Winters had to outlast 20,646 players to capture his first WSOP bracelet
Stephen Winters made poker history after grinding through three days and 20,647 entrants to win Event #20: Gladiators of Poker No-Limit Hold ’em at the World Series of Poker. Winters took down Simon Britton on the first hand of heads-up play to take home his first gold bracelet and the $401,210 first-place prize.
“I guess this is for the little guys,” said Winters after the victory. “I just play a few small tournaments each year, so it was exciting just to be relevant for once.”
“I don’t know if I’ll ever repeat this again, but I might play the Main (Event) now,” he added. “We’ll see.”
Winters called his family via FaceTime before taking his winner’s photographs, letting them all share the moment together live. All 14 players who survived to Day 3 were seeking their first WSOP bracelet, with Britton and Winters leading the chip count.
Winters was the leader before knocking out Caleb Levesque ($41,337) in ninth place, just ahead of Jordan Johnson ($52,590), who fell in eighth. Steve Foutty was the next player to the rail in seventh place, followed by Sung Pil Kim ($86,710), who bowed out in sixth place.
The chip lead changed hands several times before James Morgan ($112,350) was eliminated in fifth place. Winters then knocked out Brendon Herrick (4th for $146,450) and Quang Vu (3rd for $192,030) in quick succession to set up the heads-up showdown.
Winters had a massive chip lead and only needed one hand to beat Britton heads-up and take the title. Britton earned $253,300 for his runner-up finish.
Emma Rodriguez is the Proofreader at the Big Blind, with seven years of experience and five years in online gambling. She plays a crucial role in maintaining content quality by ensuring error-free, reader-friendly information about the gambling industry.
