Daniel Maor outlasted a field of 1,141 entries to emerge victorious in the $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship. He not only claimed the title but also took home a staggering $613,914. This event was part of the 45-event ARIA Poker Classic and was held at the PokerGo Studio in Las Vegas.
By winning the tournament, Daniel Maor boosted his total career earnings to $1.14 million. The player had recently made it into the final tables at the Wynn Millions and WPT Australia but failed to secure a win.
This year’s BetMGM Championship attracted a record total of 1,141 entries, surpassing the previous year’s 1,026 entries. The record number of entries surpassed the guaranteed prize pool to $3,651,200, paid among the top 143 players.
The tournament attracted several WSOP bracelet winners, who made it into the money, including Joseph Cheong (12th), Abhinav Iyer (79th), three-time bracelet winner Upeshka De Silva (34th), and two-time bracelet winner Cliff Josephy (36th). Here is a recap of what happened at the final table of the $3.5k NLH BetMGM Poker Championship.
2024 $3,500 No Limit Hold’em – BetMGM Poker Championship Final Table Recap and Standings
| Place | Player | Earnings |
| 1st | Daniel Maor | $613,914 |
| 2nd | Shannon Shorr | $430,637 |
| 3rd | Lyu Qiang | $279,207 |
| 4th | Jordan Westmorland | $206,914 |
| 5th | James Romero | $156,344 |
| 6th | Eric Baldwin | $126,405 |
| 7th | Ethan Yau | $104,424 |
| 8th | Michael Berk | $82,773 |
| 9th | Jack Bittker | $61,337 |
The 1,141 entries were narrowed down to 37 players by Day 3. The final table started by the end of Day 3. Jack Bittker (9th – $61,337) and Michael Berk (8th – $82,773) were the first two eliminations at the final table.
Daniel Maor entered the final table with short chips, while Shannon Shor held the chip lead. Maor sustained his stack with some big hands like quads and pocket kings. Maor went on to eliminate Eric Baldwin in 6th place for $126,405. Maor won some big pots and moved to second in chips during the four-handed play and then took the chip lead by knocking out Jordan Westmorland in 4th place for $206,914.
During the three-handed play, Maor moved all-in from the small blind with J-10 suited, covering Lyu Jun Qiang in the big blind, who had A-7. Qian took some time before going all in. The flop came – A-10-Q, giving both players a pair, but Qiang had the lead with Ace. The turn was 4, changing nothing, but the river was 10, giving Maor trips and the best hand. Qiang was eliminated in 3rd place for $279,207, leaving Shannon Shorr and Maor to go heads-up.
Maor entered the heads-up play with a significant chip lead against Shannon Shorr. In the final hand of the tournament, Daniel Maor, with Q-J, opened the button, and Shannon Shorr, with A-Q three-bet from the blind. Maor called. The flop came – 8-J-10. Hoping to get a king by the turn, and the river, Shorr moved all in, and Maor called. The turn card and river card couldn’t improve Shorr’s hand, securing Maor’s victory. The poker veteran Shannon Shor finished as the runner-up, earning $413,367 for his deep run.
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