Event #85: $1,500 SHOOTOUT No-Limit Hold'em

After nine hours of final table play, Faraz Jaka won his first gold bracelet in Event #85: $1,500 Shootout at the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.

Day 1 of the shootout saw 987 runners competing to win their table and advance to Day 2. Those lucky enough to win their shootout on Day 2 would get their shot at the final table, a WSOP gold Bracelet, and the $237,367 top prize.

After the dust settled Faraz Jaka battled heads up against Michael Finstein for WSOP glory and came out the winner for $237,367 and his first gold bracelet.

2023 WSOP Event #85 Final Table Results

Winner's Reaction

"Pretty great and just taking it all in," Jaka replied when asked about how he was feeling after winning his first bracelet. "I was so zoned in that, I'm still kind of decompressing. I mean, I've gotten a lot of seconds and thirds, not just in WSOP but also in like WPT events and so on. So, it's definitely nice to kind of get that monkey off my back and I feel like it's just one of those things and I'm gonna start shipping the rest now."

Grateful for his students who came to support him, Jaka spoke about the community he built through coaching and how teaching others has helped him.

"These guys are representing. We've got a tight community and yeah, they're all awesome. When you're coaching other people and they ask you questions, sometimes you don't have the answer and then you feel like, okay, I've got to figure this out. So, it kind of keeps you on it. Also just hearing so many different perspectives. How many different people think about the game, that's obviously helpful when you're planning against other people as well."

Jaka spoke to his drive and determination to fix leaks and improve after a tough bust out.

"I have this personality where if I make a mistake or bust out deep in a tournament, it kind of annoys me in a way where I just want to jump right in and play better. So, I was kind of unhappy with my bust-out hand in the main and I just instantly went right to the Wynn and played the 10k there. Got kings into aces instantly, jumped right in here, and was just focused and determined to play better."

Jaka had a medical scare leading up to the WSOP and he spoke about the recovery process and how he almost missed the series.

"Yeah, so I had two herniated discs. I was signed up for surgery. It got so bad that I was stuck on the floor one day for four hours. Couldn't move. Any movement was a level 9 or 10 nerve pain and had to call 911. They gave me ketamine just so they could move me and that literally zapped away all the nerve pain that I had been having for four weeks. Then that put me in a position where I was able to do physical therapy and yeah, basically, recovered in about three, four weeks and made it out to the series. I thought I was gonna miss the whole thing. So yeah, this is awesome."

Final Table Action

The 10-handed final table started off very slow. To start the day almost 15 minutes went by before the players even saw a flop, but the action would heat up. Edward Mroczkowski was the first player eliminated after a brutal set-over-set hand sent him to the rail in 10th place.

Allan Mello held the chip lead for a few orbits early in the day but after a few unfortunate hands, he would hit the rail in ninth place. That would be followed by an exit from five-time bracelet winner Adam Friedman in eighth place and then Mo Zhou in seventh.

Matteo Cavelier would also hold the chip lead for multiple orbits but would hit the rail in 6th after an unfortunate hand where his jacks could not hold up against Jaka's ace-queen.

2023 bracelet winner Yuri Dzivielevski had a roller coaster day but would ultimately fall short of his fourth bracelet when he was knocked out in fifth place. Ao Chen would fall in fourth place after an impressive run and they were down to three-handed play.

Olga Iermolcheva capped off an impressive summer at the 2023 WSOP with a third-place finish on the final table after some amazing play to ladder up. The final elimination would happen when Jaka called the river jam of Michael Finstein and won with a straight, eliminating Finstein and earning Jaka the coveted WSOP gold bracelet.

That's a wrap for PokerNews coverage of Event# 85: $1,500 Shootout. Be sure to check out our live-reporting hub for continuing coverage of the 2023 World Series of Poker right here at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas

Faraz Jaka completed his small blind and Michael Finstein decided to raise to 1,300,000. Jaka quickly called.

The flop revealed     and Finstein continued for 1,000,000. It was enough to get a fold from Jaka.

Faraz Jaka	13,900,000	-1,600,000
Michael Finstein	10,600,000	1,600,000

Michael Finstein raised to 600,000 and Faraz Jaka called to see a flop    . Jaka check-called Einstein's continuation for 500,000.

Both checked on the   turn and   river. Jaka flipped over    for a pair of deuces and Finstein looked at his cards one more time before sending them into the muck.

Faraz Jaka	15,500,000	1,500,000
Michael Finstein	9,000,000	-1,500,000

Faraz Jaka opened to 600,000 and Michael Finstein called to see a flop     where both players checked.

On the   turn, Finstein check-called a bet worth 1,200,000 from Jaka.

The river showed the   to bring a straight on the board and both checked. Finstein tabled    and Jaka revealed    before they chopped the pot.

The hand after, Finstein raised to 600,000 and Jaka called.

The board came     and Jaka check-folded after Finstein continued for 400,000.

Faraz Jaka	14,800,000	-500,000
Michael Finstein	9,600,000	500,000

Faraz Jaka had the action on him and after a moment of thought he announced all in.

Michael Finstein took his time and eventually called.

Faraz Jaka:   
Michael Finstein:   

The full board ran out       and with the rivered queen play will continue and Finstein finds new life.

Faraz Jaka	15,000,000	-1,600,000
Michael Finstein	9,500,000	1,750,000

Michael Finstein completed his small blind and Faraz Jaka raised to 800,000 in the big blind. After a minute of thinking, Finstein jammed and Jaka snap-folded.

Faraz Jaka	12,550,000	-450,000
Michael Finstein	7,750,000	850,000

The remaining three players on now on their way to a 60 minutes dinner break. Play will resume 6:36 p.m at blinds 150,000/ 300,000 with a 300,000 ante.

Faraz Jaka	12,400,000	1,100,000
Michael Finstein	7,500,000	-540,000
Olga Iermolcheva	4,200,000	-60,000

On the latest PokerNews Podcast episode, Chad Holloway and Jesse Fullen continue The Chad & Jesse Poker Show straight from the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP).

In the penultimate show of the summer, Chad & Jesse welcome two guests to the show starting with Josh Arieh, who has won two bracelets this summer and was nominated for the Poker Hall of Fame. Arieh talked about the WSOP back in the late 1990s, his career resurgence, Poker Stake, and shares a fun story involving Ted Forrest and the late Layne Flack.

The other guest is 2004 WSOP Main Event runner-up David Williams, who was fresh of winning a Flip & Go. He talks about his history in that event, how his WSOP gold bracelet and diamond toothpick were stolen in a home robbery, and why he wouldn't do Master Chef again.

Chad and Jesse then do a new "Calling the Clock" segment in which they offer quick two-minute dialogues for topics on "The Board."

On the first hand, Faraz Jaka completed his small blind and folded after Olga Iermolcheva raised it to 850,000.

The following hand, Jaka raised to 500,000 on the button and Iermolcheva shoved in the small blind. Michael Finstein and Jaka quickly folded.

Faraz Jaka	11,000,000	-650,000
Michael Finstein	6,520,000	-30,000
Olga Iermolcheva	5,600,000	150,000