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Phillip Hui Wins WSOP Poker Players Championship

For some players, the $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship is more prestigious than the WSOP Main Event. The event is a true test of poker skill, requiring a player to be a master of eight disciplines of poker.

The final table of the PPC is always a star-studded affair and this year was no different. Just missing the final table was 10-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Ivey, but that didn’t stop this from being an epic final table.

This event will also be memorable for Bryce Yockey, but not for the reason that he’d like. He ended up taking perhaps one of the worst bad beats in televised poker history. Ultimately, it was Phillip Hui that would take the title, but not after a spirited battle against two-time WSOP bracelet winner Josh Arieh.

Ivey Just Misses Final Table

The $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship drew the smallest field in the history of the event this year with just 74 players taking their shot at the prestigious title. This event always has an elite field and that was exhibited by the eight that made the unofficial final table.

Phil Ivey came into the fourth day of the PPC as overall chip leader and some wondered if this was the year he would finally get his 11th bracelet. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be as by the time the field was down to eight players, he was the short stack.

In Ivey’s final hand, he was all-in during a hand of Razz with a king-high but drawing to an 8-6. John Esposito had just a pair of deuces but was drawing to a seven. On the river, Ivey did not improve his hand, and Esposito made his seven to send Ivey to the rail in eighth place.

Poker Hall of Fame finalist David Oppenheim ended up being the official final table bubble boy, finishing in seventh. He was all-in against both John Esposito and Bryce Yockey. Esposito ended up making a nut straight against two pair of Oppenheim. Oppenheim left in seventh, good for $124,410.

Phil Ivey Busts the $50k PPC in Spectacular Fashion https://t.co/br7f1BfYEQ https://t.co/vBNaSyXsWq

— The Poker Authority (@Poker_Authority) June 28, 2019

Bryce Yockey Takes Worst Bad Beat in TV Poker History

The final six players remaining were among the best in the industry. The only player not with a bracelet at this final table was Dan Cates. The other players included Josh Arieh, Bryce Yockey, Phillip Hui, John Esposito, and 2018 WSOP Player of the Year Shaun Deeb.

They went into the final day of action on Saturday all looking to take the most prestigious bracelet outside of the WSOP Main Event. Dan Cates was the short stack at the start of the final table and was the first to hit the rail. He was all-in with a gutshot straight and the second nut flush draw against a gutshot draw and nut flush draw from Josh Arieh. Arieh caught the nut flush on the turn and Cates left to collect $168,305.

Shaun Deeb was next out and during Omaha Hi-Lo when he John Esposito rivered a six-high straight with a wheel against two pair for Deeb. He earned $232,058 for his deep run.

Bryce Yockey was the short stack and tried to battle but took the sickest beat in TV poker history to finish in fourth place. During a hand of Triple Draw 2-7 Lowball, Yockey was dealt a 7-6-4-3-2, also known as a #2. At this point, you’d assume he’d double up.

Josh Arieh was dealt A-Q-6-5-3 and decided to draw two on the first draw. He knew he was well behind and drew two cards. On the first draw, he drew a Q-2 to give him Q-6-5-3-2. After a round of betting, he drew one card and drew a four to give him a six-high straight.

A straight is no good in this game, so Arieh had to pitch the 6 in order to try and catch the seven to draw a wheel. Arieh caught the luckiest of cards possible and got that seven to give him a wheel. Yockey put the last of his chips in and Arieh called, saying he had a wheel. Yockey was clearly disgusted when stating “No f***ing way. You made a wheel? I pay number 2!”

Pour a little out for the homie Bryce Yockey. The worst beat I've ever seen 🤢🔫. You'll be back Bryce pic.twitter.com/NOnFdOPH2c

— Nick Schulman (@NickSchulman) June 29, 2019

And with that exclamation, Yockey was out in fourth, taking home $325,989. A bit later, John Esposito fell in third place when he ran a single pair of aces into the two pair of Josh Arieh during a hand of Omaha Hi-Lo. Esposito left to collect $466,407 and this took us to heads-up.

Phillip Hui Wins $50k PPC After Epic Heads-Up Battle

At the start of heads-up play, Josh Arieh has 16.2 million to the 6 million of Phillip Hui. You’d think that heads-up would be a relatively quick affair, but these two managed to stretch this out over five hours, with both players holding the chip lead multiple times.

When it counted, all the cards fell Hui’s way and ironically, it was a 2-7 Triple Draw hand that ended the tournament. On the final draw, Hui stood pat with a perfect nine while Arieh drew two to 6-5-2. Arieh caught a three and an ace, but in this game an ace is always high, meaning that Hui’s nine was good!

Josh Arieh finished runner-up in the $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship, good for $679,246. Phillip Hui took down the largest prize of his poker career in this event, winning $1.09 million along with his second career WSOP bracelet.

Phillip Hui wins the $50,000 Poker Players Championship for $1,099,311!! https://t.co/VpTN2cCV4H #livepoker #pokerchips pic.twitter.com/vB7FQYxNS1

— Wild Card (@pokerwildcard) June 29, 2019

Hui has been on a tear at the 2019 WSOP, cashing nine times and making three final tables. He just missed out on a fourth final table in the $10k Dealer’s Choice Championship, finishing seventh. Hui has put himself into contention for player of the year and has now had his name etched forever on the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy that’s given to all winners of the Poker Player’s Championship.

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