Event #10: $10,000 Dealers Choice 6-Handed Championship

One year ago, American poker pro Chad Eveslage won his first WSOP gold bracelet and he is now a three-time champion to start the 2023 World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas with a bang. Out of a field of 130 entries in Event #10: $10,000 Dealer's Choice Championship, he came out on top of a short-lived heads-up duel with Dutch Boyd to draw even with his final opponent as far as the number of bracelets are concerned.

Since April 2021, Eveslage earned six titles in major live poker tournaments, including two seven-figure scores. Within the last four days, he has won two WSOP gold bracelets (first in Event #5: $1,500 Dealer's Choice for $131,879) and further cemented his status as one of the hottest-running players on the circuit and within the mixed games scene. The top two finishers shared the biggest portion of the $1,209,000 prize pool as Eveslage collected a payday of $311,428, whereas Boyd earned a consolation prize of $192,479.

The Indiana native was in high spirits after the back-to-back Dealer's Choice victories and joked that his improbable run could be a sign of the world coming to an end.

"The singularity is coming, and this is probably the last World Series," he laughed in a winner's interview with PokerNews. "Not probably, but 10% this is the last World Series to ever happen. You know, gotta make the most of it while it's here ... Nice to get a win, nice to get some of this before we all merge with machines."

A total of 13 players returned for the final day including nine WSOP bracelet winners and at the end, it was Eveslage who had all the chips as he ended the tournament in style with a straight flush in Big O. Zack Freeman finished in third place, Dustin Dirksen, Ari Engel and Marco Johnson all reached the official final table as well. Last year's runner-up Mike Gorodinsky had to settle for seventh place when he was ousted by eventual runner-up Boyd.

Final Table Result Event #10: $10,000 Dealer's Choice Championship

The Dealer's Choice

As improbable as it was, Eveslage's second Dealer's Choice victory almost seemed inevitable on Day 3 as every hand seemed to go Eveslage's way and several of his opponents commented that he was the best player in poker right now. That includes fourth-place finisher Dirksen, who texted his 11-year-old to say he was playing against a truly special opponent.

"Is Chad the best Badeucey player in the world?" asked Craig Chait from the rail on Day 3 as the final two tables played out.

"USP — You're an ultra-super-pro," Mike Thorpe later told Eveslage during the final table.

As humble a poker player as he is elite, the cheery and soft-spoken 31-year-old called it "very unlikely" that he is the best poker player in the world.

"Definitely not at no-limit Hold'em, but probably in heads-up Badeucey," he acknowledged. "Probably not full ring. But I don't know."

The tournament gave Eveslage an opportunity to absorb knowledge from greats like Poker Hall of Famer John Hennigan (9th - $33,087), who Eveslage asked at one point on Day 2 about what it was like playing with old school poker legend Chip Reese.

"Playing with Hennigan was fun," said Eveslage. "He's a character. I've never played with somebody like him. He's a complete alien, but in like the best way ever."

It also gave Eveslage a chance to play with 2022 runner-up Gorodinsky as the two engaged in playful banter throughout Day 3. "Me and Gordo have played a lot online, but we haven't played much live."

The Dealer's Choice Championship is a special event with a fabled history that includes Adam Friedman winning it consecutive years in 2018, 2019 and 2021 (Friedman fell on Day 1 this year and back in 2022). May Eveslage be following in the fellow midwesterner's footsteps?

"If there's another World Series next year, if the singularity doesn't get us, I suppose that I will try to win (again)," Eveslage said. "And I think I've got an edge on Adam. He might have his own little opinion."

Day 3 Action

Only 13 players returned for Day 3 and there were several short-stack doubles before James Obst fell in 13th place ahead of the two-table redraw.

After the elimination of Scott Bohlman, three-time bracelet winner Paul Volpe hit the rail at the hands of Eveslage when he called down with pocket aces as Eveslage had flopped a sneaky set of threes.

Eveslage continued to trend upward, and he got some help from the rail as his friends held up a massive yellow poster reading "Play Like a Chadpion" with a blown-up photo of his 2021 bracelet win.

The only player having a better day than Eveslage at this point was Dirksen, who held a sizable chip lead up to a pivotal no-limit hold'em hand during seven-handed play. In a three-bet pot, Dirksen moved all in with a flopped flush draw, and Eveslage called with an overpair before a brick runout earned him the double.

The chatty and light-hearted Dirksen stayed afloat ahead of the eliminations of two-time bracelet winners Gorodinsky (7th - $42,965), Johnson (6th - $56,528), and Engel (5th - $75,341) before falling in fourth after another no-limit hold'em confrontation with the eventual champion.

Eveslage entered heads-up play with a big lead against Boyd, whose place in poker history dates back to the iconic 2003 WSOP Main Event when he made a failed bluff against eventual champion Chris Moneymaker.

The imbalanced heads-up confrontation only lasted a few hands and ended when Boyd chose to play Big O. The two got it in on the flop with Boyd having the best of it before the turn gave Eveslage a straight flush, and the river confirmed a scoop and a third bracelet for the Dealer's Chosen One.

This wraps up PokerNews coverage of a memorable and historic Dealer's Choice Championship here at the 2023 WSOP. Be sure to check out the live reporting portal for coverage of other bracelet events.

Big O

Dutch Boyd switched back to Big O and raised to 90,000 on the button, earning a call from Chad Eveslage out of the big blind. The     flop was checked by Eveslage and Boyd bet 80,000. A check-raise for the size of the pot by Eveslage followed and Boyd got his short stack into the middle to create the following showdown.

Dutch Boyd:      
Chad Eveslage:      

Both players and the rail were on their feet to see the outcome.

The   appeared on the turn and Eveslage stated the obvious: "That's a straight flush." Boyd could all but reply with a "that's pretty good" as his fate was sealed with the   on the river.

Boyd has to settle for second place and $192,479 while Eveslage wins the second Dealer's Choice Event in a row for his third WSOP gold bracelet!

A recap of today's action and the winner reactions are to follow.

Chad Eveslage	7,800,000	835,000
Dutch Boyd	0	-850,000

Badeucey

Chad Eveslage raised and Dutch Boyd called. Eveslage drew four and Boyd drew two.

Boyd bet after the first draw and Eveslage called and drew three to Boyd's two. Boyd bet again after the second draw and Eveslage called as both drew one.

Both players checked after the third draw and Boyd showed      , which was no good against Eveslage's   /      for a scoop.

Chad Eveslage	7,200,000	600,000
Dutch Boyd	600,000	-600,000

Chad Eveslage and Dutch Boyd have agreed to take a quick break before beginning heads-up play.

Badeucey

Chad Eveslage selected Badeucey and Dutch Boyd kept the same variant. There wasn't much of a chip change throughout the six hands except that Zack Freeman and Boyd lost a few hips to the dominating chip leader, while all showdown hands were chops.

That included a battle of the blinds between Eveslage and Boyd where the former raised and the latter three-bet. Eveslage discarded trey versus two and they checked. Both discarded two on the second draw and Eveslage's bet was called before they discarded one each.

Eveslage bet once more and Boyd called. The    /     for a three-card six and nine-seven secured half, as Boyd had   /      for a Badugi.

The chip changes came from Eveslage's aggression.

Chad Eveslage	5,700,000	300,000
Dutch Boyd	1,760,000	-290,000
Zack Freeman	340,000	-260,000

No-Limit Hold'em

Chad Eveslage raised to 65,000 on the button and Dustin Dirksen called out of the big blind. On a     flop, Dirksen opted to check-call for 60,000 and did so again on the   turn when Eveslage sized up to 225,000.

That led them to the   river and Eveslage inquired how much Dirksen had behind, which was around 670,000. The shove by the chip leader followed and Dirksen called it off after just ten seconds.

Eveslage rolled over the    for top pair and Dirksen sighed "he's got it" to his rowdy rail. The cards went towards the muck as Dirksen quickly said "jack ten", to which the    were exposed.

Dirksen was eliminated in fourth place for $101,709, while Eveslage increased his lead once again.

Chad Eveslage	5,350,000	955,000
Dustin Dirksen	0	-1,065,000

Some of the Best Poker Players Who Haven't Won a WSOP Bracelet

While winning a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet is one of the greatest accomplishments a poker player can achieve, many of the greatest and most successful players in the game have yet to put one on their wrists.

PokerNews has had a decent track record with highlighting players without bracelets who have gone on to win them. Jason Koon won a maiden bracelet in 2021 after making the "Best Without a Bracelet" list that year, while Dan Smith and Alex Foxen both found bracelets in 2022 to be removed from that year's list.

With the 2023 WSOP happening now, here's a look at some of the best players who have yet to add a World Series bracelet to their long lists of accolades.

Check out our list of "Best Without a Bracelet" here!

The remaining four players are taking another ten-minute break.

Chad Eveslage	4,395,000	-5,000
Dutch Boyd	1,815,000	-110,000
Dustin Dirksen	1,065,000	65,000
Zack Freeman	540,000	-35,000

Big O

Dutch Boyd won two small pots against Chad Eveslage and a big collision was then unfolding shortly after.

Zack Freeman raised to 50,000 on the button and Chad Eveslage three-bet the pot to 175,000 out of the small blind, earning calls from Dutch Boyd in the bib blind and initial raiser Freeman.

On the     flop, Eveslage bet the pot for 550,000 and Boyd called, which forced out Freeman. The jam by the chip leader followed on the   turn and Boyd called. However, they only flipped over the cards on the   river.

Dutch Boyd:      
Chad Eveslage:      

Both had the nut low but Boyd also held a flush to earn three quarters.

Chad Eveslage	4,900,000	100,000
Dutch Boyd	1,925,000	825,000
Zack Freeman	575,000	-600,000
Dustin Dirksen	400,000	-300,000

Badeucey

Chad Eveslage raised on the button and called a three-bet by Ari Engel, who discarded one on the first draw while Eveslage took three new cards. Engel bet and Eveslage called.

On the second draw, both took one and Engel bet, Eveslage raised and his opponent called all-in.

Engel took one more new card while Eveslage patted.

Ari Engel:     
Chad Eveslage:   /     

Engel had an eight-six smooth but he was on thin ice. The   as final card brought no help and Engel had to settle for fifth place.

Chad Eveslage	4,300,000	500,000
Ari Engel	0	-365,000