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Kang Hyun Lee – Photo Credit: WSOP / Rachel Kay Miller
Kang Hyun Lee topped the field in the $1,000 freezeout no-limit hold’em event at the World Series of Poker in the early hours of July 18 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Canadian poker player took home the top prize worth $236,741 for the largest cash of his poker career and first tournament victory.
“It feels amazing! Just being a poker enthusiast my whole life, to finally get the most coveted award in the game, it just feels surreal,” said the Edmonton resident and pot-limit Omaha specialist to reporters after his big win. He was also excited to have some newfound bankroll to work with moving forward, “Yeah, I think I’m going to play a lot more events and probably head out to the WSOP Paradise that they just introduced this year.”
The two-day tournament attracted 1,710 entries, putting the total prize pool at $1,521,900. The final day of play saw a returning field of 124 players, which made for a marathon march to the finale that took place after 2:00 am in the morning. Noteworthy players that made a deep run included Ian Steinman (11th), David Kluchman (28th), Christopher Moon (29th), John Riordan (35th), Tony Gregg (37th), Jason DeWitt (49th), and William Reynolds (50th).
The final table was reached around 8:30 pm after Lee took out Quoc Le in 10th place to set the final lineup of nine players. Lee stayed quiet for a bit after that while poker professionals Vanessa Kade (eighth) and Asher Conniff (sixth) were eliminated from the tournament. A long battle for fifth place then took place that saw Kane Kalas fall at the hands of Ivan Millian, who held the chip lead after the hand.
Lee got back in action when he took out Abdul Almagabeh in fourth place to take control of the chip lead for himself. Lee extended that lead during three-handed play, and then he eliminated Millian in third place to take a better than 4:1 chip advantage into the final match against Eric Mizrachi.
Just a couple of hands later the tournament was over. Mizrachi got all in short preflop holding 8
5
, and Lee had him covered and dominated with K5 in the hole. The board ran out KQ
J
J6, and Mizrachi was eliminated in second place. He took home $146,335 for the runner-up finish, and this Mizrachi brother’s career earnings are now above $426,000.
Here is a look at the payouts awarded at the final table:
| Place | Player | Earnings | POY Points |
| 1 | Kang Hyun Lee | $236,741 | 1,080 |
| 2 | Eric Mizrachi | $146,335 | 900 |
| 3 | Ivan Millian | $106,602 | 720 |
| 4 | Abdul Almagableh | $78,945 | 540 |
| 5 | Kane Kalas | $59,429 | 450 |
| 6 | Asher Conniff | $43,372 | 360 |
| 7 | Ricardo Nakamura | $33,461 | 270 |
| 8 | Vanessa Kade | $25,749 | 180 |
| 9 | Eider Cruz | $20,041 | 90 |
Visit the Card Player 2023 World Series of Poker page for schedules, news, interviews, and the latest event results. WSOP coverage sponsored by Global Poker.
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