When the World Series of Poker rolls through Las Vegas each summer, the city erupts into a whirlwind of cards, chips, and storylines. With thousands of players and 100 events packed into less than two months, it’s impossible to catch every moment as it happens.
That’s why we’re looking back at some of the stories that didn’t make the front page but were too good to miss. From million-dollar bounties to a missed text that was worth $200,000, here are some of the gems that flew under the radar at this year’s WSOP.
If you haven’t read part one of the series, you can check it out here.
$1M mystery bounty pull prediction
There are some people in this world who are luckier than others. Oh, luck and chance affect everyone equally, you say? Try telling that to Thomas Zanot, a Las Vegas resident and poker player who not only pulled one of the $1M bounties in Event #1: $1,000 Mystery Millions, but also predicted that he would do so. Sometimes, you just know.
Incredibly, Zanot's $1M pull isn't his largest jackpot score. In 2023, he won a $6.4M Pai Gow jackpot at Flamingo Las Vegas. Is Zanot one of the luckiest gamblers in history?
Unread text message costs Faraz Jaka $150K
Have you ever lost out on an opportunity due to a missed text message? Faraz Jaka sure has.
During Day 1A of the WSOP Main Event, eventual fourth-place finisher Kenny Hallaert reached out to Jaka to see if he had any interest in a swap. Unfortunately for him, Jaka didn't see the message and Hallaert went on to collect $3,000,000 for his efforts. If they'd swapped 5%, Jaka would have picked up $150,000.
Hips don't lie: Kabrhel and Deeb jam out at Shakira concert
Shakira. Martin Kabrhel. Shaun Deeb. What do these three individuals have in common? For one magical evening in Las Vegas, the trio shared the stage (not really, it was only Shakira up there). It's not a story that captured any headlines, but it's one of those weird ones you hear over the summer that make you question whether we're all just living in a simulation.
"I enjoy spending time with him [Kabrhel]. I actually randomly ended up at a Shakira concert with him and a bunch of other people," Deeb told PokerOrg this summer. "And I hate that music."
Online crusher does the double
Blaz Zerjav, perhaps better known by his online username Scarmak3r, is no stranger to success on the virtual felt. With five Spring Championship of Online Poker titles, Zerjav knows how to close out a poker tournament online and now he's proven his skills in the live arena at the World Series of Poker. With two bracelet victories – one in Event #22: $25,000 NLH High Roller and a second in Event #69: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better – Zerjav had something of a breakout summer.
After taking on the wizards and crushers in the $25,000 High Roller, Zerjav then found success in a non-hold'em variant, taking out Huck Seed in the heads-up portion of play in the Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo streets.
Lexy Gavin-Mathers and the seven from heaven (the muck)
When Lexy Gavin-Mathers pulled her camera out to record an all-in confrontation against another player, she likely wasn't thinking about any potential blowback from the footage captured – but then it all went wrong.
If you watch the video below, you can see the dealer burn a card and then count out three cards for the flop, but the floor staff interrupts him to clarify the chip counts. The dealer then tries to muck the dealt flop cards, but the table – Gavin-Mathers included – stops him. Somewhere in this mess, an extra card entered the pile and when the dealer spread the flop, there was an extra card – the 
that seemingly was pulled in from the muck.
Gavin-Mathers was all-in with 
against her opponents 
. The seven from the muck kept her tournament run alive – and set poker's corner of social media ablaze when the footage was released in her vlog.
Highway to Hell(muth)
It's no stretch to say that Poker Hall of Famer Phil Hellmuth enjoys the spotlight. When the Main Event rolls around, Hellmuth doesn't just register and take a seat – he makes an entrance. It's become something of a tradition, one that divides the poker world into two camps: those who consider it obnoxious and distracting, and those who believe it adds color to the game.
Hellmuth's entrances always come with a theme. This year's? Highway to Hell(muth), a decent play on words that came complete with lots of fake 80s hair, fake leather, and tongue-in-cheek musical performance. Hellmuth was flanked by his son, plus Dan 'Jungleman' Cates, Frankie Cucchiara, and a multitude of models as they made their way through the halls of the Horseshoe Event Center – with AC/DC's Highway to Hell blaring through the speakers.
Incredible scenes, especially when you take into account Hellmuth's Main Event boycott reversal.
Jonathan Little wins first bracelet
Darren Elias wasn't the only player to claim a first bracelet in the WSOP Online streets. Poker pro, coach, and PokerOrg Advisory Board member Jonathan Little, took home his first piece of WSOP silverware this summer with a win in WSOP Online Bracelet Event #8: $1,000 NLH Freezeout.
Little outlasted a field of 533 players, claiming the first-place prize of $90,663.
Check out Part 1 of this article.
