2019 WSOP Day 25: Chidwick, Engel, and Schwartz Win
Three big names in the world of poker claimed WSOP gold yesterday, all experiencing their first time in the WSOP winner’s circle. Many would have assumed players like Stephen Chidwick, Ari Engel, and Luke Schwartz had been there before, but none had actually won until this year.
On Saturday, June 22, this is what happened at the 50th Annual World Series of Poker.
Event 45: $25K PLO High Roller – Final
Total entries: 278
Prize pool: $6,602,500
Players paid: 42
Final table payouts:
1st place: Stephen Chidwick (UK) – $1,618,417
2nd place: James Chen (Taiwan) – $1,000,253
3rd place: Matthew Gonzales (USA) – $699,364
4th place: Robert Mizrachi (USA) – $497,112
5th place: Alex Epstein (USA) – $359,320
6th place: Erik Seidel (USA) – $264,186
7th place: Wasim Korkis (USA) – $197,637
8th place: Ka Kwan Lau (Hong Kong) – $150,483
Event 47: $1K Ladies NLHE Championship – Day 3 of 4
Total entries: 968
Prize pool: $871,200
Players paid: 146
Minimum payout: $1,496
Winner payout: $167,308
Day 3 players remaining: 6
Final table chip counts:
Tu Dao (Canada) – 5.42 million chips
Jiyoung Kim (China) – 5.1 million chips
Nancy Matson (USA) – 4.53 million chips
Lyly Vo (USA) – 1.7 million chips
Lexy Gavin (USA) – 1.43 million chips
Sandrine Phan (France) – 1,185,000 chips
Final table payouts thus far:
7th place: Raylene Celaya (USA) – $20,582
8th place: Stephanie Hubbard (USA) – $15,544
9th place: Barbara Blechinger (USA) – 11,911
Day 4 starting time: 12noon
Event 48: $2,500 NLHE – Final
Total entries: 996
Prize pool: $2,241,000
Players paid: 150
Final table payouts:
1st place: Ari Engel (Canada) – $427,399
2nd place: Pablo Melogno (Uruguay) – $264,104
3rd place: Wilbern Hoffman (USA) – $186,392
4th place: Ben Keeline (USA) – $133,306
5th place: David Baker (USA) – $96,632
6th place: James Hughes (USA) – $71,010
7th place: Truyen Nguyen (USA) – $52,909
8th place: Ryan Olisar (USA) – $39,980
9th place: Josh Arieh (USA) – $30,643
Event 49: $10K Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw – Final
Total entries: 100
Prize pool: $940,000
Players paid: 15
Final table payouts:
1st place: Luke Schwartz (UK) – $273,336
2nd place: George Wolff (USA) – $168,936
3rd place: Johannes Becker (Germany) – $116,236
4th place: Mark Gregorich (USA) – $81,635
5th place: Yueqi Zhu (China) – $58,547
6th place: Calvin Anderson (USA) – $42,898
Event 50: $1,500 NLHE Monster Stack – Day 1B of 6
Total entries: 6,035
Prize pool: $8,147,250
Players paid: 906
Minimum payout: $2,249
Winner payout: $1,008,850
Day 1 players remaining: 2,902
Day 1A chip leader: Conor Beresford (UK) – 724,000 chips
Day 1B chip leader: James Hundt (USA) – 466,600 chips
Day 2 starting time: 11am
Event 51: $2,500 Mixed – Day 2 of 3
Total entries: 401
Prize pool: $902,250
Players paid: 61
Minimum payout: $3,727
Winner payout: $213,750
Day 2 players remaining: 12
Chip leader: Michael Thompson (USA) – 923,000 chips
Day 3 starting time: 2pm
Event 52: $10K PLO 8-Handed Championship – Day 1 of 4
Total entries: 494 (registration remains open)
Prize pool: $4,463,600 (not final)
Players paid: TBD
Minimum payout: TBD
Winner payout: TBD
Day 1 players remaining: 253
Chip leader: Yi Li (USA) – 572,000 chips
Day 2 starting time: 2pm
Notable Information
Stephen Chidwick didn’t just win any WSOP tournament as his first; he took down the $25K buy-in PLO High Roller for more than $1.6 million. After having cashed at the WSOP 52 times in the past, 13 of which were final table finishes, the high-stakes poker regular took this one down. “I try really hard to detach the bracelet and everything around it,” he said. “I have been here many times, and I had a lot of heartbreak over the years, too.”
And to finally win it? “It means a lot. It feels great,” Chidwick said. “I had so many people supporting me for the past 10 years since I have been grinding so hard to win a bracelet, and I know I have a lot of people in my corner that are really happy for me, and that means a lot.”
The rest of his series action will depend on his wife and infant daughter. Chidwick noted that they take priority, and he will base his play on the needs of his family.
Congratulations to Stephen Chidwick on winning his first WSOP bracelet in the $25,000 PLO High Roller. He wins $1,618,417 after defeating a field of 278 players.https://t.co/bC6nTJzSRP pic.twitter.com/Di5s7q29XC
— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) June 23, 2019
Ari Engel was another longtime poker pro that hadn’t won a WSOP gold bracelet until yesterday in the $2,500 NLHE event. He does have nine WSOP Circuit rings, but now he has the bracelet. But he never game up. “The competition in this was way tougher (than WSOP Circuit events). It means more from the poker accomplishment perspective.”
He acknowledged luck’s role in the win but also his own ability to take it down. “I sucked out so many times in this tournament; it’s ridiculous,” Engel said. “With this huge field of No Limit players, you play these expecting to win one in a lifetime. It’s a relief to not mess this up.”
Congratulations to @AriEngelPoker on his first WSOP gold bracelet (to go with 9 circuit rings!) He wins the $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em and $427,399.https://t.co/upbULUCco9 pic.twitter.com/1I6WNq11ic
— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) June 23, 2019
And then Luke Schwartz captured his first WSOP gold. That win came in the $10K Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship. “It feels pretty good, pretty relieving,” he commented. “It’s a nice thing to have as a poker player.”
He acknowledged the change that many have already seen in him, from a young pro with a temper to a more mature player with focus. When talking about the five-hour three-handed match in the tournament, Schwartz said, “Maybe the old me would’ve just got too frustrated and tilted, but I just took a deep breath … I just wanted the bracelet. I just wanted to win it.”
London, England's @__fullflush1__ , a/k/a Luke Schwartz, wins his first-ever WSOP gold bracelet. Schwartz tops a 100-entry field to take down Event #49 at the 2019 @WSOP, $10,000 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball. Schwartz also collects $253,933. https://t.co/7Hd8M2Gzgf pic.twitter.com/1S2PpRJlsN
— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) June 23, 2019