Gruneberg & Bonnacci Capture First WSOP Pennsylvania Online Bracelets of the Summer
Pennsylvania's Zach "CaptainLevi" Gruneberg, the reigning WSOP PA Online Player of the Year, captured his second career gold bracelet and a $16,665.16 payday this past Sunday after winning WSOP PA's Online Bracelet Event #2 - NL Hold'em PKO. After nearly 10 hours of play with unlimited re-entry for the first four and a half hours, the Boalsburg, PA-based 34-year-old pro took it down on his fifth bullet at around 4:20 a.m. ET.
The $400 buy-in event, the second of a seven-game online bracelet series in Pennsylvania, collected 267 entries and generated a prize pool of $96,120 with 148 total players and 119 re-entries.
Gruneberg took down PA's $150,000 GTD Mystery Bounty Championship less than a year ago, scoring bracelet number one and a $31,470.54 payday.
WSOP PA Online Bracelet Event #2: NL Hold'em PKO Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize | KO | Total Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zach "CaptainLevi" Gruneberg | $8,392 | $8,274 | $16,665 |
| 2 | Ryan "Mink3232" McCusker | $8,391 | $4,629 | $13,020 |
| 3 | Joeybets68 | $5,118 | $1,328 | $6,446 |
| 4 | TonysPizza | $3,705 | $4,892 | $8,598 |
| 5 | Super_User | $2,687 | $574 | $3,260 |
| 6 | winallflips | $1,961 | $1,148 | $3,108 |
| 7 | KingVisc3316 | $1,432 | $1,035 | $2,467 |
| 8 | bloop100 | $1,053 | $979 | $2,031 |
| 9 | SckBrickKid | $774 | $743 | $1,516 |
Gruneberg went on to win WSOP PA's 2023 Player of the Year and collect $10,000 in cash, $1,500 in tournament tickets, and an exclusive Player of the Year gold ring. After adding bracelet number two to his resume, he now boasts two bracelets, eight gold circuit rings, and over $2.2 million in live earnings.
Gruneberg Reacts to the Win
PokerNews caught up with Gruneberg to ask him how it felt to snag another bracelet within one year of the first.
"This past October, Pennsylvania only got one bracelet event while NJ and Nevada got like 40+, so when I won the one and only in my own home at my battle station, that was a wonderful feeling," remarked Gruneberg. "Winning the second right before my trip to Vegas got me truly hyped up and excited for this year's pilgrimage to the desert."
Heads-up play began around 3:00 am ET with only Gruneberg and Ryan "Mink3232" McCusker remaining for the title. Gruneberg entered the duel at a 5:3 chip advantage, and both players saw many swings over the next hour before completion, with Gruneberg ultimately ending up victorious.
Heads-up play can be grueling and make or break players. Still, for Gruneberg, the most challenging part of this tournament was getting past the four-and-a-half-hour late registration period, which involved firing five bullets in total.
"I was massive stack on my first with a bunch of bounties and then flamed out so hard resulting in firing four more bullets," he said.
But on bullet five, sitting in position 58/59, he faded the world with pocket 8s in a four-way all in for a massive quadruple-up. From there, the momentum needed for a deep run was in motion.
"On the last bullet before registration closed I got in 88 to AJ to AQ to KQ and held for a quad up which was a thing of beauty. From there we just grinded it out it played very deep and went to 4 a.m. which I am built for," he added.
Now, after deciding on a shorter trip to the desert for the first time since age 21, he's heading to Vegas with a jam-packed schedule to keep the momentum going.
"I enjoyed my time at home immensely during these few weeks, and I am excited to see what I can do at WSOP 2024," he added. "Can we expect another bracelet? Man, those things are HARD to win in Vegas, but I can tell you I will try my absolute best."
Frank "D.Lafferty" Bonnacci Wins First Bracelet
The win came a week after Frank "D.Lafferty" Bonnacci took down the first online bracelet of the series. Event #1: NLH Bankroll Builder attracted 217 entries (130 unique players who rebought 87 times) and offered up a $97,650 prize pool. Bonnacci fired two bullets into the tournament and ultimately prevailed after just over eight hours of play to capture a $20,731.19 first-place prize.
Earlier this year, PokerNews profiled Bonnacci after he crushed the December 2023 WSOP PA Super Series taking down Event #10 - $215 NLH 6-Max before later winning Event #11 - $1,000 NLH High Roller 8-Max giving him his third and fourth gold rings respectively.
The 37-year-old family man, who last summer finished 44th in the WSOP Main Event for a career-best $229,000, previously told PokerNews:
"My goal in poker was always a pretty simple one," he said. "I want every. f***ing dollar. If they come with trophies or rings or bracelets, great. If they come with a rubber band and in a Crown Royal bag, even better. But I honestly just enjoy battling both live and online, win or lose — nothing like that sleep after you've been at war for 30+ hours straight every now and then."
For more on Frank "Franco" Bonacci, follow him on X at @FrancoBonacci.
Remember, PA players can legally play real money poker in Pennsylvania, so we've come up with a list of the very best online poker sites in Pennsylvania. Access real poker sites and play different games with poker players within the state.
Whether you're looking to play poker freerolls, looking for the best poker bonuses, or want to quickly hop into a cash game or an online poker tournament, our dedicated page on PokerNews will tell you everything you need to know about online poker in PA.
Best Poker Sites in Pennsylvania: Play Online Poker in PA
In this Series
- 1 Dong Meng Wins Second Bracelet & $200,000 in WSOP Tournament of Champions
- 2 Jose Garcia Wins Event #2: $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em for $79,134
- 3 Asher Conniff Wins First Bracelet in Event 1: $5,000 Champions Reunion for $408,468
- 4 Daniel Willis Wins First WSOP Bracelet in Event #3: $500 Kickoff NLHE
- 5 James Chen Wins WSOP Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo ($209,350)
- 6 Darius Samual's 50% Bankroll Risk Pays Off in WSOP $25K Heads-Up Championship
- 7 Mixed Game Legend John Hennigan Wins Seventh Bracelet at 2024 WSOP
- 8 Bryce Yockey BLASTS 25K Fantasy Draft Price After $5K PLO Bracelet Win
- 9 "I'm Only Here to Win Bracelets," says Nick Guagenti as He Captures His Second
- 10 Malcolm Trayner Made a Millionaire in WSOP Mystery Millions
- 11 Great Scott! Seiver Adds to Legacy with Fifth WSOP Bracelet
- 12 David Prociak Conquers The $1,500 Badugi for His Second Bracelet and $129,676
- 13 Simeon Spasov Wins $1,500 6-Max to Claim Second Bracelet for $439,815!
- 14 Robert Mizrachi Joins Brother on Five WSOP Bracelets After $10,000 Dealer's Choice Victory
- 15 20 Years in the Making: TJ Murphy Becomes a WSOP Champion
- 16 Caleb Furth Captures Maiden Bracelet in Event #15: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha 8 or Better for $265,361
- 17 Dylan Weisman Wins Second WSOP Bracelet in Event #18: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha
- 18 Brent Hart Rises From Pack to Win Event #16: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em
- 19 John Racener Spins Shortest Stack Up to WSOP Gold in LHE Championship
- 20 Aaron Cummings Wins His First Bracelet In Lowball Triple Draw Event
- 21 "Feeling Vindicated": Brek Schutten Wins WSOP $25,000 High Roller for $1,405,641
- 22 Sean Troha Completes Hat Trick in $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
- 23 Huge Comeback Inspires Daniel Sepiol to First Bracelet in $1,500 Shootout
- 24 Daniel Vampan Claims First Bracelet and $148,635 in $3,000 Limit Hold'em 6-Max
- 25 Stephen Winters Defeats 20,647 Players to Win $300 Gladiators of Poker ($401,210)
- 26 Nick Schulman Wins Fifth WSOP Bracelet in $25K High Roller ($1,667,842)
- 27 Gruneberg & Bonnacci Capture First WSOP Pennsylvania Online Bracelets of the Summer
- 28 Evan Benton Goes From Poker Beginner to WSOP Bracelet Winner
- 29 Michael Christ "Gets Lucky" On His Way to Winning Event #27: $1,500 Big O
- 30 Alen Bakovic Laughs His Way to the WSOP Event #30 $600 PLO/NLH Mix Title
- 31 Nicholas Seward Wins His First WSOP Bracelet in $3,000 6-Handed for $516,135
- 32 Phil Ivey Wins His 11th WSOP Bracelet in $10K 2-7 Triple Draw Championship
- 33 Richard Ashby Wins Second WSOP Bracelet in Same Stud Event
- 34 Alex Manzano Ascends to Win Event #33: $600 Pot-Limit Omaha DeepStack
- 35 Antonio Galiana’s Big Bluff Propels Him To First Bracelet in Event #34
- 36 Another Comeback, Another Bracelet For Phillip Hui In $1.5k H.O.R.S.E.
- 37 Timur Margolin Wins Third Bracelet in Event #36: $800 NLHE Deepstack for $342,551
- 38 John Fauver Wins The First Ever $10k Big O Championship For $681,998
- 39 Sergio Aido Wins 2024 WSOP $50,000 NLHE High Roller ($2,026,506)
- 40 Two Bracelets in Two Weeks: Scott Seiver Wins Sixth WSOP Gold in $1,500 Razz
- 41 James Obst Captures Second WSOP Bracelet in $10K Stud
- 42 Xixiang Luo Wins First-Ever WSOP NLHE/PLO Bomb Pot Mix Event
- 43 Magnus Edengren Gets His Crowning Moment in $1,500 Mixed Omaha
- 44 Kingery's Ransom: Longshoreman Ships $2K No-Limit Hold’em for $410,359
- 45 "It Was My Time": Chris Hunichen Captures First Bracelet & $2.8M in $100K High Roller
- 46 Peter Park Wins First Bracelet and $240,724 in Event #51: $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty!
- 47 Dominant Performance: Pedro Neves Crushes On Way to WSOP Monster Stack Bracelet
- 48 Extra Special Day for Christopher Vitch As He Wins Event #48: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
- 49 Mostafa Haidary Tears Through the Final Four to Win Event #52: $5,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em
- 50 Third Time's the Charm: Patrick Moulder Captures First Bracelet and $177,045 in $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw
- 51 Frank Funaro Wins Second WSOP Bracelet in $10k Super Turbo Bounty
- 52 Dario Sammartino Wins First Bracelet in Event #61: $2,500 Stud 8/Omaha 8 for $222,703
- 53 Sean Jazayeri Claims First Bracelet in Event #59: $1,000 Super Seniors No-Limit Hold'em
- 54 We Want the Funk! David Funkhouser Wins First Bracelet in $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball
- 55 Paolo Boi Stages Impressive Comeback to Win Event #60: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em ($676,900)
- 56 Daniel Negreanu Wins 7th WSOP Bracelet in $50,000 Poker Players Championship
- 57 Ben Collins' All Ins Were Unbeatable in Event #67: $500 Salute to Warriors
- 58 Heads-Up Masterclass Propels Elie Nakache to $10K PLO Championship Title
- 59 Determined Scott Seiver Captures 3rd 2024 Bracelet by Winning $10k No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw
- 60 Runner-Up No More: Shiina Okamoto Wins Ladies' Event With Fierce Determination and Confidence
- 61 WPT Announcer Tony Dunst Wins Third World Series of Poker Bracelet
- 62 David Eldridge Overcomes the Odds to Claim Second Bracelet in $25k PLO High Roller ($2,246,728)
- 63 VAMOS! Martin Alcaide Claims First Bracelet and $501,250 in Event #70: $400 Colossus
- 64 Matthew Lambrecht Wins $10,000 Mystery Bounty for First WSOP Bracelet
- 65 Team Setna is "On Cloud 9" as the Duo Take Down Event #75: $1,000 Tag Team No Limit Hold’em
- 66 Wing Po Liu Flies High To Win Second Bracelet for $209,942
- 67 Nine Years After Near Tragedy, Arash Ghaneian Wins Second Bracelet in $10,000 Stud Hi-Lo Championship
- 68 First Cash, First Bracelet as Daniel Perkusic Dominates $50,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha
- 69 Georgios Skarparis Wins Mini Main Event After a Promise to His Student ($554,925)
- 70 Francis Anderson Wins 2024 WSOP $800 Independence Day Celebration ($501,040)
- 71 Dominating Final Table Performance Sees Aditya Agarwal Take Down Event #82: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em ($189,661)
- 72 Chance Kornuth Flips His Way to Fourth Bracelet in Event #85: $1,000 Flip & Go No-Limit Hold'em
- 73 Matthew Alsante Triumphs Over the Pros in $5K 8-Handed No Limit Hold'em ($785,486)
- 74 It’s a Poker Fairytale For Carsten Heidemann, Winner of Event #84: $600 Ultra Stack No-Limit Hold’em
- 75 2024 WSOP Online: Watson Becomes Poker's 10th Triple Crown Winner; Prociak Claims Third Bracelet
- 76 Sascha Wilhelm Scores Biggest Career Win in $1k Mystery Bounty PLO
- 77 “This Bracelet is Worth Three”: Calvin Anderson Joins Five-Timer Club
- 78 Joseph Sanders Claims First Bracelet and $269,530 in $1.5k 6-Max PLO
- 79 Jared Bleznick Captures First Bracelet in $50k No-Limit Hold'em High Roller
- 80 Career-Best Score and First WSOP Bracelet for $3K HORSE Winner Gary Bolden
- 81 Inaugural $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship A Huge Success as Clement Richez Wins $1,041,989
- 82 Michael Rocco Caps Off Career Summer by Capturing First Bracelet
- 83 Xixiang Luo Doubles Up with Second Bracelet of the Summer in Event #96: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E.
- 84 Michael Liang Turns the Tables in Heads-Up to Win $777 Lucky 7's for $777,777
- 85 Summer Saved! Alex Livingston Claims Second Bracelet and $390,621 in Event #97: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Handed!
- 86 Jonathan Tamayo Wins Record-Breaking 2024 WSOP Main Event ($10,000,000)
- 87 Aneris Adomkevicius Wins First WSOP Bracelet in Event #99: $1,000 Super Turbo No-Limit Hold'em
- 88 Ching Da Wu Conquers The $1,500 Closer at the 2024 WSOP
- 89 Kyle “BluffNTuff” Lorenz & William “mortyc137” Nunley Win Final WSOP Pennsylvania Online Bracelets
