It looks to be an exciting race to the final table at the 2023 WPT World Championship as the top of the leaderboard is tight going into Day 5. Leading the 45 remaining players is Mark Mounsey with 18.725 million chips.
There are a handful of players not far behind Mounsey: Maxime Chilaud with 17.900 million chips, Ren Lin with 17.750 million, and Raphael Blouet with 17.450 million. Also not far off the pace, especially considering the blinds are about to be 100,000/200,000 with a 200,000-chip ante, are Ben Heath with 16.600 million and Ben Jacobs with 16.425 million.
Three former World Poker Tour champs are still in the field: Chris Moorman (10.200 million chips), Alex Foxen (4.425 million), and Roberto Romanello (4.050 million).
Mounsey got to the top thanks in large part to a sizeable hand toward the end of Day 4. Mounsey raised pre-flop from the button only to see Igor Kurganov move all-in for 3.8 million chips. Mounsey, having his opponent well covered, called with A-K offsuit, while Kurganov showed A-J of diamonds.
Mounsey hit a King on a rainbow, no-diamond K-9-9 flop and all Kurganov could do was hope for runner-runner straight. He actually got a Queen on the turn, but that was it and he was eliminated in 48th place. That consolation check of $111,300 isn’t too shabby, though.
That pot took Mounsey’s stack up to 19.200 million, not much higher than where he ended Day 4.
According to TheHendonMob.com database, the $111,300 that Mounsey is guaranteed if he fails to move up a single spot in the standings (that would be a shock if that happened, of course), is more than triple his total lifetime live tournament earnings. His best live cash is just $3,396. The next pay jump alone is almost as much as his lifetime total of $33,440.
Day 5 is scheduled to start at noon PT from the Wynn Las Vegas. The plan is to play another five 90-minute levels, with the six-handed final table slated for Thursday. Fans can watch today’s action live (with a 30-minute delay) on the World Poker Tour’s YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook pages.
2023 WPT World Championship – Day 4 Chip Leaders
- Mark Mounsey – 18,725,000
- Maxime Chilaud – 17,900,000
- Ren Lin – 17,750,000
- Raphael Blouet – 17,450,000
- Ben Heath – 16,600,000
- Ben Jacobs – 16,425,000
- Naj Ajez – 14,600,000
- Noel Rodriguez – 13,925,000
- Mario Navarro – 12,225,000
- Alex Jauregui – 12,075,000
