The Brazilian player captures his biggest-ever live tournament win
The $1,100 buy-in 2024 World Poker Tour (WPT) Prime Voyage Championship drew 968 participants, almost doubling the $500,000 guaranteed prize pool to $968,000. Gregory De Faria from Brazil won the largest share, earning $155,400 as the champion. Before this win, De Faria’s highest recorded score was just under $4,000.
The event had three starting flights on April 1-3, and those who survived combined into a single field to play until there was a winner on April 4. A total of 122 players moved on to Day 2, each guaranteed to take home at least $2,000.
2013 World Series of Poker main event winner Ryan Riess finished in ninth place ($14,600) when his A-2 failed to catch up to Nico Betbese’s K-J. Lukas Zaskodny finished eighth ($18,500), followed by Gustavo Carmona in seventh ($24,000) and Allison Hollander in sixth ($31,000).
Brian Monigold collected $41,000 in fifth place after his pocket sevens were beaten, and Trent Hopper moved into the lead after his pocket Queens held vs. Takao’s A-2 to send him home in fourth place with $54,000.
De Faria’s A-J prevailed against the K-J of Betbese (3rd for $72,000) to move him back into the lead to start heads-up play. Nearly an hour later, De Faria and Hopper pushed all in for the final hand, with Defaria holding Q-9 of hearts and Hopper calling with K-6 offsuit. The board ran out with three hearts, giving De Faria a flush and the championship. Hopper secured $97,000 for second place.
De Faria also earned 912 Card Player Player of the Year points. The win brought him closer to the top 150 in the 2024 POY standings presented by Global Poker.
