24-year-old student Paul Michaelis from Germany outlasted a field of 639 players to become the first international bracelet winner of the 2015 World Series of Poker. Michaelis, who currently resides in Vienna, Austria, received $189,818 and his first WSOP gold bracelet for his first place finish.
"I was running insane basically. I had a straight flush against a nut flush, I had a couple sets. My bluffs worked out. Everything worked perfectly actually," Michaelis told WSOP reporters following the victory.
Besides runner-up Tom Marchese (almost $10 million in live tournament earnings), notables to earn cash in this event included gold bracelet winners Tristan Wade (11th) and Eric Baldwin (18th), as well as 2012 Big One for One Drop winner, Antonio Esfandiari (45th).
