Event #23: $50,000 High Roller (8-Handed) of the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas saw an intense eight-hour faceoff among five high-roller poker pros. Ultimately, it was the 22-year-old German, Leon Sturm, who clinched the title, his first bracelet, and a massive $1,546,024.
The final table offered a fascinating contest between European online masters and American live experts. Sturm and Arends, primarily online players, battled it out with Davies, Foxen, and Klein, renowned figures in the live high roller circuit. As the dust settled, it was Sturm, the young German, who stood tall, taking home the grand prize and cementing his place in poker history.
The final heads-up saw a monumental age gap, with Sturm, the youngest player, facing off against Bill Klein, a 75-year-old American businessman. This age differential echoed the 2017 matchup where Adrian Mateos, also 22 at the time, bested 70-year-old John Smith in the $10,000 Heads-Up Championship. Despite Klein’s audacious bluffs that kept the audience on edge, Sturm took the day, securing his first WSOP final table victory.
“The bracelet signifies something extraordinary,” Sturm shared with PokerNews after his win, expressing his exhilaration over the win. “I realized a bracelet isn’t just a trophy—it’s a mark of prestige, and it feels incredible to have earned it amid such fierce competition.”
Several high-profile players fell as the event moved towards its ending. Seth Davies, a regular high roller, missed his chance to secure a bracelet, finishing fifth. Following Davies, Day 3 chip leader Alex Foxen, the 2022 $250,000 Super High Roller champion, bowed out in the fourth position. Jans ‘Graftekkel’ Arends of the Netherlands also saw his pursuit of a second bracelet cut short, ending in third place.
A Winning Streak
Sturm’s bracelet win at the WSOP wasn’t his only notable win. Just a week earlier, he had claimed a $10,000 buy-in GGPoker Super MILLION$ event, taking home $1,518,400. This, coupled with the fact that he had entered the $50,000 High Roller event with a mere $5,000, made his victory even more remarkable.
Final Table Results
| Result | Player | Country | Prize |
| 1st | Leon Sturm | Germany | $1,546,024 |
| 2nd | Bill Klein | United States | $955,513 |
| 3rd | Jans Arends | Netherlands | $694,019 |
| 4th | Alex Foxen | United States | $512,824 |
| 5th | Seth Davies | United States | $385,617 |
| 6th | Justin Bonomo | United States | $295,169 |
| 7th | Sam Soverel | United States | $230,066 |
| 8th | Sung Joo Hyun | South Korea | $182,662 |
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