Friedman win
Adam Friedman won back-to-back WSOP bracelets as he emerged victorious after an epic heads-up victory against Phil Hellmuth

Adam Friedman made history at the 2021 World Series of Poker on Wednesday night after winning the $10,000 Dealer Choice event for the third straight year, becoming the first player ever to win a single event three times in a row.

In order to do it, had to best a completely stacked final 10 players that included Daniel Negreanu, Mike Matusow, and Phil Hellmuth, who was at his fifth final table and playing for back-to-back bracelets himself.

Friedman Finishes Hellmuth For Unprecedented Third Title

With the tournament being six-handed, two five-handed tables kicked off the action on the final day. Phil Hellmuth began his quest for glory in familiar company, sat alongside Daniel Negreanu and, Mike Matusow. Negreanu left the party early, busting in ninth place for $25,741, but Matusow lasted beyond Mike Gorodinsky’s elimination in eighth place for the same amount and Matt Glantz going out in seventh for $32,746 after making the unofficial final table.

With the final six players gathering, it seemed a three-way battle from the off, with back-to-back $10K Dealers Choice champ Friedman, Jake Schwartz, and Hellmuth himself all above 1.3 million chips, with Carol Fuchs (570,000), Matusow (390,000), and Andrew Kelsall (320,000) all seemingly scrabbling for the next three eliminations.

That’s exactly how it turned out, with Kelsall busted by Matusow in sixth place for $42,646 before Matusow himself heading to the rail in fifth place for $56,826. It was Hellmuth himself who busted his friend away from the felt, proving poker is a game without the boundaries of friendships at the felt and the two men exchanged a warm embrace as Matusow left the arena. Soon after, Carol Fuchs was of contention in fourth for $77,437 when she lost a hand of 2-7 Pot-Limit Triple Draw to Friedman.

In winning his 16th bracelet earlier this week, Hellmuth beat Schwartz heads-up, but this time Schwartz could only last to the first of the three podium places, busting in third for $107,861.

A fairly ridiculous stat for the now three-time reigning champion showed just how difficult it is to beat Adam Friedman in the Dealer’s Choice format.

 

So those omens proved as Friedman, who went into heads-up play with a slight deficit to make up, remained unbeaten to conquer the current king of the World Series under the lights.

After the event, Hellmuth himself tweeted to update his fans that he’s about to take a well-deserved break for a couple of days after an epic three weeks at the felt yielded five final tables and a WSOP bracelet.

WSOP 2021 Event #36 $10,000 Dealer’s Choice Final Table Results:

  1. Adam Friedman – $248,350
  2. Phil Hellmuth – $153,493
  3. Jake Schwartz – $107,861
  4. Carol Fuchs – $77,437
  5. Mike Matusow – $56,826
  6. Andrew Kelsall – $42,646

Addamo Crushes High Roller Field to Lead Final Five

It goes without saying that Australian high roller Michael Addamo has enjoyed an incredible year at the felt. No one has won more consistently and for such large amounts than he has in online tournaments, but Addamo is not satisfied with dominating the online scene. With five players remaining in the WSOP Event #38, the $50,000 NLHE High Roller, Addamo has almost as many chips as his four remaining opponents put together.

Heading into Day 2, Addamo had a significant lead over the field, with more chips than the places between 3rd and 6th combined. Only Erik Seidel was keeping pace with the Aussie in any way, and that situation stayed the case as play found its way to a final table of nine players. At that stage, Addamo had grown his stack to 6.8 million chips, with only Seidel (4.2 million) and Sam Soverel (3.5m) anywhere near him.

The first player to leave the nine-handed final table was German player Leonard Maue, who was short-stacked and all-in for eight big blinds with KhQd. Bin Weng made the call with KsKc and on a board of AsJc4c8c8d sent Maue home for a result worth $103,635.

Next to go was Italian player Mustapha Kanit, who earned $126,141 in eighth place when he busted to Gal Yifrach, one of the four opponents Addamo will face on the final day. Kanit moved all-in with AdQh, but ran into Yifrach’s AsAh, which held with ease on the 6c4h3s2d4c board.

Play went on for some time before Sam Soverel was eliminated in seventh place for $157,666. Soverel moved all-in from the small blind with TdTh but was at risk when Seidel called with AdKh. The flop of QdTc9h gave Soverel bottom set, but on the Jd turn, Seidel made a Broadway straight and after the 7h completed the board, Soverel was on the rail.

It was Bin Weng who busted next, calling Justin Bonomo’s three-bet all-in pre-flop. Weng had pocket eights, but Bonomo held pocket nines and no danger on the board saw the man who sits second on the all-time money list double-up, with Weng busted in the next hand to the same opponent. With Addamo involved too, the three-way pot saw Weng eliminated with bottom pair on the flop after Bonomo had flopped a top pair of kings.

With Weng’s elimination earning the American $202,236, the final five places were set, with Addamo holding a huge lead over four remaining players, with one super-short opponent Chris Hunichen remaining confident of victory.

WSOP 2021 Event #38 $50,000 NLHE High Roller Final Table Chipcounts/Results: 

Final Day Chipcounts:

  1. Michael Addamo – 11,475,000
  2. Justin Bonomo – 4,975,000
  3. Erik Seidel – 4,335,000
  4. Gal Yifrach – 3,160,000
  5. Chris Hunichen – 405,000

Final Table Results:

6th – Bin Weng (U.S.A.) $202,236
7th – Sam Soverel (U.S.A.) $157,666
8th – Mustapha Kanit (Italy) $126,141
9th – Leonard Maue (Germany) $103,635

Josh Arieh Leads $1,500 PLO

Just 58 players survived Day 1 of the Pot Limit Omaha Event #39, which cost $1,500 to play and had 821 entries. A mammoth 14 hours of play saw Josh Arieh (1,000,000) finish ahead of players like Ivan Deyra (635,000) and Craig Varnell (566,000) in the top 10 chip counts.

Players such as Ryan Leng (847,000) and Robert Blair (852,000) will feel most confident of taking down Arieh on Day 2, as they are closest to the leader, with players like Robert Mizrachi and Shaun Deeb unable to survive the day.

WSOP 2021 Event #39 $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha Top 10 Chipcounts:

  1. Josh Arieh – 1,000,000
  2. Robert Blair – 852,000
  3. Ryan Leng – 847,000
  4. Fred Goldberg – 653,000
  5. Gabriel Andrade – 645,000
  6. Ivan Deyra – 635,000
  7. Dien Le – 627,000
  8. Craig Varnell – 566,000
  9. Nitesh Rawtani – 563,000
  10. Zachary Bergevin – 512,000

Seiver, Silver Make $10K H.O.R.S.E. Top Ten

Event #40 saw players such as David Williams pony up $10,000 and take their chances in the H.O.R.S.E. event, and there was an air of ambition around the Rio in the early levels, as Williams himself exuded…. even if he was a season out.

With 139 entries, just 71 players survived, with legends such as Daniel Negreanu, Anthony Zinno, Eli Elezra, and Paul Volpe all busting, while Qinghai Pan (373,000), Scott Seiver (261,000), Randy Ohel (219,500), and David Benyamine (219,000) all piled up top stacks.

WSOP 2021 Event #40 $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Top 10 Chipcounts:

  1. Qinghai Pan – 373,000
  2. Scott Seiver – 261,000
  3. Andrew Yeh – 229,500
  4. Randy Ohel – 219,500
  5. David Benyamine – 219,000
  6. Marco Johnson – 218,000
  7. Jerry Wong – 217,500
  8. Brett Richey – 215,500
  9. Jesse Klein – 199,500
  10. Nate Silver – 197,000