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Bradley Gafford is the 2023 World Series of Poker mini main event champion. The San Diego, California resident outlasted 5,257 entries in the $1,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em freezeout tournament to earn his first WSOP gold bracelet and the top prize of $549,555.
The was the largest tournament score yet for Gafford, easily surpassing the $97,386 he earned for a second-place showing in a $1,100 buy-in event at the Wynn Millions last spring.
Demand was high for this tournament, which fell on the busy weekend leading into America’s Independence Day and the full-sized main event. As a result, the line for late registrants snaked across much of the distance between the Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas tournament areas. Check out a social media post from poker player Elvis Toomas for video documentation of the massive queue:
Mini main line. FYI video starts at the Horseshoe. Setting Main event line at 10,670.5 pic.twitter.com/hkLfbLNPy1
— Elvis Toomas (@elvistoomas) July 2, 2023
By the end of day 1, the field had been cut from several thousand entries to 426, all of whom were already well into the money. The top 789 finishers cashes in this event, with notables that ran deep including bracelet winner Aditya Sushant (115th), bracelet winner John Reading (21st), and two-time bracelet winner Timur Margolin (15th).
The final day began with Jeremy Oleon in the lead and just five contenders remaining. A preflop coin flip spelled the end of Oliver Berens, whose A-Q ran into pocket tens for 14-time _WSOP Circuit- gold ring winner Joshua Reichard. With tens full of nines by the turn, Reichard had Berens drawing dead with one card to come. Berens earned $147,129 as the fifth-place finisher.
Jennifer Abad was the next to fall, with her K-J unable to overcome the A-3 of Reichard. Abad failed to improve at all, while Reichard hit a pair of threes to take down the pot and narrow the field to three. Abad was awarded $193,103 for her fourth-place showing.
Gafford was the clear short stack when three-handed play began, but he found a pair of double-ups through Reichard to escape the danger zone. He then called all-in with A-Q facing a button shove from Reichard, who held 10
6. Reichard flopped a flush draw, but bricked out on the turn and river and Gafford’s ace high earned him another double-up.
In another key clash, Reichard again jammed from the button. This time, Gafford called with pocket tens, which held up against 8-6 suited for Reichard. With that, Gafford overtook the chip lead.
Reichard won the next big all-in, with his A
3 besting the K
4 of Oleon (3rd – $255,215). Even with that knockout, Gafford retained the lead over Reichard as heads-up play began.
Reichard battled his way out into the lead in time for the decisive pot of the match. With a flop of 106
3, Gafford checked his Q10 and Reichard bet holding 102. Gafford check-raised and then called Reichard’s shove. The 7 turn and 5 river kept Gafford’s hand ahead.
Reichard was left with less than four big blinds, and was soon eliminated with his A-9 was outran by Gafford’s 4-3. Reichard took home $339,646 as the runner-up. This was his largest score yet. It increased his lifetime earnings to more than $2.7 million.
Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the final table:
| Place | Player | Earnings | POY Points |
| 1 | Bradley Gafford | $549,555 | 1320 |
| 2 | Joshua Reichard | $339,646 | 1100 |
| 3 | Jeremy Oleon | $255,215 | 880 |
| 4 | Jennifer Abad | $193,103 | 660 |
| 5 | Oliver Berens | $147,129 | 550 |
| 6 | Marius Iftimia | $112,889 | 440 |
| 7 | Mason St Martin | $87,232 | 330 |
| 8 | Egor Procop | $67,888 | 220 |
| 9 | Igor Hot | $53,213 | 110 |
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.
Winner photo credit: WSOP / Danny Maxwell.
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