Michel Abécassis Finishes 2nd in $5K Seniors at Wynn

Michel Abécassis delivers another reminder of timeless poker class

One of the most striking results of the day came from Michel Abécassis, who turned in a deep run in the $5,000 Seniors Championship at the Wynn Summer Classic and finished runner-up for $167,209. The former Team Winamax member reached the heads-up stage and proved once again that high-level tournament poker is not reserved for younger generations.

At 73 years old, Abécassis added yet another line to a career already defined by experience, patience, and strong decision-making under pressure. In a field where many players rely on speed and aggression, his result is a clear reminder that fundamentals still travel far.

$5,000 Seniors Championship at Wynn: a bigger prize pool than expected

The event drew 182 entries and generated a total prize pool of $846,300, nearly three times the original $300,000 guarantee. That’s a strong number for a Seniors event and a sign that major festival stops like Wynn Summer Classic continue to attract players looking for meaningful fields, solid structures, and real value.

In the final heads-up duel against American Kenneth Fishman, the two players agreed to a deal that locked up the same payout for both men: $167,209 each. The trophy, however, still had to be played for, and Fishman ultimately claimed it.

That distinction matters. A deal can flatten the financial edge, but it does not erase the prestige of winning. For many tournament players, the trophy remains the most visible proof of a successful run.

Final table results

• Kenneth Fishman — $167,209
• Michel Abécassis — $167,209
• Omar Saeed — $91,629
• Cliff Josephy — $69,320
• Thierry Van Den Berg — $51,497
• Rabah Ait Abdelmalek — $38,270
• Ron Fetsch — $30,331
• Daniel De Freitas Junior — $24,703
• Troy Sprungl — $20,531

For poker fans who follow veteran success stories, this is exactly the kind of result that resonates. It shows that tournament longevity is built on adaptation, discipline, and the ability to stay sharp when the pressure rises.

WSOP action at Horseshoe keeps building momentum

While Wynn produced a feel-good storyline, the main WSOP action continued at the Horseshoe, where Event #32 for $3,000 reached the end of Day 3. Only 7 players remain from a field of 1,300 entries, and the prize pool climbed all the way to $1,313,640.

The eventual winner will bank $538,158, but even the first elimination from the final seven is still worth $76,754. From 6th place onward, every remaining payout is already in six-figure territory, which means the pressure is enormous and the ICM decisions will be brutal.

French player Kevin Naegelen came close to making the final table, but his run ended in 8th place for $58,677. Another French deep runner, Julian Milliard, finished 15th and collected $23,029.

For players who study tournament progression, this is a good reminder that every late-stage spot matters. Small edges compound quickly when the pay jumps become steep.

$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha: several French players advance

The $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha event also moved forward nicely. Out of 2,593 starters, only 191 players survived to the next stage after Day 1B.

A number of French players booked seats for Day 2, and Vincent Albert stands out with a particularly healthy stack of 709,000 chips, almost twice the average. Other French names still in contention include:

• Mathieu Choffardet — 566,000
• Yann Perron — 542,000
• Julien Sitbon — 462,000
• Jonathan Guez — 449,000
• Malcom Franchi — 254,000

PLO is a format where stack depth matters enormously. Strong chip counts open up more postflop pressure, more leverage in multiway pots, and more freedom to realize equity. If you want to study those dynamics more seriously, a structured poker school can help you understand the differences between PLO and No-Limit Hold’em.

And for players who are planning their next live schedule, it’s always useful to compare poker rooms and poker clubs to find the best mix of volume, structure, and field softness between major series.

$100,000 High Roller: elite names remain in the hunt

The $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller event has reached the final table stage after Day 2, with 9 players left from a field of 115 entries. The lineup is stacked with some of the best tournament specialists in the world: Christopher Nguyen, Yuri Dzivielevski, Alexandros Theologis, Alex Kulev, Martin Kabrhel, Sam Soverel, and Alex Foxen are all still alive.

The winner will take home $2,841,432, and the chip count currently belongs to Christopher Nguyen, who leads with 17,200,000 chips. Yuri Dzivielevski sits second with 11,800,000, while Alex Kulev has 5,550,000 and Martin Kabrhel holds 5,215,000.

At the other end of the counts, Sam Soverel has 3,420,000 and Alex Foxen is shortest with 2,220,000.

This is the kind of field where one double-up can rewrite everything, but one mistake can be extremely costly. That’s why high roller poker remains one of the purest tests of preparation, endurance, and postflop precision. Players who want to keep up with the ecosystem around major events can also track promotions & bonuses, which often shape where and how grinders build their bankrolls.

Limit Hold'em Championship: Jeremy Ausmus takes the lead

In the $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship, 40 of the original 87 players made it through Day 1. The chip lead belongs to six-time WSOP bracelet winner Jeremy Ausmus, who ended with 319,000 chips and looks well positioned for a deep run.

Josh Arieh is also very much in the mix with 268,000 chips, placing him fourth in the provisional standings. Further down the leaderboard, several familiar names remain alive, including Daniel Negreanu with 182,000, James Obst with 171,000, Shaun Deeb with 142,000, and Gus Hansen with 90,000.

The average stack is 129,000, and play resumes at blinds of 3,000 / 6,000. In Limit Hold’em, bet-sizing discipline and thin value spots matter more than explosive all-ins, which makes this event a very different strategic puzzle from the No-Limit fields.

Expert take: why this WSOP day matters

The biggest takeaway is that WSOP remains a place where generations collide. Michel Abécassis’ runner-up finish is more than a nostalgic headline; it’s a real example of how skill, patience, and experience can still produce elite results against modern fields.

For players, there are several lessons here:

• in Seniors and deep-structured events, experience can be as valuable as raw aggression;
• a heads-up deal can make sense financially, but the trophy still carries major prestige;
• in PLO and High Roller events, stack depth and table dynamics heavily influence EV;
• at late stages, ICM pressure becomes one of the most important forces in the room.

If you’re building your own tournament path, combining study from a poker school with regular volume in the right poker rooms is still one of the most practical ways to improve.

Final word: veterans, high rollers, and more WSOP drama ahead

This was a packed day for poker fans. Michel Abécassis added another impressive result to an already respected résumé, French players continued to make noise in key events, and the elite fields in the High Roller and Limit Hold’em Championships are now set for an intense finish.

As the series moves forward, these are exactly the kinds of stories that define WSOP: age-defying runs, brutal pay jumps, and final tables loaded with world-class talent.

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