An exciting Day 5 full of action saw the World Poker Tour’s flagship World Championship whittle the field down to just 16 players as both Alex Foxen and Kristen Foxen lost their tournament lives. On a day where British stars Chris Moorman, Carl Shaw and Ben Heath all made the top 10 places, two high-profile American players at the top of their game bit the dust within just a few places of each other.
Thousands Reduced to Two Tables
After a mammoth Day 5, the total field of 3,835 players was reduced to just 16 survivors. With the top prize of $5,678,000 now just 15 eliminations away from the remaining players, the chip leader after the close of play Ben Jacobs. He ended play with 46.4 million chips, the equivalent of 77 big blinds. With 38.2 million, French player Maxime Chilaud isn’t far behind on 64 big blinds.
The top ten stacks left in the event belong to some of the best players to enter the event and bona fide poker legends. Russian player Artur Martirosian (36.2 million/60 bb) isn’t far back, with British former poker player Carl Shaw (29m/47 bb) and Daniel Sepiol (27.9m/46BB) complete the top five chipcounts in full.
Others in that top ten feature former WPT Main Event winners, with John Richards (26.4m/44 BB), Ben Heath (22.3m/36BB), Chris Moorman (21.2m/35BB), and Andrew ‘Chewy’ Lichtenberger (19.5m/33BB) all still in the hunt for yet another major title in their glittering poker careers.
Others were not so fortunate, as both Alex and Kristen Foxen busted, the former in 39th place for $132,500, with wife Kristen out in 33rd for the same amount. Others to lose their stacks on a busy day of drama included Princess Love (40th for $132,500), and Jack Salter (46th for $111,300).
Moorman Survives Epic Runout
“If it doesn’t pair the board on the river, I’m probably out of the tournament.”
With 24 players remaining, British WPT Champions Club member Chris Moorman enjoyed a big pot, where he had no idea he was a single card from elimination from the tournament. On a board of 
, Moorman’s bet of 5.3m chips was called by his opponent, Daniel Sepiol.
That was only the half of it, though. Moorman indeed had the business, holding 
for a flopped top set and rivered full house. On the turn, however, Sepiol had hit gin, making a wheel straight to leave the British player needing to pair the board or hit the case jack to win the pot. That he did and on such vicissitudes do tournaments turn.
Here’s the hand in full:
INSANE RUNOUT FOR @Moorman1 ??
Just 24 remain in the @WPT World Championship @WynnLasVegas @WynnPoker!
Livestream – https://t.co/ak8RmPhK5t
Live Updates – https://t.co/UMijO8wrW6 pic.twitter.com/fpCArU1KVq— WPT Live Updates (@WPTlive) December 20, 2023
Afterwards, Moorman described the hand with the World Poker Tour.
“Obviously, there was only the slight possibility he could have five-deuce on the turn, but obviously, I’m loving life. I mean, he doesn’t really have five-deuce offsuit. So it’s only three combos of 5-2 suited. If it doesn’t pair the board on the river, I’m probably out of the tournament. I bet most of my stack, and then he puts me all in and I’m gonna like throw up and use all my time banks and probably call it off, because he could have a worse set, basically. When those things go your way, you’ve just got to try and take advantage of it.”
Lady Luck Chews Up Lin and Spits Him Out
“I don’t believe you.”
Coming down to the last few bust-outs, one of the players who lost his tournament life was Ren Lin. The high roller, whose record in events such as the GGMILLION$ on GGPoker and many others, was committed with the worst hand, as his short stack shove with 
ran into Andrew ‘Chewy’ Lichtenberger’s 
.
“You’re drawing dead – Natural Eight!” laughed Lin. Chewy, however, wasn’t buying it.
“I don’t believe you.” He replied, laughing along with his opponent and friend.
The flop of 
kept Lin behind and after the 
turn, no flush outs or straight draws applied. An eight and only an eight would see Lin survive but he couldn’t find it and busted in 20th place for $236,300.
With just 10 players due to bust on Day 6 to bring about the six-handed final table which will be streamed on the World Poker Tour YouTube channel, a huge day of drama awaits as play resumes on Wednesday at 12 noon.
| World Poker Tour 2023 World Championships End of Day 5 Chipcounts: | |||
| Place | Player | Country | Chips |
| 1st | Ben Jacobs | United States | 46,400,000 |
| 2nd | Maxime Chilaud | France | 38,200,000 |
| 3rd | Artur Martirosian | Russia | 36,200,000 |
| 4th | Carl Shaw | United Kingdom | 29,000,000 |
| 5th | Daniel Sepiol | United States | 27,900,000 |
| 6th | John Richards | United States | 26,400,000 |
| 7th | Georgios Sotiropoulos | Greece | 24,600,000 |
| 8th | Ben Heath | United Kingdom | 22,300,000 |
| 9th | Chris Moorman | United Kingdom | 21,200,000 |
| 10th | Andrew Lichtenberger | United States | 19,500,000 |
| 11th | Jason Min | United States | 19,200,000 |
| 12th | Henrique Zanetti | Brazil | 17,300,000 |
| 13th | Ade Olonoh | United States | 15,500,000 |
| 14th | Raphael Blouet | France | 15,400,000 |
| 15th | Mark Mounsey | Canada | 14,000,000 |
| 16th | Paulius Vaitiekunas | Lithuania | 10,000,000 |
