Many players go their whole poker career without winning a bracelet, but Pengfei Wang has won one in the first tournament he’s ever played! He outlasted over 2000 other players to take home a coveted WSOP bracelet and over $270,000 in prize money.
Beginner’s Luck
Ask any poker player if they believe in beginner’s luck, and they’ll likely tell you they do. There’s something about someone playing for the first time that makes the poker gods shine upon them. However, not many people had thought to use that beginner’s luck in a WSOP event - until Pengfei Wang came along!
That being said, Wang is by no means a beginner in poker. He reportedly plays in private games around L.A., with the occasional trip to the casino - but all of his experience is in cash. When asked to speak on his first tournament experience, Wang said, “So excited! Yeah, so it's actually my first time. It's my first tournament ever. We sometimes play some private games and sometimes at the casino in Los Angeles for fun. We mostly play cash games; I don't really have tournament experience. This time, it was a lot of good luck.”
While he certainly has plenty of experience playing poker, he now boasts one of the strangest Hendon Mob’s in the poker world. Not many players can say their Hendon Mob has a 100% win rate, let alone when that win is a WSOP bracelet event!
Natural Born Tournament Player
While Wang acknowledges that a lot of luck helped him win a bracelet in his first-ever tournament, there’s no doubt that he’s a skilled player.
Wang didn’t start the final table in a commanding position, and due to the super-turbo structure, he had to act fast. Through some carefully timed aggressive play, Wang stayed alive as Frank Lagodich and Danny Scott were eliminated. He then managed to get a double up via Chen An Lin, spiking an ace on the river with his AK to stay alive in the tournament.
From that point, Wang managed to pick up the right hands at the right times, eliminating Kenneth Mauer, then doubling through Linden to take the chip lead in three-handed play. While that chip lead wouldn’t last long, Wang made it to heads-up in a decent position.
Wang managed to get another double-up in heads-up play after making quads vs Linden’s KJs. This hand gave him the momentum he needed, and he went on to win a couple of big pots that put him in a commanding position. In the final hand, Linden shoved with a straight draw and flush draw, and Wang called off with the same straight draw and a pair of nines. The pair held for Wang, and he took down an unlikely, but well-earned, WSOP bracelet.
Event #49 $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Pengfei Wang | United States | $270,000 |
| 2nd | Will Linden | United States | $167,339 |
| 3rd | Chen An Lin | Taiwan | $123,198 |
| 4th | Kenneth Maurer | United States | $91,558 |
| 5th | Michael Burns | United States | $68,693 |
| 6th | Tony Gargano | United States | $52,034 |
| 7th | Alejandro Lococo | Argentina | $39,799 |
| 8th | Danny Scott | United States | $30,760 |
| 9th | Frank Lagodich | United States | $23,978 |
Will Pengfei Wang play any more WSOP events, or retire with his 100% record? Will we ever see anyone win a WSOP event on their first attempt again? Stay tuned for all the latest WSOP news and events.
Image Source: @WSOP Twitter
