Damian Salas Beats Joseph Hebert to Win $2.5M World Series of Poker Main Event

Damian Salas defeated Joseph Hebert to win the 2020 World Series of Poker main event, becoming the first Argentinian to win the sport's biggest prize.

Salas took home a total of $2.5 million, including $1 million for defeating Hebert heads up. The 2020 WSOP took a new shape because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with players entering the $10,000 buy-in event in two virtual events (one international, one in the United States) rather than competing in Las Vegas. The players competed virtually down to the final table before congregating in person.

Salas won the international event, while Hebert won the stateside portion.

The heads-up match was originally slated for Dec. 30 but was pushed back to Jan. 3 for undisclosed reasons. A report said Salas was initially denied entry into the United States because of COVID-related travel restrictions, but that was never confirmed by the World Series of Poker.

The $2.5 million total prize was the smallest for a main event winner since Chris Moneymaker in 2003, owing to the pandemic. The overwhelming odds are Salas does not much care after winning his first WSOP bracelet.