Mostafa Haidary claimed his first World Series of Poker gold bracelet and a top prize of $656,747 after winning Event 52 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 23. This victory boosts the Australian poker player’s career earnings to just under $1 million.
“I’m so happy! My plans are to play more poker and celebrate with my wife and kids back home. I’m grateful to be here … I woke up this morning feeling close to winning. Everything went smoothly, so it was great,” Haidary told WSOP reporters after his win. Reflecting on the poker scene in Australia, he added, “We have a great poker scene with many talented players, and I’m lucky to be one of them.”
Discussing his strategy in the final stages of the tournament, Haidary admitted to some significant bluffs. “There were three big hands where I bluffed for nearly all my chips on the turn, and all three worked,” he said.
The $5,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em six-max event drew 817 entries, creating a prize pool of $3,758,200. The top 123 players earned at least $9,963. On Day 2, 231 players advanced, eventually narrowing down to the final 37.
Day 3 saw play continue past the final table down to the last four players. Notable players who cashed included Jake Schwartz (14th), Turbo Nguyen (15th), Clemen Deng (26th), David Coleman (34th), Bin Weng (40th), Mart Teltscher (43rd), Filipp Khavin (48th), and Joseph Cheong (49th).
Haidary returned for the final day as the chip leader and maintained his momentum by eliminating Brandon Schwartz in fourth place, further extending his lead. Although Berndt Gleissner took out Krasimir Yankov in third place, Haidary held a more than 2:1 chip advantage heading into the final match.
During heads-up play, Gleissner briefly took the lead after a double-up, but Haidary regained the advantage before the final hand. In that decisive hand, Gleissner shoved preflop with pocket threes, and Haidary called with A-9. The flop brought another 9, securing Haidary the pot and the tournament win. Gleissner earned a six-figure payout of $437,821 for his impressive run, bringing his career earnings close to $1.1 million.
Final Table Results
| Place | Name | Country | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mostafa Haidary | Australia | $656,747 |
| 2 | Bernd Gleissner | Germany | $437,821 |
| 3 | Krasimir Yankov | Bulgaria | $300,293 |
| 4 | Brandon Schwartz | United States | $206,606 |
| 5 | Pedro Madeira | Brazil | $148,939 |
