Tag: WSOP Online

The World Series of Poker Online wrapped up on Tuesday at GGPoker with the $5,000 Main Event closing out the series on Monday. The tournament featured a $20 million prize pool and when the action concluded, Sweden’s Eric Mattsson took the title for his first bracelet and $2.8 million.

This becomes the biggest score of Mattson’s career and quite a bullet point, winning one of the biggest events in online poker. No stranger to success, Mattson is the top-ranked online poker player in the world.

The last week saw three other events wrap up as well, including one player grabbing his second bracelet of the series. Here’s a look at the action over the last week.

Event 33: $5,000 WSOP Online Main Event

After numerous starting flights throughout the series, the major highlight of the series concluded with some massive returns for players at the top. Mattson (pictured in lead image courtesy PokerStars/Danny Maxwell) pocketed the lion’s share of the prize pool and also landed the bracelet.

The Swedish player has $1.5 million in live tournament winnings, almost doubling that total with this win. His previous biggest cash came in 2017 when he won a $2,200 event at the PokerStars Championship Barcelona series for $337,007.

Mattson, 29, shines at the online tables and has won more than $20 million throughout his career. The bracelet win comes after also winning a $5,250 Bounty Hunters Super High Roller in the GG series as well for $23,293.

The top four players earned seven-figure scores including Thailand’s Sakooh Kannapong, finishing runner-up for $2.1 million. Feng Zhao, of China, scored third for $1.6 million and Finland’s Samuel Vousden took fourth for $1.2 million.

The event crushed the $20 million guarantee, attracting 4,984 entries for a $23.7 million prize pool. Here’s a look at all the top payouts and final table action.

WSOP Online Main Event payouts

1. Eric Mattsson (Sweden) – $2.8 million
2. Sakooh Kannapong (Thailand) – $2.1 million
3. Feng Zhao (China) – $1.6 million
4. Samuel Vousden (Finland) – $1.2 million
5. Istvan Briski (Hungary) – $883,404
6. Yanfei Chi (China) – $662,460
7. Jordan Spurlin (Canada) – $496,774
8. Oliver James Sprason (United Kingdom) – $372,530
9. Timothy Rutherford (Canada) – $279,358

Event 32: $400 The Closer

This penultimate event came with a bargain price point and brought in 3,403 entries for a $1.3 million prize pool. Germany’s Marc Radgen came out on top for $147,983 and his first bracelet.

This was also the biggest tournament score of his career. Daniel Rezaei, of Austria, finished runner-up for$110,970.

Event 31: $1,050 Beat the Pros Bounty Freezeout

The bust-the-pros action brought in 1,318 entries for a $1.3 million prize pool. Germany’s Claas Segebrecht found the top spot again in this one for $54,315.

This marked the second bracelet for Segebrecht, who also won the second event of the series for $102,152. It’s been a huge series for Segebrecht who also recorded a fifth-place finish for $45,329 in the Flip & Go event and a third in the Crazy Eights for $49,415.

The German player also has $2.8 million in live tournament winnings. Naomie Haddad, of Israel, finished runner-up for $54,184.

Event 30: $840 Six-Handed Bounty

Finland’s Joni Jouhkimainen reached the winner’s circle in this event for his first bracelet and a total of $146,067. The poker pro has $5.2 million in live tournament winnings as well.

Jouhkimainen came close to a bracelet twice last year at the WSOP Europe. He finished runner-up twice for a total of more than $500,000.

Congrats to Joni @Jouhkb Jouhkimainen for winning the bracelet in the event #30 $840 Bounty NLHE and $146,398.15 🏆 Watch or listen to the full Podcast No. 76 with Joni here: https://t.co/iKASnU3BsJ pic.twitter.com/OPjYT6KR5u

— Jeff Gross (@JeffGrossPoker) September 25, 2022

The bounty action produced a field of 2,024 entries for a $1.6 million prize pool. Brazil’s Bruno Ikeda finished in second for $65,841. It was a huge tournament for Brazilian players, also finding finishes of fourth, fifth, and sixth.

More action coming to GGPoker

The WSOP Online may have come to a close but the bracelet hunting continues in the coming week for American players at WSOP.com. Plenty of action is also coming to GGPoker, especially for low rollers.

The mini MILLION$ is set for Oct. 2-17 with a total of $5 million guaranteed through the entire series. For a complete preview of the festival and schedule, click here.

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A little gambling was always a part of life for Jonathan Gilliam. He first learned how to play poker during sessions at family get-togethers, which helped foster a love of the game. Even as a kid, Gilliam was winning in his family’s Friday night home games.

Fast forward a few decades later and the winning continues. Gilliam recently grabbed one of poker’s biggest trophies. He scored his first World Series of Poker bracelet bracelet as part of the WSOP Online at GGPoker.

The 37-year-old poker player from Virginia in the United States, regularly travels for some of the larger GG events. That paid off when he won the $1,000 Ultra Deepstack for $149,520 on Sept. 3 while playing in Canada.

“Winning a bracelet has been surreal because that’s the pinnacle of why I started playing and to achieve that as a rec player is phenomenal,” he says, “The moment I won I was actually playing on my phone alone far from home. So there was a lonely feeling and I couldn’t immediately celebrate. I only texted my wife and a few close buddies.”

Marines, poker, and business

As a child, Gilliam spent time in numerous locations. His family moved around a lot and his mother was murdered when he was 11. His grandparents stepped in and raised him in a small town near Lynchburg, Virginia.

The poker life came with some twists and turns for Gilliam. At age 18, he immediately joined the U.S. Marine Corps. His work didn’t leave much time for poker, but Gilliam occasionally found some time to play online. He didn’t play much live poker throughout his military career however.

After 10 years in the service, Gilliam was stationed in Baltimore, Maryland. The state legalized poker around the same time and Gilliam gave it a shot at the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore.

“I got my first real taste of tournaments at the first WSOP Circuit series in Maryland in 2015,” he says. “I made a deep run in the Main Event and finished fourth. Ever since then I’ve been hooked.”

That finish brought a score of $69,536 and he now has career live tournament winnings of more than $500,000. However, Gilliam has never been a full-time player, preferring running a business as his main source of income to support his family.

The same year he began playing tournaments, Gilliam left the Marines and began refurbishing military trucks for marketing purposes. His company’s biggest client is the Mission BBQ restaurant chain and Gilliam builds all the military trucks seen outside each restaurant.

Got em for my 1st bracelet!! 🍻 pic.twitter.com/Yui2DmGRH2

— Jonathan Gilliam (@Milo_Poker) September 10, 2022

Life on the farm boosts poker skills

Playing tournament poker was a big part of Gilliam’s life until the pandemic. Live games evaporated in Maryland and he eventually turned to traveling to play online occasionally. COVID also brought another change for Gilliam and his family.

“My wife and six kids decided to follow our dream and buy a farm in Virginia,” he says. “Taking care of our horses, animals, and our ventures is fun. It has definitely cut into how many live tournaments I have played the last couple years, but it has allowed me to study more online and play better than I ever have.”

That paid off in the WSOP Online and Gilliam is now a bracelet winner and pocketed a nice chunk of cash as well. He says the biggest moment in the tournament was actually registering to play.

“That Saturday I had plans that evening and I knew I couldn’t play, but tickets were sold out when I got to the event and I was like, ‘Shoot let me check the lobby,’” he says. “I max late-regged and the rest is history.”

Another one! 🍻 chopped it for more then played it out!!! pic.twitter.com/HtAS2M7U8c

— Jonathan Gilliam (@Milo_Poker) September 12, 2022

Poker life and the importance of family

The winning continued a few days later. He chopped a Sunday high roller event at GG for another $41,717. At the live poker tables, Gilliam’s play is limited because of the reduced number of tournaments available on the East Coast since the pandemic.

However, when not traveling to play major online series, live tournaments close to home are part of his schedule. Gilliam also enjoys golf, riding ATVs and horses, and target shooting.

Family is also a huge part of his life. That expanded in 2019 when his sister passed away and Gilliam adopted her two children. The farm has made for a nice place to raise a family.

With a nice six-figure score now under his belt, what’s planned for the winnings? His wife Tabitha has been a huge supporter and will definitely be a big part of his plans.  

“Not exactly sure what I’ll do with the money yet, but most likely pay off debt and buy my wife a new Ford Bronco or camper,” he says. “She is honestly my biggest fan and supporter, and I couldn’t do any of it without her.

“Tournament schedules are tough and for me to jump on a plane to fly out to Vegas or wherever and leave her with six kids to take care of is hard! Her love and faith in me is really what motivates me to try my best.”

* Photo courtesy WPT

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The World Series of Poker Online action continued over the last week at GGPoker with several players scoring bracelets including Taiwan’s Pete Chen grabbing his second.

Portugal’s Rui Ferreira also scored a bracelet just weeks after a huge win on the European Poker Tour. Here’s a look at the series’ recent winners.

Event 14: $2,500 Deepstack Championship

This championship brings a bit of extra prestige and saw Russia’s Almaz Zhdanov rise to the top for a payday of $246,495. This online player now adds a WSOP bracelet to his trophy collection.

Finland’s Toni Kaukua finished runner-up for $187,273 in an event that saw 705 entries for a $1.7 million prize pool.

England’s Patrick Leonard scored his first bracelet over the summer and found another deep run in this one. The PartyPoker ambassador finished seventh for $47,405 and was a bit disappointed at how things ended.

Martin Jacobson chanted TEN FOR TEN, TEN FOR TEN, well I just got "sevened for seventh" GL Alex + Friends. https://t.co/gAzTC2Hyuh pic.twitter.com/ObdtQDvyhL

— Patrick Leonard 🫡 (@padspoker) August 31, 2022

Event 15: $777 Lucky Sevens Bounty

This slot machine style buy-in – 777 – brought a hefty field of 1,778 players for a $1.3 million prize pool. Taiwan’s Pete Chen claimed the top prize for a total of $116,247 and his second bracelet. Gary Thompson, of Ireland, finished runner-up for $53,867.

This win pushed Chen’s WSOP winnings to almost $1 million and his first bracelet also came online. That win was in 2021, when he took down a $400 Ultra Deepstack at WSOP.com for $82,560. Chen has been on the live tournament scene since 2011 and has more than $3.7 million in winnings.

Event 16: $1,000 Ultra Deepstack 

This No Limit Hold’em event attracted 1,156 entries for a $1.1 million prize pool. Johnathon Gilliam, of the United States, won his first bracelet and $149,520.

Gilliam has more than $500,000 in live tournament winnings. His previous best cash came in 2015 when he finished fourth in a WSOP Circuit event for $69,536. Ireland’s Frank Lillis secured second place for $112,124.

Event 17: Big 500 NLHE

The lower buy-in action returned to GG with this event and Spain’s Vicente Delgado won his first bracelet and $174,497. Delgado has $782,693 in live tournament winnings as well.

On Twitter, the champion said his “love of the game” led to the victory. He re-entered the event late while playing four other tables online.

https://twitter.com/codelsa_poker/status/1567125947450626048?s=20&t=0ac-m0TLUFv1uFyYIYT6

The tournament brought in a nice field of 3,141 entries for a $1.5 million prize pool. Serbia’s Milos Petakovic finished runner-up for $130,853.

Event 18: $100 Flip & Go

This bargain event brought in a massive field of 13,719 entries for a $1.3 million prize pool. In a Flip & Go, players begin with three cards and are all in on the first hand.

The winner then advances to the “Go” stage, which plays out as a regular tournament. The events feature plenty of gamble and have become popular tournaments for GG. 

When the flipping action wrapped up, it was “go time” for Peru’s Ewald Alexander Mahr. He found the winner’s circle for $143,267 and his first bracelet. Russia’s Dmitry Safonov took second for $107,413.

#19: $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha Championship

Fans of the four-card game received some love with this championship event. Portugal’s Rui Ferreira continued a big month, winning his first bracelet for $287,736.

That win comes after Ferreira scooped the €10,300 High Roller title at EPT Barcelona in August for €767,750. He now has more than $2 million in live tournament winnings. The 272-entry field produced a $1.3 million prize pool.

Looking ahead

Plenty of action remains on tap for bracelet hunters in the coming days. One of the bigger events on the horizon is the GGMasters High Roller, which comes with a $2 million guarantee. That event should attract plenty of big names with big bankrolls. Here’s a look at the week ahead.

• $888 Crazy Eights Bounty 8-Handed (Event 20, Sept. 8)
• $500 Ladies Championship (Event 21, Sept. 10)
• $1,050 GGMasters High Roller Freezeout (Event 22, Sept. 11) – $2 million guaranteed
• $400 PLOSSUS Bounty, Final Stage (Event 23, Sept. 12) – $1 million guaranteed
• $2,100 Bounty Championship (Event 24, Sept. 13)

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The bracelet hunting action is ramping up in the World Series of Poker Online at GGPoker. This week, Scott Ball walked away with a $1 million prize as the lucky Mystery Bounty winner.

Over the last week, the series has seen winners from Brazil, Bulgaria, Germany, Finland, and Canada. The series continues at GGPoker through Sept. 27 for players in the international online poker market. US players also have a shot at a bracelet with 33 more events running at WSOP.com from Sept. 10 – Oct. 18.

Here’s a look at some of the winners and events over the last week.

Event 7: Million Dollar Mystery Bounty

This huge event brought a huge field with 51,003 entries for a $10.2 million prize pool. When the action concluded, Finland’s Tapio Vihakas found the win for $367,953. But the bigger prize was the seven-figure bounty involved.

Two-time bracelet winner Scott  Ball scored $1 million for his lucky draw after eliminating a player in the series. However, Ball didn’t initially realize that he’d won the ultimate prize.

True story, when I won the bounty yesterday I didn’t even realize it. I thought it was 1k. Then 3-5 minutes later @WPN_CEO called me to ask me if I won the million. I said no, it was 1k. Phil says dude, it was a million, go check your balance. He was right.. 😂

— Scott Ball (@EndGameScott) August 23, 2022

Event 9: $525 Bounty Pot  Limit Omaha

The four-card action brought in 1,142 entries for a $571,000 prize pool. Canada’s Amichai Barer came out on top for $60,889.

He adds to an already impressive poker record with $3.6 million in live tournament winnings and now adds his first WSOP bracelet.

Event 10: $10,000 Heads Up Championship

This big buy-in event was capped at 128 players for a $940,900 prize pool. Bulgaria’s Dimitar Danchev found the winner’s circle for $327,668.

Danchev has more than $1 million in WSOP winnings and now has his first bracelet. A regular on the international poker scene, he also has $5.4 million in live tournament winnings.

Event 11: $400 Double Stack Bounty NLHE

Gustavo Mastelotto scooped his first bracelet and $51,498 in the double stack action. The tournament brought in 3,550 entries for a $1.3 million prize pool. This becomes the Brazilian’s first bracelet win and third cash of the series.

Event 12: $10,000 Super MILLION$ High Roller

Plenty of poker sharks turned out for this bigger buy-in event with 593 entries and a $5.8 million prize pool. New Zealand’s David Yan came out on top for a nice $985,565 and his first bracelet. High stakes regular David Peters finished sixth for $268,691.

Event 13: $1,500 Millionaire Maker

The biggest win of the series came in this online version of the popular tournament held each summer in Las Vegas. The Millionaire Maker saw 4,706 entries for a $6.7 million prize pool.

Germany’s Markus Prinz scored the win for a huge win of $1.2 million. The founder of DTOPoker training site secured one of the biggest wins of his career.

Uff…. pic.twitter.com/VvxH78AFFc

— Markus Prinz (@PrinzOfDTO) August 30, 2022

Looking ahead

Plenty of action remains in the WSOP Online in the coming weeks. The GGPoker side of the series reaches the halfway point early next week. Players will find plenty of major tournaments in the coming days.

Starting flights for the $5,000 World Championship also continue throughout the series. The event features a $20 million guarantee with Day 2 playing out on Sept. 26. Here’s a look at tournaments on tap over the weekend and early next week.

• $777 Lucky Sevens Bounty (Event 15) – Sept. 1
• $1,000 Ultra Deepstack No Limit Hold’em (Event 16) – Sept. 3
• $500 BIG 500 (Event 17) – Sept. 4
• $100 Flip & Go (Event 18) – Sept. 5, $1 million guaranteed
• $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha Championship (Event 19) – Sept. 6

* Note: some payouts may include deal making.

★★★ Ready to get in the action at GGPoker? Click here for a complete site review with exclusive PokerScout bonus offers. US players can also check out the review and bonus offers for WSOP.com. ★★★