An exciting final event in the 2023 Poker Masters saw Jonathan Jaffe claim the final title of the ten-event series for $756,000. At a final table featuring Championship challengers Chino Rheem, Alex Foxen and Stephen Chidwick, Jaffe’s achievement was all the more impressive as he put in a stellar performance to claim the final trophy of the series and the biggest top prize into the bargain.

Eight Make the Final Day

There was a great turnout in this final event of the Poker Masters series, which has seen players such as Jonathan Little, Justin Saliba, Darren Elias and Victoria Livschitz all win money for PokerStake investors who bought pieces of their action via the Staking Page. The 10^th event of the Poker Masters saw the final eight feature six players who could catch Vladas Tamasauskas, who didn’t make the final day of the last event and could only sit in the PokerGO Studio bar at ARIA in Las Vegas.

With 42 entrants each paying the $50,000 buy-in, a prizepool of $2.1 million – the largest of the series – saw players vying for that three-quarters of a million dollar top prize. First to leave was Ren Lin, whose was unable to overtake Nick Petrangelo’s with all the chips committed pre-flop. The ten-high flop of gave Lin false hope which extended through the turn but was extinguished on the river.

Next to leave the party, and missing out on the money places of the final six was bubble boy Cary Katz. The PokerGO owner doubled up Chidwick before being all-in and at risk himself with . His caller, Alex Foxen, needed to hit with but did so across the board and sent Katz just shy of profit.

Rheem Heads to the Rail

Six remained, still with potential champions at every flop, turn and river. Nick Petrangelo was no longer one of them once he cashed for $105,000 in sixth place. The American – one of five at the final table of six – effectively shoved with but couldn’t win a flip when Chidwick’s held. The flop of kept the British player ahead, and the turn left Petrangelo drawing dead to the river.

It was the leaderboard rival Rheem who busted in fifth place, claiming $168,000 in the process. He four-bet shoved for 1,005,000 with but ran into a monster as Jonathan Jaffe turned over as he called and won despite a jack coming on the flop.

Rheem’s elimination meant only Alex Foxen or Stephen Chidwick could win, but while Jaffe (3,565,000) looked strong and Chidwick was chasing with 2,305,000 chips, Foxen was some way behind on 1,460,000. Brian Kim brought up the rear with just over a million chips and they all went soon after, as he lost a flip to Chidwick, the American’s unable to hit against the British player’s .

Chidwick Seals Championship, Jaffe Jumps to Title

Brian Kim had cashed for $231,000 in fourth place, but the podium places are where it is at, and each player would be guaranteed the third-place prize of $336,000. For Foxen and Chidwick, the title was still in sight and Tamasauskas knew the writing was on the wall – he wasn’t going to be the champion despite two wins from the first three events.

It was Foxen who left in third place and just missed out on the Championship Bonus of $50,000. Dropping to short stack, Foxen was forced all-in with , but he couldn’t hold against Jaffe’s . The flop of looked to have almost sealed a double-up, but a turn was followed by an on the river that gave the eventual winner a straight and sent Foxen home.

Heads-up, Jaffe’s stack of 6,995,000 dwarfed Chidwick’s 1,395,000. Now assured of the Championship and therefore the Purple Jacket, the British player won’t have been too disappointed not to win, but he was very unlucky not to double in his final hand. All-in with , he was ahead of Jaffe’s through the flop and turn, but the river changed all that and pronounced Jaffe the Event #10 as he claimed the $756,000 top prize. Chidwick won $504 in second place, but his four cashes proclaimed him the 2023 Poker Masters champion nonetheless, and also meant he was the only player to top a million dollar in winnings over a superb fortnight of poker.