Chad Eveslage Sweeps 2023 World Series of Poker Dealer's Choice Events

Chad Eveslage has completed a clean sweep of the dealer’s choice events at the 2023 World Series of Poker.

The 31-year-old poker pro from Indiana took down the $1,500 buy-in version of the tournament on June 2 for his second career gold bracelet and $131,879. Just a few days later, Eveslage backed that up with a win in the $10,000 buy-in dealer’s choice championship. The later victory saw Eveslage take home $311,428 and his third career bracelet.

With this one-two performance, Eveslage became the latest player to go on a bit of a run in dealer’s choice events at the WSOP. Adam Friedman secured back-to-back-to-back victories in the $10,000 dealer’s choice event in 2018, 2019, and 2021 (the event was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Jaswinder Lally also went on a streak in this format, taking down the $1,500 buy-in in 2021 and then finishing as the runner-up in the same event in 2022.

Eveslage also kept alive a 24-year streak of at least one player earning multiple bracelets during a single WSOP. Chris Ferguson kicked off this run by taking down both a $2,500 seven-card stud event and the WSOP main event in 2000. In 2022, three players achieved the same feat: Dan Zack, Lawrence Brandt, and Espen Jorstad, who took down the main event and the tag team tournament.

This most recent victory saw Eveslage take home 600 Card Player Player of the Year points. His two title runs at the WSOP are currently his only POY-qualified scores of 2023. He now sits in 136th place in the overall standings, which are sponsored by Global Poker.

Eveslage now has more than $7.9 million in recorded tournament earnings over his career. In addition to his three bracelets, he also has two World Poker Tour main event titles. All five of these marquee wins have come in the past two years.

A total of 115 players turned out for this event, creating a prize pool of $1,069,500 that was paid out among the top 20 finishers. The third and final day began with Eveslage in the lead and just 13 contenders remaining.

The official final table was set when two-time bracelet winner Mike Gorodinsky got all-in with a pat 9-8-7-3-2, only to find himself just behind the pat 9-7-6-3-2 of three-time bracelet winner Dutch Boyd. Gorodinsky, who finished second in this event last year, took home $42,965 as the seventh-place finisher. He now has nearly $3.8 million in recorded tournament earnings.

The sixth-place finisher was also a two-time bracelet winner. Marco Johnson was knocked out during a round of badeucey. He lost a big chunk of his stack to Eveslage, and then got his few remaining chips in against multiple callers. Dustin Dirksen bet out Eveslage on the side and showed down 7-6-4-3-2 with a seven badugi. Johnson mucked and was eliminated in sixth place ($56,528). This score increased his career earnings to over $3.8 million.

Yet another two-time bracelet winner was bounced from the event in fifth place. Ari Engel also ran into the Eveslage badeucey buzzsaw. He had a smooth 8-6 one-card draw with a made 8-6-3-2 badugi, but was in tough shape against a made 8-6-5-4-3 with a six-high badugi for Eveslage. Engel drew up an ace on the end and was sent home with $75,341.

Dustin Dirksen fell during a round of no-limit hold’em. He called all-in on the river with second pair, only to be shown top pair by Eveslage. Dirksen earned $101,709 as the fourth-place finisher.

‘Big O’ spelled the end of Zachary Freeman’s run. He got the last of his stack in preflop with A-10-8-6-5 double-suited. Eveslage came along with K-7-5-4-2 with three spades. He rivered a flush on a high-only board to scoop the pot, eliminating Freeman in third place ($139,048).

With that, Eveslage took nearly a 4:1 chip lead into heads-up play with Boyd. The final hand came in another round of Big O. All of the chips went in after a series of raises on a K62 flop. Boyd had AKQ85 for top pair, live cards, and a low draw. Eveslage held K9843 for top pair, live cards, a flush draw, and a straight draw.

The 5 on the turn gave Eveslage a six-high straight flush and the best low. The 10 on the end sealed the deal, sending Boyd to the rail with $192,479. He now has nearly $3 million in lifetime tournament earnings.

Here is a look at the payouts and rankings points awarded at the final table:

Visit the Card Player 2023 World Series of Poker page for schedules, news, interviews, and the latest event results.

Winner photo credit: WSOP / Rachel Kay Miller.

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