On June 23rd, Mostafa Haidary, an Australian professional poker player, finally got his first World Series of Poker title in Event 52, Las Vegas. Not only did he triumph in winning the gold bracelet but also a cheque of $656,747. This win has boosted his overall earnings to nearly $1M. It was a no-limit hold ’em six-max event with a $5,000 buy-in and gathered 817 participants, thus creating a prize pool of $3,758,200.
Haidary was elated after his win, and without delay, he was ready to share his action plan. He said he is happy to play more poker and spend time with his family and friends in Australia. “I’m so happy! My plans are to play more poker and celebrate with my wife and kids, who are back home. I’m appreciative to be here … I just woke up this morning and said I’m as close as it gets to winning. Everything went smoothly, so it was great,” he told WSOP reporters.
Reflecting on the growth of poker in Australia, Haidary said that he was lucky to be a part of such an active and enthusiastic community and grateful to be among the many skilled players in the country. During the final stages of the competition, when the stakes are higher, Haidary risks some moves that prove correct. Drawing on broad audacity three times with many chips, he said that all the bluffs worked for him during a critical time.
After the second day of the tournament, only 37 out of 231 participants continued to the second day. However, on the third day, the number reduced dramatically, and only four players remained in the competition. Notable players who performed well in the tournament included Jake Schwartz, who finished 14th, Turbo Nguyen, who came 15th, and Joseph Cheong, who managed 49th place.
Primarily, Haidary had the most chips on the final day of the tournament and continued his good performance until he was up against one of the final opponents, Bernd Gleissner of Germany. However, Gleissner got a chance to become the chip leader after he doubled up, but it was short-lived for Haidary to intervene. Finally, in the last hand of the tournament, Gleissner decided to go all-in with pocket threes, and Haidary was left with A-9. The flop revealed another 9, which clinched the pot and won the championship for Haidary in the end. However, Gleissner gave it his best shot and only managed to come second, which fetched him $437,821.
The top six contenders were joined by Krasimir Yankov, who bagged $300,293 in third place, followed by Brandon Schwartz, Pedro Madeira, and Matthew Mcewan, the other top-performing contenders earning big money and Player of the Year (POY) points.
Overcoming all odds to emerge as a winner at the World Series of Poker has been a memorable victory for Haidary and established it as one of the most competitive tournaments in the world. Seasoned players from all over the globe are attracted to the legendary tables of Las Vegas, thus making it an international forum for professionals.
