2022 WSOP: Festival pays out over $322M; Top Asia performers; final live and online results

After 52 days of nonstop action, the World Series of Poker concluded its 53rd annual festival at its new home in Ballys and Paris Las Vegas. The series ran from May 31 to July 20 with 89 bracelets snatched up and another 13 at online platform WSOP.com.The series closed with over US$ 322 Million paid out on the live front and another US$ 12.2M online. Highlighting Asia achievements, four players won bracelets: Tong Li (Event 19), Chan Lok Ming (Event 35), Shota Nakanishi (Event 60), and Jinho Hong (Event 76). Three players reached multiple final tables, Naoya Kihara (3), Punnat Punsri (2), and Kartik Ved (2). At the Player of the Year standings, two time champion Daniel Zack is in the lead.

Festival update

Bracelet Event 1 – 88 prize pool: US$ 321,719,219
Tournament of Champions: US$ 1,000,000 / 340 entries
Entries: 183,415
Two time series champion: Daniel Zack (Event 15 & 40), Espen Joerstad (Main Event & Tag Team Event), Lawrence Brandt (Event 58 & 84)
Asia winners: Tong Li (Event 19), Chan Lok Ming (Event 35), Shota Nakanishi (Event 60)
Most final tables: Phil Ivey (4), Daniel Zack (4), Sean Winter (4), David Peters (4), Yuri Dzivielevski (4), Koray Aldemir (4)
Asia final tables: Naoya Kihara (3), Punnat Punsri (2), Kartik Ved (2)
Online Event 1 – 13 prize pool: US$ 12,276,443
Online entries: 10,566

Multi bracelet winners

Career 6th bracelet: Brian Hastings
Career 5th bracelet: Adam Friedman, Eli Elezra
Career 4th bracelet: David Peters, Scott Seiver, Brad Ruben, Jeremy Ausmus, Julien Martini
Career 3rd bracelet: Norbert Szecsi, Daniel Zack, Phillip Hui, Dash Dudley
Career 2nd bracelet: Manig Loeser, Daniel Zack, Robert Cowen, Steven Albini, Justin Pechie, Yuliyan Kolev, Aleksejs Ponakovs, Joao Simao Peres, Daniel Cates, David Jackson, Daniel Strelitz, Espen Joerstad, Sandeep Pulusani, Joao Vieira, Lawrence Brandt

Asia bracelet champions

Four players from Asia emerged victorious to capture maiden bracelets. The first to hear his country’s national anthem was China’s Tong Li who won the $25K High Roller Pot Limit Omaha (8-Handed). Li outlasted the 264 entry field loaded with some of the world’s elite, to pocket a massive US$ 1,467,739 payout. He became the sixth player from China to bring home the coveted gold.

Often seen tearing up No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha events in Taiwan, WSOP newcomer / Hong Kong pro Chan Lok Ming decided to add other poker variants to his resume this year. To practice, he played online then proceeded to test his knowledge on the live stage at the $2,500 Mixed Big Bet Event. Impressively, Chan took it all the way to snatch the gold and the US$ 144,348 first prize. He brought Hong Kong its third ever bracelet.

Japanese Short Deck specialist, Shota Nakanishi locked up his first bracelet at the $10K Short Deck No Limit Holdém. Nakanishi outlasted big guns that included Daniel Negreanu, Ryan Riess, Stephen Chidwick, Brian Rast, and Ben Lamb at heads up. Nakanishi became the sixth player from Japan to bring home the gold.

Jinho Hong from Korea, ex-Starcraft gamer turned poker enthusiast, locked up a bracelet at the $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No Limit Hold’em event. Hong has only been playing poker professionally for the past four years and has quickly climbed the Korea live tournament money rankings with big wins all over Asia. Last year, he attended his first WSOP and cashed in several events. Returning this year, he first won The Wynn Classic $3,500 NL Hold’em Championship for US$ 696,011, which is his largest live score to date. A few weeks later, he closed out he added a WSOP title and US$ 276,067 to his earnings. He brought Korea its fifth bracelet.

Naoya Kihara, Punnat Punsri, and Kartik Ved reach multiple final tables

Japanese pro Naoya Kihara has been attending the annual series for well over a decade and is one of the biggest promoters of poker in his country. He won his first bracelet in 2012 at the $5K Pot Limit Omaha and has since returned yearly. Unlike most Asian players, Kihara is skilled in all variants of poker. This year, he reached three final tables – 3rd at $1,500 Mixed Games Dealers Choice, 3rd at $50K Poker Players Championship 6-Handed, and 5th at $10K Mixed Games Dealers Choice Championship. To date, he has over US$ 1.5 Million in WSOP earnings across 44 cashes.

India pro player Kartik Ved earned his first WSOP cash in 2018 when he ran deep 128th place at the Main Event. Since then, he has accrued numerous cashes which included a big one at the 2019 Main Event in 51st place. In 2020, Ved won his career first bracelet at the WSOP – GGPoker Online Series $840 Super Turbo Bounty No Limit Hold’em. This year, his hunt for his first live event bracelet resulted in two final tables. Ved placed 3rd at the Mini Main Event to pocket a substantial US$ 275,593,which is now his largest live score to date. To close out the series, he placed 4th at the $5K No Limit Hold’em for another six figure payout.

To kick off 2022, Thailand’s Punnat Punsri won two $10K events at the Venetian High Roller. His hot run continued at the WSOP reaching two final tables. During opening week, Punsri bested some of the world’s elite players, placing 3rd at the $50K No Limit Hold’em 8-Handed. This earned him US$ 594,481 for his largest live score to date. Just over a month later, Punsri ran deep again, finishing runner up to Jinho Hong at the $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame NLH Bounty event. Although he has yet to clasp his first gold bracelet, he cashed a total of 12 times in the past two festivals and is inching closer to breaching US$ 1 Million in WSOP earnings.

WSOP Player of the Year standings – Top 10

Daniel Zack has every right to be at the top of the Player of the Year leaderboard after he collected 16 cashes that included four final tables. He was the first player to win two bracelets at the series. He has a lead of 490 points over Daniel Weinman.

Event 71: $1,111 One More for One Drop NLH – MIKE ALLIS – US$ 535,610

Buy in: US$ 1,111
Entries: 5,702
Prize pool: US$ 5,707,702
ITM: 856 places

Final table payouts

Event 75: $777 Lucky 7’s NLH 7-Handed – GREGORY TEBOUL – US$ 777,777

Buy in: US$ 777
Entries: 6,891
Prize pool: US$ 4,711,790
ITM: 989 places

Final table payouts

Event 77: $1500 Mixed NLH / PLO 8-Handed – SANDEEP PULUSANI – US$ 277,949

Buy in: US$ 1,500
Entries: 1,234
Prize pool: US$ 1,647,390
ITM: 186 places

Final table payouts

Event 78: $2,500 No Limit Hold’em – SEBASTIEN AUBE – US$ 499,636

Buy in: US$ 2,500
Entries: 1,364
Prize pool: US$ 3,034,900
ITM: 204 places

Final table payouts

Event 79: $10K Razz Championship – JULIEN MARTINI – US$ 328,906

Buy in: US$ 10,000
Entries: 125
Prize pool: US$ 1,165,625
ITM: 21 places

Final table payouts

Event 80: $600 Mixed NLH; PLO Deepstack – ROMANS VOITOVS – US$ 158,609

Buy in: US$ 600
Entries: 2,107
Prize pool: US$ 1,074,570
ITM: 317 places

Final table payouts

Event 81: $5K Freezeout NLH 8-Handed – MOHAMMAD ARANI – US$ 665,459

Buy in: US$ 5,000
Entries: 756
Prize pool: US$ 3,487,050
ITM: 114 places

Final table payouts

Event 82: $800 8-Handed NLH Deepstack – RICHARD ALSUP – US$ 272,065

Buy in: US$ 800
Entries: 2,812
Prize pool: US$ 1,979,648
ITM: 422 places

Final table payouts

Event 83: $50K High Roller NL Hold’em – JOAO VIEIRA – US$ 1,384,413

Buy in: US$ 50,000
Entries: 97
Prize pool: US$ 4,643,875
ITM: 17 places

Final table payouts

Event 84: $3K H.O.R.S.E. – LAWRENCE BRANDT – US$ 205,319

Buy in: US$ 3,000
Entries: 327
Prize pool: US$ 873,090
ITM: 50 places

Final table payouts

Event 85: The Closer NL Hold’em – MINH NGUYEN – US$ 536,280

Buy in: US$ 1,500
Entries: 2,968
Prize pool: US$ 3,962,280
ITM: 437 places

Final table payouts

Event 86: $10K 6-Handed NL Hold’em Championship – GREGORY JENSEN – US$ 824,649

Buy in: US$ 10,000
Entries: 394
Prize pool: US$ 3,674,050
ITM: 60 places

Final table payouts

Event 87: $5K 8-Handed NL Hold’em – MICHAEL WANG – US$ 541,604

Buy in: US$ 5,000
Entries: 573
Prize pool: US$ 2,642,963
ITM: 86 places

Final table payouts

Event 88: $1K Super Turbo NL Hold’em – JASPAL BRAR – US$ 190,731

Buy in: US$ 1,000
Entries: 1,282
Prize pool: US$ 1,140,980
ITM: 193 places

Final table payouts

Tournament of Champions: BENJAMIN KAUPP – US$ 250,000

Buy in: Invitational
Entries: 470
Prize pool: US$ 1,000,000
ITM: 60 places

Final table payouts

Online 10: $3,200 NL Hold’em High Roller 8-Max – JULIAN PEROUSE – US$ 324,767

Buy in: US$ 3,200
Entries: 340
Prize pool: US$ 1,343,680
ITM: 54 places

Final table payouts

Online 11: $777 NL Hold’em Lucky 7’s Second Chance – FRED LI – US$ 159,060

Buy in: US$ 777
Entries: 781
Prize pool: US$ 854,700
ITM: 167 places

Final table payouts

Online 12 :NL Hold’em High Roller Freezeout Encore – GIANLUCA SPERANZA – US$ 324,625

Buy in: US$ 5,300
Entries: 245
Prize pool: US$ 1,225,000
ITM: 35 places

Final table payouts

Online 13: $500 NL Hold’em Summer Saver – SHAUN O”DONNELL – US$ 125,330

Buy in: US$ 500
Entries: 1,189
Prize pool: US$ 741,600
ITM: 248 places

Final table payouts

2022 WSOP recaps

2022 WSOP underway: first four bracelet winners
2022 WSOP: Bracelet winners Event 5 – 9
2022 WSOP: Bracelet winners Event 10 – 14
2022 WSOP: Bracelet winners Event 15 – 25
2022 WSOP: Bracelet winners Event 26 – 36
2022 WSOP: Bracelet winners Event 37 – 44
2022 WSOP: Bracelet winners Event 45 – 54
2022 WSOP: Bracelet winners Event 55 – 65
2022 WSOP: Bracelet winners Event 67 – 69 and 72 – 74