At one level through the wild three-handed part of the 2024 World Sequence of Poker $100,000 buy-in no-limit maintain’em closing desk, Chris Hunichen was all-in and one card away from elimination. He had gotten the final of his stack in preflop along with his pocket fives racing towards the A-J of six-time bracelet winner Jeremy Ausmus, however an ace on the flip had left Hunichen drawing to 2 outs to remain alive.
Hunichen went for the pre-river handshake of congratulations, which Ausmus politely waived off. Ausmus might have been capable of efficiently evade Hunichen’s grasp, however he couldn’t dodge the 5 on the tip which gave Hunichen a set and much-needed infusion of chips. After lots extra twists and turns, Hunichen was ultimately capable of shut out the win, incomes his first WSOP gold bracelet and $2,838,389 because the champion.
There isn’t any approach. Pure electrical energy. ⚡️ @BigHuni
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— PokerGO (@PokerGO) June 20, 2024
This was the biggest stay rating but for Hunichen, bringing his recorded event earnings to just about $16 million. The 39-year-old from Clayton, North Carolina additionally has untold thousands and thousands in on-line earnings accrued throughout almost twenty years of web play on the highest ranges.
Previous to this huge breakthrough, his two largest scores had are available shut calls on the sequence. He completed third within the 2022 $250,000 buy-in for $1,931,718 and second in a $25,000 buy-in held through the 2020 WSOP On-line competition for $1,332,097. He had one different runner-up end with a bracelet on the road, incomes $358,677 for a second-place displaying within the 2017 $5,000 six-max occasion.
“It has been robust. One of many hardest years of my life, with my Dad passing,” Hunichen informed PokerGO reporter Drea Renee after closing out the win.
“He was my greatest fan, he supported me from the start,” he continued.
“It felt destined,” Hunichen additionally supplied. “I actually felt like I used to be gonna win this one. A few of my associates flew in from all around the world to be right here for me for this second. I can’t allow them to down.”
Along with the {hardware} and the cash, Hunichen additionally earned loads of rankings factors because the champion of this occasion. The 1,200 Card Participant Participant of the Yr factors he secured shot him up the standings and into 215th place within the 2024 POY race introduced by World Poker. He additionally nabbed 550 PokerGO Tour factors, good for twenty seventh place on that high-stakes-centric leaderboard.
This occasion drew 112 entries, constructing a large $10,836,000 prize pool. The highest 17 finishers made the cash, with heavy hitters like current $50,000 buy-in champ Sergio Aido (sixteenth), two-time bracelet winner Nick Petrangelo (thirteenth), bracelet winner Andrew Lichtenberger (twelfth), three-time bracelet winner Justin Bonomo (tenth), and bracelet winner Isaac Haxton (eighth) operating deep.
Daniel Aharoni bowed out in seventh place ($396,396) to carry day 2 to a detailed. Latest $50,000 buy-in third-place finisher Viktor Blom held the lead among the many closing six, with Hunichen in second chip place when day 3 received underway.
Ausmus earned an early double up via three-time bracelet winner and up to date $50,000 buy-in runner-up Likelihood Kornuth. He then had A-Q maintain towards the Ok-J of two-time bracelet winner Justin Saliba, who earned $512,465 because the sixth-place finisher.
Kornuth then doubled via two-time bracelet winner Aleksejs Ponakovs, who was left on fumes consequently. Kornuth’s A-5 held towards Ponakovs’ Ok-J suited to ship him to the rail in fifth place ($681,796). This was his fifth final-table end of the 12 months. With 3,327 complete POY factors and $3,932,654 in POY earnings, he now sits in fifteenth within the POY rankings.
Ausmus doubled into the lead when his Q-J outran the A-J of Hunichen. He then added to his lead when his Ok-6, shoved from the small blind, bested the pocket nines of Kornuth within the huge blind. Ausmus turned journey kings and held from there to ship Kornuth dwelling with $932,725. He now has greater than $19.1 million in profession earnings after his two deep runs in excessive rollers previously week on the sequence.
Hunichen’s huge 5 on the river got here early in three-handed play. He almost adopted it up with the elimination of Blom in third place, however Blom’s mis-clicked four-bet with A-7 suited ended up being rewarded, because it drew out towards the A-J suited of Hunichen after the entire chips went in preflop. Turnabout is honest play, although, and Hunichen quickly got here from behind with A-6 suited besting the A-Ok of Blom.
Blom ultimately completed in third place ($1,311,091) when his Ok-J squared off towards A-7 suited to Hunichen, which made the nut flush by the flip. Blom had outs to a full home, however missed on the river. The Swedish on-line star, recognized to many by his on-line display title ‘Isildur1’, now has greater than $5.6 million in event earnings, with almost $2.3 million of that coming from his pair of third-place finishes in excessive rollers on the 2024 WSOP.
Hunichen held higher than a 2:1 chip lead over Ausmus when heads-up play started. Ausmus was virtually out the door within the early going, getting all-in with Ok-8 dominated by Hunichen’s Ok-9. Each gamers flopped a king, however Ausmus discovered an eight on the flip for 2 pair and the double up. He was capable of edge into the lead for a bit, however Hunichen regained the sting in time for the ultimate hand of the event.
Hunichen raised from the button to 2,500,000 with 97 and Ausmus three-bet to 7,500,000 from the large blind with JJ. Hunichen referred to as and the flop got here down 952. Ausmus led out for 7,400,000 and Hunichen moved all-in. Ausmus referred to as for twenty-four,000,000 complete and the Ok hit the flip. The 9 accomplished the board, giving Hunichen journeys and the title.
Ausmus earned $1,892,260 because the runner-up, surpassing $20.2 million in profession earnings within the course of. This was his tenth final-table end of the 12 months, with one title gained. He now sits in eleventh place within the POY standings and seventh on the PGT leaderboard.
Here’s a have a look at the payouts and rankings factors awarded on the closing desk:
Place
Participant
Earnings
POY Factors
PGT Factors
1
Christopher Hunichen
$2,838,389
1200
550
2
Jeremy Ausmus
$1,892,260
1000
450
3
Viktor Blom
$1,311,091
800
400
4
Likelihood Kornuth
$932,725
600
280
5
Aleksejs Ponakovs
$681,796
500
205
6
Justin Saliba
$512,465
400
154
7
Daniel Aharoni
$396,396
300
119
8
Isaac Haxton
$315,805
200
95
9
Michael Jozoff
$259,371
100
78
Go to the Card Participant 2024 World Sequence of Poker web page for schedules, information, interviews, and the newest occasion outcomes. WSOP protection sponsored by World Poker.
Winner photograph credit score: WSOP / Danny Maxwell. Ausmus photograph credit score: PokerGO / Enrique Malfavon.