2022 World Series of Poker

Event #56: $50,000 Poker Players Championship
Day: 5
Event Info

2022 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
j4
Prize
$1,449,103
Event Info
Buy-in
$50,000
Prize Pool
$5,362,000
Entries
112
Level Info
Level
28
Blinds
150,000 / 300,000
Ante
300,000
Players Info - Day 5
Entries
5
Players Left
1

Event #56: $50,000 Poker Players Championship

Day 5 Completed

Dan Cates Makes History; Wins Back-to-Back $50,000 Poker Players Championship ($1,449,103)

Level 28 : 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Dan Cates
Dan Cates

In the end it was a win by submission for Macho Man Dan eight minutes after sunrise.

Having announced he'd "basically already won" the $50,000 Poker Players Championship ahead of the penultimate day's play, Dan "Jungleman" Cates backed up his words with actions and secured his second WSOP bracelet along with $1,449,103 in prize money after defeating Brazilian Yuri Dzivielevski heads-up.

Dzivielevski was looking for his third WSOP bracelet win in four years, and had opportunities in a marathon topsy-turvy heads-up battle in front of a raucous Brazilian rail. However, he fell just short and would have to settle for second-place.

$50,000 Poker Players Championship Final Table Results

PLACEWINNERCOUNTRYPRIZE (IN USD)
1Dan CatesUnited States$1,449,103
2Yuri DzivielevskiBrazil$895,614
3Naoya KiharaJapan$639,257
4Benny GlaserUnited Kingdom$464,420
5Johannes BeckerGermany$343,531
6Koray AldemirGermany$258,812

Day 5 Recap

Five players returned for the final day of the Poker Players Championship, played in the Bally's Event Center and streamed on PokerGO.

Overnight chip leader Dan Cates was soon surpassed by Benny Glaser, looking to win his fifth WSOP bracelet, while Johannes Becker headed in the opposite direction. He finally got his last chips in the middle in No-Limit Hold'em holding ace-ten against the ace-queen of Glaser to bust in fifth.

Cates had enjoyed a brief spell back in the chip lead, before Glaser returned to the top of the chip counts, but after a hot streak during Limit Hold'em Cates started to open up a considerable gap.

That gap grew wider still after Cates outdrew Glaser in a hand of No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw. With Glaser standing pat with a ten, Cates drew one to make an eight. Glaser called off for half of his remaining chips to fall to the bottom of the counts.

And in the same round of Single Draw, Glaser was out. It was a battle of the pat hands between Glaser and Kihara, with Kihara patting an eight and Glaser unable to break his nine and patting behind to bust in fourth.

There was still clear water between Cates and the other two players, with the gap remaining consistent for an extended period. In the end, it was Kihara who blinked first after check-raising river when his straight draw missed, only to get picked off by Cates' trip jacks.

Naoya Kihara
Naoya Kihara

Three doubles for Kihara would follow — in Limit Hold'em, 2-7 Single Draw and Stud Hi-Lo — but he was eventually eliminated in 2-7 Triple Draw by Dzivielevski who found himself out-chipped by over 3:1 to start heads-up play.

And so, in front of a raucous rail of vocal Brazilians and vociferous Americans trading chants back and forth, as well as the assembled TV personnel and poker media, the two players settled in for an entertaining back and forth heads-up battle that produced many stand-out moments over the course of seven hours.

An early wheel for Dzivielevski in 2-7 Triple Draw along with catching Cates bluffing in No-Limit Hold'em saw him almost draw level in the chip counts, but back came Cates after winning a series of Pot-Limit Omaha hands that had Dzivielevski scrambling to stay alive. In the last hand of the PLO round the chips went in with Dzivielevski dodging straight, flush and even backdoor quad outs to stay alive and prolong the battle.

Cates still held the momentum and, aided by a straight flush in Limit Hold'em, he worked hard to again hold a 2:1 chip lead.

Dzivielevski is a two-time WSOP bracelet winner, and this was the Brazilian's sixth WSOP final table and fifth in two years since the WSOP returned from its coronavirus-induced hiatus. So when Cates opened up another lead he didn't blink and worked steadily to close the gap once more.

Heads Up
Heads Up

Then it was Dzivielevski's turn to put his foot on the gas. It felt like he had Cates right where he wanted him and finally had the measure of his opponent. But that's where the Jungleman is most dangerous, and in a blink of an eye — aided by the steadily increasing blinds and limits — the tables had turned and it looked like Cates was inches away from victory.

The two traded pots almost as often as they traded the chip lead. A double for Cates was the first called all in for several hours after Dzivielevski had again had Cates inches away from the exit.

Then the limits simply became too much. Dzivielevski was short after a 2-7 Triple Draw hand, and despite several No-Limit Hold'em doubles to stay alive, Cates was finally able to close out victory shortly before 6 a.m.

Former Poker Players Championship Winners 2006-2022

YEARENTRIESPRIZE POOLWINNERPRIZE
2022112$5,362,000Dan Cates$1,449,103
202163$3,016,125Dan Cates$954,020
201974$3,552,000Phil Hui$1,099,311
201887$4,176,000Michael Mizrachi$1,239,126
2017100$4,800,000Elior Sion$1,395,767
201691$4,176,000Brian Rast$1,296,097
201584$3,696,000Mike Gorodinsky$1,270,086
2014102$4,896,000John Hennigan$1,517,767
2013132$6,336,000Matthew Ashton$1,774,089
2012108$5,184,000Michael Mizrachi$1,451,527
2011128$6,144,000Brian Rast$1,720,328
2010116$5,568,000Michael Mizrachi$1,559,046
200995$4,560,000David Bach$1,276,806
2008148$7,104,000Scotty Nguyen$1,989,120
2007148$7,104,000Freddy Deeb$2,276,832
2006143$6,864,000Chip Reese$1,716,000

Tags: Benny GlaserDan CatesJohannes BeckerNaoya KiharaYuri Dzivielevski

Yuri Dzivielevski Eliminated in 2nd Place ($895,614)

Level 28 : 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Yuri Dzivielevski
Yuri Dzivielevski

Yuri Dzivielevski's comeback has been thwarted during a No-Limit Hold'em round.

Dzivielevski shoved for 2,200,000 with {q-Diamonds}{5-Clubs} and Dan Cates, who has spent the last few minutes talking like "Macho Man" Randy Savage, pondered his options before calling with {j-Diamonds}{4-Diamonds}.

The {4-Hearts}{8-Spades}{8-Clubs} flop put the ball in Cates' court, with the {9-Clubs} turn providing to help to the all-in Dzivielevski. A burn card later and the {6-Hearts} landed on the turn, busting Dzivielevski in second place and awarding back-to-back $50,000 Poker Player Championship titles to the one and only Dan "Jungleman" Cates.

Player Chips Progress
Dan Cates us
Dan Cates
33,600,000 2,200,000
Defending Champion
WSOP 2X Winner
Yuri Dzivielevski br
Yuri Dzivielevski
Busted
WSOP 1X Winner

Antoher Double For Dzivielevski; He Couldn't WIn This, Could He?

Level 28 : 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Yuri Dzivielevski
Yuri Dzivielevski

Yuri Dzivielevski has doubled up again after fading a bag of outs.

Dzivielevski was all-in with {q-Hearts}{8-Clubs} and against the {5-Clubs}{4-Hearts} of Cates. The Brazilian' queen-high reamined best on the {6-Spades}{2-Diamonds}{k-Clubs} flop. He paired his eight on the {8-Clubs} turn, and faded straight draw outs with the river falling the {6-Diamonds}.

Player Chips Progress
Dan Cates us
Dan Cates
31,400,000 -800,000
Defending Champion
WSOP 2X Winner
Yuri Dzivielevski br
Yuri Dzivielevski
2,200,000 800,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Dzivielevski Is On Fumes

Level 28 : 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante

Limit 2-7 Triple Draw

Dan Cates raised and Yuri Dzivielevski three-bet, which Cates called. Dzivielevski drew one and Cates drew two.

Dzivielevski bet and Cates called, before each player drew one card each.

Dzivielevski bet, Cates raised, and Dzivielevski called.

Both players stood pat. Dzivielevski checked, Cates bet, and Dzivielevski called.

Cates took the massive pot down with {7-}{6-}{4-}{3-}{2-}, besting his Brazilian opponent's {8-}{7-}{5-}{4-}{3-}.

Player Chips Progress
Dan Cates us
Dan Cates
33,500,000 8,000,000
Defending Champion
WSOP 2X Winner
Yuri Dzivielevski br
Yuri Dzivielevski
100,000 -8,000,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Advantage Cates

Level 28 : 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante

Limit 2-7 Triple Draw

Dan Cates has one hand on the bracelet following a huge hand in Limit 2-7 Triple Draw.

Yuri Dzivielevski raised with {a-}{k-}{q-Clubs}{3-}{2-} and Cates called with {q-}{j-}{10-}{5-}{3-}. Dzivielevski drew two and Cates drew three.

Cates led for 800,000 and Dzivielevski. Cates called and drew one. Dzivielevski stood pat.

Cates checked, Dzivielevski bet, and Cates check-raised. Dzivielevski called, as the pot swelled to 12,800,000 chips.

Cates now stood pat,and Dzivielevski drew one. Both players checked.

"Ten-six," said Cates, and Dzivielevski looked pained as his last draw gave him {10-}{8-}{7-}{3-}{2-}, a worse hand than Cates' {10-}{6-}{5-}{4-}{3-}.

Player Chips Progress
Dan Cates us
Dan Cates
25,500,000 6,400,000
Defending Champion
WSOP 2X Winner
Yuri Dzivielevski br
Yuri Dzivielevski
8,100,000 -6,400,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Dzivielevski Wins a Big 2-7 Pot

Level 28 : 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante

Limit 2-7 Triple Draw

Dan Cates raised to 1,600,000 with {a-}{q-}{8-}{4-}{3-} and Yuri Dzivielevski called with {q-}{q-}{10-}{8-}{3-}. Dzivielevski drew three, and Cates drew two.

Both players checked, Dzivielevski drew three again, and Cates drew two. Dzivielevski checked, Cates bet 1,600,000, and Dzivielevski called.

Dzivielevski drew one, as did Cates.

Dzivielevski check-called a 1,600,000 bet and won the pot with {j-}{9-}{8-}{4-}{3-} because Cates could only muster {8-}{8-}{5-}{4-}{3-}.

Player Chips Progress
Dan Cates us
Dan Cates
19,100,000 -5,200,000
Defending Champion
WSOP 2X Winner
Yuri Dzivielevski br
Yuri Dzivielevski
14,500,000 5,200,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Dzivielevski Gets Short in a PLO Clash

Level 28 : 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante

Pot-Limit Omaha

Dan Cates raised the button with the {a-Clubs}{q-Clubs}{j-Spades}{2-Spades} and Yuri Dzivielevski came along with the {10-Clubs}{5-Hearts}{3-Hearts}{2-Hearts} in the big blind. Both checked the {a-Diamonds}{a-Spades}{5-Spades} flop and the {10-Diamonds} followed on the turn. Dzivielevski checked again and Cates then bet 1,100,000 only to face a raise to 3,500,000.

That sent Cates into the tank but he came along as the {6-Diamonds} river completed a potential back door flush. Dzivielevski now checked and Cates bet the pot to win the hand without any showdown.

Player Chips Progress
Dan Cates us
Dan Cates
27,850,000 9,200,000
Defending Champion
WSOP 2X Winner
Yuri Dzivielevski br
Yuri Dzivielevski
5,750,000 -9,200,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Dan CatesYuri Dzivielevski