Wynn Summer Classic Week 1: Major Scores & Mixed Game Drama

The summer poker frenzy in Las Vegas is officially underway, with early traffic showing the early draw of the Wynn Summer Classic.

The opening week of the festival at the Wynn Las Vegas, which runs until July 13, has already delivered massive fields and over half a dozen winners. With plenty of prize money to be won, and trophies awarded, here PokerNews recaps the start of what promises to be a record-breaking series.

Kathy Liebert Kicks Off the Series with Seniors Victory

In a fitting start to the summer festival, Women in Poker Hall of Fame member Kathy Liebert claimed the very first trophy of the series. Liebert outlasted a star-studded field of 179 entries in the $600 Seniors NLH (50+) event, taking home the top prize of $22,564.

The tournament comfortably eclipsed its initial $50,000 guarantee, generating a total prize pool of $92,185. Liebert’s victory over runner-up Todd Cole also saw veteran legends like seven-time bracelet winner Billy Baxter (12th) also make a deep run in the opening event.

Nicholas Major Locks Up First Six-Figure Payout of the Summer

The largest individual score of the opening week belonged to Nicholas Major, who triumphed in the massive $600 No-Limit Hold’em $500K GTD event. The tournament drew an enormous field of 1,334 entries, utterly obliterating the posted guarantee.

Following a grueling multi-day battle, Major found himself heads-up against David Vu. The final two players negotiated a deal that secured $102,603 for Major alongside the title, while Vu walked away with a clean $90,000. The career-defining victory nearly doubled Major’s total lifetime live tournament earnings in a single afternoon.

Benjamin Miner Flirts with Back-to-Back Mixed Game History

The standout player narrative of the week belonged to Benjamin Miner, who put on an absolute masterclass in the non-Hold’em variants. Miner first struck gold in the $600 2-7 Mixed Limits event, navigating a specialized field of 44 entries to secure the title and $10,500 after defeating Steve Hyung heads-up.

Just days later, Miner put himself on the brink of an incredibly back-to-back double. He reached the final table of the $1,100 Big O event, which drew 104 entries to more than double its guarantee. Miner made it all the way to heads-up play before Veerachai Vongxaiburana ultimately denied him the second title. Vongxaiburana locked up the win for $24,545 following a deal, leaving Miner with an incredible $22,398 runner-up consolidation prize to cap off a spectacular week.

Wynn Summer Classic Opening Week Champions

Based in the United Kingdom, Will started working for PokerNews as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019. He now works as Managing Editor.

He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He also holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism.