WSOPE Event #3: Mini Main Event

After seven days (including four Day 1 starting flights), Event #3: €1,350 Mini Main Event has reached a conclusion here at the 2023 World Series of Poker Europe at King's Resort in Rozvadov. When the dust had settled, it was Sokratis Linaras who was the last player standing, overcoming a field of 1,729 entrants and defeating Day 3 chip leader Daniel Lehmann in heads up play to win €310,350 and his first World Series of Poker gold bracelet.

Linares started the day third in chips before overtaking Lehmann for the chip lead during the second level of play today. From that point on, Linares kept the lead for most of the day, claiming three final table eliminations on the way to victory.

Winner's Reaction

"I feel very happy. After four days of not sleeping well and playing too many hours every day, I feel very well. In the end, everything was okay. This win is the best one I've ever had. I started playing poker as a professional two years ago. It's my second win and I hope to have more." Linaras said when asked how he felt after winning his first WSOP gold bracelet.

This win continues a stellar year for the Greece native, adding to a victory in a €5,200 Pot Limit Omaha event at EPT Monte Carlo for his previous career-best score of €97,500. Linaras also recorded three other event cashes here in Rozvadov in 2023. "He (Lehmann) is very aggressive. I had to wait for the right time and that was it" Linaras said after finishing off heads up action.

As for his plans for the rest of the series, Linaras mentioned having a busy schedule but that he will play again later in the series. "Now I must go because I have a restaurant and am very busy. But I will come on November 10th for the Main Event", where a ticket to Day 1a is already waiting.

€1,350 Mini Main Event Final Table Results

*Payouts including €10,350 WSOPE Main Event Day 1a ticket

Final Table Action

Day 4 began with eight players seeking WSOP glory. The action got off to a quick start with two eliminations occurring within the first hour of play. Francis Klar, who began the day short-stacked, was the first to fall after getting his chips in on the flop with a pair of fives versus Lehmann who had flopped a flush draw. Lehmann drilled the flush on the turn to send Klar, who from that point was drawing dead, to the rail in eighth place.

Aleksej Grenz was next to fall shortly after Klar. Grenz failed to pick up any momentum on Day 4 and ultimately ran pocket-eights into Georges Chehade's pocket aces in a preflop confrontation before bowing out in seventh.

Chehade himself would be the next player to hit the rail after running ace-eight into Omar Eljach's ace-jack in a blind versus blind confrontation and failing to improve.

Eljach had found himself as a very short stack early in the day today but he managed to double up three times in quick succession. In one instance, Eljach had shoved preflop with pocket sevens and was in dire straits against Bayar Saran who had called with pocket jacks to put the reigning WSOPE main event champion at risk. Eljach spiked a seven to keep his hopes for a third WSOP bracelet (and second of this series) alive and Saran could not recover from that point. After nursing a short stack for more than one hour, Saran would get his final chips in preflop with ace-seven against Linaras who remained ahead with ace-king to score the knockout.

Following Saran's elimination the action would slow down with four players remaining. Lehmann and Linaras slowly extracted chips from Eljach and Jamel Ghizaoui before Eljach would lose a flip preflop with ace-five against Lehmann's pocket threes, ending his deep run after he had evaded elimination at the final table several times before.

Ghizaoui would bow out shortly after Eljach. He found himself in a preflop, blind versus blind confrontation against Linaras and was ahead with ace-eight against his opponent's queen-jack. Linaras spiked two pair on the flop and remained ahead to put an end to Ghizaoui's run, paving the way for a heads up battle between Lehmann and Linaras.

Heads up play was a fast and furious affair despite both players starting out nearly even in chips. Lehmann would take the lead early on only for Linaras to take it right back after barreling the flop and turn with jack-high to force a fold from his opponent.

The final hand of the tournament saw Lehmann attempt a massive bluff with ten-high. Unfortunately for the Norwegian player, the bluff came at the wrong time, as Linaras had turned the nut flush and found an easy call when Lehmann shoved on the river to score the final knockout of the day and secure his first ever WSOP gold bracelet.

This concludes the Pokernews coverage for Event #3: €1,350 Mini Main Event, but be sure to check out our live reporting hub for continuing coverage of the 2023 World Series of Poker Europe right here at the King's Resort in Rozvadov.

Sokratis Linaras limped on the button with    and Daniel Lehmann raised to 4,600,000 with   . Linaras called.

Linaras called a 5,000,000 bet from Lehmann on the     flop and then both players checked down on   turn and   river.

Both players tabled tabled there hands and Linaras was sent the pot with his pair of sixes to extend his lead.

Sokratis Linaras	101,000,000	7,000,000
Daniel Lehmann	72,000,000	-7,000,000

Sokratis Linaras called on the button    and Daniel Lehmann raised to 4,600,000 from the big blind with   . Linaras called.

Both players checked     flop and then Lehmann bet 5,000,000 on the   turn, which got a quick fold from Linaras.

Daniel Lehmann	90,000,000	4,100,000
Sokratis Linaras	63,000,000	-24,000,000

Sokratis Linaras raised enough from the small blind to put Jamel Ghizaoui all in for his last 22,000,000 in the big blind and Ghizaoui called to put himself at risk.

Jamel Ghizaoui:   
Sokratis Linaras:   

Ghizaoui was ahead, but the     flop vaulted Linaras into the lead with two pair.

The   turn left Ghizaoui drawing to a ten only for Broadway, but the   completed the board — eliminating Ghizaoui in third place.

Sokratis Linaras	87,000,000	25,000,000
Jamel Ghizaoui	0	-24,000,000

Many recent pots have ended preflop with a single raise without any larger pots brewing.

In a recent hand, Jamel Ghizaoui raised to 2,500,000 from the small blind with    and Omar Eljach defended his big blind with   .

The flop came     and both players checked.

Ghizaoui stabbed at the pot with a 3,000,000 bet when the   fell on the turn, which got the job done as Eljach folded.

Jamel Ghizaoui	24,000,000	5,000,000
Omar Eljach	18,000,000	-10,000,000

Jamel Ghizaoui raised to 2,600,000 on the button with    and found one caller in Daniel Lehmann in the big blind, who held   .

Lehmann check-called a 3,000,000 bet from Lehmann on the     flop and both players checked on the   river.

The   completed the board and Lehmann checked once more. Ghizaoui didn't take the bait and checked back and Lehmann took down the pot with his trip queens.

Daniel Lehmann	47,000,000	6,000,000
Jamel Ghizaoui	19,000,000	-6,000,000

Action folded around to Sokratis Linaras in the small blind, who raised enough to put Bayar Saran all in for his last 14,000,000 from the big blind. Saran called and hands were revealed.

Bayar Saran:   
Sokratis Linaras:   

Saran found himself dominated, and the       runout was of no help — eliminating Saran in fifth place.

Sokratis Linaras	75,000,000	15,000,000
Bayar Saran	0	-12,500,000

Sokratis Linaras raised to 2,500,000 on the button with    and was called by Jamel Ghizaoui in the big blind with   .

Ghizaoui checked to Linaras, who continued for a 1,700,000 bet on the     flop. Ghizaoui then check-raised to 5,000,000 with his king-high and Linaras called.

Both players checked on the   turn, but Ghizaoui led out for 6,000,000 when the   completed the board.

Linaras quickly called Ghizaoui's bluff with his pair of aces and was sent the pot.

Sokratis Linaras	66,000,000	12,600,000
Jamel Ghizaoui	38,000,000	-11,200,000

The final five players have been sent on a 15-minute break.

Sokratis Linaras	53,400,000	-2,600,000
Jamel Ghizaoui	49,200,000	3,200,000
Omar Eljach	36,100,000	0
Daniel Lehmann	21,850,000	-2,150,000
Bayar Saran	12,500,000	-500,000