Zinno 5s
Anthony Zinno won his third WSOP bracelet in thrilling fashion on Day 12 of the 2021 WSOP

Phil Hellmuth missed out on gold as another multiple bracelet winner got the better of him in the Seven Card Stud Championship, as Anthony Zinno won his third WSOP gold. Zinno’s victory for $182,872 saw him overtake the only man above him in the chipcounts, Phil Hellmuth, as the man going for title #16 crashed out in fourth place on a day of drama at the Rio.

Zinno Wins Third Bracelet at Poker Brat’s Expense

Play got underway in the $10,000-entry Seven Card Stud Championship with Hellmuth holding the most chips, but it was a lead that would constantly change hands for some time. James Chen grabbed it by busting Jason Gola early in proceedings, Chen’s two pair good enough to oust the American in seventh place for £24,601.

There was a prolonged period of play that saw no eliminations but was a huge factor in deciding the destiny of the gold. During it, Phil Hellmuth lost not only most of his stack but his temper too, as the newest chip leader three-time bracelet winner Anthony Zinno saw Hellmuth skitter his cards across the felt after Zinno made a flush. Clearly outraged, Hellmuth needed all of his powers of recovery to maintain his composure.

After Stephen Chidwick busted in sixth place for $30,842, Jack McClelland’s run to fifth place saw the WSOP legend leave for a result worth $40,284. At that point, James Chen was looking like Zinno’s biggest threat, but Zinno was pulling away and when Hellmuth busted in fourth place for $54,730, bringing his series winnings up to over $235,000, Zinno had double the chips of both his opponents combined.

Three-handed play lasted a long time, with both Chen and Jose Paz-Gutierrez jockeying for position behind the dominant Zinno. Eventually, it was Paz-Gutierrez who was defeated in third for $77,227 after his pair of nines couldn’t beat Chen’s flush. That sent Chen into the heads-up against Zinno for the bracelet, with the former bidding to equalize Zinno’s total of two WSOP titles.

Instead, Zinno became the winner of his third WSOP gold bracelet when he got the better of Chen heads-up, after never relinquishing his lead to triumph and take the $182,872 top prize. Chen won $113,024 for finishing as runner-up.

WSOP 2021 Event #19 $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship Final Table Results:

  1. Anthony Zinno – $182,872
  2. James Chen – $113,024
  3. Jose Paz-Gutierrez – $77,227
  4. Phil Hellmuth – $54,730
  5. Jack McClelland – $40,284
  6. Stephen Chidwick – $30,842
  7. Jason Gola – $24,601

After the action, Hellmuth paid tribute to Zinno’s success at the felt.

Peck Takes Heads-Up Victory

Vladimir Peck won his first-ever World Series of Poker bracelet after the conclusion of the delayed Event #18, the $2,500-entry Mixed Triple Draw Lowball event. With both men ending an exhausting day at the felt on Sunday night with the final heads-up battle in the balance, it was Venkata Tayi who came into the final fight with the lead, holding 5,575,000 with Peck on 3,275,000 chips.

Play began with more of the same as Tayi held Peck largely at arm’s length over the opening exchanges. That wasn’t the case when Peck made a wheel in A-5 Triple Draw, however, Peck’s hand turned the game around and a follow-up win in Badugi gave Peck a commanding 2:1 chip lead.

Tayi slipped lower, doubled up but then found himself in the same position when he lost the final hand in 2-7 Triple Draw, seeing Peck win with a jack-low to seal the bracelet and finally eliminate the versatile and dogged Tayi at the last. Tayi cashed for $83,056 for finishing as runner-up, but it was Peck who won the $134,390 top prize and his debut WSOP gold bracelet.

WSOP 2021 Event #18 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball Final Table Results:

  1. Vladimir Peck – $134,390
  2. Venkata Tayi – $83,056
  3. Joao Vieira – $57,558
  4. Aaron Rogers – $40,443
  5. Brian Yoon – $28,818
  6. Hal Rotholz – $20,828
  7. Carlos Rodriguez – $15,272

DJ Alexander Scores First Gold Bracelet in Flip & Go

In Event #20, the first WSOP Flip & Go event saw plenty of drama as 23 players were reduced to a worthy winner as Dejuante ‘DJ’ Alexander took down the debut tournament and won his first bracelet to go with the $180,665 top prize.

For much of the final day, it looked like American David Peters was on his way to what would have been a fourth WSOP bracelet. His exit, however, was one of a number of entertaining moments that completed the inaugural Flip & Go event in dramatic fashion.

The day began with 23 players, but the field was swiftly reduced to a handful of hopefuls over a frenetic few opening exchanges. Players such as Alex Epstein, Jesse Solano, Krista Farrell, Elio Fox and Daniel Weinman all busted early on. WSOP Main Event final table player Vojtech Ruzicka busted in 10th place for $13,460 and the final table was set with Peters holding the chip lead.

It was Koveh Waysei who busted first, his 6s6d unable to hold against Corey Bierria’s AsQc after the flop of AcKcQd turned around the hand. After the 9d turn and Qh river, Bierria’s full house saw Waysei waylaid in ninth place for $16,895.

It soon a seven-handed battle for the bracelet. Fred Goldberg lost his seat in eighth place for $21,435 when he correctly called off David Peters shove pre-flop. Peters had Kh7s, with Goldberg’s 8h8d a favorite to double up. But the board of Jh7c2cTh7d saw Peters river trips to eliminate Goldberg and further strengthen his grip on the chip lead.

Rok Gostisa busted in seventh place for $27,495 when he lost a race with JhJc against Jake Schwartz’s AsKc, two kings coming on the flop to end the Slovenian’s chances of victory. Gostisa was closely followed from the room by Bierria, whose KhQx was no match for Jason Beck’s Ac[Qx], with a queen-high board insufficient for Bierria’s need to overtake his rival in order to survive.

Bierria had cashed for $35,645 and the money was going up rapidly. Huy Lam had led the field into play but went in fifth place for $46,695 as his pocket nines were overtaken by Schwartz’s pocket threes as the American flopped quads to bust the Australian in brutal fashion. Four then became three when David Peters was taken out by the eventual winner, with the hand later identified as pivotal by the victorious Alexander.

Peters moved all-in under the gun with KsJc and it was Alexander who had a tricky call to make with KcQh in the big blind. If he had lost the pot, Alexander would have been left with just four big blinds, but he managed to make the call and won across a ten-high board to oust perhaps his most dangerous opponent at the perfect time, vaulting to a big chip lead in the process and leaving Peters on the rail with $61,815.

Schwartz lost his tournament life in third place for $82,675 after his second pair was trumped by Beck’s turned flush, which gave Beck the lead heads-up, as he played 13.5 million to Alexander’s 11.3 million. It was a close fight, however, and it took almost no time at all to crown a winner.

Beck’s three-bet to 3 million with As4h saw Alexander move all-in with AcJh and when Beck made the call, he would need a lot of help to survive. The flop of KhQd2h gave Beck no hope, but while the turn of Ts gave his opponent Broadway, it opened up the chance of split pot if Beck could call in Alexander’s card of a jack. That didn’t happen, however, as the 5h river ended the event in Alexander’s favor, giving Beck the runner-up prize of $111,715 and crowning Alexander as the champion, with a top prize of $180,665 to go with his newly-acquired gold.

WSOP 2021 Event #20 No Limit Hold’em Flip & Go Final Table Results:

  1. Dejuante Alexander – $180,665
  2. Jason Beck – $111,715
  3. Jake Schwartz – $82,675
  4. David Peters – $61,815
  5. Huy Lam – $46,695
  6. Corey Bierria – $35,645
  7. Rok Gostisa – $27,495
  8. Fred Goldberg – $21,435
  9. Koveh Waysei – $16,895

Milly Maker Down To 20

The Millionaire Maker field was trimmed from 170 to just 20 players on its Day 2 at the Rio, with Philip Verel bagging up the biggest stack and a massive 12,655,000 chips. Verel sits a short amount ahead of Daniel Lazrus, who has already won a WSOP bracelet in this summer’s online series and will be looking to fly high again when play resumes.

Faraz Jaka was one of many players to bust later in the day, but was excited about crossing a million chips earlier in the event, summing up the excitement felt by every player who plays at the world Series of Poker.

Elsewhere in the event, players such as former four-time bracelet winner Michael Gathy survived with 9.8 million chips, while others such as Craig Varnell, Tristan Wade and Ryan Riess all departed.

WSOP Event #17 $1,500 Millionaire Maker Top 10 Chipcounts:

  1. Philip Verel – 12,665,000
  2. Daniel Lazrus – 11,795,000
  3. Adam Sherman – 10,875,000
  4. Michael Gathy – 9,800,000
  5. Ignacio Moron – 9,585,000
  6. Arie Kliper – 9,580,000
  7. Jeffrey Gencarelli – 8,980,000
  8. Stephen Song – 7,650,000
  9. Todd Saffron – 6,400,000
  10. Luis Zedan – 5,835,000

Daniel Negreanu In The Mix in Event #21

In the Mixed Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship, Scott Abrams bagged the chip lead with just 27 players left overnight. Abrams totalled 1,675,000 at the close of Day 2, leading the field just like he did at the end of Day 1 and was followed in the chipcounts by Jordan Spurlin (1,370,000) and Hernan Salazar (1,230,000).

Elsewhere in the event, Daniel Negreanu made the cut, with Kid Poker bagging up 535,000 chips, while mixed games poker author and specialist Dylan Linde (470,000) and Ari Engel (305,000) both joined him in the Day 3 Seat Draw. Engel is looking to become the first player to win two of this year’s live WSOP 88 bracelets on offer with over 75% of the events taking place after this event he remains in.

WSOP 2021 Event #21 Mixed Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Top 10 Chipcounts:

  1. Scott Abrams – 1,675,000
  2. Jordan Spurlin – 1,370,000
  3. Hernan Salazar – 1,230,000
  4. Ryan Roeder – 1,005,000
  5. Charles Coultas – 985,000
  6. Kosei Ichinose Japan – 890,000
  7. Damjan Radanov – 850,000
  8. Robert Redman – 840,000
  9. Garrett Garvin – 730,000
  10. Michael Kim – 710,000

Angelina Rich Leads The Ladies Event

In the Ladies Championship, 644 entrants took to the felt with just 170 making it through to Day 2 of the popular annual event. Angelina rich (301,000) leads the ay from Lily Keletto (265,000) and Michell Ferranted (215,100), while other big names with stacks include Cherish Andrews (185,000), Jamie Kerstetter (160,000), and Ebony Kenney (91,000).

Other hopefuls weren’t so fortunate to make it through to Day 2, such as Karina Jett, though the atmosphere in the event was cause for her and hundreds of others to post about the event on social media, identifying the unique appeal for poker fans of both sexes of this respected event on the schedule.

WSOP 2021 Event #22 Ladies NLHE Championship Top 10 Chipcounts:

  1. Angelina Rich – 301,000
  2. Lily Kiletto – 265,000
  3. Michelle Ferrante – 215,100
  4. Christina Gollins – 202,100
  5. Dusti Smith – 197,400
  6. Cherish Andrews – 185,000
  7. Courtney Webb – 178,100
  8. JJ Liu Taiwan – 168,000
  9. Britt Williams – 155,600
  10. Brittne Zobrist – 155,600

$1,500 Eight Game Mix Kicks Off

Finally, Event #23 got underway, with the $1,500-entry six-max Eight Game Mix event seeing Sachin Bhargava bag the biggest stack, as he ended the day with 273,400 chips. Other players to bag a top 10 stack included former WSOP bracelet winner – and four-time runner-up – David Williams (175,200), with Michael Mizrachi (178,700) once again proving that mixed games are definitely his bag.

Players to bust this event included Mike Gorodinsky, Daniel Ospina, Barry Greenstein, Robbie Strazynski, Greg Raymer, Connor Drinan, Jeremy Ausmus, and Calvin Anderson.

WSOP 2021 Event #23 $1,500 Eight Game Mix Six-Handed Top 10 Chipcounts:

  1. Sachin Bhargava – 273,400
  2. David Gee – 237,200
  3. Jay Kerbel – 231,600
  4. Sean Perry – 189,000
  5. Vasu Amarapu – 180,400
  6. Michael Mizrachi – 178,700
  7. David Williams – 175,200
  8. Kevin Brewer – 171,600
  9. Bradley Bragg – 171,300
  10. David Prociak – 171,000

Finally, on a more serious note, former WSOP Player of the Year Shaun Deeb highlighted the importance of security after being awoken in the middle of the night by an unwelcome intruder. Keep those latches as tightly done up as your bag of chips at the end of the night.