The WSOP continues to deliver great stories in Las Vegas. Last Wednesday (03), Honghao Zhang shone in Event #13 (US$ 1,500 NLH 6-Handed) and won his first prize in the series. In addition, the American overcame a field of 1,840 entries, took home a world champion bracelet, and secured a prize of US$ 346,108.
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Thus, the champion’s campaign required a lot of consistency throughout the three days of play. Zhang faced some of the main names present in the tournament and, consequently, reached the final table in a position to contend for the title. The decision featured experienced and awarded players, which further enhanced the achievement.
However, the path to the bracelet was not simple. During the final table, Harlan Karnofsky, David Rees, and Thai Dinh also showed strength and sought the lead at different times. Even so, Zhang maintained emotional control and took advantage of opportunities to build one of the largest chip stacks of the decision.
In addition, the American confirmed the title after overcoming Harlan Karnofsky in the heads-up. The runner-up received US$ 230,626, while David Rees completed the podium and took US$ 163,172. Among the Brazilians, the best placed was the star Yuri Martins, eliminated in 96th for US$ 3,848.
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Check out the final table payouts:
| Position | Name | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honghao Zhang | United States | US$ 346.108 |
| 2 | Harlan Karnofsky | United States | US$ 230.626 |
| 3 | David Rees | United States | US$ 163.172 |
| 4 | Thai Dinh | United States | US$ 116.951 |
| 5 | Daniel Hill | United States | US$ 84.929 |
| 6 | Julien Duveau | France | US$ 62.501 |
| 7 | Michel Molenaar | Netherlands | US$ 46.619 |
Champion celebrated special career moment
However, the result had an even greater meaning for Honghao Zhang. In an interview with PokerNews after the victory, he highlighted the importance of the moment and the emotion of winning a world series tournament. “This is, without a doubt, the biggest result of my career”, said the champion in an interview with PokerNews.
In addition, Zhang revealed that he had to balance academic commitments with his passion for poker. He is currently pursuing a doctorate and, therefore, does not play the circuit full-time. Even so, he managed to take advantage of the opportunity to transform a WSOP participation into a historic title.
Finally, the player’s “The Hendon Mob” profile now points to US$ 719,192 in career earnings. Despite not being a WSOP regular, this is not the biggest reward of the player’s career. Last December, he finished 2nd in the US$ 1,100 NLH of the WPT World Championship and pocketed US$ 355,110.
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