Another week's gone by at the 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas, which means it is time to look at another PokerNews WSOP Player of the Week.
This week, the distinction goes to high stakes pro Jeremy Ausmus, who nabbed his fourth career bracelet and first of the series in Event #23: 6-Handed Limit Hold’em, a victory that also earned him $142,147.
Ausmus, who memorably won his third bracelet less than a year ago at the 2021 WSOP in Event #84: High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha after defeating both Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu during three-handed play, also made a deep run last week in Event #14: 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em that extended into Day 2, ultimately bowing out in 24th place for $17,481.
The Colorado-born poker pro followed up the victory with a much bigger score later in the series in the $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller event, topping a field of 85 elite poker players (including Shaun Deeb, Scott Seiver, Ben Lamb, Josh Arieh, Laszlo Bujtas and Veselin Karakitukov) to win a third bracelet and a cool $1.2 million.
The event captivated the entire poker community as it looked like a legendary heads-up match between Negreanu and Hellmuth — two of the most iconic names in poker — would ensue. But the heads-up match wasn't meant to be as Negreanu busted in third before Ausmus went on to defeat Hellmuth for his second bracelet of the series.
“It feels really good," Ausmus told PokerNews last fall. "My first bracelet was in Europe, outside of Paris, so until this year I had never won a bracelet here at the Rio. I’d had a lot of deep runs, so it’s cool to take a couple down here."
And now, just nine months later, Ausmus can also say he's won a bracelet at Bally's and Paris after taking down the $3,000 Limit Hold'em event. Ausmus got through a field of 213 runners and ended up defeating fellow high stakes grinder Michael Rocco, who was seeking his second bracelet.
Ausmus experienced a string of big swings at the final table but was ultimately able to take it down.
“It’s just kind of the nature of limit, well poker in general but limit especially is very aggressive with a lot of three-betting and raising flops and raising turns- it’s very volatile and frustrating at times," Ausmus told PokerNews after the victory. "But then I just ran good against Rocco, who plays heads-up lots, and the win feels good.”
Days earlier, Ausmus made a deep run in Event #14: 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em but came up short during Day 2. He finished 24th in the event to earn $17,481, while France's Leo Soma went on to win the event for his maiden bracelet and $456,889.
Future Poker Hall of Famer?
A number of poker players gave their props to Ausmus after earned his fourth career bracelet, with one of them going as far as saying Ausmus belongs in the Poker Hall of Fame, which includes the likes of Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Johnny Chan and Erik Seidel.
"Put Jermey Ausmus on the HOF ballet!" tweeted 2012 Main Event champion Greg Merson.
Put Jeremy Ausmus on the HOF ballet!###
— GM (@GregMerson)
Whether Ausmus ends up joining the legendary list of Poker of Hall of Famers, it is clear he has already established himself as one of the greatest tournament players today.
Jeremy Ausmus Bracelet Wins
Year
Location
Event
Entires
Prize
2013
WSOP Europe - France
Event #4: €1,650 Pot-Limit Omaha
184
€70,324
2021
WSOP Las Vegas - Rio
Event #3: $1,000 Covid-19 Relief Charity Event
260
$48,687
2021
WSOP Las Vegas - Rio
Event #84: $50,000 PLO High Roller
85
$1,188,918
2022
WSOP Las Vegas - Bally's & Paris
Event #23: $3,000 6-Handed NLH
213
$142,147
Honorable Mentions
Adam Friedman
Adam Friedman: Late last week, Ohio's Adam Friedman won his fifth bracelet and $248,254 in Event #22: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship after getting through a final table that included Ivey (3rd - $108,233), Yuval Bronshtein (4th - $78,348) and Ben Diebold (5th - $58,239).
While Friedman's win came after PokerNews had named its previous Player of the Week, the victory is no doubt worthy of a shoutout.
Playing under the username "JackBogle," Altman defeated a field of 1,641 hopefuls and eventually defeated fellow circuit crusher Eric "Stackattack5" Salazar during heads-up play.
Connor Richards is a Senior Editor U.S. for PokerNews and host of the Life Outside Poker podcast. Connor has been nominated for three Global Poker Awards for his writing.
