Summary:
- Michael Moncek’s 2023 WSOP campaign is off to a good start with a bracelet win
- Moncek bested 567 other players to claim the $534,499 top prize and his second bracelet
- Moncek is now sitting within the top 3 of the 2023 WSOP POY Leaderboard
Michael Moncek is now officially a two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner.
The poker pro from Illinois just won the $5,000 Mixed No-Limit Hold’em/Pot-Limit Omaha at the 2023 WSOP for $534,499 in top prize. His latest win also earned him his second WSOP gold bracelet.
Final Table Results
The tournament attracted 568 entries and dwindled down to just 48 when Day 1 of the tournament concluded. Day 2 began with Fernando “JNandez” Habegger as the chip leader. When the final table was reached, Michael Banducci took over the lead. Habegger slid down to the middle of the pack, while Moncek kicked off the final action third in chips.
Ferenc Deak was the first player to leave the table, finishing 8th for $53,377. Kristen Foxen fell short of claiming her fourth bracelet after busting in 7th place with $69,683 in winnings. Tyler Brown would soon follow Foxen to the rail, taking home $92,362 for finishing 6th.
Next to go was Christian Harder who finished 5th for $124,266, followed by Banducci in 4th place for $169,674. Alexander Livingston was eliminated next, finishing 3rd for $235,062.
Moncek and Habegger entered heads-up play with the former holding a massive chip lead. Habegger managed to narrow the gap by doubling up on Moncek twice, but the eventual winner didn’t give in. Moncek ultimately won the tournament as Habegger settled for second place for $330,344.
Chasing the POY Title
The $534,499 score was a career-best for Moncek and winning it in the first week of the series made it extra special. The Illinois resident, who won his maiden bracelet just last year, said he now has a decent shot at the WSOP Player of the Year (POY) title. Moncek’s latest victory has pushed his live tournament winnings to over $1.4 million.
As of this writing, Moncek is currently ranked no 4th on the WSOP POY leaderboard with 1,127.56 points. Sitting in first place is Tyler Brown who is just ahead with 1,739.98 points. While it is still way too early in the tournament to make any predictions, Moncek would be happy to be in the top 3!
