Chance Kornuth three times
Chance Kornuth became a three-time WSOP bracelet winner as he took down the Short Deck Event #29 at the Rio

Chance Kornuth won his third World Series of Poker bracelet as the self-confessed Short Deck novice won the $10,000-entry event to claim the $194,670 top prize. With a talented selection of six top players returning to the felt in the Thunderdome for the final table, Kornuth got the better of Chad Campbell heads-up as the final duel ended in the poker professional and coaching expert’s favor in dramatic fashion.

Kornuth Claims Dramatic Victory Against Campbell

The final table of six kicked off with Kornuth in a slim lead over Chad Campbell as the half dozen final table players battled to a winner under the lights. There was a quick bust-out to kick the action off as Thomas Kysar, who came into the action with the shortest stack, busted in sixth place for $32,437 with JsTd against Kornuth’s QdQh as the board of Ad7d7s6c6h gave the chip leader two pair to further boost his stack ahead of just four remaining opponents.

Next to go was Joao Vieira as the Portuguese player was eliminated by Campbell just a few hands later. Vieira jammed with JsJd and was called by Campbell with AdKh. On the board of AhKsTc9h8h, Campbell made two-pair and Vieira missed turn and river to bust for $42,885 in fifth place.

With four players remaining, a lot of play took place without anyone losing their stack. Kornuth and Campbell traded places at the top, but neither Dan Shak or fourth-place finisher Moshe Gabay could make any in-roads into their advantage and it was no surprise when Gabay lost his stack next for $58,601.

The manner of Gabay’s exit was, however, a shock. Calling Shak’s shove, Gabay was all-in with AhAs and ahead of Shak’s JcJd. The flop of QcTc9c was a sensational one, however, as while it kept Gabay ahead, it offered Shak the chance of a straight flush, which he duly hit on the 8c turn. The Jh was insignificant in the extreme and Shak chipped up at Gabay’s expense.

Despite winning that hand, Shak couldn’t threaten the leaders and bowed out in third after a courageous run. All-in with JhTs against Kornuth’s AsKh, the board of Ac9s7d9cJs gave Kornuth a vital pot to send him into heads-up with a lead of 2.6 million chips to Campbell’s 1.4 million. Shak, meanwhile, went to the rail with a score of $82,678.

Heads-up, Kornuth took very little time to emerge victorious, after the shortest battle of the final table. On a board showing JcJh8h9s, Campbell raise-shoved with Tc9h and Kornuth called with a flopped full house, holding Js8c. The river of 7d ended the event and Kornuth could celebrate his third WSOP title with the bracelet and $194,670 top prize, while Campbell commiserated himself with the runner-up result worth $120,316.

Kornuth’s title will feel even sweeter as he proved to his wife Emily that he was able to do it based on some YouTube learning.

WSOP 2021 Event #29 $10,000 Short Deck Final Table Results:

  1. Chance Kornuth – $194,670
  2. Chad Campbell – $120,316
  3. Dan Shak – $82,678
  4. Moshe Gabay – $58,601
  5. Joao Vieira – $42,885
  6. Thomas Kysar – $32,437

Dylan Weisman Gets His First Gold

In Event #28, Dylan Weisman sealed a memorable victory in the $1,000-entry Pot Limit Omaha tournament for a top prize of $166,461. Weisman is a name well-known to PLO players, coaching on the popular Upswing Poker site and he utilized his stack advantage over the field to maximum effort in winning his debut WSOP bracelet.

Just five players came back to the final table to play out the conclusion of the event, with Weisman holding a big lead coming into the action. Weisman had almost as many chips as his two closest challengers combined and ran over the table to become champion. Before long had elapsed, Weisman had half the chips at the table and watched on as Tim Van Loo busted Ran Niv of Israel in fifth place for $40,109. Van Loo might have been hoping to put those chips to good use, but he was the next to leave, ousted by Alexander Yen in fourth place for $54,230.

It was a remarkable run for Van Loo, as not only was it his first appearance at a WSOP final table, but his first World Series cash of any kind, and the young German will be one to watch based on this event. His conqueror in the final hand, Yen, busted in third place for $74,239 in the pivotal hand of the final.

Yen’s set of eights was crushed by Weisman’s set of nines and when both players improved to a full house on the board, Weisman knocked out his more dangerous rival in terms of chips. Craig Chait only had 1.7 million to Weisman’s stack of almost 20 million, so it was no surprise when Chait was busted in the runner-up position for $102,884.

Weisman’s victory was worth $166,461 and in taking down the tournament, he won his first-ever gold bracelet, to the delight of his many fans and friends on the rail.

WSOP 2021 Event #28 $1,000 Pot Limit Omaha Final Table Results:

  1. Dylan Weisman – $166,461
  2. Craig Chait – $102,884
  3. Alexander Yen – $74,239
  4. Tim Van Loo – $54,230
  5. Ran Niv – $40,109
  6. Chase Fujita – $30,040
  7. Manan Bhandari – $22,787
  8. Youness Barakat – $17,510

Hellmuth In Position For 4th Final Table

Phil Hellmuth will go into his fourth final day of an event this World Series, and with the Poker Brat holding over a million chips, there’s a chance the controversial star wins bracelet #16 tomorrow.

With only Rep Porter (1,129,000) bagging up more chips than Hellmuth, who totalled 1,016,000 at the close of play, the Poker Brat will be putting on a charm offensive ahead of the final day. A little further back sits Dario Sammartino (800,000) who finished as runner-up in the last live, authentic Las Vegas WSOP Main Event in 2019.

Sammartino isn’t the only other big-name chasing down Porter and Hellmuth at the top of the leaderboard. Chris Vitch (447,000), Jake Schwartz (398,000) and Ryan Riess (266,000) will all harbor hopes of victory as they battle for the bracelet on the final day of another prestigious mixed game event, with stars such as Rok Gostisa, Ali Imsirovic and Melanie Weisner all missing out during Day 2.

WSOP 2021 Event #31 $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Final Day Chipcounts:

  1. Rep Porter – 1,129,000
  2. Phil Hellmuth – 1,016,000
  3. Kenji Faris – 840,000
  4. Dario Sammartino – 800,000
  5. Jason Papastavrou – 666,000
  6. Jason Lipiner – 663,000
  7. Kevin Gerhart – 581,000
  8. Chris Vitch – 447,000
  9. Jake Schwartz – 398,000
  10. Ryan Riess – 266,000

Ryan Leng, Dylan Linde Score Monster Stacks

The massive Monster Stack field was grown to a total of 3,520 players on Day 1b, with 1,219 players making the Day 2 seat draw through both Day 1a (518) and Day 1b (701).

The biggest chipstack on Day 1b belonged to Rajaee Wazwaz (510,500), with Pavel Plesuv (483,500) and 2021 bracelet winner Ryan Leng (473,000) the nearest to overtaking the leader at the close of play. Others such as Dylan Linde (443,000), Andrew Neeme (304,500), Upeshka De Silva (219,000), Jesse Sylvia (129,000), Cate Hall (125,000), Ari Engel (108,000) and Ronnie Bardah (75,000) all making the cut.

WSOP 2021 Event #30 $1,500 Monster Stack Top 10 Chipcounts:

  1. Rajaee Wazwaz – 510,500
  2. Pavel Plesuv – 483,500
  3. Ryan Leng – 473,000
  4. Mitchell Collins – 465,000
  5. Dylan Linde – 443,000
  6. Francois Pirault – 440,500
  7. Joshua Gordon – 440,500
  8. Yeon Bae – 433,500
  9. La Sengphet – 428,000
  10. Matthew Eng – 424,500

Brian Hastings, Maria Ho In $3K H.O.R.S.E. Top 10

Finally, in Event #32, 154 players survived from a Day 1 field of 282 who took part. Lithuanian player Vincas Tamasauskas leads the way with 197,000 chips, from top 10 players such as Brian Hastings (178,400), Maria Ho (169,400), and David Williams (168,900).

Elsewhere, John Monnette (120,600), Yuri Dzivielevski (105,800), Ari Engel (95,100), Ryan Laplante (59,000), and John Racener (52,500) all made Day 2 in good chip health, while players such as Frank Kassela, Shaun Deeb, Norman Chad, Mike Matusow, and Chino Rheem all crashed out before the end of the first day.

WSOP 2021 Event #32 $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. Top 10 Chipcounts:

  1. Vincas Tamasauskas – 197,000
  2. John Fahmy – 188,700
  3. Brian Hastings – 178,400
  4. Daryl Aguirre – 174,600
  5. Sachin Bhargava – 173,300
  6. George Alexander – 169,700
  7. Maria Ho – 169,400
  8. Jose Paz-Gutierrez – 169,400
  9. David Williams – 168,900
  10. Paramjit Gill – 139,500

Maria Ho, who made it through in seventh place on the leaderboard, revealed her tactics as she made her way from the Rio after a successful day’s work at the felt.

Finally, it’s still a few weeks until the WSOP Main Event kicks off, but Phil Hellmuth has kicked off some speculation about his ‘entrance outfit after posting this picture of some old classics. We’ll take some action on a green-blue tracksuit with the number ‘456’ in the corner.