Casino Player July 2022

PLAYING POKER

WSOP Roundup Amateurs, poker pros, celebrities, bracelets and more ➤ by Sean Chaffin

“What makes theWorld Series of Poker different and special is the history,”WSOPVice PresidentTy Stewart said at the news conference to kick off the series.“And we expect this to be the biggestWorld Series of Poker of all time.” Along with debuting on the Vegas Strip, players will find the most space ever dedicated for the series.The Paris Ballroom offers 88,000 square feet and more than 300 poker tables. Bally’s hosts another 187 tables as well as the PokerGO/CBS Sports set for televised final tables. The set includes five feature tables for every final table this year as well as a larger area for spectators to check out the bracelet-hunting competition.Here’s a look at some of the action so far. One of the first events of the series was meant to welcome players to the new venues and delivered with a massive field.The $500 Housewarming saw 20,080 entries for a massive $8.4 million prize pool.The series has worked in recent years to appeal to “weekend warrior” recreational players with lower buy-in events as well as more mid-tier buy-ins, and then also appealing to pros with“championship”and high-roller events with buy-ins set at $10,000 and higher. The Housewarming became the first of the big-field weekend events with the Millionaire Maker and Colossus also among those events bringing in big numbers.When the dust settled in the Housewarming, California’s HenryAcain turned his 500 bucks into his first bracelet and a payday of $701,215. “Amazing, I feel pretty good about it,”saidAcain,who began playing in 2008.“It’s like my dream come true.My skills developed in 2013 and I never looked back after that. I was mainly a cash game player before.” Shifting to tournament play certainly turned out to be a wise decision and the massive cash heading his way proves that. In the other big June action, the $1,500 Monster Stack produced the second-biggest field in the first three weeks of the series.That reached 6,501 for an $8.7 million prize pool.After four days of play,Virginia’s Mike Jukich scored his first bracelet and almost a million bucks—$966,577 to be exact. Jukich celebrated by jumping on the table after the win and also had some big plans ahead.’ “My fiancée ...we’re not married yet,but I promise we will be soon,” he toldWSOP.com.“She’s been my rock. She’s been supportive through lots of ups and downs and lots of stupid decision-making withmoney,now hopefully I can just hang on to it and give her and my son a good life.” Housewarming, Monster Stack Deliver Big Fields & Prizes

When the dust settled in the Housewarming event, California’s Henry Acain turned $500 into his first bracelet and a payday of $701,215.

T he World Series of Poker is underway with 87 events running through July 20 and currently playing out on the LasVegas Strip at Bally’s and Paris.The series is the biggest spectacle in poker each year and organizers were once again expecting big events this year with COVID-19 restrictions lifted internationally and mask and vaccination mandates lifted for players as well.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF WSOP/POKERGO