Event #38: $1,500 MONSTER STACK No-Limit Hold'em

Pedro Neves arrived at the final table of the 2024 World Series of Poker Event #38: $1,500 Monster Stack No-Limit Hold'em as the odds-on favorite, as he had almost twice the stack of the second in chips, Aaron Johnson. He still had to eliminate his last six opponents on Day 5 to claim his first-ever WSOP bracelet, and he managed to do so, keeping his chip lead until the end.

Out of a field of 8,703 entrants that created a prize pool of $11,619,840, Neves claimed the first-place prize of $1,098,220 and the gold bracelet, while Johnson took second place for $732,329. Despite having one of the shortest stacks at the beginning of the final day, Jerry Maher finished in third place for $550,920.

WSOP Event #38: $1,500 Monster Stack No-Limit Hold'em Final Table Results

Winner's Reaction

Before he won his first WSOP bracelet, Neves was mostly known for his online results and his second-place finish in the 2023 PCA for $1,183,037. "This is completely different compared to PCA," Neves said moments after his win. "I dreamed about the bracelet since I started watching poker when I was 14 or 15. It feels great."

Since Day 4, it felt like Neves could not escape victory as he arrived on Day 5 "with 40 percent of the chips" and a massive chip lead after he won a 90,000,000 chip pot when there were 19 players left. However, this comfortable situation added a bit of pressure on his shoulders: "Every one of my friends thought that I already won it, but there was so much work to do today. So it was a difficult night, but I was focused, and I think I played my best game."

Final Day's Action

Only seven players came back on Day 5, hoping to win the prestigious WSOP gold bracelet. But it wasn't an easy task for the shortest stacks, as they only had 15 big blinds while Neves had almost 90.

Shortly after the restart, Maher was the first player to find himself at risk with queens, but Brian Roff had queens as well, so they just split the pot. Guangming Li was more fortunate as he doubled up with ace-queen against Tim Reilly's ace-king. Left with three blinds after this hand, Reilly thought he was going to multiply his stack by three or four after he shoved with ace-jack, was called three times and flopped two pair. However, Li hit a better two pair, and Reilly was the first player eliminated on the day, finishing in seventh place for $188,660.

Reilly was followed to the payout desk by Roff in sixth place for $244,137 after running his ace-nine into Neves' ace-jack. But between Reilly and Roff's eliminations, Jose Carlos Brito was lucky enough to double up.

Maher doubled up as well with aces, but when Li shoved with tens just before the first break of the day, he was called by Brito with ace-seven and Li was eliminated in fifth place for $318,077 after Brito hit the ace on the river.

After the break, very little action was reported for an hour and a half until Brito three-bet all in with king-ten and was called by Neves with ace-king. The board didn't help Brito and his tournament came to an end in fourth place for $417,213.

Maher (3rd place - $550,920), who survived all the way to the top three with his small stack, was eventually eliminated with jack-ten against Neves' sevens, leaving Neves with 80% of the chips in play when the heads-up play began. He even extended his lead after he hit a runner-runner flush to crack Johnson's kings, but Johnson immediately doubled up to come back in the match.

When he found himself at risk for the second time, Johnson was on his way to double up again after he hit a straight on the turn. But the river gave a flush to Neves, who was crowned the winner of the 2024 WSOP $1,500 Monster Stack.

That concludes PokerNews coverage of the $1,500 Monster Stack No-Limit Hold'em. Stay tuned for more coverage throughout the 2024 WSOP!

Pedro Neves raised all in from the button and Johnson in the big blind called for his last 26,700,000.

Aaron Johnson (MN):    
Pedro Neves:   

Johnson hit top pair on       and he secured a double up.

Pedro Neves	376,800,000	-47,200,000
Aaron Johnson (MN)	66,400,000	49,200,000

Pedro Neves on the button raised to 25,200,000. Jerry Maher in the big blind went into the tank, and eventually called for his last 25,200,000.

Jerry Maher:    
Pedro Neves:   

The board of       was no help for Maher, who left the table in third place for $550,920.

Pedro Neves	365,000,000	41,200,000
Aaron Johnson (MN)	70,200,000	-2,000,000
Jerry Maher	0	-39,200,000

Aaron Johnson on the button opened to 8,000,000 with   , then Pedro Neves in the big blind three-bet to 28,000,000 with   .

Johnson made the call, but both players decided to check the     flop.

On the   turn, Neves bet 35,000,000. Johnson called to find the   river where Neves checked. Johnson checked back but lost the pot.

Pedro Neves	262,600,000	63,000,000
Aaron Johnson (MN)	78,200,000	-67,000,000

Pedro Neves in the small blind raised to 7,500,000 and he was called by Jose Carlos Brito in the big blind.

The dealer fanned a board of     and Neves bet 4,500,000. Brito called.

Both players checked the   turn. But after Neves checked the   river, Brito bet 7,500,000 with    for a straight. Neves eventually folded    for top pair.

Pedro Neves	221,600,000	4,500,000
Jose Carlos Brito	109,700,000	12,000,000

Life Outside Poker is a new podcast for PokerNews hosted by Connor Richards that seeks to pull back the curtain on poker players and allow viewers and listeners to get to know them on a personal level.

In the eighth episode, Connor speaks with legendary UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer in an exclusive in-depth interview after Buffer's deep run in the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) $50,000 High Roller. Buffer, a longtime poker player, finished in eighth place for a career-best $212,423 after kicking off Day 3 with his trademark "it's time" introduction.

Buffer talked about finding his long-lost half-brother, Michael Buffer, and becoming his manager, the early days of the UFC, the similarities between poker and martial arts, his relationships with Joe Rogan and Dana White, playing poker with Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio and the time he injured himself in a poker tournament before announcing the biggest UFC fight in history.

This interview was filmed at the 2024 WSOP inside Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.

The Life Outside Poker podcast is available on major streaming platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and iHeartRadio. You can also watch the interview with Bruce Buffer by heading to the PokerNews YouTube channel.

Learn More About Life Outside Poker!

Aaron Johnson opened to 5,000,000 from the cutoff, then Jerry Maher on the button announced "all in" for 16,200,000. The blinds folded and Johnson called.

Jerry Maher:   
Aaron Johnson:   

Maher's aces held on       and Maher doubled up.

Aaron Johnson (MN)	93,200,000	-17,500,000
Jerry Maher	38,700,000	16,200,000