Nobody knew what to expect when World Series of Poker officials announced poker’s longest-running series was returning to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino after a one-year hiatus. Vaccination rules, having to wear masks, and travel restrictions into the United States cast shadows of doubt over how the 2021 WSOP would progress, but those doubts are all but forgotten thanks to what has been an incredible festival thus far.
It is time for the eagerly anticipated Event #67: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event World Championship, the WSOP tournament that every poker player dreams of winning. But before those famous words of "shuffle up and deal" are muttered on Day 1a of the 2021 WSOP Main Event, let us take a look back at the series’ story so far.
Every WSOP has a "Year of the" attached to it; it is something that naturally happens each series. The 2021 is most definitely the Year of the Multiple Bracelet winners, with no less than two dozen players adding some more poker gold to their collection.
Jeremy Ausmus started the trend when he took down Event #3: $1,000 COVID-19 Relief No-Limit Hold’em Charity Event for his second bracelet. Since then, such luminaries as Connor Drinan, Martin Zamani, Ari Engel, Yuval Bronshtein, and John Monnette have all secured a coveted gold bracelet.
As have the likes of Anthony Zinno – he’s actually won two bracelets this fall, as has Kevin Gerhart – Ryan Leng, Chance Kornuth, David "Bakes" Baker, and the legendary figure that is Phil Hellmuth.
Poker evolves, the WSOP adapts, but Hellmuth is always Hellmuth. The self-proclaimed Poker Brat has been racking up cashes and final tables in non-hold’em event; six cashes, five of which are final table appearances.
Hellmuth finished sixth in the $25,000 H.O.R.S.E, cashed in the $1,500 Dealer’s Choice, before finishing fifth in the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Championship and fourth in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud. Then came the big one: Hellmuth reeled in his 16th WSOP bracelet by winning the $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball event. Mr 16 Bracelets almost won his 17th piece of poker jewlery a few days later, finished second to Adam Friedman in the $10,000 Dealer’s Choice Championship; Friedman is one of those two dozen grinders who added to their personal bracelet haul.
Of course, Hellmuth has also been Hellmuth, hitting the headlines for expletive-filled rants, and taking to social media to air his views on the Player of the Year race. Don’t you just love him?
Hellmuth is, of course, a former WSOP Main Event champion, who is 100% guaranteed to buy into this year’s "Big Dance." As are all the players mentioned in this post, but who else will the PokerNews Live Reporting team provide updates about? Will Phil Ivey finally turn out for a 2021 WSOP event? Will Doyle Brunson grace us with his presence again? There are so many questions floating around, and all will be answered over the next few days.
Hold onto your hats, the Main Event is here and it is going to be incredible.
| # | Event | Entrants | Winner | Prize |
|---|
| 1 | $500 Casino Employees No Limit Hold'em | 419 | James Barnett | $39,013 |
| 2 | $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. | 78 | Jesse Klein | $552,182 |
| 3 | $1,000 Covid-19 Relief No Limit Hold'em Charity Event | 260 | Jeremy Ausmus | $48,687 |
| 4 | $500 The Reunion No Limit Hold'em | 12,973 | Long Ma | $514,604 |
| 5 | $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better | 607 | Connor Drinan | $163,252 |
| 6 | $25,000 High Roller No Limit Hold'em 8-Handed | 135 | Tyler Cornell | $833,289 |
| 7 | $1,500 Dealers Choice 6-Handed | 307 | Jaswinder Lally | $97,915 |
| o1 | WSOP.com $5,300 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout | 156 | Martin Zamani | $210,600 |
| o2 | WSOP.com $500 No-Limit Hold'em BIG 500 | 742 | Mark Herm | $89,356 |
| 8 | $600 No Limit Hold'em Deepstack | 4,527 | Zhi Wu | $281,604 |
| 9 | $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship | 134 | Ari Engel | $317,076 |
| 10 | $1,000 Super Turbo Bounty No Limit Hold'em | 1,640 | Michael Perrone | $152,173 |
| 11 | $25,000 Heads Up No Limit Hold'em Championship | 57 | Jason Koon | $243,981 |
| 12 | $1,500 Limit Hold'em | 422 | Yuval Bronshtein | $124,374 |
| 13 | $3,000 Freezeout No Limit Hold'em | 720 | Harvey Mathews | $371,914 |
| 14 | $1,500 Seven Card Stud | 261 | Rafael Lebron | $82,262 |
| 15 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em 6-Handed | 1,450 | Bradley Jansen | $313,403 |
| 16 | $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship | 92 | John Monnette | $245,680 |
| 17 | $1,500 Millionaire Maker No Limit Hold'em | 5,326 | Daniel Lazrus | $1,000,000 |
| 18 | $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball | 253 | Vladimir Peck | $134,390 |
| 19 | $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship | 62 | Anthony Zinno | $182,872 |
| 20 | $1,000 Flip & Go No Limit Hold'em | 1240 | Dejuante "DJ" Alexander | $180,665 |
| 21 | $1,500 Mixed Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better | 641 | Dylan Linde | $170,269 |
| o3 | WSOP.com $400 No-Limit Hold'em Ultra Deepstack | 1,023 | Pete Chen | $82,560 |
| 22 | $10,000/$1,000 Ladies No Limit Hold'em Championship | 644 | Lara Eisenberg | $115,694 |
| 23 | $1,500 Eight Game Mix 6-Handed | 484 | Ryan Leng | $137,969 |
| 24 | $600 Pot Limit Omaha Deepstack | 1,572 | Michael Prendergast | $127,348 |
| 25 | $5,000 No Limit Hold'em 6-Handed | 578 | Scott Ball | $562,667 |
| 26 | $1,000 Freezeout No Limit Hold'em | 1,358 | Dalibor Dula | $199,227 |
| 27 | $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. | 594 | Anthony Zinno | $160,636 |
| 28 | $1,000 Pot Limit Omaha 8-Handed | 1,069 | Dylan Weisman | $166,461 |
| 29 | $10,000 Short Deck No Limit Hold'em | 66 | Chance Kornuth | $194,670 |
| 30 | $1,500 Monster Stack No Limit Hold'em | 2,342 | Michael Noori | $610,347 |
| 31 | $1,500 No Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw | 272 | Phil Hellmuth | $84,951 |
| 32 | $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. | 282 | Jim Collopy | $173,823 |
| 33 | $800 No Limit Hold'em Deepstack | 2,778 | Ran Koller | $269,478 |
| 34 | $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw | 285 | David "Bakes" Baker | $87,837 |
| o4 | WSOP.com $888 PLO Crazy 8's | 295 | Ryan Stoker | $95,338 |
| 35 | $500 Freezeout No Limit Hold'em | 2,931 | Anthony Koutsos | $167,272 |
| 36 | $10,000 Dealers Choice 6-Handed Championship | 93 | Adam Friedman | $248,350 |
| 37 | $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty No Limit Hold'em | 1,441 | Karolis Sereika | $195,310 |
| 38 | $50,000 High Roller No Limit Hold'em 8-Handed | 81 | Michael Addamo | $1,132,968 |
| 39 | $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha 8-Handed | 821 | Josh Arieh | $204,766 |
| 40 | $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship | 149 | Kevin Gerhart | $361,124 |
| 41 | $2,500 Freezeout No Limit Hold'em | 896 | Carlos Chang | $364,589 |
| 42 | $1,500 Razz | 311 | Bradley Ruben | $99,188 |
| 43 | $1,000 Double Stack No Limit Hold'em | 3,991 | Anthony Denove | $446,983 |
| 44 | $3,000 Limit Hold'em 6-Handed | 162 | Ryan Hansen | $109,692 |
| 45 | $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha 8-Handed Championship | 344 | Tommy Le | $746,477 |
| 46 | $800 No Limit Hold'em Deepstack | 2,053 | Chad Norton | $214,830 |
| 47 | $5,000 Freezeout No Limit Hold'em 8-Handed | 421 | Alexandre Reard | $428,694 |
| o5 | WSOP.com $1,000 Online Bracelet Championship | 854 | Kazuki Ikeuchi | $152,797 |
| 48 | $1,500 Shootout No Limit Hold'em | 800 | Gershon Distenfeld | $204,063 |
| 49 | $10,000 No Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship | 122 | Farzad Bonyadi | $297,051 |
| 50 | $600 Mixed No Limit Hold'em/Pot Limit Omaha Deepstack | 1,569 | Darrin Wright | $127,219 |
| 51 | $3,000 No Limit Hold'em 6-Handed | 997 | Brian Rast | $474,102 |
| 52 | $1,000 Seniors No Limit Hold'em Championship | 5,404 | Robert McMillan | $561,060 |
| 53 | $25,000 High Roller Pot Limit Omaha | 212 | Shaun Deeb | $1,251,860 |
| 54 | $2,500 Nine Game Mix 6-Handed | 319 | Nicholas Julia | $168,608 |
| 55 | $400 Colossus No Limit Hold'em | 9,399 | Anatolii Zyrin | $314,705 |
| 56 | $10,000 No Limit Hold'em 6-Handed Championship | 329 | Ben Yu | $721,453 |
| 57 | $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship | 80 | Brian Yoon | $240,341 |
| 58 | $1,000 Super Seniors No Limit Hold'em | 1,893 | Jean-Luc Adam | $255,623 |
| 59 | $1,000 Tag Team No Limit Hold'em | 641 | Mike Ruter - Sam Dighlawi | $56,683 |
| 60 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 63 | | $954,020 |
| o6 | WSOP.com $666 Online Bracelet | 720 | John Ripnick | $114,898 |
| 61 | $600 No Limit Hold'em Deepstack Championship | 3,916 | Cole Ferraro | $252,491 |
| 62 | $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better | 725 | Kevin Gerhart | $186,789 |
| 63 | $500 Salute to Warriors | | | |
| 64 | $5,000 Mixed No Limit Hold'em/Pot Limit Omaha | 579 | Eelis Parssinen | $545,616 |
| 65 | $1,000 Mini Main Event | | | |
| 66 | $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship | | | |
| o7 | WSOP.com $3,200 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller 8 Max | | | |
| 67 | $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event | | | |
| 68 | $1,111 Little One for One Drop No Limit Hold'em | | | |
| 69 | $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better | | | |
| 70 | $888 Crazy Eights No Limit Hold'em | | | |
| 71 | $1,500 Bounty Pot Limit Omaha 8-Handed | | | |
| 72 | $1,500 Mixed No Limit Hold'em/Pot Limit Omaha | | | |
| 73 | $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship | | | |
| 74 | $2,500 Mixed Big Bet Event | | | |
| o8 | WSOP.com $7,777 Lucky 7's No-Limit Hold'em High Roller | | | |
| o9 | WSOP.com $777 Lucky 7's No Limit Hold'em | | | |
| 75 | $1,500 Freezeout No Limit Hold'em | | | |
| 76 | $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty No Limit Hold'em | | | |
| 77 | $1,500 Fifty Stack No Limit Hold'em | | | |
| 78 | $10,000 Razz Championship | | | |
| 79 | $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No Limit Hold'em | | | |
| 80 | $3,000 Pot Limit Omaha 6-Handed | | | |
| 81 | $800 No Limit Hold'em Deepstack | | | |
| 82 | $250,000 Super High Roller No Limit Hold'em | | | |
| 83 | $1,500 The Closer No Limit Hold'em | | | |
| 84 | $50,000 High Roller Pot Limit Omaha | | | |
| 85 | $50,000 High Roller No Limit Hold'em | | | |
| 86 | $1,000 Super Turbo No Limit Hold'em | | | |
| 87 | $100,000 High Roller No Limit Hold'em | | | |
| o10 | WSOP.com $1,000 Mini Main Event (PA only) | | | |
| o11 | WSOP.com $1,000 Mini Main Event | | | |
| 88 | $5,000 No Limit Hold'em 8-Handed | | | |
