Paul Volpe is the first former #1-ranked player to win a bracelet in 2016 (WSOP photo)

The illustrious group of PocketFives former #1-ranked players are starting to rack up the cashes at the 2016 World Series of Poker but only one of them has managed to earn a bracelet to date. Paul ‘paulgees81’ Volpe broke through this past week to win the second gold bracelet of his career. All told, former #1-ranked players have cashed 34 times this summer for $375,916.00.

Here are some of the highlights.

Paul Volpe

2016 WSOP cashes: 3
2016 WSOP earnings: $187,881

A year after posting two runner-up finishes, Paul Volpe found himself back in a winner’s photo after taking down the $1,500 Eight Game Mix for $149,943. Even though it’s his second career bracelet, for Volpe it’s more about getting a big score early in the Series.

“With me, poker is mostly about the money. I know with the World Series of Poker there’s so much history and I respect that,” he said. “But I am here to earn a living, make money and support my family.”

Volpe is just the third former #1-ranked player to win more than one bracelet, joining Cliff ‘JohnnyBax’ Josephy and Dan ‘djk123’ Kelly in the exclusive club. None have won three bracelets.

Yevgeniy Timoshenko

2016 WSOP cashes: 3
2016 WSOP earnings: $14,620

Yevgeniy ‘Jovial Gent’ Timoshenko, who spent two weeks at #1 in May 2007, has cashed three times this summer, including twice in the last week alone. He finished 71st in the first $1,500 No Limit Hold’em, 95th in the $565 Pot Limit Omaha event and then ended up 143rd in the Millionaire Maker.

Dan Kelly

2016 WSOP cashes: 5
2016 WSOP earnings: $42,332

Dan ‘djk123’ Kelly is one of 12 players who have cashed five times or more this summer. That puts him halfway to the 10 cashes he put up in 2013. He cashed four times in the last week: 142nd in the $1,500 Six Max No Limit Hold’em, 139th in the $565 PLO, 220th in the Millionaire Maker and 80th in the $3,000 Six Max NLHE.

Shaun Deeb

2016 WSOP cashes: 3
2016 WSOP earnings: $30,450

Three cashes in the last week have Shaun Deeb rolling. He started things off with a final table appearance in the $1,500 Razz event for $12,006. He then cashed in the $1,000 NLHE event before posting a 14th place finish in the $10,000 Razz Championship event for just under $17,000.

Fedor Holz

2016 WSOP cashes: 2
2016 WSOP earnings: $26,096

After a relatively slow start to the 2016 WSOP, Fedor Holz finally broke through this past week with a pair of cashes. The 22 year old German came 18th in the $1,500 Six Max NLHE event for $17,380 and then 47th in the $3,000 Six Max NLHE event six days later. Holz is having success away from the WSOP though – he finished runner-up in the Super High Roller Bowl and then took down another high roller event at the Aria.