Event #19: Millionaire Maker - $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
Day 5 Completed
2019 World Series of Poker
Event #19: Millionaire Maker - $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 5
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2019 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$1,500
Prize Pool
$11,892,150
Entries
8,809
Level
43
Blinds
1,250,000 / 2,500,000
Ante
2,500,000
Level 43
: 1,250,000/2,500,000, 2,500,000 ante
The 2019 World Series of Poker Event #19: $1,500 NL Millionaire Maker was the largest in history with 8,809 runners, which over the course of five days was reduced to just one. John Gorsuch completed an epic comeback being down to less than two big blinds seven handed to win the tournament for $1,344,930 and his first gold bracelet.
The win came at just the right time for the 42-year-old, who for the past 15 years started and grew a company in Washington DC. It was associated with the Department of Defense, and two years ago he decided to sell, a process that took until May 31 of this year to complete. He sold his house, moved home to Florida, and bought an RV.
“I started a company and had over 100 people with $15 million in revenue, and this is still the biggest day of my life,” he said after the win. “I’m a millionaire. I need to call my financial advisor and CPA. The CPA literally just emailed two days ago about my second-quarter estimates. Now I need to re-estimate my second quarter.”
While Gorsuch had more than $450K in earnings before the event, the victory actually marked his first win on HendonMob.
“I’ve not won an outright tournament since maybe 2013, a small bar-type tournament,” he said. Gorsuch then credited an earlier experience from the 2019 WSOP his success – specifically the first round of the Shootout Event where he played, and ultimately lost, a three-hour heads-up match.
He learned to be patient, pick his spots, and fight to the end. Now, he’s got seven-figures to show for his resilience. That money will be put to use both in the short and long-term. For the former, he can now help out with plans for January 2021 cruise to celebrate his parent’s 50th wedding anniversary.
“I think now I’m just going to pay for everything. I’m definitely upgrading on that trip,” he said while adding he intends to help them with an addition to their house while upgrading his own fifth wheeler. As for the long term, the win will likely influence how serious he takes poker.
“I’m a poker player for right now,” he said. “Poker is awesome. I can play poker all day, all night long. This kind of helps figure out whether or not I want to keep doing it. I don’t play cash stakes at all. You’ve got to run good in tournaments otherwise your cash flow dries up quick if you don’t supplement it with cash [games].”
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Gorsuch | United States | $1,344,930 |
| 2 | Kazuki Ikeuchi | Japan | $830,783 |
| 3 | Lokesh Garg | United States | $619,017 |
| 4 | [Removed:174] | Lithuania | $464,375 |
| 5 | Josh Thibodaux | United States | $350,758 |
| 6 | Cory Albertson | United States | $266,771 |
| 7 | Bob Shao | United States | $204,306 |
| 8 | Fabian Gumz | Germany | $157,565 |
| 9 | Josh Reichard | United States | $122,375 |
Final Table Action
Day 5 saw six players return to action and from the get-go it was the Kazuki Ikeuchi show. He started off by eliminating Cory Albertson in sixth place after getting it in with a double gutter against the nut flush draw. Ikeuchi was behind but managed to pair the river to steal the pot.
Not long after, Josh Thibodaux made an ill-timed bluff as he three-bet all in on the turn drawing dead when Ikeuchi held kings full of tens. That gave Ikeuchi a 112bb stack while his three opponents had under 10 bigs each.
Vincas Tamasaukas bowed out in fourth place losing king-six to Lokesh Garg’s king-jack, and Garg would follow him out the door in third after running ace-four into Ikeuchi’s ace-jack suited.
By that point, Gorsuch had closed the gap a bit and then doubled into the chip lead after a big hand where his top set of kings held against a diamond flush draw. Gorsuch’s fearless style saw him whittle Ikeuchi down before the final hand played out.
The chips went in on the turn when Gorsuch spiked two pair with queen-seven against the pocket rockets of Ikeuchi. The river was a brick and Ikeuchi had to settle for second place and $830,783 in prize money.
It marked the second year in a row Ikeuchi came close to capturing a bracelet as last year he and two partners finished second in Event #55: $1,000 NLH Tag Team for $36,202 apiece.
As for Gorsuch, he was left to take the winner photo sporting a full Dallas Cowboys ensemble.
“Tell Jerry if he wants to put me up in the suite for a game, preferably an NFC Championship game, I’d love that,” he said. “If I can win a bracelet they can win it.”
John Gorsuch completed an improbable comeback in the Millionaire Maker capturing a World Series of Poker gold bracelet. Gorsuch was down to two big blinds, but doubled up back into contention and eventually beat Kazuki Ikeuchi heads up.
Photography ? Joe Giron/pokerphotoarchive.com
Level 43
: 1,250,000/2,500,000, 2,500,000 ante
Hand #153: Kazuki Ikeuchi limped, John Gorsuch checked his option, and the flop came out 
. Gorsuch bet 3.5 million and Ikeuchi called. The 
turn saw Gorsuch move all in and Ikeuchi called off for 31.7 million.
Ikeuchi: 
Gorsuch: 
Gorsuch turned two pair to pull ahead of aces and he held when the 
bricked on the river.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
220,225,000
53,625,000
|
53,625,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 43
: 1,250,000/2,500,000, 2,500,000 ante
Hand #146: John Gorsuch raised to 4 million and Kazuki Ikeuchi called to see the 
flop. Ikeuchi check-called a bet of 6 million and then both players checked the turn as well as the 
turn. Gorsuch tabled the 
and claimed the pot.
Hand #147: Ikeuchi opened for 5 million and Gorsuch called to see a 
flop. Both players checked and did the same on the 
turn. Both players checked the 
river and Ikeuchi won it with his 
.
Hand #148: Gorsuch limped, Ikeuchi checked his option, and both players checked the 
flop. Ikeuchi bet 3 million on the 
turn and Gorsuch raised all in. Ikeuchi folded.
Hand #149: Ikeuchi limped, Gorsuch raised all in, and Ikeuchi folded.
Hand #150: Gorsuch folded and gave Ikeuchi a walk.
Hand #151: Ikeuchi limped and Gorsuch checked his option to see a 
flop. Gorsuch checked and called when Ikeuchi bet 2.5 million. The 
turn paired the board and both players checked to see the river. Gorsuch opted to bet 10 million and Ikeuchi folded.
Hand #152: Gorsuch limped and folded when Ikeuchi moved all in.
Level: 43
Blinds: 1,250,000/2,500,000
Ante: 2,500,000
Level 42
: 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Hand #140: Kazuki Ikeuchi got a walk.
Hand #141: Ikeuchi raised to 4 million and was called by John Gorsuch. Both players checked to the turn on a board reading 
, and then Gorsuch bet 4 million, taking down the pot.
Hand #142: Gorsuch called and Ikeuchi checked his option. On the 
flop, Borsuch bet 2.5 million, which was enough to get a fold from Ikeuchi.
Hand #143: Ikeuchi called and Gorsuch checked. Gorsuch then check-folded after Ikeuchi bet 2 million on the 
flop.
Hand #144: Ikeuchi got a walk.
Hand #145: Ikeuchi raised to 4 million and Gorsuch made the call. Gorsuch check-called the 2.5 million bet from Ikeuchi on the flop, but folded to Ikeuchi's 10 million bet on the 
turn.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
166,600,000
-6,500,000
|
-6,500,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
53,900,000
6,500,000
|
6,500,000 |
Level 42
: 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Hand #133: Kazuki Ikeuchi raised to 4.5 million and John Gorsuch called to see a 
flop. Gorsuch check-called a bet of 5 million and the appeared on the turn. Gorsuch checked again and Ikeuchi bet 14 million. Gorsuch gave it up.
Hand #134: Gorsuch raised to 4 million and Ikeuchi called. Both players checked the 
flop and Ikeuchi checked the 
turn. Gorsuch bet 6 million and Ikeuchi folded.
Hand #135: Ikeuchi gave Gorsuch a walk.
Hand #136: Gorsuch raised to 4 million and Ikeuchi called. Both players checked the 
flop as well as the 
turn. Action repeated on the 
river and Gorsuch took it down with the .
Hand #137: Ikeuchi raised to 4.5 million and Gorsuch called. The latter checked the 
flop and Ikeuchi bet 3 million. Gorsuch check-raised to 8 million and Ikeuchi called to bring about the 
on the turn. Gorsuch bet 16 million and Ikeuchi folded.
Hand #138: Gorsuch opened for 4 million and folded when Ikeuchi moved all in.
Hand #139: Ikeuchi raised to 4 million, Gorsuch called, and the flop came down 
. Action went check-check and the 
appeared on the turn. Gorsuch checked, Ikeuchi bet 4 million, and Gorsuch raised to 20 million. Ikeuchi folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
173,100,000
18,000,000
|
18,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
47,400,000
-18,000,000
|
-18,000,000 |
Level 42
: 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Hand #128: John Gorsuch raised to 4 million, Kazuki re-raised all in and Gorsuch asked for an exact count. The dealer confirmed 35.4 million and Gorsuch folded.
Hand #129: Ikeuchi raised to 4.5 million and then folded to the 17 million three-bet for Gorsuch.
Hand #130: Gorsuch raised to 4 million, Ikeuchi raised all in and Gorsuch folded.
Hand #131: Ikeuchi raised to 4.5 million and was called by Gorsuch. Gorsuch check-called the 3 million bet from Ikeuchi on the 
flop. Gorsuch then led out for 7.5 million on the 
turn, but folded when Ikeuchi went all in.
Hand #132: Gorsuch raised to 4 million and got a call from Ikeuchi. Ikeuchi check-called the 3.5 mllion bet from Gorsuch on the flop and both players then checked the turn and river. Ikeuchi tabled and Gorsuch mucked his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
155,100,000
-28,000,000
|
-28,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
65,400,000
28,000,000
|
28,000,000 |
Level 42
: 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Hand #122: John Gorsuch limped the small blind and Kazuki Ikeuchi raised to 8 million. Gorsuch called and the flop came down . Ikeuchi bet 6 million and Gorsuch folded.
Hand #123: Ikeuchi raised to 4.5 million and Gorsuch folded.
Hand #124: Gorsuch raised to 4 million, Ikeuchi called, and the flop fell 
. Ikeuchi check-folded to a bet of 2.5 million.
Hand #125: Ikeuchi raised the small blind to 4.5 million, Gorsuch called, and the flop came out 
. Gorsuch check-called a bet of 4 million and the dealer burned and turned the . Gorsuch led out for 12 million and Ikeuchi called to see the 
river.
Gorsuch returned to checking and Ikeuchi checked behind. Gorsuch tabled the and it was good as Ikeuchi mucked.
Hand #126: Gorsuch raised to 4 million, Ikeuchi called, and the flop fell . Both players checked as they did on the turn. The river put four hearts on the board but still it went check-check. Gorsuch tabled the for two pair and Ikeuchi mucked.
Hand #127: Ikeuchi gave Gorsuch a walk in the big blind.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
183,100,000
96,300,000
|
96,300,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
37,400,000
-96,300,000
|
-96,300,000 |