Dong Meng Wins First World Series of Poker Bracelet of 2024

The first World Series of Poker bracelet of 2024 has been awarded. This year’s WSOP Tournament of Champions wrapped up on May 24 at The Commerce Casino & Hotel in Los Angeles. The invitational event sported a field of 562 contenders who had won a WSOP Circuit gold ring or a WSOP bracelet over the past year. Only one would walk away with a new piece of hardware for their collection, though, and that was California’s Dong Meng.

Meng earned a seat in this event as the champion of the 2023 WSOP $1,000 Flip & Go event. He bested a field of 1,022 entries last fall to earn his first bracelet and $160,490. This latest win saw him secure his second bracelet and a $200,000 payday. He now has more than $547,000 in career earnings to his name.

This event played out over the course of three days. The final day began with eight players still in contention and Meng in the middle of the pack. A cooler led to the end of Alan Merdita’s run in eighth place ($20,000). He picked up pocket kings against the pocket aces of Cody Bell and got all-in after a jack-high flop. The larger pair held up to narrow the field to seven.

Meng scored his first elimination of the day when his top pair, king kicker bested the same pair and lower kicker of Scott Dulaney (7th – $26,000).

Ramon Kropmanns was on the preferable side of a brutal preflop cooler, with pocket aces facing the A-K of Rick Gebhart. The flop gave Gebhart a gutshot straight draw, which came in with a jack on the river. Kropmanns was eliminated in sixth place ($35,000).

Cody Bell lost a flip with pocket deuces against the Q-10 of Gebhart to finish fifth ($46,000). Despite winning that race, Gebhart was ultimately the next to head to the rail. His pocket nines were outrun by the A-j of Meng in a preflop clash, with Meng making a pair of jacks on the turn to take a healthy chip lead into three-handed action.

A battle of the blinds led to the next elimination. Nathan Wasson limped in from the small blind with 22 for 200,000 total and Meng raised to 600,000 from the big blind with QQ. Wasson moved all-in for 5,100,000 total and Meng quickly called. The larger pair held up and Wasson was knocked out in third place ($87,000).

Meng entered heads-up play with roughly a 3:1 chip lead over Kevin Will. He remained ahead throughout the final showdown. In the last hand of the tournament, Meng raised from the button with AQ and Will three-bet shoved for 18 big blinds with K5. Meng called and the board ran out J425Q to give him top pair, top kicker. Will was awarded $120,000 as the runner-up.

Here is a look at the payouts awarded at the final table:

Photo credit: WSOP / Alicia Skillman.

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