Stoyan Madanzhiev Calls Out Damian Salas for WSOP Main Event Decider

The first official 2020 Main Event champion, Bulgaria’s Stoyan Madanzhiev, has offered the second official Main Event champion, Argentina’s Damian Salas, a heads-up decider to see who really deserves the title!

Madanzhiev sparked a debate with a tweet that showed the differences between the two WSOP title wins, a controversial $5k versus $10k battle that spilled over into 2021…

When the annual summer shindig was forced online by the coronavirus pandemic, most people considered the Bulgarian a legitimate champ when he bagged the bracelet and the $3.9million first prize.

That being said, the WSOP had always hoped to hold a live version of the usual $10k buy-in, and although that didn’t quite happen, the hybrid online/live event that saw Damian Salas overcome Joseph Hebert last week was also classed as legitimate by many.

However, veteran WSOP commentator Norman Chad went even further than that, likening Madanzhiev’s calls to those of Donald Trump seeking extra votes to overturn the US Presidential election!

Chad’s intervention led to a squabble with poker pro Jeff Madsen, the 4-times WSOP bracelet winner describing the commentator’s tweets as “garbage”.

Other poker fans were equally unimpressed by Chad’s Trump-tweet, one replying:

“Wow Chad... Why compare with trump? Actually @Stoyan_Mad has a good point. It was sold as the main event and many peeps invested many bullets to become the champion. a few weeks later there is the real main event in one go...”

Madanzhiev has been unable to contact his fellow WSOP Main Event champion, but he told CardsChat:

“I would play Salas! Even if it’s not an official match, I would love to do it in the name of the game.”

With no way of knowing whether the 2021 WSOP will go ahead or in what form, it may be an argument that will be revisited several times throughout the coming year!

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