Event #84: $50,000 HIGH ROLLER No-Limit Hold’em

As the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) winds to a close, Event #84: $50,000 High Roller saw a massive uptick in entries from last year to this year. A total of 176 entrants came out to play this iteration of the high roller, creating a prize pool of $8,404,000. From that starting, only five returned on Friday to play for the WSOP bracelet.

At the end of the day, it was Bulgarian high roller Alex Kulev taking home his first WSOP bracelet with a career-best score of $2,087,073.

"I'm just very grateful and very excited to be here," the newly crowned champion said surrounded by his supportive rail. "It has always been a dream of mine to win a bracelet, and doing it in this event against this type of field is the best that it can be."

Kulev had also final tabled the WSOP $250,000 No-Limit Hold'em event earlier in the 2023 series. Finishing in fourth place for $1,632,005 was his best result ever at the time. This time he came into the day with the chip lead and only relinquished it once throughout the final table.

"The best players in the world came out to play this tournament," he said about the tough competition, "I max-late-regged with 15 big blinds, so it was very touch and go for a bit but when the cards want you to win, they usually let you win."

With this score, Kulev rises to number one on the all-time Hungarian money list, with career earnings of $6,630,310.

"It feels good, but it doesn't take away from the other players high on that list. Ognyan Dimov and Dimitar Danchev have helped me a lot in my career and I don't like to rank them in any way, it's just an honor to be there."

The 28-year-old had nothing but kind words to say as he left the tournament surrounded by his friends on his rail.

2023 WSOP Event #84 Final Table Results

Action Of The Day

With five players returning today, it did not take long for action to kick off. The first hand of the day saw the elimination of Koray Aldemir when he check-raise jammed with second pair and the nut flush draw against Gergely Kulcsar, who had flopped three nines. The flush draw did not come home on the turn and the 2021 WSOP Main Event champion ended his run in fifth place for $533,561.

The next one to leave was Daniel Smiljkovic who moved in his final chips with ace-jack and Kulcsar called him with ace-ten. The flop came out safe enough, but the turn paired with Kulcsar's kicker and the river didn't with Smiljkovic's, which saw the WSOP bracelet holder's exit the tournament in fourth place for $713,413.

Three-handed saw Kulcsar relinquish the chip lead as Kulev began to rise up. Chips were exchanged between the three players as Kulcsar dipped to the shortest stack for a bit.

Next out the door was WSOP bracelet winner Jake Schindler, who exited in third place. Schindler moved in his final chips with ace-eight and Kulev called him with ace-nine. The flopped nine had Kulev lock up the board on the turn as he took a massive lead while Schindler collected $957,491 for his efforts.

Kulev came into heads-up play with a massive chip lead that grew as he won a big pot in heads-up play with three twos. A couple of hands later, Kulcsar moved all in with ace-five over an open for 14 big blinds, only to have Kulev call with ace-nine. The board provided no help for Kulcsar as Kulev won his first WSOP title and the Hungarian player collected a career-best score of $1,289,909.

Thank you for reading along with PokerNews, be sure to stay tuned for all updates regarding the 2023 WSOP.

Alex Kulev opened to 1,600,000 on the button and called when Gergely Kulcsar moved all in for 9,400,000. The hands were tabled with the WSOP bracelet on the line.

Gergely Kulcsar:   
Alex Kulev:   

Kulcsar was looking for help but found none on the       runout. The players shook hands as Kulev celebrated his win, while Kulcsar's run ends in second place.

Alex Kulev	52,850,000	10,550,000
Gergely Kulcsár	0	-9,950,000

Alex Kulev raised to 1,600,000 on the button and in the big blind, Jake Schindler moved all in for 7,200,000 total which saw Kulev recheck his cards and put the chips in the middle.

Jake Schindler:   
Alex Kulev:   

The board ran out       and Kulev locked up the board on the turn as both Kulcsar's and Kulev's rails cheered loudly as both players secured a payjump while Schindler's quest for a second bracelet came to an end.

The players have taken a short break prior to heads up play.

Alex Kulev	35,650,000	3,050,000
Gergely Kulcsár	17,150,000	8,750,000
Jake Schindler	0	-11,800,000

The chip counts flipped around as multiple small pots did not go the way of Kulcsar.

One between Jake Schindler and Kulscar in a limped pot with Kulcsar in the small blind and Jake Schindler in the big blind.

The board ran out       and action checked to the river where Kulscar bet 900,000 and Schindler called.

Kulcsar turned over    for a pair of eights but it was no good against    for a pair of kings to Schindler.

Another one saw Alex Kulev raise to 1,800,000 in the small blind and in the big blind Gergely Kulcsar called.

On the flop    , Kulev continued for 700,000 and faced little resistance as Kulcsar tossed his hand away.

Alex Kulev	26,000,000	9,300,000
Jake Schindler	17,000,000	1,600,000
Gergely Kulcsár	9,800,000	-10,900,000

After moving all in to take down the previous hand, Gergely Kulcsar opened to 1,200,000 on the button. Alex Kulev defended his big blind to the     flop, where both players checked.

Kulev led out for 800,000 on the   turn before Kulcsar announced a raise to 2,200,000. Kulev mucked while Kulcsar raked in the chips.

Alex Kulev	23,300,000	-1,200,000
Gergely Kulcsár	19,000,000	7,400,000
Jake Schindler	12,500,000	-4,200,000

In a battle of the blinds, Alex Kulev called before Gergely Kulcsar checked his option to the     flop.

Both players checked to the   turn, where Kulev check-called a bet of 500,000 from Kulcsar.

Another round of checking followed the   river, with Kulev turning over    for two pair. Kulcsar mucked his cards, as Kulev raked in the chips.

Alex Kulev	22,300,000	-1,200,000
Gergely Kulcsár	15,500,000	-1,000,000
Jake Schindler	12,550,000	-450,000

Gergely Kulcsar opened to 1,200,000 and called when Daniel Smiljkovic moved his short stack into the middle from the big blind.

Daniel Smiljkovic:   
Gergely Kulcsar:   

Smiljkovic was in a great spot to double up and maintained his advantage after the     flop. Kulcsar then spiked the   turn to take the lead, with the   river completing the board.

Handshakes followed as Smiljkovic was eliminated in fourth place.

Gergely Kulcsár	23,200,000	7,700,000
Alex Kulev	16,100,000	-3,700,000
Jake Schindler	13,600,000	50,000
Daniel Smiljkovic	0	-3,150,000

Gergely Kulcsar raised to 800,000 on the button and in the big blind, Koray Aldemir called.

The flop came out     and Aldemir checked over to Kulcsar who bet 400,000. Aldemir responded by raising to 1,000,000 and Kulcsar called.

On the   turn, Aldemir checked over to Kulcsar who bet 625,000. Aldemir responded by moving all in for 1,750,000 and Kulscar called.

Koray Aldemir:   
Gergely Kulcsar:   

The river   did not complete the flush draw of Aldemir leaving the three nines of Kulcsar to take down the pot as the 2021 WSOP Main Event champion departed the tournament in fifth place.

Gergely Kulcsár	15,500,000	3,150,000
Koray Aldemir	0	-4,000,000