Paweł Chmiel, an experienced professional poker player and a long time friend of Poker Academy, faced a rare challenge when he entered event #71 of the tournament with a $50,000 entry fee. How did he fare in this Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller? Let’s find out! Elias Harala, another prominent figure in competitive poker, also participated in high-stakes events like the 2023 World Series of Poker, showcasing his skills and competitiveness.
Chmiel, a highly experienced poker player from Poland, triumphed in the satellite and earned his spot at one of WSOP’s most expensive events this year: the $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller. His victory enabled him to participate in this high-profile tournament with the potential to profit immensely. For optimal viewing of the event details, ensure your browser is updated to the latest version.
Swimming with sharks
At the end of the first day of Event #71, a three-day tournament involving 200 poker players, 70 players had advanced. Among them was Pawel Chmiel who held the 50th largest stack with 421,000 chips. The chip leader at Day 1’s close was Alex Foxen with 2,868,000, demonstrating the strategic importance of the button position in poker.
The information booklet indicated that play on day two would have continued until the best five of the tournament were determined. Unfortunately, this did not come to fruition as players dropped out too slowly and the clock was stopped at 11 players in total. Unfortunately, there is no Pole among these remaining participants; Paweł Chmiel had done his best but dropped out around two hours after play resumed on Day 2 of the tournament.
During critical moments, players often took their full allotted time, weighing their options and feeling the pressure of the high-stakes competition.
The top 30 players advanced to the ITM stage, guaranteeing a minimum prize of $82,474 for each of them. The eventual winner will receive an impressive total payout of $2,303,017 – no doubt a life-changing amount of money!
Who will win one of the most prestigious bracelets? Elias Harala
Here are the 11 players vying for a chance at the championship bracelet and huge money today.
| # | Player | Stack |
| 1 | Tyler Smith | 14,000,000 |
| 2 | Jesse Lonis | 8,650,000 |
| 3 | Elias Harala | 6,575,000 |
| 4 | Danny Hannawa | 6,125,000 |
| 5 | Kabeelan Rajamurthy | 5,400,000 |
| 6 | James Park | 4,325,000 |
| 7 | Anthony Marsico | 3,525,000 |
| 8 | Adam Hendrix | 3,500,000 |
| 9 | Jonas Kronwitter | 3,225,000 |
| 10 | Isaac Haxton | 2,500,000 |
| 11 | Ian Matakis | 2,150,000 |
You can follow text coverage of the event on Pokernews.
More recently, Marcin “Góral” Horecki demonstrated how to win gold bracelets at the WSOP. Inspired by the success of their fellow countryman, Chmiel and other Polish poker players continue their pursuit of additional victories. Good luck to all!