Earlier this week, the World Poker Tour (WPT) bestbet Scramble Championship hosted its $5,000 Main Event, a tournament that drew 361 entrants and awarded a $1,642,550 prize pool. Poker pro Nick Yunis emerged victorious to claim a $315,791 first-place prize and to etch his name on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions' Cup, the first player from Chile to do so.
The tournament proved to be an exciting affair as Eric Afriat made the final table as chip leader and was seeking a record-tying fourth WPT title (Darren Elias has held the record since 2018). However, you already know that's not how it played out at bestbet Jacksonville. In our recent "Hands of the Week" recap, we'll let you know what happened that ultimately led to Afriat's demise.
Here are five interesting hands from the WPT live updates from the 2024 WPT bestbet Scramble $5,000 Main Event.
At the final table with just three players left in Level 27 (50,000/100,000/100,000), it was Hand #116 of the final table when Yunis raised to 200,000 from the button and Afriat and Yunkyu Song both defended from the small and big blinds respectively. Afriat then ledt for 250,000 on the 10♣9♠6♣flop, Song called, and Yunis raised it to 800,000.
Afriat tanked for a bit before three-betting to 1.5 million, Song folded, and Yunis called to see the 3♠appear on the turn. Afriat bet 1 million and again Yunis called. When the 5♠completed the board on the river, Afriat downsized with a bet of 600,000 and Yunis moved all in for 4.25 million. Afriat had 2.475 million behind and used a time extension before folding his hand.
Yunis then showed the Q♠8♥bluff before pulling in a 6.55 million pot that ultimately helped propel him to victory. As for Afriat, he was eliminated in third place for $165,000 three hands later.
On Day 1b in Level 4 (300/500/500), Ricardo Eyzaguirre raised to 1,000 and Wagner Wysotchanski called from the hijack. ClubWPT Qualifier Michael Goldsworthy then three-bet to 4,000 next to act and action folded back to Eyzaguirre, who folded.
Wysotchanski called and then checked a flop of Q♦9♣2♦. Goldsworthy continued for 4,000 and Wysotchanski sprung to life with a check-raise to 25,000. Goldsworthy called off for 20,500 with the K♦K♠and was ahead of Wysotchanski's Q♣J♣. Neither the 10♠turn nor 9♦river hurt Goldsworthy and he doubled up early in the tournament.
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The money bubble burst on Day 2 in Level 17 (5,000/10,000/10,000) on Hand #13 of hand-for-hand play. That is when, on a flop of J♦8♦6♦, Josh Hopkins checked from the big blind and Joe Jordan bet 20,000 from early position. Hopkins check-raised to 67,000, Jordan called, and the 5♠appeared on the turn.
Hopkins bet 135,000, Jordan called, and the 10♠completed the board on the river. Hopkins slowed down with a check and Jordan pondered for a bit before moving all in. Hopkins snap-called off for 220,000 with the 9♦5♦for a flopped flush but it was no good as Jordan had also flopped a flush with the K♦4♦. With that, Hopkins was eliminated as the bubble boy in 47th place.
On Day 3 in Level 20 (10,000/20,000/20,000), just 16 players remained when T.K. Miles raised to 40,000 from the cutoff and WPT Commentator Tony Dunst, who is also a WPT Champions Club Member, moved all in for 165,000 from the small blind. Miles called and Dunst discovered the bad news.
Tony Dunst: 5♠5♣
T.K. Miles: 7♥7♣
Dunst held the inferior pocket pair and was looking for a high five. He was left hanging though as the board ran out a lackluster J♥9♥4♦3♥6♠to send him out the door in 16th place for $16,800.
One level later in Level 21 (15,000/25,000/25,000), 13 players remained when Afriat raised to 55,000 from the cutoff and Thad McNulty, a local player who bagged the chip lead on Day 1b, called from the small blind. Francis Anderson did the same from the big and it was three-way action to a flop of 8♥4♥3♥.
McNulty moved all in for 380,000, Anderson folded, and Afriat called with the 4♣3♣for two pair, which was ahead of McNulty's K♣8♠top pair. The Q♣turn was of no consequence and neither was the A♠river. McNulty missed and had to settle for 13th place and $20,500 in prize money.
*Images courtesy of WPT.