Another day at the WSOP, another famous WSOP multi-bracelet winner coming ever so close to additional jewelry but being denied. Just 24 hours after legendary Poker Hall of Famer Billy Baxter finished as the runner-up in the Seniors event, Mike 'The Mouth' Matusow also logged a second-place finish in the $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better won by Poland's Marcin Horecki.
It's the deepest run in a WSOP event in a decade for Matusow, who won his fourth bracelet in 2013. Matusow remains a very popular figure in the game, and he hosts his widely-viewed "The Mouthpiece" podcast in addition to being a frequent finalist for induction into the Poker Hall of Fame, as he is again during the 2023 selection process.
Matusow's deep run wasn't the only news item of note from the $1,500 stud hi-lo event. Another of this year's PHOF finalists, Brian Rast, also made the final table and finished seventh, and Rast, who already won his sixth bracelet earlier in the series, is widely reckoned as one of the PHOF favorites this year, in his first year of eligibility.
And then there's Horecki, who used to play poker full time and had previous earned an International Circuit ring. Horecki "came out of retirement" to play at the WSOP, and in the process, he became the first-ever Polish player to win WSOP gold in a live setting. Horecki joins Dominik Panka, who won an online WSOP event in 2021, as the only Polish players who have won WSOP bracelets.
Horecki entered Event #55's heads-up duel against Matusow with a healthy edge, and Matusow was never able to overcome the deficit. The final hand found Matusow leading the betting action after being dealt a split pair of eights, while Horecki started with three clubs to a flush. Matusow never improved his high nor made a low, while Horecki caught back-to-back jacks on fifth and sixth street to make a better single pair and finish off the all-in Matusow.
The final-table results from Event #55, $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better:
- Marcin Horecki - $155,275
- Mike Matusow - $95,957
- Scott Numoto - $66,950
- James Cheung - $47,475
- Sergio Braga - $34,225
- Michael Estes - $25,089
- Brian Rast - $18,709
- Chris George - $14,195
