World Poker Tour Events Won by Steve O’Dwyer, Bin Weng and Jonathan Jaffe

While the World Series of Poker has been thrilling fans in Las Vegas over the past seven weeks, the World Poker Tour has also been busy. Travelling the world to play poker is many a top professional’s dream and the WPT have been to some far-flung places over the past weeks. Some big names have carved their names into poker history by winning Main Events of a WPT variety.

Bin Weng Continues Remarkable Run

“I don’t know what to say right now. I’m really, really happy.”

Bin Weng capitalised on a remarkably consistent run in WPT Events to claim the EveryOne for One Drop title at Wynn Las Vegas. Weng won a huge $2.2 million as he toppled Scott Baumstein heads-up as the WPT DeepStacks Champion came up just short.

The $10,500 buy-in event saw a total of 1,676 entries via three Day 1 flights, as players who took part in the WSOP Main Event decided to have another crack at winning seven figures. With a massive $16.25 million prizepool, only 210 players got paid, with stars such as Chris Moneymaker (141^st), Ethan ‘Rampage’ Yau (127^th), bracelet winner Stephen Song (39^th), four-time WPT Champion Darren Elias (19^th) and Stephen Chidwick (16^th) all reaching money places of varying remuneration.

With players raising over $335,000 for the One Drop Foundation, which battles to ensure sustainable access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene for communities around the world, Weng was delighted to take the title and join the WPT Champions Club.

“By the end of Day 3, I became another final table chip leader with six remaining. I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t sleep all that well last night because I was too excited,” he said. “I don’t know what to say right now. I’m really, really happy, and I’m really grateful right now.”

The World Poker Tour CEO Adam Pliska was ecstatic to have raised so much money for charity.

“We are delighted to have raised over $300,000 for the One Drop Foundation and their noble mission,” he told reporters. “We see this as a sign of good things to come in our charity endeavors together. Thank you to the Wynn Las Vegas staff for putting on such a spectacular event, and to the players for making a difference in people’s lives.”

With a three-handed deal, Niko Koop actually took more home in third place than Baumstein did in second. But it was Weng’s day and he managed to outlast other stars such as Freddy Heller (4^th for $956,000), WPT Champion Dominik Nitsche (5^th for $700,100) and Tom Cannuli (6^th for $524,500) on his way to taking the title and getting his name on the Mike Sexton Champions Cup.

Watch all the action from a thrilling final table right here.

Jaffe the Champion in Alpha8 Event in Las Vegas

“The funds raised will ultimately aid many communities in need.”

In the following event, the Alpha8 for One Drop, which also took place at Wynn Las Vegas, Jonathan Jaffe defeated fellow WPT Champions Club member Taylor von Kriegenbergh heads up to win the $1,537,600 top prize.

“I’m still going to wait before I process the win very much,” said Jaffe after the final card had fallen. “I’m still kind of in poker mode and just going through the motions right now, but I know I will feel good.”

“Congratulations to Jonathan on his momentous victory and thank you to all the players who entered in support of the One Drop Foundation,” Adam Pliska declared as the trophy was handed to the American. “The funds raised will ultimately aid many communities in need. We cannot wait to return to the beautiful Wynn Las Vegas to raise even more with the Big One for One Drop in December.”

With 45 entries, players raised a $4.6 million prizepool, as well as $315,000 for both the One Drop Foundation and the Wynn Resorts Foundation. With von Kriegenbergh earning $1,042,100 as runner-up, Dan Smith (3^rd for $701,700), Aleks Ponakovs (4^th for $485,200), and Michael Lim (5^th for $350,100) all reached the final table, as did British star Iaron Lightbourne (6^th for $273,200). Isaac Haxton was the man to miss out on the final six but still cashed in seventh for $222,600 to continue his strong 2023.

You can watch how Jaffe became champion right here:

Yin Tao Hails Emotional Victory in Korea, O’Dwyer Conquers High Roller  

“I haven’t played much poker this summer and I’ve got to win the ones that I do play.”

In Korea, the World Poker Tour crowned plenty of champions, but two stood out to us. Firstly, the Irish-American Steve O’Dwyer won the WPT Alpha8 for One Drop event, who earned seven figures again in his spectacular career, the top prize being $1,010,877.

O’Dwyer, who over the course of his 20 years at the felt has earned just under $37 million in tournaments alone, topped the 18 combatants, with just four players cashing, including Chinese runner-up Quan Zhou, with China also represented by third-placed Zhang Chenxu and Li Chao in fourth.

“I’m just really happy,” O’Dwyer told WPT reporters after the conclusion of the event. “I haven’t played much poker this summer and I’ve got to win the ones that I do play. So, it’s nice to win. It’s a great cause and once I busted the [WSOP] Main Event, I went right on in and registered. It was a rough start, but the last few hours of the tournament I ran really, really hot.”

While O’Dwyer could celebrate, the WPT Korea Main Event was still playing down to a winner, who eventually turned out to be an emotional Yin Tao.

“It is a dream come true,” Tao told WPT, speaking in Chinese. “It’s really a dream. It was very difficult to be Main Event champion. It’s really a dream come true.”

“What an incredible experience Jeju has been, from the player turnout to the celebrations and all-around atmosphere,” WPT CEO Adam Pliska said afterwards. “Thank you to our partner Jeju Shinhwa World for the exceptional hospitality and for putting on a world class event. And congratulations to Yin Tao for becoming our WPT Korea champion.”

With 95 players paid, Tao’s victory was worth around $232,667, with a prizepool of over $1.74 million leading to a three-handed deal that actually paid third-place finisher Chao Ting Cheng the biggest prize of $251,595 as he was ahead when deal discussions took place.

The full final table action can be viewed on WPT’s YouTube channel right here: