Yinan Zhou won the 2024 WSOP Paradise Super Main Event

The biggest tournament in history

The second edition of the WSOP Paradise successfully broke the record for the largest guaranteed prize in a poker tournament. The $26k Main Event, with a $50 million prize pool, raised 1,978 entries but fell short by just $550k.

The WSOP Paradise 2024 Super Main Event victory went to 24-year-old Chinese player Yinan Zhou, who won his first career bracelet for $6,000,000.

The tournament organizers allowed players of different generations from all over the world to participate. 900 entries were won in packages through GGPoker.

Zhou prefers playing cash games to tournaments and visited the Bahamas with friends. In live events, he had only cashed seven times in three years. Five were in China and South Korea, while his best showing was at the inaugural WSOP Paradise Main Event. In 2023, he ranked 28th, cashing $72,200.

Yinan's words in the interview after her win were unusual:

“I don't even know what to say. You know what I'm thinking? During the dinner break I couldn't decide what to eat, and I was really hungry; I didn't eat anything. Now I'm even hungrier. I don't even know what I'm going to spend the money on. Maybe I'll play more, work on my game, so I can fight the best and become one of them.”

Final Table

The top nine players in the tournament were a fusion of little-known young players and experienced grinders. The first group consisted of Zhou, Marcelo Azis, Georg Lehmann, Chris Nguyen, and Vadim Lipovka, and the second group consisted of Mustafa Kanit, Michael Addamo, and Justin Bonomo.

Only one woman was at the final table: Liv Boeree, who long ago decided to end her 
professional career but traveled to WSOP Paradise at the organizers' invitation.

The finalists exited the game in the following order:

9th place. Georg Lehmann (Germany), $750,000

The only amateur to make the final table had a stack of just 16BB. Georg first called with 88 and lost a big pot to Nguyen, and a few hands later, he went all-in with A9 after a raise by chip leader Addamo with AJ.

Before this tournament, Lehman had cashed in 2016 in a €330 tournament at the EPT Barcelona. His best cash was in the WSOP Main Event 2013, where he cashed $42,990 for his 185th position.

8th place. Vadim Lipovka (Belarus), $1,000,000

Vadim came to the final table with 22BB, looking for a moment to double up. He had an excellent opportunity in the big blind with A8s. However, luck played against him. Mustafa Kanit went all in with Q4, hitting a queen on the flop. The turn and river did not improve his hand.

The Belarusian began his live career in 2015, playing local circuits where he has won more than $1.5 million. He has 14 trophies under his belt. His best cash to date had been $218,890.

Lipovka played the tournament thanks to a package won online, although a few days earlier, he also participated in the Mini Main Event for $2,750, collecting $344,000.

7th place. Justin Bonomo (USA), $1,300,000

Justin eliminated the two short stacks at the table when he had 33 and faced Zhou's JJ. Bonomo's seventh-place finish marked his first seven-figure cash in three years, moving him closer to Bryn Kenney on the list of top earners by $7.5M. Justin's winnings total $65.5M.

Curiously, Justin could have been disqualified for playing at the table wearing a Palestinian kufiya the day before.

6th place. Michael Addamo (Australia), $1,650,000

The top Australian player has only visited three Triton Poker Series events in the past two years. He qualified on the WSOP Paradise Main Event online day and became the chip leader on Days 4 and 5.

Michael's troubles at the final table began when he believed a bluff from Zhou. The Chinese player went all-in on the river with ace-high, and Addamo folded his second pair. Yinan then hit two straights against the Australian and left him short-stacked. Liv Boeree eliminated Michael with K8 against QJs.

The player's biggest year was 2021, when he won $9.5 million and two WSOP bracelets. In total, he has accumulated $24M in live tournament earnings.

5th place. Chris Nguyen (Germany), $2,100,000

Chris was active only at the start of the final table when he was almost a spectator. He first doubled up against Liv in decisive hands and lost his last 5BB against Kanit JT vs. QQ.

The player is a new face in the high roller arena. He has no significant live achievements except second place in the €1,150 Mystery Bounty at EPT Prague 2022. He recently made the final table of the GGMillion$ bracelet.

4th place. Liv Boeree (UK), $2,800,000

Liv played the final table passively. After a few hours, her fourth stack became a very small one. On the decisive hand, she was unable to double up with 44 against Iziz's A8. The Brazilian hit the ace on the turn.

Boeree has created several podcasts on game theory in the last few years; in the last two years, she has only had one cash. She rose to fame in 2010 by winning the EPT San Remo Main Event ($1,698,300) and is married to pro Igor Kurvanov.

3rd place. Mustafa Kanit (Italy), $3,600,000

Like Liv, Mustafa occupied the position from which the chip count began. He was the most active against the eventual winner, although it was the Brazilian who took Kanit's chips in a hand of 89 against A3 when the dealer showed a 9 on the river.

Although Mustafa hasn't played much recently, he has over $12.6 million in live circuit earnings. In 2015, he won two EPT High Rollers, and the following year, he cashed €1,462,000 in a €100,000 PokerStars tournament.

2nd place. Marcelo Aziz (Brazil), $4,600,000

Marcelo was very aggressive, bluffing 3-bets and all-ins preflop from the button. In heads-up play before the break, he doubled A7 against A8 when a 7 fell on the flop.

However, in the tournament's final hand, Aziz's K6 could not improve against his opponent's A6. Marcelo won a package via an online satellite and received entry into a WSOP Online flipout bonus.

Marcelo is an online grinder who plays primarily from his home country. He won his first title in November of this year ($15,499). Before this tournament, his cash totaled $251,644.

Final table video:

Fun facts

• The tournament's bubble was Phil Hellmuth, who bet his 2.5BB with AK, but Alan Keating (famous for his appearances on Hustler Casino streams) beat him with 67.
• The bubble of the final table was Chris Moneymaker. The American is having the best year of his career as a player. Liv Boeree eliminated him with 99 vs JJ.
• Daniel Negreanu managed to cash (position 170, $67,300) but was very upset when he was eliminated TT vs KJ.

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