Event #57: $600 Deepstack Championship No-Limit Hold'em

It was a comeback for the ages for Hungary's Tamas Lendvai, who came out victorious in Event #57: $600 Deep Stack Championship No-Limit Hold'em at the 2022 World Series of Poker at Bally's and Paris Las Vegas, topping the field of 4,913 players, who generated a prize pool of $2,505,630.

Lendvai will take home a cash of $299,464 and the first WSOP bracelet of his career for his efforts. He defeated German Frank Reichel in heads-up play to capture the hardware.

Event #57: $1,000 Deep Stack Championship No-Limit Hold'em Final Table Results

Lendvai entered Day 4 as the smallest stack on the table, at 7,800,000, less than eight big blinds. He managed to run his stack up and capture the title in just two hours, with the final hand being dealt just before the players would have otherwise gone on their first break of the day. He did so thanks to his aggressive play, frequently applying pressure by moving all in, slowly building his stack when most of his jams received no callers, and by having the goods when he did get a caller.

After the final card hit the felt and Lendvai had locked up the championship, he was overcome with emotion. After yelling and celebrating briefly with his rail, he collapsed to the ground with his face in his hands before pumping his fists in the air in pure bliss.

His supporters quickly climbed over the rail to celebrate with him.

After the excitement calmed down a bit, he told PokerNews about what this win meant to him, in a teary eyed, emotional interview.

"Since I've been playing poker I've been dreaming about this moment so what can I say… It means the world. It means everything and more for me and for my family." He went on to give more context behind why his reaction was as emotional as it was, "I did this for my dad, who's battling cancer now. Dad, let's do it."

Lendvai, who has been playing competitively for well over a decade, with cashes dating back to 2007, finally broke through to capture his first career bracelet, doing so for his family. Some of whom were on the rail supporting him throughout, including his wife, his son, and several close friends.

Other notable deep runs included online player Jon "apestyles" Van Fleet (Third - $138,149), four time bracelet winner Jeremy Ausmus (14th - $14,119), and 2019 Main Event finalist Nick Marchington (15th - $14,119).

Final Table Action

Day 2 chip leader John Ypma was the first to fall from the proper final table, finishing in 9th place. Ypma had the second biggest stack when the field reached ten remaining players, but he lost a chunk after his queens were busted by Reichel's trip jacks. He later doubled up Tsuf Saltsberg after losing a flip, which left him with a half of a big blind. He'd be eliminated once he got into the big blind, as his ten-deuce was no good.

Israeli Tamir Saidman was the next to fall, after running his jacks into Abdullah Alshanti's ace king. Alshanti paired his king on the turn, and Saidman was eliminated.

When action resumed on Day 4, it was Saidman's fellow Israeli Saltsberg who was the first knockout of the day. After doubling up Daniel Marcus and Reichel, who busted Saltsberg's aces by flopping trip tens, his stack was down to just over a single big, and Lendvai knocked him out a few hands later with a flush.

Lendvai picked up his second knockout of the day when Alshanti ran his queens into Lendvai's aces, knocking out Alshanti in 6th place. Lendvai then eliminated Marcus in fifth place by winning a flip with pocket fives, putting him in the chip lead, which he never relinquished.

Alex Jim, who entered the day as the big stack, was the next to leave the table for a fourth place finish, after Van Fleet flopped top pair against him and he was unable to improve.

The stage seemed set for Van Fleet and Lendvai to duke it out in heads-up play, as the two were both over 60,000,000, while Reichel had only around 20,000,000. That was until Van Fleet jammed with ace-ten in the small blind, while Lendvai woke up with pocket aces in the big blind. His aces held, and Van Fleet was eliminated in third place.

Later, Lendvai would go on to attribute some of his success to Van Fleet, telling PokerNews, "I know it's only 140 bigs in play, so I can put pressure even with 10 big blinds. Ape [Jon "apestyles" Van Fleet], who was on the final table, he was the only one who knew what I was doing, I learned from his videos so shout out to him too."

Heads-up play lasted only around 20 minutes. Reichel did manage to score a double up early, but Lendvai took down the championship when he flopped top pair and improved to trips on the river to beat Reichel's king high.

"I'm the short stack most of the time," Lendvai told PokerNews with a laugh. "So I know what to do with the short stack. Obviously it's a dream come true."

Action started when Jon Van Fleet opened to 4,000,000 from the small blind and Tamas Lendvai three-bet to 12,000,000 from the big blind. Van Fleet four-bet shoved for roughly 38,000,000 and Lendvai snap-called.

Jon Van Fleet:   
Tamas Lendvai:   

Van Fleet was shocked to see the aces of Lendvai and the board ran out      , eliminating Van Fleet in 3rd place.

Tamas Lendvai	135,000,000	49,000,000
Jon Van Fleet	0	-47,000,000

Alex Jim opened the action by moving all in from under the gun for 11,400,000. It folded to Jon Van Fleet in the big blind who made the call.

Alex Jim:   
Jon Van Fleet:   

The board ran out      , securing the knockout for Van Fleet and eliminated Jim in 4th place for a six-figure score.

Jon Van Fleet	60,000,000	20,000,000
Alex Jim	0	-36,300,000

Jon Van Fleet opened to 2,500,000 from under the gun and only Daniel Marcus made the call in the big blind.

The flop came     and Marcus checked. Van Fleet continued for 2,200,000 which was called.

On the   turn Marcus checked again and Van Fleet sized up to 5,000,000 which got the job done when Marcus folded.

Jon Van Fleet	40,000,000	1,000,000
Daniel Marcus	18,000,000	-6,000,000

Tamas Lendvai had already moved all in at least four times prior to this hand, but had yet to get a call on any of his shoves, raising and pumping his fist in triumph after getting no action and scooping the pot of blinds and antes each time.

After Jon Van Fleet opened from the cutoff for 2,000,000, Lendvai jammed for 11,200,000 in the small blind. Action folded back around to Van Fleet, who made the call.

Tamas Lendvai:   
Jon Van Fleet:   

Lendvai was ahead, and the       runout changed neither player's hand. Lendvai scooped the pot and doubled his stack.

Tamas Lendvai

24,400,000

13,900,000

After posting the big blind and ante, Tsuf Saltsberg was left with just a single 100,000 chip.

Tamas Lendvai limped from the hijack, and Daniel Marcus limped from the small blind.

The     flop was checked through before Lendvai fired for 2,000,000 on the   turn. Marcus folded and Saltsberg tossed in his remaining chip.

Tsuf Saltsberg:   
Tamas Lendvai:   

Lendvai had Saltsberg dominated with his straight, but Saltsberg could still survive with a nine on the river for a chop pot. Instead, the   river improved Lendvai to a flush, and awarded him the pot. Saltsberg was eliminated in 7th place for a cash of $46,347, the biggest score of his career.

Tamas Lendvai	10,500,000	2,700,000
Tsuf Saltsberg	0	-2,000,000

Action folded around to Daniel Marcus in the small blind. He moved all in for 11,100,000. Tsuf Saltsberg, in the big blind, made the call, putting Marcus at risk.

Daniel Marcus:   
Tsuf Saltsberg:   

Marcus was ahead, and the       runout kept him in front. He scooped the pot and doubled his stack.

Daniel Marcus	24,700,000	14,100,000
Tsuf Saltsberg	13,100,000	-14,100,000