How Illinois poker players fared at the 2022 World Series of Poker Main Event
The most prestigious tournament in poker again set records, and a few players from Illinois were in Las Vegas as part of the event.
The $10,000 buy-in World Series of Poker Main Event this year attracted 8,663 players — the second-most players all-time behind only the 8,773 who played in the 2006 event.
A total of 1,299 players began cashed in the no-limit hold-em world championship, each guaranteed at least $15,000 of the $80 million prize pool; the winner will bring home $10 million. Of those cashing, 26 players were listed as being from Illinois.
Below is the lone remaining player from Illinois, with city and chip amount. We will update the list at the end of each day, with finish for Illinois players and how much they earned.
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Illinois players who cashed in the 2022 WSOP main event
Matthew Shepsky, Skokie | $262,300
Shepsky, 39, was the final Illinoisan in the field, eliminated in 29th place on Day 7. The poker pro now has 36 career WSOP cashes since 2007 and has earned more than $1 million overall in his live tournament career. The Niles North and University of Chicago graduate earned $262,300 for this finish in the Main Event, his highest career tournament cash — just ahead of a Heartland Poker Tour win from 2015.
Others Illinois players who cashed
76th — Kenneth Baime, Glenview | $176,200
172nd — Andrew Barfield, Mount Sterling | $53,900
194th — Bruce Knee, Vernon HIlls | $53,900
228th — Michael Moncek, North Barrington | $46,800
547th — Stephen Kehoe, Chicago | $25,500
579th — Jeremy Pekarek, Sycamore | $25,500
608th — Kyle Julius, Naperville | $23,000
680th — Robert Gardner, Monticello | $21,000
761st — Samuel Rosen, Evanston | $21,000
796th — Bradley Beetz, Scott Air Force Base | $21,000
812th — David To, Hoffman Estates | $19,000
931st — Marek Gagatek, Schaumburg | $17,000
940th — Tim Vance, Millstadt | $17,000
991st — Kevin Carlson, Chicago | $17,000
999th — Timothy Dix, Arlington Heights |$17,000
1,008th — Jeffrey Gasner, Evanston | $17,000
1,026th — Travis Hague, Northfield | $17,000
1,109th — Craig Casino, Winfield | $15,000
1,172nd — Joseph Wilson, Cary | $15,000
1,176th — Robert Laird, Dixon | $15,000
1,260th — John Farley, La Grange | $15,000
1,262nd — Bryan Livingston, Elgin | $15,000
1,268th — Alexander Ziskin, Vernon Hills | $15,000
1,285th — Donny Carlton Woodstock | $15,000
1,302nd — Robert Lipkin, Buffalo Grove | $5,000
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: WSOP Main Event: How Illinois players fared at Las Vegas poker event
