A massive interest for the Event #20: $1,500 Badugi at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) held at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas saw 516 enthusiastic players join in, amassing a total prize pool of $688,860.
Despite initial scheduled 3 days, an additional fourth day had do be added, marking it as a four-day event. This thrilling final day played on June 10 was reserved for the top three contenders who were targeting the grand prize of $144,678, along and, most importantly, the coveted WSOP gold bracelet.
Within only one hour of play, Michael Rodrigues from Portugal emerged as the winner. After defeating the opening chip leader, Yingui Li, in a heads-up game, Rodrigues secured his most significant live tournament win to date. As the triumphant moment was announced, Rodrigues couldn’t contain his exhilaration and gestured towards the heavens in celebration.
Rodrigues’ victory carries added meaning as it makes him the first-ever Badugi event bracelet winner, and reigning Badugi champion of the world until next year’s WSOP.
Day 3 Recap
The initial count of 13 players at the beginning of Day 3 experienced a drastic cut-down to just seven for the final table after a few hours. The final seven table was confirmed when Lee Horton took the exit in the 7th place.
Owais Ahmed was the first to bid goodbye at the final table when his three-card hand was no match for Rodrigues. Subsequent gameplay continued for an astonishing four hours with five players, concluding when Li overthrew Danny Tang, the previous tournament chip leader.
Always just hanging in there, Matt Vengrin, managed to make it to fourth place after being knocked out by Serhii Popovych.
The game swerved in each of the final three contenders’ favour over the last levels of the evening. But, the tournament director decided to halt the game at Level 35’s end, setting the stage for a Day 4 showdown.
The Final Day
Day 4 began with Popovych being the underdog, who soon after was eliminated in 3rd place against Li. The stage was set for a face-off between Li and Rodrigues.
Despite a slight initial lead, Li lost his advantage to Rodrigues after a daring bluff got busted. Rodrigues, with the momentum on his side, won several pots which left Li on shaky ground. Soon, Rodrigues claimed victory after being dealt a seven badugi.
Even though Li fell short at the final stage, his second-place finish bolstered his career earnings by $89,415, taking his total earnings to a solid $805,515.
| 2023 WSOP Event #20: $1,500 Badugi Final Table | |||
| Result | Player | Country | Prize |
| 1 | Michael Rodrigues | Portugal | $144,678 |
| 2 | Yingui Li | China | $89,415 |
| 3 | Serhii Popovych | United States | $59,879 |
| 4 | Matt Vengrin | United States | $40,996 |
| 5 | Danny Tang | Hong Kong | $28,270 |
| 6 | Owais Ahmed | United States | $20,557 |
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