The 2023 WSOP Paradise festival at Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas witnessed its biggest buy-in event, the $100,000 Ultra High Roller Championship, conclude with Japan’s Masashi Oya claiming the top prize. Oya emerged victorious, taking home a staggering $2,940,000 after a heads-up battle with renowned pro Jason Koon.
Despite its Ultra High Roller status, the event attracted a substantial field of 111 entries, generating an impressive prize pool of $11,100,000. After two days of play, only 10 players remained. The third and final day began with Leonard Maue’s elimination in 10th place, setting the stage for the final table action.
Oya had already secured a strong position by this time, closely followed by Koon and Nick Schulman. Ivan Luca, entering the final table with just 5 big blinds, managed to outlast several players, including Lucas Greenwood, Danny Tang, and Ben Heath, who exited in 9th, 8th, and 7th places, respectively. Luca’s run ended in 6th place.
The game’s pace accelerated and eliminations continued with Schulman bowing out next after his AJs fell short against Koon’s KJ in a pre-flop all-in. Quan Zhou’s departure in 4th place came after a risky “let’s gamble” move with K7o against Oya’s QT. Although slightly ahead initially, Zhou found himself trailing after a JT8 flop. The 9 on the turn gave Oya a queen-high straight, leaving Zhou needing a queen for a better straight, which didn’t materialize as the river card failed to save him.
Oya secured a massive pot against Leon Sturm, rivering a flush against Sturm’s two pair on the flop. This pivotal hand led to Sturm’s elimination in 3rd place. Heading into the heads-up match, Oya held a significant lead, almost 3:1 against Koon.
The final duel was swift and decisive. In the last hand, Koon limped the button, and Oya checked his option in the big blind. The flop came 975, and both players checked to see the turn bring an 8. After Oya bet, Koon called, leading to a river card of 4. Oya then went all-in, putting Koon to a crucial decision. Koon, holding Q6 for a straight, eventually called, hoping for a split pot, only to find Oya holding T6 for the winning nut straight. This hand sealed Koon’s fate, finishing in second place for $1,817,000.
As the inaugural 2023 WSOP Paradise nears its end, with only three more days and six bracelets left to be awarded, attention is now turning to the WSOP Paradise Main Event. With 400 players having qualified from Day 1s and online on GG, the competition for the Main Event title promises to be fierce.
2023 WSOP Paradise Event #9: Ultra High Roller No-Limit Hold’em Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Masashi Oya | Japan | $2,940,000 |
| 2nd | Jason Koon | United States | $1,817,000 |
| 3rd | Leon Sturm | Germany | $1,322,000 |
| 4th | Quan Zhou | China | $976,000 |
| 5th | Nick Schulman | United States | $731,000 |
| 6th | Ivan Luca | Argentina | $555,000 |
| 7th | Ben Heath | United Kingdom | $430,000 |
| 8th | Danny Tang | Hong Kong | $336,000 |
Images courtesy of WSOP.com/PokerNews
