Mexican player Jose Gomez Casillas won the WSOPE Colossus bracelet

Jose Gomez Casillas claimed victory in the €550 Colossus event at WSOPE 2023, outlasting 2,765 players and winning his first WSOP gold bracelet.

The impressive victory of Mexican player Jose Gomez Casillas in Event #7: €550 No-Limit Hold’em Colossus at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) in Rozvadov became a true highlight for the global poker scene. At the final table, cheered on by a loud group of supporters waving a huge Mexican flag, Gomez Casillas managed to outplay 2,765 entrants and claim his first WSOP gold bracelet, as well as the top prize of €158,350 from a total prize pool of €1,292,637 . Context: The WSOPE Series and the Colossus Tournament The Colossus tournament with a €550 buy-in is one of the largest and most accessible events of the World Series of Poker Europe , held at King’s Resort (Rozvadov, Czech Republic). This year, 2,765 players registered for the tournament, ensuring a large prize pool and fierce competition. As in other major WSOP tournaments, the winner receives not only a cash prize but also the prestigious gold bracelet, symbolizing the highest achievement in the poker world. A special feature of this Colossus was that the top 12 players on the final day received €10,350 tickets to the WSOPE Main Event , adding extra intrigue and pressure in the late stages of the tournament. Jose Gomez Casillas’ Road to Victory Jose Gomez Casillas traveled to Rozvadov from Mexico, covering almost ten thousand kilometers. Interestingly, he almost missed the tournament: while at a series in Malta, he bought a ticket from another player at a good discount and decided not to miss the opportunity. As Gomez Casillas later admitted, he was feeling unwell on the eve of the final day, but a good night’s sleep helped him recover. Gomez Casillas’ strategy in the final stages was simple and effective: he applied aggressive pressure on his opponents, exploiting their fear of busting on the money bubble and the Main Event ticket bubble. He often made large raises even with marginal hands, forcing opponents to fold. When he was caught bluffing, he often managed to hit the cards he needed on the board. The player himself noted that for him, the main thing is to enjoy the game, and even if someone goes on tilt, he quickly forgets about setbacks and continues to play for fun. Gomez Casillas paid special attention to moments when ICM (Independent Chip Model) pressure increased—such as on the Main Event bubble, the final table bubble, or even at the end of Day 1. At these times, he actively built his stack, taking advantage of the fact that most opponents didn’t want to risk it and were aiming to make the money. Start of the Final Day: Battle for Chips 23 players returned for the final day. The chip leader was Felix Kretschmann with 10,250,000 chips—almost 4 million more than his closest rival. In the very first hand of the day, Kretschmann scored a double knockout, eliminating David Nemes and Tomas Chrobak by flopping a set. He then nearly crippled Marius Gicovanu’s stack, mistakenly thinking Gicovanu was already all-in on the turn, and showed pocket eights. Gicovanu couldn’t beat the hand and folded before the river bet, busting on the next hand in 18th place. When two final tables remained and Main Event tickets were at stake, Gomez Casillas began to implement his strategy. From the small blind, he shoved all-in with 8-4 against Gabriel Rymar, who called with Q-10. Gomez Casillas made two pair on the board and knocked out his opponent in 16th place. He then made several large raises, facing no resistance and continuing to build his stack. Key Hands on the Way to the Final Table Claudio Daffina was all-in with pocket queens against Manig Loeser’s A-K. Daffina held and doubled up, while two-time bracelet winner Loeser soon found himself short-stacked but managed to double up, then eliminated David Hu in 13th place by making a straight with eights against A-9. Gomez Casillas continued his aggressive play: after raising to 1,100,000, he called Josef Obermeier’s all-in with K-7 against A-9, hit a straight on the turn, and sent his opponent out in 12th place. He then knocked out Miroslav Matula in 11th place, climbing to 12 million chips and moving into second place in the chip count, behind only Kretschmann. However, not all aggressive moves were successful: Marcin Kacprzak caught Gomez Casillas bluffing. After a raise to 3,600,000 from the button, Kacprzak shoved for 3,900,000, and Gomez Casillas called with Q-9 but couldn’t beat his opponent’s A-J. Villiel Kordonskiy finished in 10th place, losing a coin flip with A-Q against Lulei Hu’s nines, setting the final table of nine players. Final Table: The Battle for the Bracelet At the start of the final table, Kretschmann was the clear leader with 26,225,000 chips, while Gomez Casillas had 8,150,000. However, it was Gomez Casillas who started the eliminations, knocking out Manig Loeser with tens against deuces (Loeser—9th place). Next, Ivan Fedor shoved all-in for 2,700,000, Gomez Casillas shoved from the small blind, and Kacprzak joined in with 6,650,000. Gomez Casillas showed A-K and was flipping against Kacprzak’s jacks, but hit a king on the flop, eliminating both opponents. Kretschmann lost a significant pot for the first time that day: his A-K lost to Daffina’s A-6, who doubled up. Then Gomez Casillas made a huge raise to 5,700,000, Juan Velasco shoved for 7,750,000, and Gomez Casillas called with 8-7 against A-Q. A seven on the river gave him the win and knocked Velasco out in 6th place, putting Gomez Casillas in the chip lead. However, the lead didn’t last long: Daffina doubled up with A-K against Gomez Casillas’ pocket fours, hitting an ace on the flop to take the lead. Rifat Palevic doubled up against Gomez Casillas with A-3 versus J-2, but soon lost an all-in to Hu, his A-5 falling to A-K, and Palevic finished 5th. Kretschmann, having lost a significant portion of his stack, shoved all-in for 8,200,000 with tens, but Gomez Casillas showed kings, flopped a set, and eliminated the former chip leader in 4th place. In three-handed play, Daffina took the lead with 28,350,000, after which the players took a 20-minute break. After returning, Lulei Hu shoved all-in for 16,000,000 with A-6, Gomez Casillas called with pocket deuces. On the turn, Hu picked up extra outs, but the river gave Gomez Casillas a full house and the win. Hu finished 3rd. Heads-Up: The Decisive Duel At the start of heads-up, Gomez Casillas had 36,200,000 to Daffina’s 32,900,000. In this duel, the Mexican continued to use his aggressive tactics, taking most pots with big raises. In the decisive hand, he shoved from the button, and Daffina called with A-K for 15,700,000. Gomez Casillas showed Q-5 and hit two pair on the flop, sealing the victory and sparking wild celebrations from the Mexican rail. This win was historic for Mexico: Gomez Casillas is only the fourth WSOP bracelet winner from the country and the first since 2010. His €158,350 prize far surpassed all his previous achievements: before this, his largest cash was €13,765 (also in Rozvadov in July), and his total career winnings were $65,000 (according to The Hendon Mob). Final Table Results Event #7: €550 No-Limit Hold’em Colossus The top 12 players received €10,350 tickets to the WSOPE Main Event Place Player Country Prize (€) 1 Jose Gomez Casillas Mexico 158,350* 2 Claudio Daffina Italy 97,800 3 Lulei Hu China 70,100 4 Felix Kretschmann Germany 50,600 5 Rifat Palevic Sweden 36,900 6 Juan Velasco Spain 27,200 7 Marcin Kacprzak Poland 20,300 8 Ivan Fedor Germany 15,250 9 Manig Loeser Germany 11,600 10 Villiel Kordonskiy Israel 8,900 11 Miroslav Matula Czech Republic 8,900 12 Josef Obermeier Germany 8,900 * — includes a ticket to the WSOPE Main Event (€10,350) Key Moments and Winner’s Quotes After his victory, Gomez Casillas said he was very happy to win the bracelet, despite feeling unwell before the final. He emphasized that he always tries to enjoy the game, jokes a lot at the table, and doesn’t dwell on bad hands. According to him, when he has a big stack and opponents are under ICM or bubble pressure, he tries to maximize his advantage by exploiting their passivity. Gomez Casillas also shared that his friends from Mexico came to support him—they had been rooting for another compatriot, Jose Gaona, the day before, who finished fifth in the Monsterstack. Now, according to the winner, they will watch the final broadcast together and analyze the key hands. Gomez Casillas’ immediate plans include playing the WSOPE Main Event, as well as traveling to the Super Main Event at WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas in December. In addition, his Colossus win gives him the right to play in the prestigious Tournament of Champions in Los Angeles next year. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players Jose Gomez Casillas’ victory in such a massive event as the Colossus is a vivid example that even players without major titles and with little live series experience can succeed on the world stage. His path to the bracelet shows that an aggressive strategy and the ability to use ICM pressure on opponents with a big stack are crucial skills for deep runs in large-field tournaments. For PPPoker club members, this is an inspiring case: don’t be afraid of big tournaments and tough opponents. It’s important to choose the right moments to apply pressure, not be afraid to experiment with bet sizing, and take advantage of opponents’ passivity on the bubble and in the late stages. Even if you’re not a seasoned professional, discipline, mental resilience, and the ability to enjoy the game can lead to great results. Finally, Gomez Casillas’ story is a reminder that opportunities to play in major live series can appear unexpectedly—through satellites, ticket swaps, or special offers. Keep an eye on promotions and qualifiers in PPPoker clubs so you don’t miss your chance to step onto the international stage and perhaps repeat the success of the Mexican champion.