2021 World Series of Poker

Event #67: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event World Championship
Event Info

2021 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
107
Prize
$8,000,000
Event Info
Buy-in
$10,000
Prize Pool
$62,011,250
Entries
6,650
Level Info
Level
41
Blinds
1,200,000 / 2,400,000
Ante
2,400,000
Players Info - Day 7
Entries
36
Players Left
9

Break Time Chip Counts

Level 35 : 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Player Chips Progress
Koray Aldemir de
Koray Aldemir
Day 8 Chip Leader
WSOP Main Event Champion
WSOP 1X Winner
121,900,000 1,200,000
George Holmes us
George Holmes
76,200,000 4,600,000
Joshua Remitio us
Joshua Remitio
45,600,000 -2,200,000
Jack Oliver gb
Jack Oliver
35,900,000 3,400,000
Ozgur Secilmis tr
Ozgur Secilmis
33,600,000 -300,000
Alejandro Lococo ar
Alejandro Lococo
27,200,000 -3,400,000
Sean Ragozzini au
Sean Ragozzini
17,500,000 200,000
Chase Bianchi us
Chase Bianchi
WSOP 1X Winner
14,500,000 -5,400,000
Jareth East gb
Jareth East
10,700,000 -3,900,000
Hye Park us
Hye Park
Day 6 Chip Leader
10,300,000 900,000
Demosthenes Kiriopoulos ca
Demosthenes Kiriopoulos
5,900,000 -1,500,000

Secilmis Sends Kiriopoulos Into the Tank

Level 35 : 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante

Demosthenes Kiriopoulos opened to 1,200,000 from under the gun and Ozgur Secilmis defended from the big blind. The flop came {k-Spades}{5-Hearts}{2-Diamonds} and Secilmis led out with a bet of 1,800,000 which Kiriopoulos called.

The turn brought the {4-Spades} and Secilmis fired out another bet of 2,400,000. Kiriopoulos went into the tank for over five minutes but finally dumped his cards into the muck.

Player Chips Progress
Ozgur Secilmis tr
Ozgur Secilmis
33,900,000 7,800,000
Demosthenes Kiriopoulos ca
Demosthenes Kiriopoulos
7,400,000 -4,800,000

Tags: Ozgur SecilmisDemosthenes Kiriopoulos

Holmes Calls Ragozzini

Level 35 : 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante

George Holmes raised to 1,300,000 and Sean Ragozzini called from the big blind.

The flop was {4-Hearts}{10-Diamonds}{a-Diamonds} and Ragozzini checked. Holmes bet 1,000,000 and Ragozzini check-called.

Both players checked after the {9-Clubs} came on the turn before the {9-Hearts} river paired the board.

Ragozzini bet 3,800,000 and Holmes thought it over before he called and tabled the {a-Spades}{6-Hearts}. Ragozzini sent the losing hand into the muck and Holmes dragged the pot to move over the 70 million mark.

Player Chips Progress
George Holmes us
George Holmes
71,600,000 7,400,000
Sean Ragozzini au
Sean Ragozzini
17,300,000 -7,600,000

Tags: George HolmesSean Ragozzini

Ark Onikul Eliminated in 12th Place ($470,000)

Level 35 : 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Arkadi Onikoul
Arkadi Onikoul

The action folded to Ark Onikul in the small blind who made it 2,000,000 to go. Koray Aldemir called from the big blind and they saw a flop of {q-Clubs}{9-Diamonds}{8-Spades}. Onikul checked to Aldemir who bet 1,800,000 and Onikul called.

The turn brought the {7-Spades} and Onikul checked again. Aldemir counted out a bet of 5,800,000 and Onikul check-raised to 14,000,000. Aldemir went into the tank for nearly two minutes and finally called.

The river was the {q-Spades} which prompted another check from Onikul. Aldemir thought for over a minute again and ripped all in, putting Onikul to the test for his remaining 26,300,000. Onikul stuck in the last of his chips and Aldemir turned over {q-Hearts}{8-Hearts} for a full house. Onikul showed his {j-Spades}{2-Spades} for a flush but was eliminated in 12th place.

Player Chips Progress
Koray Aldemir de
Koray Aldemir
Day 8 Chip Leader
WSOP Main Event Champion
WSOP 1X Winner
120,700,000 41,100,000
Ark Onikul us
Ark Onikul
Busted

Tags: Ark OnikulKoray Aldemir

Vasu Amarapu Eliminated in 13th Place ($470,000)

Level 35 : 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Vasu Amarapu
Vasu Amarapu

Vasu Amarapu open-shoved from under the gun for 13,500,000 and Jack Oliver re-shoved for 17,500,000 from the next seat over. The rest of the table got out of the way and Amarapu was at risk.

Vasu Amarapu: {7-Spades}{7-Hearts}
Jack Oliver: {a-Clubs}{q-Clubs}

The {6-Spades}{a-Spades}{k-Clubs}{9-Diamonds}{k-Diamonds} ran out on the board and the flopped ace was enough to knock Amarapu out of the tournament in 13th place for $470,000. Amarapu ends his miraculous run that started as a ClubGG qualifier and ended at the final two tables of the Main Event.

Player Chips Progress
Jack Oliver gb
Jack Oliver
32,500,000 16,500,000
Vasu Amarapu us
Vasu Amarapu
ClubGG
Busted

Tags: Jack OliverVasu Amarapu

Ramon Colillas Eliminated in 14th Place ($380,050)

Level 35 : 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Ramon Colillas
Ramon Colillas

Ramon Colillas raised to 6,000,000 on the button and Ozgur Secilmis three-bet to 11,300,000 in the small blind. Colillas called off with just 700,000 more.

Ramon Colillas: {q-Diamonds}{10-Diamonds}
Ozgur Secilmis: {k-Clubs}{q-Clubs}

Colillas was dominated and Secilmis took a massive lead with top pair on the {k-Hearts}{2-Hearts}{6-Spades} flop. Colillas hit the rail in 14th place after the {4-Hearts} turn and {7-Spades} completed the board. For his efforts, he earned a payday of $380,050.

Player Chips Progress
Ozgur Secilmis tr
Ozgur Secilmis
26,100,000 9,400,000
Ramon Colillas es
Ramon Colillas
Busted

Tags: Ozgur SecilmisRamon Colillas

Remitio Bets Big on the River

Level 35 : 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante

Joshua Remitio raised to 1,200,000 before Sean Ragozzini three-bet to 4,800,000. Remitio called and the {k-Diamonds}{2-Diamonds}{10-Clubs} rolled out on the flop.

Ragozzini bet 3,500,000 and Remitio called to see the {2-Hearts} on the turn.

Both players checked the turn and the {a-Diamonds} came on the river. Ragozzini checked and Remitio bet 8,400,000. Ragozzini folded and Remitio picked up another pot late in Day 7.

Player Chips Progress
George Holmes us
George Holmes
64,200,000 2,800,000
Joshua Remitio us
Joshua Remitio
47,800,000 8,000,000
Alejandro Lococo ar
Alejandro Lococo
30,600,000 -6,800,000
Sean Ragozzini au
Sean Ragozzini
24,900,000 -4,100,000
Chase Bianchi us
Chase Bianchi
WSOP 1X Winner
19,900,000 -4,200,000
Jack Oliver gb
Jack Oliver
16,000,000
Vasu Amarapu us
Vasu Amarapu
ClubGG
13,500,000 400,000

Tags: Joshua RemitioSean Ragozzini

George Holmes Enjoying His Wild Ride at the 2021 Main Event

Level 35 : 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
George Holmes
George Holmes

George Holmes is on the ride of his life after coming back from the brink of elimination to pick up over 65 million chips on Day 7 of the WSOP Main Event at the 2021 World Series of Poker.

In the midst of the second level of Day 7, Holmes found himself with just over one big blind left after a failed attempt to oust Jack Oliver from the Main Event. Holmes had shoved his last 9 million into the middle with king-queen, and Oliver, an up-and-coming poker star from England, called with ace-king. The board ran out with no favors for Holmes, and he was left with just 475,000 in tournament chips. 

A few hands later, Holmes got it in with four callers and won a pot to give himself some life with just over 2 million chips. Within 90 minutes, he had 16 million. When Day 7 broke for dinner he had 20 million, and by the end of the fourth level of the day, Holmes had amassed over 32 million in chips and had become a legitimate problem for the remaining Main Event hopefuls.

As Day 7 reached midnight Las Vegas time, Holmes sat near the chip lead on a mountain of 68 million chips after picking up pocket aces to bust Kornuth.

George Holmes
George Holmes on Day 7 of the 2021 WSOP Main Event

Main Event Specialist

The rollercoaster ride on Day 7 is just another one of the many unforgettable experiences that Holmes is managing in just his second Main Event. His first shot at the WSOP’s flagship event came in 2019, where Holmes ran deep and finished in 213th place for $50,855.

“I only play the Main Event,” Holmes told PokerNews during a quick break on Day 7. “I’ve been to a WSOP Circuit stop in North Carolina a few years ago, but this is the only WSOP event I come out to play.” 

Holmes is originally from New Jersey, and he currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia where he plays in a weekly home game. He mostly plays cash games, and he has been interested in poker since 1999. His tournament experience is limited, and his run at the 2019 Main Event is the only recorded cashing finish.

To say that this is all new and exciting would be an understatement, but the Main Event grind doesn’t allow that much time for reflection.

“It’s a wild ride. It’s surreal,” Holmes said about his Main Event experience. “I don’t even think I’ll be able to take it all in until it’s over.”

George Holmes, Chase Bianchi
George Holmes and Chase Bianchi on Day 7 of the 2021 WSOP Main Event

The Comeback Trail

After fighting his way back from the felt, Holmes crossed the 30 million mark when he picked up two-pair in a hand with Alejandro Lococo. The hand started out innocently enough when Holmes limped from the small blind and Lococo checked his option.

Holmes bet 500k on the {7-Diamonds}{a-Clubs}{9-Diamonds} flop, and Lococo called. Both players checked the {5-Diamonds} turn to see {3-Spades} on the river. 

Holmes bet 2.3 million and Lococo raised to 8 million. After taking a moment to consider his options, Holmes called with {a-Spades}{7-Clubs} and took the pot with two-pair as Lococo mucked a pair of aces. The pot was big enough to push Holmes above the 30 million mark, a far cry from the 475,000 he had just a few hours prior.

If Holmes can navigate his way to the final table, which he has a good shot of doing, he'll have a shot at turning his comeback into an $8 million payday.

Tags: Alejandro LococoChance KornuthChase BianchiGeorge HolmesJack Oliver

East Doubles Through Onikul

Level 35 : 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante

Koray Aldemir opened to 1,200,000 in early position and Jareth East three-bet jammed a stack of 5,200,000 on the button. Ark Onikul flat-called in the big blind and Aldemir folded.

Jareth East: {k-Hearts}{q-Clubs}
Ark Onikul: {9-Hearts}{9-Spades}

East was at risk and took the lead on the flop of {k-Diamonds}{3-Clubs}{a-Diamonds}, and the runout of {k-Clubs}{q-Spades} improved his hand to a full house.

Player Chips Progress
Ark Onikul us
Ark Onikul
47,000,000 -5,600,000
Jareth East gb
Jareth East
14,600,000 9,100,000