The WSOP Main Event to have a first-time champ as all previous winners fall

None of the previous Main Event winners has survived as the tournament advances

The grand finale of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event 2023 will witness a historic change: no repeat winner will emerge from the final table. Joe Hachem and Chris Moneymaker, who had both clinched victories in previous years, were promptly eliminated on Day 5, the last two Main Event titleholders to be alive.

This significant turn of events guarantees that the forthcoming champion will be a first-time winner. Tuesday’s gathering commenced with a substantial crowd of 441 participants, among them the notable past winners.

Moneymaker, the former accountant who notably triumphed in 2003 and significantly fueled a tremendous surge in the popularity of poker, remains etched in the annals of the game’s history. For his part, in 2005, it was Hachem who emerged victorious in an intense head-to-head battle against Steve Dannenmann, thereby solidifying his status as a poker icon from Australia.

Starting the day below the average stack at the beginning of Day 5, Moneymaker had a stack of 435,000 chips. As the blinds stood at 10,000/25,000, he risked it all with 5-5. Ryan Brown swiftly eliminated him by wielding KK.

Hachem, a renowned figure in contemporary poker, began his final session with a commendable achievement, amassing a substantial stack of 1,485,000 chips. However, his fortune swiftly dwindled. His prowess led him to go all-in on what would be his ultimate hand after flopping a pair of Aces, only to ultimately succumb to defeat when Mason Vieth fortuitously hit his flush on the river.

As the action continues, Zachary Hall sits in first place with 16.3 million chips. This is about four million more than Bryan Obregon, who suffered several losses yesterday and gave up 1.5 million of his stack.