The United Kingdom's Jamie Walden triumphed in Event #95: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold’em at the 2024 World Series of Poker, held at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. Walden secured his first gold bracelet and a top prize of $313,370 after defeating Naseem Salem in a heads-up match that spanned over four levels. Shortly after his victory, PokerNews asked Walden about his feelings on winning the bracelet.
"I'm feeling exhausted to be honest. Well, I'm feeling amazing. I slept badly last night, and I kept waking up dreaming of poker hands. I only slept four hours or so I think."
Walden outlasted a field of 1,119 entrants to claim the lion's share of the $1,970,906 prize pool. This victory saw Walden nearly tenfold his previous best score, bringing his live tournament winnings to just under $500,000. When asked about his future plans, Walden said he will be playing more, but that he prioritizes family.
"I play quite a bit on the UK tours so I think potentially one or two in the UK. I was meant to be going to Barcelona, but it's my daughter's first day of school, so obviously, family comes first"
Event #95: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold'em Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jamie Walden | United Kingdom | $313,370 |
| 2 | Naseem Salem | United States | $208,919 |
| 3 | David Stamm | United States | $148,183 |
| 4 | Adam Hendrix | United States | $106,598 |
| 5 | Ankit Ahuja | India | $77,787 |
| 6 | Martin Finger | Germany | $57,594 |
| 7 | Christopher Stevenson | United States | $43,275 |
| 8 | Akinobu Maeda | Japan | $33,006 |
| 9 | Henrik Juncker | Denmark | $25,559 |
Final Table
Denmark’s Henrik Juncker knew he had the most work to do today, as he came into the final table with just five big blinds. He put them to work on just the third hand of play by three-bet shoving ace-six over a Walden open. Walden had pocket nines, which held up, sending Juncker to the rail in ninth place for $25,559.
Not long after Juncker's exit, Akinobu Maeda was eliminated in eighth place for $33,006. Maeda’s bustout was far more brutal than Juncker's, as he slow played aces and was punished by David Stamm’s flopped set.
It took another 40 minutes of play for the next elimination. Unfortunately for Christopher Stevenson, he was the player finishing in seventh place, taking home $43,275 for his efforts. Stevenson shoved from the small blind for roughly seven big blinds with ace-ten but ended up second best to Walden’s king-queen from the big blind.
The only final table player with a WSOP bracelet was Germany’s Martin Finger, who won one back in 2013. Coming into the final table as one of the shortest stacks, he would have been pleased to have moved up a few places on the pay ladder. His exit in sixth place came at the hands of Stamm after his ace-two couldn't improve against the ace-seven of Stamm, pocketing $57,594 for his impressive deep run.
The next elimination came almost instantaneously after Fingers. Ankit Ahuja had ducked and weaved his way so far at the final table to stay alive. But just before the break, Ahuja found the perfect spot to shove from the small blind with only Adam Hendrix to get through in the big blind. Hendrix peeled back two ladies and made the call. There was no miracle for Ahuja, and he would make his way to the cashier’s desk to claim $77,787 for his fifth-place finish.
The remaining four players had all secured themselves a six-figure payday. Next to depart was the $25K fantasy player Hendrix, who jammed all-in with king-two from the small blind, only to be called by Salem from the big blind holding ace-four. Hendrix didn't improve enough to win and had to settle for a score of $106,598.
With three players remaining, Stamm found himself as the shortest stack. When it folded to him in the small blind, he put his last six blinds into the middle with pocket queens. Salem made the call with fours from the big blind and managed to spike a set on the turn to seal Stamm's departure in third, collecting $148,143 to add to his bankroll.
When heads-up play started, the stacks of Walden and Salem were almost even, with the chip lead going back and forth regularly. However, after about an hour of play, Walden found himself on the ropes with more than a 2:1 chip deficit. PokerNews asked Walden how he felt at that point and what helped him keep his composure.
"I was just trying to make good decisions the whole time. Where I play poker at home, I've got a sign that says 'make good decisions'. That's my mantra. It doesn't matter how many chips you got, if you are trying to make good decisions, then what will be will be."
Walden followed that motto as he made good decision after good decision, slowly chipping up before eventually regaining the chip lead. In the final hand of the tournament, Walden check-raised all-in with a flush draw and was called by Salem with two pair. Walden spiked his flush on the turn to take a commanding lead, and when the board didn't pair on the river, he and his rail erupted in jubilation at his victory and his new status as a WSOP bracelet winner. Walden told PokerNews how he planned to celebrate:
"I am actually leaving tomorrow. I was supposed to be leaving today, but this got rescheduled. So we'll probably go for dinner and yeah"
That concludes PokerNews coverage of the $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold'em. Stay tuned for more coverage as the 2024 WSOP draws near to a close.
