Event #56: $500 SALUTE to Warriors - No-Limit Hold’em

The 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Event #56: $500 Salute to Warriors No-Limit Hold'em started the final day with 14 players chasing poker's most sought-after trophy, but by day's end, Steven Genovese stood alone atop the 4,303-entry field to take home the $217,921 first-place prize and his first WSOP gold bracelet.

The money bubble was reached just a couple of levels into Day 2 with 646 of the 661 returning players going home with a payday, but through the rest of the day, fast-paced action condensed the field down to the two seven-handed tables that would return for Day 3 to crown a champion.

The fast pace continued on Day 3 with the field going from 14 to a final table of nine before the end of the first 40-minute level and the wild hands and bust outs certainly wouldn't end there as players made a push to be the last man standing.

2023 WSOP Salute to Warriors Final Table Payouts

Final Table Action

The only bracelet winner that returned for the final day of the tournament would fall in ninth place when Dejuante Alexander ran into aces to end his run at a second bracelet. Just one level later, the tournament would find it's eighth-place finisher in Youssef Hicham when he couldn't win a flip versus Kelly Gall.

Raffaello Locatelli would soon follow in seventh-place when he remained unimproved through the river in a pot with then chip leader Ryan Stephens. Falling in the same level to take home sixth-place money would be David Elisofon when he also couldn't find the help he needed to win a flip before heading to the exit.

Ryan Stephens found the door in fifth place after being on the wrong side of a suck-out to send him looking for the payout desk with Ali Alawadhi following just behind him in fourth-place due to a blind versus blind confrontation that saw him get his money in good as well but still come up second best.

Three-handed play was short-lived as William Butcher was ousted in a massive three-way all-in confrontation that sent him to the exit in third place and left Kelly Gall with just three big blinds to hang his hope of a comeback on.

Heads-up play lasted only two hands as Gall was able to find one double before ultimately getting his short stack in good before Genovese was able to make trips to send Gall to the exit and leave himself standing alone as the champion.

Winner's Reaction

PokerNews was able to catch up with an elated Genovese after his victory to get his feelings on everything that had just transpired. On the run that helped him top a 4,303-entry field, Genovese said, "It feels amazing! I was pinching myself the whole time!"

Genovese acknowledged how good you've got to run to take down an event of this size and was over the moon to have been the one to pull it off having survived some key all-ins on Day 2 from behind that ultimately served in catapulting him into the winner's circle. During his winner's photos, he could even be heard saying that he was going to be, "smiling for days".

Genovese is a long-time poker player, having played and loved the game since his early teenage years and when asked how it felt to have won the most coveted trophy the game has to offer with the people he loves railing him on, his voice got very sincere and even emotional in saying, "Everything," in a way that made the gratitude and gravity of the moment for the retired fireman crystal clear.

His parting words to PokerNews and the poker community at large were a message of inspiration and hope, saying simply, "You can do it, too. If I can do it, you can do it."

In a tournament that raised close to $200,000 for Veterans, it's hard to imagine a more deserving champion than a man who spent his life running into dangerous situations to save the lives of others. And with that, we bring a close to this event from Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas with a very deserving champion taking home poker's most coveted prize.

Stay tuned to PokerNews for the rest of the summer for up-to-date coverage of all remaining events here at the 2023 World Series of Poker!

William Butcher raised to 5,000,000 on the button. Kelly Gall jammed in the small blind and Steven Genovese quickly called from the big blind.

Butched briefly entered the tank with a big decision to make. Eventually he called, setting up a massive three-way all in with almost every chip in play in the middle and all three players with their cards face up and headed to a runout.

William Butcher:   
Kelly Gall:   
Steven Genovese:   

With the entire tournament basically on the line, the board ran out      , securing Genovese an absolutely massive pot that leaves Gall with just three big blinds and sends Butcher to the rail in third place for $99,961.

Steven Genovese	208,950,000	116,950,000
Kelly Gall	6,200,000	-56,800,000
William Butcher	0	-63,400,000

William Butcher jammed 30,200,000 from the cutoff. Kelly Gall quickly called from the button and the blinds folded to send the duo to a runout with Butcher at risk.

William Butcher:   
Kelly Gall:   

The board of       ran out safe for Butcher whose kings held, securing him a full double.

William Butcher	63,400,000	32,400,000
Kelly Gall	43,000,000	-25,000,000

Ali Alawadhi raised to 3,800,000 on the button, Steven Genovese three-bet shoved 21,800,000 from the small blind, and Alawadhi called it off.

Steven Genovese:   
Ali Alawadhi:   

Genovese's rail erupted upon seeing a jack and four blanks appear on a       board for the firefighter to double up.

Steven Genovese	46,800,000	21,800,000
Ali Alawadhi	18,100,000	-38,900,000

The remaining five players are on a 15-minute break.

Kelly Gall	68,000,000	3,000,000
Ali Alawadhi	57,000,000	-1,000,000
Ryan Stephens	40,000,000	-6,500,000
William Butcher	31,000,000	-1,600,000
Steven Genovese	25,000,000	-4,000,000

Ryan Stephens raised to 2,500,000, Steven Genovese three-bet shoved 13,400,000, and Stephens called it off.

Steven Genovese:   
Ryan Stephens:   

"Queens versus ace-eight," Stephens informed his rail, who responded with, "Come on, Lady Luck!"

The board came       for the queens to hold up and Genovese's rail loudly celebrated.

Ryan Stephens	46,500,000	-6,400,000
Steven Genovese	29,000,000	14,600,000

After defending his big blind against an open from Ryan Stephens, Raffaello Locatelli saw a flop of     appear and decided to open-shove for 6,400,000. Stephens called it off after some thought.

Raffaello Locatelli:   
Ryan Stephens:   

Locatelli had plenty of outs with his double gutter and live cards but neither the   turn nor   river brought the help he needed.

Ryan Stephens	50,000,000	17,900,000
Raffaello Locatelli	0	-19,000,000

Kelly Gall raised to 4,000,000 from middle position. Action folded to Youssef Hicham in the big blind who jammed for 12,300,000 total. Gall paused briefly before announcing a call to send the pair to a runout with Hicham at risk.

Youssef Hicham:   
Kelly Gall:   

The flop came    , giving Gall an open-ended straight draw to go with his two over cards to Hicham's nines.

The   put Gall in the lead with one card to come and the   completed the board without improving Hicham, sending him to the rail in eighth for $25,512.

Kelly Gall	41,000,000	18,000,000
Youssef Hicham	0	-14,700,000

Second to act, Dejuante Alexander open-shoved 11,500,000 and action folded to Ryan Stephens in the big blind. Stephens flicked in a quick call to put Alexander at risk.

Dejuante Alexander:   
Ryan Stephens:   

Not for the first time at the final table, ace-king was up against the blades. There was no escape for the lone bracelet winner remaining as the board ran out      , making Alexander the first casualty at the FT.

Ryan Stephens	41,000,000	17,400,000
Dejuante Alexander	0	-13,200,000