2023 WSOP Week 2 Roundup: Eveslage Takes Two

Written by Jennifer Newell

Last updated on September 15th, 2023

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Every one or two years, there is a player who stands out from the crowd at the World Series of Poker by winning more than one gold bracelet. Even in recent years, when the WSOP awards more than 100 each summer alone, there is usually a player who wins two.

This year, it happened early, as Chad Eveslage won two bracelets – in the same category of Dealers Choice – within a matter of a few days. While the time frame and poker category caught everyone’s attention, the person who won the two bracelets was not a surprise. He has been on a heater for the last several years. As just an example, he won big on the World Poker Tour and captured the 2022 Player of the Year title. And last summer, he won his first WSOP bracelet in a No Limit Hold’em event in the first week of the series.

The 2023 WSOP isn’t even half over. Keep an eye on Indiana-born Chad Eveslage.

Event 7: Ukraine Wins

When most tournaments at the beginning of the WSOP result in mostly-American final tables, one in which two representatives of another country taking the top two spots is a rarity. This low buy-in Limit Hold’em event found two Ukrainians going heads-up in the end, with Vadim Schlez taking the title and bracelet.

After two decades in the game Schlez told PokerNews how special it was to win. Draped in the Ukrainian flag, he said, “It was unbelievable.” And about heads-up with a fellow countryman, he added “Nobody expected this to happen. I mean, even making the final table together was great.”

 

Event 8:  Khun Races to Bracelet

Chanracy Khun is no stranger to poker tournament tables. It wasn’t a particular surprise when he entered the $25K Heads-Up Championship and made the money, nor when he beat Landon Tice and then Sean Winter to make it to the final match-up. And after a roller coaster of a battle, Khun beat Doug Polk for his first bracelet and more than $500K.

Khun, himself, was stunned a bit at the victory. “I feel really good,” he told PokerNews. “I’m relieved. And it’s tough to find any words, but it’s a mix of emotions.”

 

Event 9:  Schulman Shines

Longtime poker pro Nick Schulman is often quiet and soft-spoken, even as a commentator for poker tournaments. But it’s that cool and composed manner that garners so much attention. It was no different when he ran deep in this Stud tournament, as he eased past players like Shaun Deeb and John Monnette to fight for his fourth bracelet.

When he won it, Schulman said it signifies that he’s stood the test of time. “I’m still here. It means a lot,” he said. And he proceeded to take the coolest winner photo in recent memory.

 

Some people just understand the assignment.

Congrats, @NickSchulman, on bracelet #4. pic.twitter.com/i4wMRCojY0

— Rachel Kay Winter (@RachKayPhoto) June 5, 2023

Event 10: Eveslage Earns a Second

Just days after Chad Eveslage won the $1,500 buy-in Dealers Choice bracelet, he played and won the $10K buy-in Dealers Choice Championship. It was his second bracelet in just a few days and his third lifetime WSOP gold bracelet. For Event 10, he ran directly past players like Ari Engel and Dutch Boyd to win and take a place atop the Player of the Year race early in the series.

Eveslage was elated to win but downplayed being the best poker player in the world. He claimed skill in heads-up Badeucey and gladly accepted the bracelet.

 

Eveslage goes back-to-back!@chadeveslage won the $1,500 Dealers Choice Event to open the 2023 @WSOP – then immediately rolled into the $10,000 Dealers Choice Event – and won that too!

Read all about his history-making run on https://t.co/zvkOqhzYBA!https://t.co/rrZ1Gk3smU

— World Poker Tour (@WPT) June 7, 2023

Event 11: O’Donnell Earns One

Two-day NLHE Deepstack events consist of two very long days, so players must have stamina and tenacity in addition to patience. Out of more than 6,000 entries, Kenneth O’Donnell emerged victorious for his first WSOP gold.

“It’s huge,” O’Donnell said. “It’s amazing.” He went on to say that he was “absurdly lucky” and a “Chosen One for the poker gods.” “This feels really special,” he added in the post-tournament interview. “I just feel really blessed.

 

Event 12: Eyer Eyes Victory

The buy-in was $5K and the game was Hold’em – with no reentries and no easy path. When the tournament wound down to just two players, Jeremy Eyer was up against Felipe Ramos, the longtime pro from Brazil. It took nearly three hours, but Eyer pulled off a win.

When he spoke to the poker media, he noted that he had been playing more online, trying to improve his game year after year. “Now, I’m transitioning more into live mostly, and that’s helping my game a lot,” he told PokerNews.

 

Event 13: Altomonte at the Top

This was a two-day deepstacked tournament like many others on the summer schedule, but this played PLO instead of NLHE. And it was a player named Joseph Altomonte who claimed the victory and his first career bracelet.

After returning from a poker hiatus, Altomonte worked into this win and called his parents immediately after it happened. “It’s a dream come true,” he told reporters. “You don’t even understand.”

 

Event 14: Yoon Wins Fifth

Brian Yoon is a skilled poker player who entered the 2023 WSOP with four bracelets from past years. He won his first in 2013 in the Little One for One Drop, wading through a large field and unlimited entries. The next year brought another NLHE bracelet, and yet another in 2017. In 2021, he won a bracelet in the Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship, so it was only fitting that he captured his fifth career bracelet in yet another variant. This was a $10K buy-in Seven-Card Stud Championship, so he battled names like Ben Yu, Maxx Coleman, and Dan Shak at the final table.

After winning the two-hour final duel, Yoon said he had been working on his Stud game. With that study, he entered and won this event. “It feels good,” he said. “So, it feels nice to break through in a game where you weren’t sure where you stacked up, and then you’re able to win.”

 

Brian Yoon (@byoonz), man. Last night, he became the 33rd player in @WSOP history to win a fifth gold bracelet. Three have come in NL hold’em (6,716-, 4,756-, 550-entry fields), one in 2-7 triple draw, and one in stud. TD and stud ones were $10,000 championship events. pic.twitter.com/tFyS3gFtl4

— Donnie Peters 🍕 (@Donnie_Peters) June 8, 2023

Event 15: Bracelet for Brazil

Poker is big in Brazil. That’s probably an understatement. Anyone can tell by the excited crowd that rails every Brazilian player at a final table that a celebration awaits. And Rafael Reis was evidence of it all when he won this six-handed NLHE event.

Reis said he was comfortable at the table and more experienced than at his last WSOP final table. His confidence led him to tell friends to join him for his final table because he felt so good about it. Afterward, he commented on winning his first bracelet: “I am feeling like I had a mission, and I completed my mission.”

 

Event 16: Haxton Finally Gets It

Isaac Haxton went to the WSOP with more than $35M in live tournament earnings and titles from events around the world. One thing he didn’t have, however, was a WSOP bracelet. He fixed that in the second week of the 2023 World Series.

Outlasting the likes of Joao Vieira, Brian Rast, and Darren Elias, Haxton took the victory and grabbed that gold bracelet. While he contended that he doesn’t track the earnings list, he admitted that the bracelet meant a lot to him. “It feels very good, very good,” he told PokerOrg.

 

💥PokerOrg Instant | POST OF THE DAY💥

One of the “best players to never win a @WSOP bracelet” finally GOT’EM 👊🏽 We caught Isaac Haxton (@ikepoker) moments after his win!

Bookmark and follow PokerOrg Instant every single day! https://t.co/aKuY36oJ8Q #poker #WSOP pic.twitter.com/FZ6C61j8Er

— Poker Org (@pokerorg) June 9, 2023

Event 17: Collopy Wins O8 for Third Gold

Jim Collopy’s first bracelet came in PLO in the oft-forgotten and short-lived World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific series in 2013. In 2021, he won a HORSE event for his second piece of WSOP gold, and he can now add an Omaha Hi-Lo bracelet to his collection. With more than $5M in live tournament earnings to date, Collopy continues to be a force at the tables.

In the event that set a new record, Collopy said, “It was terrific that over 1,000 people were here to play this event, so it’s just really special to close out the bracelet in a tournament like this.”

 

Last night, Jim Collopy managed to outlast Nick Kost in a marathon of a heads-up match in Event #17: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better.

With the win, Jim picked up $262,542 and his third bracelet. Congratulations, Jim! pic.twitter.com/pyOhXLuO19

— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) June 9, 2023