2024 Winter Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 1
$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  1,394
Prize Pool:  $460,020
January 24 – 28, 2024

The opening event of the 2024 Winter Poker Open was a $400 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament that drew 1,394 entries over six starting flights and turned the $200,000 into a prize pool worth $460,020. After a tough final table battle, Antuan Bunkley had the lead and had the short stack but eventually had the title along with $74,370.

This is the biggest cash for “Bunk”, topping the $43K he earned for his Tampa Little Slick title in 2018 and his earnings topped $600,000 for his career.

Congrats Antuan!

Final table results:

• – Full WPO Event 1 results (PDF)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 34:  250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante

Antuan Bunkley began heads-up play with a better than two-to-one advantage and Gabriel Fuller needed to make a move to get back in the match.

After a few hands, Bunkley opened his button to 2,000,000 and Fuller moved all in for 12,100,000. Bunkley thought for a few minutes, counted out his chips, and called with a chance to end the event.

Bunkley:
Fuller:

It was a flip for a lot of money, Fuller needed his sixes to hold to double, but Bunkley took the lead when he paired his king on the flop. The turn and river finished the board and Bunkley picked up the outright win in WPO Event 1 for $74,370 while Fuller earned $49,390.

1st: Antuan “Bunk” Bunkley – $74,370 + WPO Trophy
2nd: Gabriel Fuller – $49,390

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 34:  250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 1,394

Frank Spaulding opened to 1,250,000 from the small blind, Antuan Bunkley shipped from the big blind, and Spaulding called at risk for 11,800,000.

Bunkley:
Spaulding:

Bunkley was dominating with his queens and Spaulding needed to catch a king, some spades, or some exotic saving cards. None of those things came on the board to send him out in third place.

Antuan Bunkley – 28,200,000 (56 bb)
Frank Spaulding – Eliminated in 3rd Place ($36,570)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 34:  250,000/500,000 with a 500,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 1,394

The three remaining players were shuffling chips between the three stacks and former big stack Gabriel Fuller was now the shortest. Frank Spaulding folded his button, Antuan Bunkley moved all in, and Fuller called at risk for 5,250,000.

Fuller:
Bunkley:

Fuller was ahead for a double but needed to fade Bunkley’s two live cards. The dealer spread the board and Fuller doubled back into the game.

Gabriel Fuller – 11,000,000 (22 bb)
Antuan Bunkley – 11,200,000 (22 bb)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 33:  200,000/400,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 1,394

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 33:  200,000/400,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 1,394

Frank Spaulding opened to 1,000,000 from under the gun, Daniel Brandsdorfer three-bet to 2,000,000 from the button and Gabriel Fuller thought for several minutes before he moved all in.

Spaulding folded, Brandsdorfer looked at the other stacks and called.

Brandsdorfer:
Fuller:

Brandsdorfer ran into a monster, picked up a small sweat on the flop, but did not improve further on the turn or . The dealer counted down the stacks, Fuller was ahead with 11,425,000, Brandsdorfer was at risk for 9,400,000 and eliminated in fifth place.

Gabriel Fuller – 22,425,000 (56 bb)
Daniel Brandsdorfer – Eliminated in 5th Place ($20,640)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 32:  150,000/300,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 1,394

Gabriel Fuller opened to 600,000 from the cutoff and Daniel Brandsdorfer called from the big blind. The flop came and both players checked.

The turn was , Brandsdorfer bet 1,100,000 and Fuller called. The river was and Brandsdorfer moved all in for 3,900,000. Fuller thought for a minute and tossed in a chip to call.

Brandsdorfer:
Fuller:

Brandsdorfer flopped a set of tens, Fuller went runner-runner trip eights, but the full house sent the lead over to Brandsdorfer.

Daniel Brandsdorfer – 11,350,000 (38 bb)
Gabriel Fuller – 10,400,000 (35 bb)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 32:  150,000/300,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 1,394

After sending a good-sized pot to Antuan Bunkley after the break, Khanh Truong shipped from the cutoff for 2,500,000 and Gabriel Fuller called on the button.

Fuller:
Truong:

Truong was in trouble with the smaller ace and Fuller’s hand held on the board to send Truong out in sixth place.

Gabriel Fuller – 16,000,000 (53 bb)
Khanh Truong – Eliminated in 6th Place ($15,740)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 32:  150,000/300,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 1,394

Seat 1: Gabriel Fuller – 12,750,000 (43 bb)
Seat 2: Frank Spaulding – 8,375,000 (28 bb)
Seat 3: Chad Kitchen – 5,450,000 (18 bb)
Seat 4: Daniel Brandsdorfer – 5,000,000 (17 bb)
Seat 7: Antuan Bunkley – 5,975,000 (20 bb)
Seat 8: Khanh Truong – 4,250,000 (14 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $74,370 + WPO Trophy
2nd: $49,390
3rd: $36,570
4th: $27,340
5th: $20,640
6th: $15,740

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31:  125,000/250,000 with a 250,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 1,394

On the next hand after Phillip Krnyaich was eliminated, Michael Pasquale open-shipped for 1,125,000 from the cutoff and Antuan Bunkley put him at risk from the button.

Bunkley:
Pasquale:

Pasquale was behind but had two live cards for a possible double. But Bunkley improved when he paired his ace on the flop and Pasquale was eliminated after the turn and river.

Antuan Bunkley – 6,250,000 (25 bb)
Michael Pasquale – Eliminated in 6th Place ($12,120)