By Horecki
The WSOP $1,500 Seven-Card Stud Eight-or-Higher occasion attracted 566 entries, together with match regulars like Brian Rast and Sergio Braga. One other long-time common was there, as properly, nonetheless on the lookout for his first WSOP title 17 years after his first reside money.
It lastly occurred, and it couldn’t have been extra colourful. Poland’s Marcin Horecki emerged with the bracelet after taking down four-time WSOP bracelet winner Mike “The Mouth” Matusow.
Horecki overcame appreciable odds to get to the ultimate desk, and subsequently, take house the win. He was close to the underside of the standings when the final day of motion started, however performed good to maneuver up the pay ladder.
That included surpassing Rast, a six-time WSOP bracelet winner and three-time Poker Gamers Championship winner, who exited in seventh place. It additionally meant having to face Matusow within the ultimate heads-up battle.
As gamers continued to fall and the sector shrunk to simply two, Horecki and Matusow locked horns. Horecki began off with an enormous chip lead. However Matusow, a 2023 Poker Corridor of Fame finalist, repeatedly clawed his manner again to life.
Finally, the tip was in sight. Matusow was on the ropes with a chip stack that was dwindling rapidly. An all-in shove and an answered plea to the poker gods didn’t ship the best playing cards. He needed to accept second place and $95,957.
Horecki broke his dry spell in spectacular vogue, pushing his lifetime reside poker winnings to virtually $1.6 million. His final first-place win got here six years in the past when he received the €330 Seven-Card Stud match within the WSOP Circuit sequence in Rozvadov, Czech Republic.
Poland already had a WSOP bracelet, however via an internet tourney. Dominik Panka received it within the $2,100 No-Restrict Maintain’em – Bounty Championship on-line occasion in 2021.
Moldova within the Books
Moldova by no means had a WSOP bracelet winner till Pavel Plesuv, though loads of his compatriots have tried. Dragos Trofimov might be probably the most recognizable, having spent a very long time near the highest of the nation’s all-time moneymakers.
When Plesuv sat down for the WSOP $1,500 Millionaire Maker No-Restrict Maintain’em occasion, he in all probability didn’t anticipate to emerge because the winner. He’s Moldova’s main poker participant and had round $5 million in winnings earlier than the sport. Nonetheless, he’s by no means managed to discover a WSOP bracelet occasion title.
After 5 days spent navigating via a discipline of 10,430, that every one modified. Plesuv started to comprehend what was within the playing cards when he made it to the ultimate desk, and the potential final result turned clearer on one large hand.
In an enormous coup, Plesuv scored a straight holding A-2 when the board gave him the runners he wanted. He was heads-up towards Andreas Kniep, who had baited him into going all-in and started to brag.
The German poker professional’s response turned solemn because the playing cards had been revealed. He realized his pocket Aces had been lifeless and was about to depart in fourth place.
That gave Plesuv an enormous increase, which he used as a springboard to maintain management of the board. He finally met France’s Florian Ribouchon within the ultimate heads-up battle for the title.
Only some brief arms later, Plesuv hoisted the bracelet as he celebrated along with his family and friends, $1.2 million richer. Ribouchon would take $1 million for his second-place end.
