Karapet Galstyan lived an unforgettable night at the WSOP. The American player won the title of Event #10 (US$ 600 Deepstack No-Limit Hold’em), overcame a gigantic field of 4,622 entries and earned US$ 259,829, in addition to the first live bracelet of his career. The tournament distributed more than US$ 2.3 million in prizes and brought together thousands of competitors.
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Thus, the champion crowned a journey built over a decade in the series. Even before the final table, Galstyan already had a respectable resume on the felt, including a WSOP online bracelet and two circuit rings. However, what was missing was precisely a live achievement in the world’s main series.
However, the path to the title was not simple. Galstyan controlled the main decisive confrontations and confirmed the victory against Joshua Lusby-Angvick, who finished as runner-up and received US$ 173,067. Russell Giordano completed the podium by pocketing US$ 128,446.
In this way, the tournament also rewarded other important names in the final. Joseph Sia finished fourth for US$ 96,106, while Kenneth Baime took US$ 72,500 for fifth place. In addition, Luis Yepez Carmona, Michael Wagner, Nelson Chew, and Omri Zaidman completed the official final table of the event.
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Check out the final table payouts:
| Position | Name | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karapet Galstyan | United States | US$ 259,829 |
| 2 | Joshua Lusby-Angvick | United States | US$ 173,067 |
| 3 | Russell Giordano | United States | US$ 128,446 |
| 4 | Joseph Sia | Philippines | US$ 96,106 |
| 5 | Kenneth Baime | United States | US$ 72,500 |
| 6 | Luis Yepez Carmona | Venezuela | US$ 55,145 |
| 7 | Michael Wagner | United States | US$ 42,295 |
| 8 | Nelson Chew | United States | US$ 32,713 |
| 9 | Omri Zaidman | United States | US$ 25,517 |
Victory was dedicated to his wife
After confirming the title, Karapet Galstyan revealed that he immediately thought of his wife. Throughout the entire final, he sent messages updating his partner about the eliminations. However, at a certain point, the replies stopped coming. “I thought she had fallen asleep”, said the champion in an interview with PokerNews. After the victory, he sent just one message: “I won”. The wife’s reply came shortly after: “What??”.
In addition, Galstyan highlighted that he constantly adapted his strategy during the final table. “Players who only follow the GTO strategy can become predictable, so I change my strategy depending on my opponents”, he said in an interview with PokerNews. According to him, reading opponents and the ability to exploit tendencies were decisive factors for winning the bracelet.
Finally, the American has already defined the next steps at the WSOP. Despite a planned break for a cruise to Alaska with his wife, he intends to compete in a full schedule of tournaments during the series. In addition, he continues to pursue another important goal: to win the first paid spot in the WSOP Main Event, something he has not yet achieved after a decade of attempts.
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