2016 WSOP: Corey Thompson Triumphs at $1k NLHE for $221,163

Corey Thompson has just captured his first ever WSOP bracelet, after overcoming a field of 1,397 players over two days at Event #58: $1k No Limit Hold’em to claim the title, as well as a top prize worth $221,163. Thompson’s previous highest score occurred last year after he took down the $1,650 HPT Daytona Beach Main Event for $131,720, and following his latest victory in Vegas the 27 year-old Florida pro with $438,700 in live earnings commented:
“It’s been a huge year. I don’t play cash games that much. I’ve been playing more tournaments. The HPT win was really huge. I really caught fire since then. I started coming out here [to the WSOP] four years ago, but mostly played just a few smaller events. This win was huge.”
The $1k No Limit Hold’em event featured a prize pool worth $1,257,300, and amongst the well-known pros seeing a return on their money was Juha Helppi in 76th ($2,450), Kelly Minkin in 43rd ($4,518), Ryan Riess in 23rd ($6,651), and Fatima Moreira De Melo in 14th ($10,315).
Corey Thompson subsequently entered the final table with double the chips of his nearest opponent, and eventually progressed all the way through to heads-up play holding a 4 to 1 chip lead over Germany’s Enrico Rudelitz. Sixty hand later the deciding hand was then played with Rudelitz (A-7) moving all-in preflop, only to be called by Thompson with Q-J. The 10-8-2-9-6 board that ensued sealed the deal, and so Rudelitz picked up $136,651 for his hard-fought efforts, while Corey Thompson collected the gold bracelet. Asked what the victory means to him, Corey replied:
“I come from a working-class background. My mother cleans houses for a living. My father mowed grass and did yardwork. I know what it’s like to work for a living. I know the value of money.”
Final Table Results:
1: Corey Thompson $221,163
2: Enrico Rudelitz $136,651
3: William Liang $97,811
4: Darren Terazawa $70,821
5: Ankit Ahuja $51,878
6: Terry Fan $38,452
7: Matthew Chang $28,842
8: Ryan Pochedly $21,897
9: Benjamin Reinhart $16,827