The 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) consists of 95 bracelet events and is almost entirely tournament-focused, but there are also opportunities to play high-stakes cash games at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas this summer.

Located in the back of the Paris Convention Center, the fabled King’s Lounge is lined with high-stakes cash game tables where you may spot Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius or Daniel Negreanu playing No-Limit Hold’em or Pot-Limit Omaha.

Here’s an inside look at the premiere cash game location of the World Series of Poker.

What is King’s Lounge?

The King’s Lounge has a rich history going back to when the WSOP was at the Rio. It is sponsored and operated by King’s Resort Rozvadov in the Czech Republic, which has been home to the WSOP Europe festival since 2015.

A glance inside the new King’s Lounge at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, which is lined with enlarged photos of King’s Casino regulars like Fedor Holz and Aliaksandr Shylko and WSOP legends like Phil Hellmuth, Ivey and the late Doyle Brunson, will reveal a state-of-the-art poker room equipped with TVs, drink service and fancy break areas.

The tables inside the King’s Lounge are matched with tan desk chairs that are perfect for receiving a massage. Additionally, the tournament area is lined with digital versions of the luxurious pillars designed by Sans Souci that decorate the King’s Resort Rozvadov back in the Czech Republic.

What Cash Games Can You Play in King’s Lounge?

The King’s Lounge is not the place to go for a $1/$2 game. That’s because the stakes inside the high-stakes cash game area start at $5/$10 and climb as high as $50/$100 and $75/$150.

Starting with the no-limit games, players can hop into $5/$10 or $10/$25 games or make their way up to the $25/$50 tables.

But high-stakes No-Limit Hold’em games are only part of the appeal of the King’s Lounge. For every Hold’em table you see, there will be mixed games tables running, including Pot-Limit Omaha, Big O, Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, and Stud Mix.

The PLO games start off at $5/$5/$5 with double board PLO tables and go up to $10/$25/$50 and $25/$50/$100, while Big O typically runs at $5/$10/$25. Meanwhile, the Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better features betting limits between $50/$100 and $75/$150.

There are also a number of Stud variants offered, with Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better running at $50/$100 and Stud Mix running at $50/$100 and $75/$150.

Additionally, there are other games and stakes available on demand, including $5/$5/$5 double board bomb pot PLO Hi-Lo 8 or Better and $100/$200 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better.

A list of various cash games available to play inside the WSOP King’s Lounge is available in the table below.

Various Cash Games Offered at WSOP King’s Lounge

The 2023 World Series of Poker has just kicked off at Bally’s, Las Vegas and thousands upon thousands of poker fanatics are starting to arrive in Sin City for the biggest poker event of the year.

For many players, the WSOP is a dream come true, and the experience can be both thrilling and overwhelming, especially for those attending for the first time. Here are five questions to ask yourself at your first WSOP to help you make the most of your experience.

1. What Are My Goals?

The WSOP can be a long and grueling tournament series, with dozens of events spanning over several weeks. Before you arrive, it’s essential to set realistic goals for yourself.

Are you looking to win a bracelet? Do you want to cash in at least one event? Or are you simply there to gain experience and have fun? Whatever your goals may be, make sure they’re specific, measurable, and realistic. Having clear goals will help you stay focused and motivated throughout the tournament series.

2. How is My Bankroll?

Playing in WSOP events can be expensive, with buy-ins ranging from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands. Before you register for an event, make sure you have a solid understanding of your bankroll and how much you can afford to spend.

You don’t want to find yourself busting out of multiple events and unable to play in the events you really want to play in. It’s essential to be honest with yourself about your bankroll, so you don’t end up putting yourself in a tough financial situation.

Poker Bankroll Management: An Introduction

3. How Will I Handle the Stress?

The WSOP can be a high-pressure environment, with the stakes and competition at an all-time high. It’s important to have a plan for how you’ll handle the stress and pressure that comes with playing in these events.

Some players find it helpful to meditate or do breathing exercises to help them stay calm and focused. Others might take breaks throughout the day to clear their minds and relax. Whatever strategy you choose, make sure it’s something that works for you and helps you stay in the right mental state to play your best.

2023 Main Event Maynia Could Be Your Best Chance of Playing at the WSOP

4. Who Do I Want to Meet??

The WSOP is a great opportunity to meet and network with other poker players, industry professionals, and fans. Take some time to think about who you’d like to meet and what connections you’d like to make.

Attend player parties, join poker forums and social media groups, and strike up conversations with other players during breaks. Building relationships with others in the poker community can open doors for future opportunities and help you stay connected in the industry.

How to Stay Healthy in Las Vegas During the WSOP

5. What Can I Learn From this Experience?

Win or lose, playing in the WSOP is a valuable learning experience for any poker player. Take time after each event to reflect on what you learned and how you can improve your game. Think about what strategies worked well and what mistakes you made.

Take notes on your opponents and their playing styles. The more you can learn from each experience, the more prepared you’ll be for future WSOP events and other poker tournaments.

Final Thoughts

attending your first WSOP can be a thrilling and overwhelming experience. By asking yourself these five questions, you can stay focused, motivated, and prepared throughout the tournament series. Remember to set clear goals, be honest about your bankroll, have a plan for handling stress, network with others in the poker community, and take time to reflect and learn from each experience.

With these strategies in mind, you’ll be well on your way to making the most of your WSOP experience.

Editor & Live Reporter

Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum’s proudest poker achievement is winning the only tournament he has ever played in Las Vegas, the prestigious $60 Flamingo evening event.

Allen Kessler recorded his 100th World Series of Poker (WSOP) cash on Saturday, and although he still hasn’t won a bracelet, “The Chainsaw” is now in an exclusive club.

There are millions of poker players who’ve never taken down a WSOP event, but only a select few who’ve surpassed 100 cashes in bracelet events. He’s also among a group of just eight individuals with over 200 overall WSOP cashes, which includes online and World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) scores.

With the now 100 bracelet event cashes, he has 220 cashes overall (120 in WSOPC events). Only Roland Israelashvili (419), Arkadiy Tsinis (326), Ari Engel (266), Daniel Negreanu, (227), and Ian Steinman (224) have more.

What Kessler has Accomplished at the World Series of Poker

No one will ever confuse Kessler with Phil Hellmuth, widely considered the GOAT of the WSOP with a record 16 bracelets. He’ll never receive the recognition of all-time greats such as Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Alex Foxen, or Phil Ivey.

But 100 cashes at the WSOP is 100 cashes. It’s so rare that only 26 out of the hundreds of thousands of players who’ve entered the World Series of Poker over the years have cashed as many times in bracelet events.

Kessler often receives criticism from poker fans on social media for failing to win tournaments and playing too tight (also for his eating habits that include plain hamburgers and frequent fast-food trips). But hitting a rare milestone in poker is impressive any way you slice it.

How Kessler Stacks Up

Kessler told PokerNews he has “no clue” how many bracelet events he’s entered, so figuring his return on investment (ROI) is nearly impossible. He’s competed in a wide range of events, from the lowest stakes tournaments up to the $10k’s and above. A bulk of his cashes have been for small amounts relative to the buy-in.

But he’s finished in the top 10 of 10% of the events he’s cashed in. That includes four runner-up finishes, his last in 2017 in a World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) event.

On Saturday, the “Chainsaw” finished 34th out of 361 in Event #9: $1,500 Seven Card Stud for $3,051, his 100th bracelet event cash and second of the current series. He now ranks 26th all-time in that category, one below Mike Matusow, Tom McCormick, Dylan Linde, and Ismael Bojang.

With the addition of hundreds of online bracelet events, the numbers are a bit inflated. Kessler isn’t too thrilled with that. In fact, he said “there should be a separate category” for online tournaments. The long-time poker player who first cashed at the World Series of Poker in 2001 doesn’t want the online bracelet events grouped in with those who cash over the summer in Las Vegas or at King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic for WSOP Europe.

The WSOP, however, acknowledges the online bracelet events as cashes just the same as the tournaments at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. As such, despite Kessler’s opinion, we’ll do the same for statistical purposes in this article.

Only two other players on the 100-cashes list — Roland Israelashvili and Tom McCormick — are without a bracelet. Israelashvili is the ultimate min-casher as he has 197 cashes — second only to Daniel Negreanu — for $2,559,354, an average score of just $12,991. Kessler averages $14,486 per cash, in comparison.

Not only does Negreanu top the charts for cashes in bracelet events (219). He’s second all-time behind Antonio Esfandiari in earnings at $20,790,853. Esfandiari’s totals ($21,917,461) are skewed significantly due to a WSOP record $18,346,673 score for winning the 2012 Big One for One Drop, the first ever $1 million buy-in poker tournament.

Kessler will never catch those players in earnings or bracelets won, but he’s still accomplished something in poker that few others have or ever will achieve.

Poker Players with 100 WSOP Bracelet Event Cashes

*Stats pulled from WSOP.com website. Some may not be updated for 2023.

Day 5 of the 2023 World Series of Poker hosted by Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, has come to an end. There were lows as players found themselves outside the rail, but there were plenty of highs too.

Two bracelets found two wrists today, the Tournament of Champions and $1,500 Limit Hold’em. Doug Polk is mid-deep run in the No-Limit Hold’em Championship. The $10k Dealer’s Choice.

Meanwhile, the $1,500 7-Card Stud event played down to a final table and the Mystery Bounty prepared to move on to Day 2.

Doug Polk Will Return for $25k Heads Up Championship Semifinal

Doug Polk has a serious reputation as a heads-up shark. That reputation is standing up to the heat of competition this year as he heads into the round of four in Event #8: $25,000 Heads Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship

Polk will be facing off against Chris Brewer tomorrw, while the other bracket pits Sean Winter against Chanracy Khun.

When asked about his match with Brewer, Polk said, “It should be a fun one. I’ve played Chris a bunch online. When I was prepping for my match against Daniel Negreanu, we played a good chunk of hands, and I smashed him pretty good. But he played pretty well. His frequencies and stuff were quite good, quite balanced.”

The heads-up action returns Sunday at 4 p.m. Vegas time. You can follow tomorrow’s action on PokerNews and by live stream (with a one-hour delay) on PokerGO from 5 p.m. onwards.

2023 WSOP Event #8: $25,000 Heads Up Championship Full Bracket

Ronnie Day Is The Champion of Champions in This Year’s TOC

Ronnie Day won his seat in this year’s Event #4: Tournament of Champions by taking down a $400 WSOPC ring event in Indiana. He managed to turn that $400 seat and a ring into $200,000 and a bracelet when he won the Tournament of Champions outright.

“It’s so surreal right now,” Day said of his victory. “It’s unbelievable, I don’t even know how to explain it.”

This TOC is a unique freeroll event. Players can only enter by invite, and invites are only available to winners of WSOP bracelets or WSOPC rings in the last year.

Event #4: Tournament of Champions Final Table Results

Sabishchenko: From A Chip and a Chair To Runner Up

The second bracelet of the day went to Ukrainian player Vadim Shlez in Event #7: $1,500 Limit Hold’em. Despite the US heavy field, Shlez found himself in the unusual position of playing a fellow countryman, Rostyslav Sabishchenko, heads-up for the gold.

There was a cheery air of camaraderie even as they tried to take each other’s chips. The slava ultimately went to Shlez, who took down $146,835 for first.

However, Sabishchenko’s second-place finish also deserves plaudits after he came back from being down to just one big blind on Day 2. He turned two chips and a chair into $90,753.

Event #7: $1,500 Limit Hold’em Final Table Results

John Hennigan Leads Dealer’s Choice Rast and Baker follow

John “World” Hennigan has the chip lead with 309,500 when Day 2 of Event #10: $10,000 Dealer’s Choice Championship reconvenes tomorrow.

Hennigan has six WSOP bracelets to his name, but he is dogged in the chip rankings by plenty of other bracelet winners. With 114 entries left, and more late registrations to come, Hennigan can’t sit still. Marco Johnson is right on his tail with 297,500 in chips and three-time bracelet winner David Bach is in third with 273,000.

These players and more will be back at the table on June 4 at 1 p.m. local time to play another seven 90-minute blind levels.

Event #10: $10,000 Dealer’s Choice Championship Day 1 Top 10 Chip Counts

Mystery Millions Attracts 18,188 Entries

With the close of Day 1d action late last night, the combined tally for entries to Event #3: $1,000 Mystery Millions hit 18,188.

Just 477 players survived the 8,061-player field on Day 1d, bringing the total number of Day 2 players to 1,005. Everyone in Day 2 is already in the money, but more excitingly, Day 2 is also when the mystery bounties start. The randomized bounties with a guaranteed top prize of $1,000,000.

The event resumes early tomorrow with a Day 2 kick-off at 10 a.m. on Sunday, June 4.

Event #3: Mystery Millions Top Ten Chip Counts (Day 1s Combined)

Stacked Final Table is Set for $1,500 Seven Card Stud

For a small event, Event #9: $1,500 Seven Card Stud has pulled together some big names.

Playing from 101 players to the final nine on Day 2, distilled the field down to a table that includes Shaun Deeb, Tim Frazin, John Monnette, and Nick Schulman.

These stars will be returning to the table at 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 4. PokerGO will live stream the final table with a one-hour delay (start time 5 p.m. local).

Event #9: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Final Table Seat Draw

You can catch all the ongoing World Series of Poker action with PokerNews live reporting.

A total of 17 players entered Day 3 of Event #7 Limit Hold’em at the 2023 World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. Only one was left standing when it mattered the most.

In a heads-up showdown featuring an all-Ukrainian flavor, Vadim Shlez outlasted the field and his fellow countryman Rostyslav Sabishchenko ($90,753) to win Event #7: $1,500 Limit Hold’em .

With the victory, Shlez secured his first WSOP bracelet.

Final Table Results

Path to the final table

Shlez’s path came with plenty of obstacles, as he entered Day 3 with the 13th-most chips in play. Then he picked a good time to go on a run.

He conquered a formidable group of players. The field included multiple WSOP bracelet winners, including Adam Friedman, David “ODB” Baker, Joe McKeehen, Jason Gola, Mike Leah, Nick Schulman, Yueqi Zhu, Patrick Leonard, Justin Pechie, Ryan Leng, Tom Schneider, Richard Alsup, Erick Lindgren, Jim Collopy, Ryan Hansen, Humberto Brenes, Nick Guagenti, and Kevin Song.

Baker, who made the final table, finished in eighth place for $13,917.

Shlez also had to contend with notable WPT winners Scott Eskenazi, who busted in 10th place, and Lee Markholt.

A total of 527 entries turned out and generated a prize pool of $703,545.

Kerry Welsh finished in third for $63,577, while Raul Celaya took fourth for $45,301.

Winner’s Reaction

Shlez has been playing poker for more than 20 years, so he knows the significance of winning a WSOP bracelet.

Perhaps that’s why he was almost overcome with emotion when he discussed his journey.

“I’ve been working on it for pretty much my whole life,” Shlez told PokerNews with a wide smile. “I started poker pretty much with the World Series of Poker. … I didn’t expect to win in this discipline, even though it was my favorite game when I started.”

Shlez, who sported a Ukrainian flag lapel pin and draped himself in the flag after winning, said playing against Sabishchenko proved special.

“It was unbelievable,” Shlez said. “We thought it would be cool yesterday (Friday) when it went down to three tables. We hoped it was going to happen, but nobody expected this to happen. I mean, even making the final table together was great. It was unbelievable. To win it, it was unbelievable.”

Shlez acknowledged the stout competition he faced en route to his first WSOP bracelet, and he never got overconfident, even though he rode a hot streak to the final table. To him, victory arrived on the table.

“Not until the last cards hit,” he said.

Schlez isn’t going anywhere anytime soon after securing his first WSOP bracelet. He plans to continue playing other WSOP events with his wife and has his eyes on another bracelet.

“Hopefully,” Shlez said. “Hopefully for her, too”

This concludes coverage of Event #7 of the 2023 WSOP, but make sure to stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates of your favorite events throughout the summer.

Veteran pro Ronnie Day was the last WSOP champion standing at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. Day earned his first gold bracelet, $200,000 in cash and the title of Tournament of Champions after four days of play.

“It’s so surreal right now, it’s unbelievable, I don’t even know how to explain it,” Day told PokerNews after posing for photos with his newest piece of jewelry.

This unique invitation-only event provided a $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool and was open to WSOP bracelet or WSOP circuit ring winners in the last year. Just last month, Day won his way into the field by earning his first circuit ring in Elizabeth, Indiana. The Ohio native had three previous WSOP cashes on his resume, but this top prize represents more than his previous WSOP career earnings combined.

Final Table Payouts

Final Table Action

A total of 741 players entered the freeroll event out of 989 qualifiers, with the final seven returning for an added fourth day to battle for WSOP glory.

Barry Schultz won his way into the field by taking down the senior’s event at Horseshoe Tunica in January. Schultz entered the day as the short stack and was the first to exit after seeing his pocket jacks cracked on the turn.

The lone Canadian at the final table, Justin Hotte-McKinnon, was the next to go in sixth place. Hotte-McKinnon earned his spot in the Tournament of Champions field by winning a ring on WSOP.ca in March. Wissam Gahshan qualified with a win at The Bicycle Casino in December and the start of the day chip leader collected a career-best score with a fifth-place finish.

As Day was vaulting his way up the leaderboard, the eliminations continued around him at the table. Hunter McClelland was the next to go, earning a nice payday after taking down two ring events on WSOP PA. Patrick White followed in third place at the hands of Day, adding a nice score to his resume to go along with a win at the WSOP circuit stop at Turning Stone.

Crowning a Champion

Heads-up play did not last long, as Brent Gregory’s significant chip disadvantage provided a path to victory for Day. Gregory earned a career-best score with the runner-up finish after qualifying with a win at the WSOP Circuit event in Tulsa in March.

As for our champion, Day says his next challenge will be looking for a third career cash in the WSOP Main Event. “I was sitting there thinking, this is very good practice for the main instead of just jumping right into the fire,” Day said after reflecting on his experience this week.

The winning hand was J-5 offsuit, to which Day quipped, “Motown is back, right?”

Doug Polk built his poker reputation on heads-up play. It’s where he’s most comfortable, staring at a single opponent directly across the table. And tomorrow, when the Final Four of Event #8: $25,000 Heads Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship begins at 4 p.m. local time, he can capture the one thing missing from his resume, the WSOP Heads Up bracelet.

Polk headlines the four remaining players who will gather on the main feature stage inside the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. He’ll be joined by Sean Winter, Chris Brewer, and Chanracy Khun, three opponents who have navigated through the grind of four heads-up matches to reach this stage.

Full Bracket

Day 2 Action

Polk began the day by defeating Reiji Kono in the Round of 16, complimenting the young Japanese star after the match. The highlight of his day, though, was still to come. Facing Roberto Perez, who had a passionate rail chanting “Davy” for his online handle “DavyJones,” Polk called a preflop shove with ace-queen. Perez had seven-five and took the lead with a five on the turn, but Polk hit a three on the river to complete a wheel as he took a victory lap around the rail.

Kono and Perez provided Polk with differing challenges before making the Final Four. “Normally, I think when you think of a good player, you think of an aggressive player. But the thing about heads-up is if you become too aggressive, it becomes bad. So it’s all about balancing that aggression into your overall play style,” Polk said after booking his ticket for the event’s final day.

“[Kono] I think he had his foot fully on the gas, and I was able to make a couple of reasonable call downs versus him to do well. I’m usually not the guy you can run over in heads-up no-limit…[Perez] legitimately never had a hand. He made some nice calls. He tried a couple of bluffs, and got a couple through here and there. I don’t think what we saw from him today indicates how he plays as a whole.”

Polk, who makes only occasional appearances at the WSOP while running the Lodge cardroom in Austin, Texas, already has three WSOP bracelets. His three opponents on Sunday are all still chasing their first. Winter and Brewer would be near the top on a list of the game’s best players without a bracelet. Winter gave an indication of his incredible poker talent when he called a river bet of 350,000 with just ace-high to take a commanding lead over Eric Wasserson on his way to finishing off the match a short time later. Brewer hit a queen on the river to beat Anthony Zinno and set up a match against Polk in the semifinals. It’s one Polk is looking forward to.

“It should be a fun one. I’ve played Chris a bunch online. When I was prepping for my match against Daniel Negreanu, we played a good chunk of hands, and I smashed him pretty good. But he played pretty well. His frequencies and stuff were quite good, quite balanced. I thought he was a good player,” Polk said.

The Montreal, Canada native Khun isn’t the household name that Polk, Winter, and Brewer are in the poker community, but he still has WSOP cashes going back more than a decade and more than $400,000 in total earnings. After a gruelling match against Gabor Szabo in the Round of 16, Khun made quick work of poker prodigy Landon Tice in the quarterfinals when he flopped two pair to beat Tice’s pair of aces.

Polk vs. Brewer. Winter vs. Khun. The Final Four is set, and it all gets underway on Sunday. They are matchups that ChatGPT nearly correctly predicted at the beginning of the day. Action will be streamed on PokerGO from 5 p.m. until a winner is crowned. Polk is the star and headliner and does not doubt who should be considered the favorite.

“I feel really good about my chances. I’m probably the favorite tomorrow,” he said. “I guess the only thing I would say is my short-stack game isn’t particularly great, but as long as the stacks are deep, I feel extremely good about my chances. I would imagine I’ll be the best deep-stacked No-Limit Hold’em player tomorrow. This is my favorite event. I think it’s no surprise that I tend to do best in this event. There’s only one other guy. That’s what I usually do. That’s what I’ve done my whole life. So I feel great.”