The $5,300 buy-in N0-Limit Hold’em The Return Championship is the first poker tournament in the United States to award a seven-figure top prize this year. Bin Weng, a Philadelphia resident, won $1,000,000 in the tournament after beating 1,141 entrants at The Borgata on January 8.
The Hendon Mob shows that the poker pro has over $2.9 million in poker tournament scores. His recent victory earned him 1,920 Card Player Player of the Year (POY) points thus making him the leader in the 2023 POY race that Global Poker funds.
The tournament had two starting flights and three extra days of action. 562 players competed in the first flight and 580 entrants played on Day 1B. The high turnout exceeded the $3 million guarantee as the top 110 players shared $5,538,700 prize money.
Some of the entrants who had deep runs were Joey Weissman (World Series of Poker bracelet champion), Mike Jukich (bracelet champion), Jesse Lonis (bracelet winner), Frank Funaro (bracelet champion, Mukul Pahuja and Dan Zack (three-time bracelet champion).
The Final Table’s POY Points and Payouts
1. Bin Weng-1,920 points and $1,000,000
2. Sundiata Devore-1,600 points and $926,128
3. Joe McKeehen-1,280 points and $440,327
4. Jonathan Borenstein-960 points and $368,324
5. Justin Saliba-800 points and $304,629
6. Lanny Vaysman-640 points and $246,472
7. Christopher Ng-480 points and $193,855
8. Sam Laskowitz-320 points and $144,006
Action on the Final Day
Joe McKeehen had the biggest stack when action kicked off on the final day. Weng was in the middle and his A-Q beat Sam Laskowitz’s pocket eights in a preflop coin flip. The former got in the same situation after his A-Q dueled Christopher NG’s pocket hacks.
Weng made an ace fop and held before busting Ng in seventh place. McKeehen increased the gap between him and Weng after his pocket jacks beat Lanny Vaysman’s pocket tens. The former got jacks full and ended the latter’s run in sixth place.
Justin Saliba finished fifth after McKeehen’s pocket aces beat his A-Q. the former bagged $304,629, his second-largest score that increased his recorded poker earnings to over $2.5 million.
Weng increased his stack after using 6-4 offsuit to flop two pair and beat Jonathan Borenstein’s overpair of pocket kings. Chip landed in the flop, and Borenstein failed to improve, thus exiting the tournament in the fourth position with $368,324.
The leaderboard changed in three-handed action after a crucial preflop coin flip. Weng made a button raise and four-bet jam using AHeart SuitKHeart Suit over McKeehen’s three-bet. The latter called using JDiamond SuitJClub Suit and the board run ASpade SuitADiamond Suit9Diamond Suit7Heart Suit4Heart Suit.
Weng got a significant chip lead after winning the pot. Sundiata Devore’s pocket jacks beat McKeehen’s pocket kings and further reduced his stack. The latter’s A-J later got at risk of the former’s A-5. Unfortunately, a five on the river ended McKeehen’s run in third place with $440,327.
His elimination set up heads-up action between Devore and Weng. The two finalists made a deal that capped the winner’s payout at $1,000,000 and the runner-up’s prize at $926,128.
Weng made a button raise on the final hand and called after Devore made a three-bet shove. The former’s AClub SuitKDiamond Suit dominated the latter’s ADiamond SuitQHeart Suit. KClub Suit7Diamond Suit4Club SuitASpade Suit3Spade Suit appeared on the board earning Weng the title and pot as Devore finished second.
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