The penultimate day of the 2024 World Series of Poker will see an additional final table in action at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, where an unscheduled Day 3 in Event #95: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold’em will join a busy Tuesday lineup.
David Stamm leads the final nine contenders, who will resume their battle at noon local time to award one of the few remaining gold bracelets up for grabs this summer.
Among the group giving chase is Adam Hendrix, looking to boost his $6.5 million in career earnings while also giving some $25K Fantasy owners a lift late in the series.
Day 3 Chip Counts
Place
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
David Stamm
United States
6,350,000
25
2
Naseem Salem
United States
6,125,000
25
3
Jamie Walden
United Kingdom
5,875,000
24
4
Adam Hendrix
United States
4,475,000
18
5
Christopher Stevenson
United States
3,100,000
12
6
Ankit Ahuja
India
2,975,000
12
7
Akinobu Maeda
Japan
1,825,000
7
8
Martin Finger
Germany
1,800,000
7
9
Henrik Juncker
Denmark
1,150,000
5
Martin Finger
Germany's Martin Finger is the only player remaining who can claim a second career WSOP bracelet. Finger scored his first World Series victory back in 2013 in $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em (Six Handed). Finger has more than $8 million in live tournament cashes, but is on the short stack along with Akinobu Maeda of Japan and Denmark's Henrik Juncker.
Naseem Salem sits second in chips, just ahead of Jamie Walden as both players can see a new career-best score in reach today.
Ankit Ahuja of India won't set a career-high cash at this final table, but he can add a WSOP bracelet to his rapidly growing poker resume while Christopher Stevenson is waiting to see how big his first WSOP payout can get.
Remaining Final Table Payouts
Place
Prize
1
$313,370
2
$208,919
3
$148,183
4
$106,598
5
$77,787
6
$57,594
7
$43,275
8
$33,006
9
$25,559
The final nine will return to action at noon local time on Level 32, with blinds of 125,000/250,000 and a big blind ante of 250,000. Play will continue with 15-minute breaks after every two levels, with a dinner break to be determined if necessary.
Don't miss a thing as the PokerNews live reporting team will have full coverage of the final nine battling for the bracelet, alongside our feature coverage of the WSOP Main Event final table.
In the third hand of the day, Jamie Walden raised to 500,000 from middle position. Henrik Juncker, in the big blind with just 900,000 remaining, went all in. Walden snap-called, leading to a showdown:
Henrik Juncker: A♦6♦
Jamie Walden: 9♥9♦
The dealer revealed a flop of 7♥9♣J♦, giving Walden a set and leaving Juncker with slim chances. Juncker stood up, ready to leave, and he was right to do so as the turn and river came 6♣3♣, sealing the hand for Walden, who added to his stack.
David Stamm kicked off the action with a raise to 500,000 from middle position, which Akinobu Maeda called from the button. Adam Hendrix, in the big blind, thought for a while before folding.
On the 6♥10♣K♥ flop, Stamm checked to Maeda, who bet 250,000. Stamm called.
The turn brought the 3♦, and Stamm checked again. Maeda took his time, counted his stack (950,000), and deliberated before deciding to go all in. Stamm called immediately.
Akinobu Maeda: A♦A♣
David Stamm: 10♠10♥
With a set of tens, Stamm was in a commanding position. The Q♠ on the river sealed Maeda's fate, sending him to the rail.
When it folded to Christopher Stevenson in the small blind he moved all in for 1,950,000. Jamie Walden looked at his cards in the big blind and put in the call.
Christopher Stevenson: A♠10♥
Jamie Walden: K♠Q♣
The runout of K♣2♣2♥7♣8♦ gave Walden the winner with a pair of kings, sending Stevenson to the rail in seventh place.
The players requested a short break after the last elimination. With 29 seconds left on the clock, one player asked if they could take the break now, but Ankit Ahuja, now in the small blind, insisted on playing the last hand before the break.
Everyone folded to Ahuja, who went all in and was snap-called by Adam Hendrix in the big blind.
Ankit Ahuja: A♦6♣
Adam Hendrix: Q♦Q♣
It was a day of flopped sets, as the flop came Q♥10♠9♦, leaving Ahuja with slim chances to improve. The 6♦ on the turn and the 3♠ on the river didn't help, sending Ahuja to a longer break than he had hoped.
When it folded to Adam Hendrix in the small blind, he shoved for 3,750,000. Naseem Salem looked at his cards in the big blind and made the call to put Hendrix at risk.
Adam Hendrix : K♠2♣
Naseem Salem: A♠4♥
The runout of A♣K♣10♥10♠4♦ gave Salem the winner with a pair of aces, sending Hendrix to the rail in fourth, just shy of a podium finish.
For several hands, David Stamm deliberated whether to call an all-in or go all in himself, being the short stack at the table. Eventually, in the small blind, he opted to shove. Naseem Salem, in the big blind, asked for a count and eventually made the call, leading to a showdown.
David Stamm: Q♦Q♣
Naseem Salem: 4♥4♣
Jamie Walden and Salem were anticipating a flip, but Stamm held the superior pair. Even after the 10♠6♣9♠ flop, it seemed like Stamm might double up.
However, the 4♦ on the turn changed everything and with no help from the J♦ river, Stamm was eliminated from the tournament.
Nível 39
: Blinds 600,000/1,200,000, 1,200,000 ante
Naseem Salem
Naseem Salem raised to 2,500,000 from the button and Jamie Walden called out of the big blind.
After Walden checked the 7♣K♠9♣ flop, Salem bet 2,000,000. Walden thought for a few moments before check-raising all-in for the rest of Salem's chips. Salem snap-called and the cards were revealed.
Naseem Salem : 9♦7♦
Jamie Walden : 10♣3♣
The 8♣ on the turn gave Walden the flush. Salem couldn't fill up on the river as the Q♠ came, meaning he exited the tournament in second place.
Nível 39
: Blinds 600,000/1,200,000, 1,200,000 ante
Jamie Walden
The United Kingdom's Jamie Walden triumphed in Event #95: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold’em at the 2024 World Series of Poker, held at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. Walden secured his first gold bracelet and a top prize of $313,370 after defeating Naseem Salem in a heads-up match that spanned over four levels. Shortly after his victory, PokerNews asked Walden about his feelings on winning the bracelet.
"I'm feeling exhausted to be honest. Well, I'm feeling amazing. I slept badly last night, and I kept waking up dreaming of poker hands. I only slept four hours or so I think."
Walden outlasted a field of 1,119 entrants to claim the lion's share of the $1,970,906 prize pool. This victory saw Walden nearly tenfold his previous best score, bringing his live tournament winnings to just under $500,000. When asked about his future plans, Walden said he will be playing more, but that he prioritizes family.
"I play quite a bit on the UK tours so I think potentially one or two in the UK. I was meant to be going to Barcelona, but it's my daughter's first day of school, so obviously, family comes first"
Event #95: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold'em Final Table Results
Place
Player
Country
Payout
1
Jamie Walden
United Kingdom
$313,370
2
Naseem Salem
United States
$208,919
3
David Stamm
United States
$148,183
4
Adam Hendrix
United States
$106,598
5
Ankit Ahuja
India
$77,787
6
Martin Finger
Germany
$57,594
7
Christopher Stevenson
United States
$43,275
8
Akinobu Maeda
Japan
$33,006
9
Henrik Juncker
Denmark
$25,559
Final Table
Denmark’s Henrik Juncker knew he had the most work to do today, as he came into the final table with just five big blinds. He put them to work on just the third hand of play by three-bet shoving ace-six over a Walden open. Walden had pocket nines, which held up, sending Juncker to the rail in ninth place for $25,559.
Not long after Juncker's exit, Akinobu Maeda was eliminated in eighth place for $33,006. Maeda’s bustout was far more brutal than Juncker's, as he slow played aces and was punished by David Stamm’s flopped set.
It took another 40 minutes of play for the next elimination. Unfortunately for Christopher Stevenson, he was the player finishing in seventh place, taking home $43,275 for his efforts. Stevenson shoved from the small blind for roughly seven big blinds with ace-ten but ended up second best to Walden’s king-queen from the big blind.
Christopher Stevenson
The only final table player with a WSOP bracelet was Germany’s Martin Finger, who won one back in 2013. Coming into the final table as one of the shortest stacks, he would have been pleased to have moved up a few places on the pay ladder. His exit in sixth place came at the hands of Stamm after his ace-two couldn't improve against the ace-seven of Stamm, pocketing $57,594 for his impressive deep run.
The next elimination came almost instantaneously after Fingers. Ankit Ahuja had ducked and weaved his way so far at the final table to stay alive. But just before the break, Ahuja found the perfect spot to shove from the small blind with only Adam Hendrix to get through in the big blind. Hendrix peeled back two ladies and made the call. There was no miracle for Ahuja, and he would make his way to the cashier’s desk to claim $77,787 for his fifth-place finish.
The remaining four players had all secured themselves a six-figure payday. Next to depart was the $25K fantasy player Hendrix, who jammed all-in with king-two from the small blind, only to be called by Salem from the big blind holding ace-four. Hendrix didn't improve enough to win and had to settle for a score of $106,598.
Adam Hendrix
With three players remaining, Stamm found himself as the shortest stack. When it folded to him in the small blind, he put his last six blinds into the middle with pocket queens. Salem made the call with fours from the big blind and managed to spike a set on the turn to seal Stamm's departure in third, collecting $148,143 to add to his bankroll.
When heads-up play started, the stacks of Walden and Salem were almost even, with the chip lead going back and forth regularly. However, after about an hour of play, Walden found himself on the ropes with more than a 2:1 chip deficit. PokerNews asked Walden how he felt at that point and what helped him keep his composure.
"I was just trying to make good decisions the whole time. Where I play poker at home, I've got a sign that says 'make good decisions'. That's my mantra. It doesn't matter how many chips you got, if you are trying to make good decisions, then what will be will be."
Naseem Salem
Walden followed that motto as he made good decision after good decision, slowly chipping up before eventually regaining the chip lead. In the final hand of the tournament, Walden check-raised all-in with a flush draw and was called by Salem with two pair. Walden spiked his flush on the turn to take a commanding lead, and when the board didn't pair on the river, he and his rail erupted in jubilation at his victory and his new status as a WSOP bracelet winner. Walden told PokerNews how he planned to celebrate:
"I am actually leaving tomorrow. I was supposed to be leaving today, but this got rescheduled. So we'll probably go for dinner and yeah"
Jamie Walden
That concludes PokerNews coverage of the $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold'em. Stay tuned for more coverage as the 2024 WSOP draws near to a close.
