Event #86: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold'em

Diego Ventura has a long list of accomplishments in his poker career, but a major series title had always eluded the Peruvian all-time money list leader. It took an extra day, but that drought finally came to an end in Event #86: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold'em at the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP).

Ventura outlasted a record-breaking field of 1,417 entries at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, including 15 Poker Hall of Fame members, to score the largest piece of the $2,465,590 prize pool and earn the first live WSOP bracelet for his native country of Peru.

Ventura told PokerNews that he envisioned being the first from his country to step into the winner's circle in Las Vegas. "I think I always wanted to kind of open that door for other Peruvians to get inspired by that, and hopefully, everyone feels worthy of achieving big things in life".

The victory over Thomas Kysar earned Ventura the $402,054 top prize along with his first piece of WSOP hardware. "Sometimes I used to doubt myself, because you know, how can I be playing for so long and I haven't won many live tournaments," Ventura said after his winner photos, "but then I was like God's timing is the perfect timing".

2023 Event #86 Final Table Results

Hall of Fame Field

The field was full of Poker Hall of Famers, with each holding a bounty on their head equalling the year that they were inducted. That list included the newest member Brian Rast, who was the first to be eliminated on Day 1.

Three Hall of Fame members made their way into the money, with Phil Hellmuth and Eli Elezra advancing to Day 2 before hitting the rail. Barbara Enright beat the bubble before exiting with a min-cash on Day 1.

Final Table Action

The final nine returned for action on an unscheduled Day 3, with the slow pace of play from the previous night a thing of the past. Jimmy Setna was the first to hit the rail after running into aces. Israel's Leonid Yanovski finished eighth after moving in against 2014 Main Event winner Martin Jacobson, though those chips didn't last long as Jacobson would fall next when his pocket kings were cracked.

A similar fate awaited Louie Torres, who also his kings come second best to finish in sixth. Ventura and Kysar then took turns eliminating the next three players, with Jose Nadal calling for his tournament life in the big blind before Francis Anderson ran into pocket jacks. Jason James followed by raising into pocket queens to finish in third place.

Kyser took a sizeable chip lead into heads-up play, with both players trading the advantage several times. A break in the action let Ventura shift his focus, taking the lead for good and turning up the pressure. "After the last break I felt like I had a better idea of his strategy," said Ventura, who let the emotion pour out after winning the final hand.

The Peruvian reflected on the moment after getting his hands on the bracelet. "I was actually getting emotional way before, like when I got to the final table I already wanted to cry. I was like, wait it's not the moment yet, so I was trying to calm myself down. So when the moment arrived I was like so calm that I couldn't let my emotions out until, I just started to look back at my life and in that moment I got emotional."

That concludes PokerNews coverage of this exciting event. Stick with the live reporting team for the rest of the action as the WSOP winds down in Las Vegas.

After Thomas Kysar checked the     flop, Diego Ventura fired 1,000,000 on the button.

Kysar called to see the   turn, checking again before facing a bet of 2,500,000. The call was made to the   turn, where Kysar checked once more.

Ventura counted out a bet of 7,000,000, producing a fold from Kysar to take the chip advantage again.

Diego Ventura	26,200,000	5,450,000
Thomas Kysar	16,300,000	-5,500,000

Diego Ventura limped on the button and Thomas Kysar checked his option in the big blind to the     flop.

Kysar checked and called a bet of 600,000 from Ventura. Kysar tapped the table again after the   turn before Ventura fired 2,000,000 chips into the middle.

Kysar folded, as Ventura added more chips to his growing stack.

Diego Ventura	25,100,000	1,800,000
Thomas Kysar	17,400,000	-1,800,000

Diego Ventura limped on the button and Thomas Kysar made it 2,200,000 to go, with Ventura making the call.

Both players checked the     flop and Kysar put out a bet of 2,000,000 on the   turn.

Ventura came along and the two players would check the   river, with Ventura commenting, "I'm really curious what you have."

Kysar tabled    for ace-high and Ventura showed down    for two pair, kings and eights.

Thomas Kysar	23,500,000	-4,900,000
Diego Ventura	19,000,000	4,900,000

Players are going on a scheduled break and will return to Level 36 with blinds 300,000/600,000 and a 600,000 big blind ante.

During the break the floor staff will be coloring off the 25,000 denomination chip.

Thomas Kysar	28,400,000	-1,850,000
Diego Ventura	14,100,000	1,800,000

Diego Ventura raised to 1,100,000 from the button and Thomas Kysar made the call.

Kysar check-raised a continuation bet of 650,000 from Ventura to 2,000,000 on an     flop, with Ventura making the call.

Kysar kept up the pressure with a bet of 2,500,000 on the   turn and Ventura made the quick fold.

Thomas Kysar	27,500,000	200,000
Diego Ventura	15,000,000	-250,000

Jason James moved all in on the button, with Diego Ventura snap-calling in the big blind.

Jason James:   
Diego Ventura:   

James was well behind to start the hand, but did pick up outs despite Ventura hitting a set on the     flop.

"We need a ten" James told his rail, but the   turn and   river were no help as his run ended in third place.

Thomas Kysar	27,300,000	-2,200,000
Diego Ventura	15,250,000	7,250,000
Jason James	0	-8,300,000

Thomas Kysar opened to 1,000,000 from the small blind and Diego Ventura defended his big blind to the     flop.

Kysar checked and called when Ventura fired 600,000 to the   turn, where both players checked.

The   river saw Kysar lead out for 2,500,000, taking down the pot once Ventura slid in his cards to the dealer.

Thomas Kysar	19,050,000	4,250,000
Diego Ventura	15,200,000	-3,950,000
Jason James	8,300,000	-250,000

Thomas Kysar raised to 800,000 from the small blind and Diego Ventura called from the big blind.

Both players checked the     flop and Kysar put out a bet of 1,400,000 on the   turn, with Ventura making the call.

Kysar continued for 1,000,000 on the   river and after some time in the tank, Ventura made the fold.

Diego Ventura	19,150,000	2,350,000
Thomas Kysar	14,800,000	-2,400,000