Event #7: $1,500 Dealer's Choice (6-Handed)
Day 3 Completed
2024 World Series of Poker
Event #7: $1,500 Dealer's Choice (6-Handed)
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2024 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$1,500
Prize Pool
$707,550
Entries
530
Level
31
Limits
150,000 / 300,000
Ante
0
Entries
10
Players Left
1
Level 31
: Limits 150,000/300,000, 0 ante
Event #7: $1,500 Dealer's Choice has come to a close here at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. It took just over six hours for a winner to emerge from ten hopefuls who made it to the final day.
After the dust had settled, mixed game legend John Hennigan was the last player standing, last-defeating Robert Wells after a brief heads-up duel. With the win, Hennigan became only the ninth player to capture a seventh WSOP gold bracelet.
"It's Interesting to know, I guess, just like any other number" Hennigan commented when asked about the accolade. "Very happy to win the tournament. I mean to me, the best thing about winning the tournament is not losing it. Not getting second, or knowing they're still playing and wandering around after you go broke. It's just very satisfying to come out on top."
Event #7: $1,500 Dealer's Choice Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Hennigan | United States | $138,296 |
| 2 | Robert Wells | United Kingdom | $90,339 |
| 3 | Peter Gelencser | Hungary | $60,343 |
| 4 | Viktor Blom | Sweden | $41,237 |
| 5 | Brayden Gazlay | United States | $28,845 |
| 6 | Clint Wolcyn | United States | $20,665 |
| 7 | Ryan Pedigo | United States | $15,182 |
Winner's Reaction
Hennigan quickly took the chip lead once the final table was set and never lost it en route to victory. The Poker Hall of Famer mentioned how comfortable he was navigating the rest of the tournament from the top of the chip counts.
"I had a similar experience at PokerGO, like two months ago, where I just had a huge chip lead, and every hand just played themselves. It was very easy. You know, this tournament was similar to that. When you have a monster chip lead, it's a pretty simple game."
With 21 games to choose from Hennigan described how playing to his strengths was a big part of his strategy in terms of the games he selected.
"I don't really think too much about that. I just played stud because it's the game I'm best at. And frankly, you know, these guys are not young. But the younger people are, the less that they played (stud). It's undoubtedly my best game, and it's probably low on their list. So I just picked stud, and frankly, I've always been lucky in that game, too, so I seem to win every pot."
The win marks the smallest buy-in event in which Hennigan has ever won a bracelet. The majority of his wins have come in events with a buy-in of $10,000 or higher.
"I normally don't (play $1,500 events), but, you know, I just happened to jump in this one. It was a pretty lucky coincidence, actually. I usually just stick with the ten because I don't want to burn myself out too much, but I guess I'll be in the mix for player of the year now. So get ready for the burn."
Final Day Highlights
The action got off to a quick start after Hennigan scored a double knockout in the first level of the day to send off Venkata Tayi and Lawrence Brandt. Six-time bracelet winner Shaun Deeb was left with crumbs shortly afterwards in a Badeucy hand that saw most of his chips get split between Viktor Blom and start of day chip leader Clint Wolcyn. Deeb quadrupled up right after but was still short, and it did not take long before he was eliminated in eighth-place on the final table bubble.
The Final Table
Wolcyn entered the final table with the chip lead, but Hennigan was right behind him. In one of the first hands of the final table, Hennigan took down a four-way Triple Draw pot to take the lead, which he would hold on to all the way until the end of the tournament.
Ryan Pedigo became the first final table casualty after losing most of his chips to Blom in Triple Draw before Hennigan took the rest of it in Stud. It took just under two hours before Pedigo was followed out the door by Wolcyn, who had taken some big hits from Blom and Wells to fall from the top of the counts to the middle of the pack. Brayden Gazlay then got the better of Wolcyn in a massive Pot-Limit Omaha 8 or Better hand to send off the start of day chip leader.
Hennigan began to significantly extend his chip lead over the rest of the field following the elimination of Wolcyn and, at one point, held more than three-quarters of the total chips in play with five remaining. In one notable hand during this period, Blom started with rolled up kings in a hand of Stud-8 only for Hennigan to make a full house on seventh street to leave the online legend short. Blom managed to outlast Gazlay who was knocked out in fifth by Hennigan before he fell in fourth place at the hands of Peter Gelencser.
Gelencser began three-handed play as the shortest stack and was next to fall after flopping top pair in Omaha, only for Hennigan to show up with the better kicker and turn two pair. That hand left Hennigan with nearly a 6:1 chip advantage going into heads-up play versus Wells. Hennigan switched from choosing Stud to No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw once heads-up play began and made short work of Wells, who could not close the gap and was ultimately eliminated after running his pat jack-ten into Hennigan's pat jack-nine.
This concludes our coverage of this event, but stay tuned to PokerNews for continuing coverage throughout the rest of the 55th World Series of Poker from here at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
Level 31
: Limits 150,000/300,000, 0 ante
Level 31
: Limits 150,000/300,000, 0 ante
No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw
John Hennigan moved all in from the button and Robert Wells, who was very short-stacked, made the call and was at risk. Both players stood pat.
Wells had J?10?7?3?2? for a jack-ten low but Hennigan turned over J?9?8?7?5? for a jack-nine low to take the final pot of the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
13,250,000
750,000
|
750,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 31
: Limits 150,000/300,000, 0 ante
No-Limit 2-7 Draw
John Hennigan raised to 250,000 on the button, Robert Wells three-bet to 700,000 in the big blind, and Hennigan called.
Both players drew one and Wells bet 350,000. Hennigan called.
Wells showed 10-8-7-6-2, but Hennigan had 10-8-5-4-2 to win the first big pot of heads-up.
"Wasn't a good start," Wells said.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
12,500,000
1,200,000
|
1,200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
750,000
-1,200,000
|
-1,200,000 |
Level 31
: Limits 150,000/300,000, 0 ante
Pot-Limit Omaha
Peter Gelencser opened to 280,000 from the button and was called by John Hennigan in the small blind.
The flop came J?5?2?. Hennigan bet enough to put Gelencser all in and Gelencser called to put himself at risk.
Peter Gelencser: K?J?9?3? 
John Hennigan: A?Q?J?9?
Both players had flopped top pair but Hennigan had the best kicker. The rest of the board ran out Q?6? giving Hennigan top two pair to take the pot while Gelencser's deep run came to an end in third place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
11,300,000
990,000
|
990,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,950,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level: 31
Limits: 150,000/300,000
Ante: 0
Level 31
: Limits 150,000/300,000, 0 ante
2-7 Triple Draw
Robert Wells raised on the button, Peter Gelencser three-bet in the small blind, and Wells called.
Both players checked after drawing two. Gelencser took one on the second draw and bet, while Wells called after taking two.
Gelencser stood pat and Wells took one. Gelencser then moved all in and Wells tanked for a moment before folding.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,800,000
-500,000
|
-500,000 |
|
|
1,500,000
800,000
|
800,000 |
|
|
||
Level 31
: Limits 150,000/300,000, 0 ante
Badacey
Robert Wells raised on the button, Peter Gelencser reraised in the small blind, and Wells called.
Gelencser took two and Wells one. Wells then bet and Gelencser called.
Both players drew the same number of cards and checked the second draw. They each drew one on the third draw and Wells bet.
Gelencser called and Wells showed A?J?5?3?2? to win the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,300,000
575,000
|
575,000 |
|
|
700,000
-630,000
|
-630,000 |
|
|
||
Level 30
: Limits 120,000/240,000, 0 ante
Pot-Limit Omaha
John Hennigan opened to 210,000 from the button and Peter Gelencser defended from the big blind.
The flop came A?4?4?. Gelencser checked, Hennigan bet 60,000, Gelencser shoved for 425,000 and Hennigan called to put Gelencser at risk.
Peter Gelencser: A?5?5?3?
John Hennigan: Q?6?4?3?
Hennigan was ahead with trip fours until the 5? turn gave Gelencser a full house leaving Hennigan drawing thin. The K? river was clean for Gelencser who collected a full double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
10,310,000
-890,000
|
-890,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,330,000
780,000
|
780,000 |
|
|
||