The second event of the 2023 Poker Masters went to a big name as Darren Elias, the four-time World Poker Tour Main Event winner, claimed $223,100 and the Poker Masters trophy. At a seven-handed final table containing poker legends such as nine-time WSOP bracelet winner Erik Seidel, fellow WPT crusher Bin Weng and Eric Baldwin, Elias got the job done at a super-tough showdown for the title.

Rocco Run Out of Town

Before the final seven gathered at the purple felt in the pursuit of the latest step on the path to the purple jacket, Michael Rocco was the man to miss out. After doubling through the eventual winner Elias, Rocco was all-in pre-flop with the best hand of , but fell to Bin Weng’s , the board of dooming him with the WPT superstar Weng hitting two pair to send Rocco to the rail with $38,800.

That pot gave Weng the lead heading into the final seven, as he built a stack of 2,885,000. That leading stack was exactly a million clear of Antonio De La Cruz (1,785,000), with Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel (1,725,000) not far behind. Event #1 winner Vladas Tamasauskas (1,645,000) was in close pursuit too, with Alex Foxen (1,620,000), the lowly Elias (1,590,000) and Eric Baldwin (885,000) bringing up the rear.

By the start of the final day, Weng has increased his lead and Foxen had dropped to an extremely short stack. Those two factors weighed heavily on the table when play resumed on the final day, and Foxen paid for it with his stack. All-in with , Foxen lost to De La Cruz’ when a board of paired up De La Cruz and sent Foxen packing with a score of $48,500.

Seidel Slides Out

After Darren Elias won a pivotal coinflip against Bin Weng, Elias went on to eliminate the previous event winner in sixth place for $58,200. Both Elias and Lithuanian Vladas Tamasauskas were all-in pre-flop, with the former holding to Tamasauskas’ . The board of denied Tamasauskas the redemption of a rivered flush and he crashed out.

Elias had grabbed the lead within a couple of hands. What was the biggest shock was that Erik Seidel didn’t last long, despite having been comfortably in third place of the five remaining. Seidel shoved pre-flop with and was ahead of the eventual winner of the hand, Elias, who held . That wasn’t how it stayed as the flop of was followed by a turn of and a river of , leaving the nine-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Seidel to collect $77,600 in fifth place.

Elias and Eric in Epic Heads-Up

Despite winning several sizeable hands at the final table, De La Cruz was on borrowed time. All-in with the best of it, he was unfortunate not to double when his lost to Bin Weng’s when the board of saw De La Cruz drawing dead after the turn landed, as he cashed for $97,000.

Three were left, but soon it was two. Eric Baldwin had the fortune to win a flip against Bin Weng to double through him, before Weng then attempted the same, shoving with two middle connectors in . It didn’t work out so well, as Eric Baldwin’s pocket fours survived to the river and eliminated Weng for £116,400 in third place.

Heads-up, Baldwin had 4.85 million chips, but was still behind Elias with 7,275,000 and the four-time WPT winner was favorite. Baldwin took the lead after a big bet on a river that never got to showdown, but a pair of queens beat a pair of jacks and Elias regained the advantage. Soon after, it was all over, Baldwin shoving with , Elias calling it off with and a board of meaning that the chip leader when heads-up began earned the top prize of $223,100. Baldwin had to make do with the runner-up prize of $155,200 for his efforts.