Denis Nesterenko Wins Event #20: $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw ($108,250)

Event #20: $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw at the 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas attracted 350 runners, generating a prize pool of $467,250. On Saturday, June 11th, just nine players returned for the third and final day of the tournament with all eyes on the $108,250 prize and the WSOP gold bracelet due to the eventual winner.

After just over eight hours of play, Denis Nesterenko of Moscow, Russia bested the Day 2 chipleader Von Altizer in heads-up play to record the largest cash of his career.

“I’m very happy”, said a visibly emotional Nesterenko on the victory.

This was Nesterenko’s second-ever WSOP tournament entry and first cash. A cash that in itself dwarfs his entire lifetime earnings of $35,201.

2022 WSOP Event #20: $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Final Table Resuts

Coming into Day 3, the tournament was two eliminations away from the official seven-handed final table. The two players unfortunate enough to fall just short of the final table were James Maguire (9th-$8,230) and Kenny Hsiung (8th-$8,230).

Final Table Action

Last year’s runner-up in this event and the shortest stack coming into Day 3, Peter Lynn, was the first to fall at the final table; his king-high bested by Yufei Zhong’s eight-seven. Next to go was four-time bracelet winner and mixed game specialist Benny Glaser, again at the hands of a rampant Zhong, with Glaser’s made eight-seven falling to Zhong’s drawn seven-six.

Five-handed play continued for some time before Zhong, who came into the day second in chips, was ousted by Nesterenko’s nine-eight. Play slowed down again after that until eventually Hieu Luu, riding the short stack since Day 2, paired up on the last draw when at risk against Nesterenko.

Not long after that Evan Sayer headed to the exits in third when his ten-eight was pipped by Altizer’s nine-eight, setting up a heads-up battle between Altizer and Nesterenko.

Nesterenko began heads-up play with a slight chip advantage, a lead he never lost. Altizer was down to her last card twice, and Nesterenko could not seal the deal.

Eventually, the end came when Altizer’s eight-five was not good enough to beat Nesterenko’s seven-six.

Though Altizer, who finished seventh in a similar version of this event back at the 2012 WSOP, will undoubtedly be disappointed, her runner-up finish worth $66,910 does secure the largest cash of her career. Meanwhile, Nesterenko gets to join the elite club of poker players with a WSOP gold bracelet.

Congratulations to Denis Nesterenko on winning Event #20: $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw!