Golden Nugget Awards $5.5 Million in Prize Money During 2023 Grand Poker Series
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The 2023 Golden Nugget Grand Poker Series kicked off on May 30 and concluded on July 3. The Downtown Las Vegas summer series featured 89 events offering over $3 million in guaranteed prize money, and at the end of it, 24,402 entrants had competed and $5,587,560 in prize money was awarded.
The Golden Nugget Grand Poker Series featured poker variants suited to fans of mixed games in addition to No Limit Hold��em, including Pot-Limit Omaha, Big O, Mixed Triple Draw Lowball, Limit 2-7 Lowball, H.O.R.S.E., 8-Game Mix, and Dealer��s Choice.
Among those to claim Golden Nugget titles were 2004 WSOP Main Event champ Greg Raymer (Event #77: $600 NLH Seniors Championship for $32,000), Kyle Jeffrey (Event #41: $300 NLH Mystery Bounty for $55,485), and Edward Holt (Event #32: Bar Poker Open Championship for $100,000).
The series culminated with the second annual $1,100 buy-in $1,000,000 GTD PokerNews Cup. The tournament featured the popular mystery bounty format, and a whopping 2,331 entrants flocked to the felt to create a $2,261,070 prize pool, smashing the guarantee and setting a new record for the largest prize pool in Golden Nugget Las Vegas history. The United Kingdom��s Johnny Kelly claimed the trophy and the $176,540 top prize in addition to mystery bounties.
Here's a look at some other winners from the closing events of the 2023 Grand Poker Series.
Check out the Golden Nugget Poker Room review here on PokerNews!
Maureen Blochlinger Wins 2023 Grand Poker Series Ladies Event
On June 30, Event #81: $200 NLH Ladies $10K GTD saw 181 entrants battle it out on the felt for a piece of the $27,150 prize pool paid to the top 23 finishers.
Switzerland��s Maureen Bloechlinger claimed the title and $4,623 following a four-way deal with Nancy Matson (2nd - $4,303), Devona Cole (3rd - $4,303), and Mary-Rose McCann (4th - $3,000).
Others who finished in the money include Susie Isaacs (7th - $923), Sinem Melin (15th - $502), Sarah Casey (16th - $421), and Nika Futterman (18th - $421).
2023 Grand Poker Series Event #81 Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maureen Bloechlinger | $4,623 |
| 2 | Nancy Matson | $4,303 |
| 3 | Devona Cole | $4,303 |
| 4 | Mary-Rose McCann | $3,000 |
| 5 | Tara Augustoni | $1,307 |
| 6 | Raphaella Krass | $1,083 |
| 7 | Susan Isaacs | $923 |
| 8 | Paula Banks | $812 |
| 9 | Roxanne Sanchez | $703 |
Poker's "Coming Home" as Brit Johnny Kelly Wins 2023 PokerNews Cup ($176,540)
Joni Liimatta Finishes Strong to Close Out Series
The final three events of the 2023 Golden Nugget Grand Poker Series played out on July 3 at the Downtown Las Vegas venue.
Finland��s Joni Liimatta started that day with a runner-up finish for $1,849 in the 51-entrant field Event #87: $200 NLH $5K GTD following a three-way chop.
After Liimatta��s deep run in the early event of the day, he entered the final event of the series, Event #89: $130 NLH $5K GTD. Liimatta one-upped his previous result by navigating through the 101-entrant field and ended up victorious, earning another $2,502 for a solid day��s work to close out the series.
2023 Grand Poker Series Event #89 Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joni Liimatta | $2,502 |
| 2 | Oliver Klar | $2,223 |
| 3 | Robert Shearing | $1,103 |
| 4 | Terry Stephens | $720 |
| 5 | Gerald Wade | $561 |
| 6 | Steven Nguyen | $449 |
| 7 | Dung Nguyen | $381 |
| 8 | Jeffrey Kupferberg | $331 |
| 9 | Gang Zhu | $293 |
2023 Golden Nugget Grand Poker Series Results
| Date | Tournament | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30-May | Event #1: $300 Omaha 8/B $10K GTD | 96 | $23,040 | Chad Campbell | $5,020 |
| 30-May | Event #2: $150 NLH $10K GTD | 136 | $14,960 | Austin Emerick | $3,458 |
| 30-May | Event #3: $200 Big O $5K GTD | 75 | $11,250 | Bryce Fox | $3,300 |
| 30-May | Event #4: $130 NLH | 29 | $2,755 | Scott Mahoney | $1,140 |
| 31-May | Event #5: $300 H.O.R.S.E $5K GTD | 85 | $20,400 | Jean Marie Blanc | $6,014 |
| 31-May | Event #6: $200 Mixed NLH / PLO $5K GTD | 32 | $5,000 | Federico Peralta | $2,006 |
| 31-May | Event #7: $200 Omaha 8/B / Stud $5K GTD | 79 | $11,850 | Mark Povich | $3,632 |
| 31-May | Event #8: $130 NLH | 36 | $3,420 | Bruno Manoel Fernandes | $924 |
| 1-Jun | Event #9: $300 Dealer's Choice $5K GTD | 38 | $9,120 | James Van Alstyne | $3,422 |
| 4-Jun | Event #10: $200 NLH $200K GTD | 2,347 | $317,325 | Jora Beit | $30,938 |
| 2-Jun | Event #11: $150 NLH $10K GTD | 122 | $13,420 | Robert Bladon | $2,652 |
| 3-Jun | Event #12: $150 NLH $10K GTD | 137 | $15,070 | Nabyl Simmons | $2,814 |
| 4-Jun | Event #13: $300 Mixed PLO/8; Omaha 8/B; Big O $20K GTD | 179 | $42,960 | Shawn Carter | $6,100 |
| 4-Jun | Event #14: $200 NLH $25K GTD | 262 | $39,300 | Christos Georgakis | $4,703 |
| 4-Jun | Event #15: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 65 | $6,175 | R Phillips | $816 |
| 5-Jun | Event #16: $300 Omaha 8/B / Stud 8 $20K GTD | 198 | $47,520 | Jonah Seewald | $8,306 |
| 5-Jun | Event #17: $200 NLH $25K GTD | 305 | $45,750 | Steven Sparks | $4,271 |
| 5-Jun | Event #18: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 64 | $6,080 | Max Nieder | $1,837 |
| 6-Jun | Event #19: $300 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball Limit $10K GTD | 109 | $26,160 | Matthew Schultz | $7,155 |
| 6-Jun | Event #20: $200 NLH $25K GTD | 277 | $41,550 | Simon Lefebvre | $4,384 |
| 6-Jun | Event #21: $200 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw $5K GTD | 65 | $10,075 | Michael Wood | $3,185 |
| 6-Jun | Event #22: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 70 | $6,650 | Jonathan Liu | $2,103 |
| 7-Jun | Event #23: $300 PLO 8-Handed $10K GTD | 91 | $21,840 | Ethan Bennett | $4,600 |
| 7-Jun | Event #24: $200 NLH $25K GTD | 209 | $31,350 | Dennis James | $4,388 |
| 7-Jun | Event #25: $200 H.O.R.S.E. $5K GTD | 127 | $19,050 | Arturo Segura | $3,957 |
| 7-Jun | Event #26: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 61 | $5,795 | Johnny Tan | $1,628 |
| 8-Jun | Event #27: $300 NLH 6-Handed $10K GTD | 59 | $14,160 | Guilmot Polizzi | $4,630 |
| 11-Jun | Event #28: $200 NLH $200K GTD | 1,784 | $267,600 | Baker Abdallah | $23,651 |
| 11-Jun | Event #29: $300 PLO Black Chip Bounty $10K GTD | 132 | $19,800 | Dale Elifrits | $3,124 |
| 11-Jun | Event #30: $200 NLH $25K GTD | 255 | $38,250 | Jason Crews | $7,820 |
| 11-Jun | Event #31: $130 NLH $10K GTD | 333 | $29,970 | Arno Brandes | $3,968 |
| 14-Jun | Event #32: Bar Poker Open Championship | 1,053 | $315,900 | Edward Holt | $80,000 |
| 12-Jun | Event #33: $130 NLH Green Chip Bounty | 298 | $19,395 | Bonnie McCurdy | $2,721 |
| 13-Jun | Event #34: $200 NLH $25K GTD | 281 | $42,150 | Morgan Ravail | $7,480 |
| 13-Jun | Event #35: $200 NLH Tag Team $10K GTD | 192 | $28,800 | Brian Barros Vazquez | $7,297 |
| 14-Jun | Event #36: $400 NLH $50K GTD | 168 | $55,440 | Craig Jones | $11,088 |
| 14-Jun | Event #37: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 140 | $13,300 | David Gonzalez | $3,714 |
| 15-Jun | Event #38: $1,000 Bar Poker Open Pro-Am | 199 | $177,110 | Konstantinos Tsikopoulos | $44,086 |
| 15-Jun | Event #39: $200 NLH $25K GTD | 292 | $43,800 | Ivo Schoofs | $9,656 |
| 15-Jun | Event #40: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 126 | $11,970 | Adam Moremon | $3,472 |
| 19-Jun | Event #41: $300 NLH Mystery Bounty $250K GTD | 2,356 | $339,340 | Kyle Jeffrey | $55,485 |
| 16-Jun | Event #42: $300 Mixed PLO/8; Omaha 8/B; Big O $10K GTD | 125 | $30,000 | Michael Judge | $6,650 |
| 17-Jun | Event #43: $150 NLH $10K GTD | 142 | $15,620 | Jason Luzzi | $2,099 |
| 19-Jun | Event #44: $300 H.O.R.S.E. $10K GTD | 202 | $48,480 | Jonathan Breneman | $11,229 |
| 19-Jun | Event #45: $150 NLH $10K GTD | 217 | $23,870 | Kerri Salamanca | $3,930 |
| 19-Jun | Event #46: $130 NLH $3K GTD | 76 | $7,220 | Petr Satek | $2,017 |
| 20-Jun | Event #47: $300 Big O $20K GTD | 200 | $48,000 | Samuel Diaz | $7,200 |
| 20-Jun | Event #48: $200 NLH $25K GTD | 267 | $40,050 | Philip Pontecorvo | $5,975 |
| 20-Jun | Event #49: $200 Mixed PLO/8; Omaha 8/B; Big O $5K GTD | 86 | $12,900 | Vernon Vollertsen | $2,420 |
| 29-Jun | Event #50: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 81 | $7,695 | Thomas Wall | $2,100 |
| 21-Jun | Event #51: $300 8-Game Mix $10K GTD | 146 | $35,040 | Arne Olsen | $6,444 |
| 21-Jun | Event #52: $200 NLH $25K GTD | 370 | $55,500 | Adrienne Culpepper | $7,872 |
| 21-Jun | Event #53: $200 Omaha 8/B $5K GTD | 138 | $20,700 | Darin Wilson | $4,669 |
| 21-Jun | Event #54: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 109 | $10,355 | John Tobin | $1,501 |
| 22-Jun | Event #55: $300 Mixed NLH/PLO 8-Handed $10K GTD | 109 | $26,160 | Scott Yeates | $7,153 |
| 22-Jun | Event #56: $200 NLH $25K GTD | 321 | $48,150 | Peter Harter | $5,186 |
| 22-Jun | Event #57: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 141 | $13,395 | Timothy Dallman | $2,432 |
| 23-Jun | Event #58: $400 NLH Seniors $100K GTD | 509 | $167,970 | Vince Salvatore | $18,154 |
| 26-Jun | Event #59: $600 NLH Championship $500K GTD | 1,073 | $547,230 | David Hudson | $66,162 |
| 23-Jun | Event #60: $200 NLH $25K GTD | 252 | $37,800 | Brian Hamamoto | $5,738 |
| 23-Jun | Event #61: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 112 | $10,640 | William Gernenz | $3,193 |
| 24-Jun | Event #62: $200 NLH $25K GTD | 368 | $55,200 | Tac Tac | $9,851 |
| 24-Jun | Event #63: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 148 | $14,060 | Sven Bindrich | $2,800 |
| 25-Jun | Event #64: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 129 | $12,255 | Shachar Yonayov | $1,475 |
| 26-Jun | Event #65: $300 Seven Card Stud Hi/Low $10K GTD | 145 | $34,800 | Dennis McGlynn | $6,473 |
| 26-Jun | Event #66: $200 NLH $25K GTD | 340 | $51,000 | Stephen Forde | $5,118 |
| 26-Jun | Event #67: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 99 | $9,405 | Emil Simonea | $2,316 |
| 27-Jun | Event #68: $300 Omaha 8/B $10K GTD | 138 | $33,120 | Dale Phillips | $7,278 |
| 27-Jun | Event #69: $200 NLH $25K GTD | 243 | $36,450 | Yung Ng | $5,534 |
| 27-Jun | Event #70: $200 Omaha 8/B $5K GTD | 70 | $10,500 | Nathan Moss | $3,321 |
| 27-Jun | Event #71: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 92 | $8,740 | Thomas Schaeven | $1,881 |
| 28-Jun | Event #72: $400 Super Seniors $50K GTD | 320 | $105,600 | Thomas Cooke | $16,825 |
| 28-Jun | Event #73: $200 PokerNews Cup NLH Mega Satellite 10 Seats GTD | 54 | $11,100 | 10 Winners | $1,100 |
| 28-Jun | Event #74: $200 NLH $25K GTD | 303 | $45,450 | Alexandru Razvan Pasare | $4,719 |
| 28-Jun | Event #75: $200 Triple Stud $5K GTD | 79 | $11,850 | Rick Muniz | $3,284 |
| 28-Jun | Event #76: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 111 | $10,545 | Russell Love | $2,500 |
| 29-Jun | Event #77: $600 NLH Seniors Championship $50K GTD | 321 | $163,710 | Greg Raymer | $32,000 |
| 3-Jul | Event #78: $1,100 NLH PokerNews Cup Mystery Bounty $1M GTD | 2,331 | $1,356,570 | John Kelly | $218,605 |
| 29-Jun | Event #79: $200 NLH $25K GTD | 209 | $31,350 | Ginold Rendel | $4,235 |
| 29-Jun | Event #80: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 102 | $9,690 | James Rees | $1,822 |
| 30-Jun | Event #81: $200 NLH Ladies $10K GTD | 181 | $27,150 | Maureen Bloechlinger | $4,623 |
| 30-Jun | Event #82: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 89 | $8,455 | James Budelier | $1,583 |
| 1-Jul | Event #83: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 69 | $6,555 | Marc Gruttner | $1,521 |
| 2-Jul | Event #84: $300 NLH Black Chip Bounty $10K GTD | 117 | $16,380 | Rahamim Idel | $4,137 |
| 2-Jul | Event #85: $200 NLH $25K GTD | 243 | $36,450 | Eugenie Tehiva | $5,200 |
| 2-Jul | Event #86: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 79 | $7,505 | Markus Langegger | $1,674 |
| 3-Jul | Event #87: $200 NLH $5K GTD | 51 | $7,650 | Asafi Hasanov | $1,849 |
| 3-Jul | Event #88: $200 NLH $10K GTD | 232 | $34,800 | James Brockriede | $4,925 |
| 3-Jul | Event #89: $130 NLH $5K GTD | 101 | $9,595 | Joni Liimatta | $2,502 |
