Cowboy Dan Smith Wins $399,500 at US Poker Open Highroller Event

Dan Smith, affectionately known as 'Cowboy Dan,' secured a victory at the ninth event of the US Poker Open highroller series, taking home $399,500. The event, held in Las Vegas, featured a $25,000 buy-in and attracted 47 entries, with a total prizepool of $1,175,000.

The penultimate event of the 10-tournament series saw several notable players, including Ike Haxton, Justin Bonomo, and Phil Hellmuth, fall short of the paid spots. Johan Schulz-Pedersen was the bubble boy, losing a classic race to Cary Katz.

Dan Smith eliminated Nick Schulman in 6th spot for $70,500, Punnat Punsri in 5th place, and Cary Katz in 4th. Brian Kim was eliminated by Tony Lin, leaving Smith to face Ren Lin heads-up. The final hand favored Smith, securing him the victory and the trophy. The final results were as follows: Dan Smith finished 1st, Ren Lin 2nd, Brian Kim 3rd, Cary Katz 4th, Punnat Punsri 5th, Nick Schulman 6th, and Daniel Negreanu 7th. Dan Smith attributed his win to a lucky seat draw and a magical rock given to him by Darren Elias.