Jans Arends Tops Star-Studded Closing Desk to Win $100Ok Excessive Curler for $2,576,729

A businessman and a Dutch poker skilled went heads up for the title, and it was the professional who emerged victorious.

Jans Arends defeated Cary Katz on Day Three to take down the 2023 World Sequence of Poker (WSOP) Occasion #29: $100,000 Excessive Curler. Arends secured a $2,576,729 prime prize and his second profession gold bracelet. Katz, the President of PokerGO affectionately often known as “El Jefe,” collected $1,592,000 because the runner-up.

Arends’ win is accentuated by the competitors he confronted on the closing desk, which started with 4 WSOP bracelet winners. Not solely did he need to undergo Katz, he overcame a star-studded solid with Adrian Mateos, Jeremy Ausmus, Probability Kornuth and Biao Ding.

After which there was the sphere, which boasted a pair of Poker Corridor of Famers in Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu. Different notable individuals included Justin Bonomo, Koray Aldemir, Espen Jorstad, Brian Rast and Seth Davies, amongst others.

2023 WSOP Occasion 29 Closing Desk Outcomes

Arends, nonetheless, bought sizzling when it mattered down the stretch.

A great beginning hand issues in poker, in fact, however Arends knew when to take down pots with aggression, displaying a willingness to check-raise in spots. The type helped him construct momentum.

“To begin with, I benefit from the recreation quite a bit, particularly after I’m working sizzling and this yr has been completely loopy,” Arends informed PokerNews after successful the event. “I’ve by no means run this sizzling in my life.”

He went on to journey a sizzling streak to his second profession WSOP bracelet.

Occasion #29 noticed 93 complete entrants, which surpassed final yr’s entry pool of 62 individuals, to generate a prize pool price $8,997,750.

Winner’s Response

Arends, who hails from the Netherlands, isn’t new to successful a WSOP bracelet. He secured his first bracelet throughout a web-based occasion in 2022.

The second time round securing gold, although, offered a a lot completely different feeling.

“It’s utterly completely different dwell,” Arends mentioned. “Stay is extra strain, there’s folks round, there’s cameras, live-streamed closing desk. There’s added strain. The primary one was simply a web-based tourney and mainly, all that individuals noticed in the long run was who gained. So, that is very completely different. Far more particular, I might say.”

Wednesday’s win additionally represented Arends’ greatest money, and he virtually doubled his $2,900,000 profession earnings earlier than taking down this event.

However the monetary acquire isn’t the only purpose why Arends chooses to compete with world-class poker gamers.

“I all the time benefit from the recreation,” he mentioned. “I like the problem, I like to compete, I like to attempt to enhance, in order that’s the primary purpose. Then, clearly, the cash facet of it’s good as properly. I feel if there was no cash to be gained, I most likely wouldn’t be taking part in as a lot, however these two issues. I don’t actually care about this legacy stuff or a variety of bracelets or complete cashes or one thing like that. That’s not what I’m doing it for.”

“I used to be crying inside as a result of I’m not going to lie – I used to be rooting for Jeremy Ausmus there.”

Arends entered Day Three because the chip chief, however then noticed Mateos, who was to his quick left, emerge to grab the chip lead with near 28,000,000. Mateos gained momentum when he doubled up by means of Ausmus early on Day 3, a lot to Arends’ dismay.

“I play in opposition to him quite a bit on-line and he’s an absolute sicko,” Arends mentioned of Mateos with a chuckle. “When he doubled up, I used to be crying inside as a result of I’m not going to lie – I used to be rooting for Jeremy Ausmus there. To begin with, he was one seat over. Having Adrian to your direct left with a bunch of chips is simply not a really enjoyable factor.”

The scenario modified when Arends and Mateos bought concerned in an enormous 19,025,000 pot minutes earlier than the primary break, and Arends’ flopped full home beat Mateos’ straight.

It was at that second Arends, who as soon as once more assumed the chip lead, knew successful the event turned an actual chance.

“After the hand in opposition to Adrian, I used to be like, ‘OK, Adrian is brief, Cary Katz has like 25, 30 bigs (blinds) and he’s not going to need to play any fingers,’ this can be a dream spot to complete it off,” Arends mentioned. “At that time, I actually began to consider it.”

The religion paid off in a good-looking approach for Arends, who plans to spend the remainder of the summer time in Las Vegas.

He’s eying extra bracelet-qualifying tournaments, together with Occasion #35: $10,000 Secret Bounty and the Predominant Occasion. However first, he needs to rapidly have a good time Wednesday’s win.

“I might additionally use some relaxation, however I feel what’s subsequent is I’ll drink one or two beers,” Arends mentioned with a smile. “After which I’ll go play the 10Ok.”

This concludes protection of Occasion #29 of the 2023 WSOP, however be certain to proceed to comply with PokerNews for dwell updates of your favourite occasions all through the summer time.

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