Nick Guagenti has had a few close calls at the World Series of Poker last summer. He finished third in the $3,000 HORSE event and fourth in the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Championship. Those were his best WSOP results until early Thursday morning.

Guagenti outlasted 746 other players to win Event #29 ($2,000 NLHE Deepstack) of the 2020 WSOP Online to win his first career bracelet and $305,433.36. The tough final table included a former #1-ranked PocketFiver, a former WSOP Main Event final tablist, and a former World Poker Tour Five Diamond Classic champion.

Tom Cannuli came to the final table with the shortest stack and after 10 minutes of play found a hand to make a stand with. Cannuli moved all in with from early position and w reshoved from late position with and everybdoy else folded. The flop changed nothing for Cannuli neither did the turn. The river gave both players to pair with Deutschmeister holding the better kicker to eliminate the former November Niner in ninth.

A few hands later the player who started the final table with the second shortest stack joined Cannuli in spectator mode. James Gilbert moved all in for 1,098,126 from late position with [9]s and Matthew Parry called from the big blind with . The runout gave Gilbert no salvation and he was out in eighth place.

Down to less than four big blinds, Rory Brown moved all in for 726,626 with and Deutschmeister called from the big blind wiht . The flop gave Brown top pair but the turn completed a fluhs for Deutschmeister and left Brown drawing dead on the river to bust in seventh.

Former #1-ranked PocketFiver Ari Engel opened to 420,000 from the hijack and Vinny Pahuja called from the big blind. The flop came and Pahuja check-raised all in for 931,984 after Engel bet 340,000. Engel called and showed which put him ahead of Pahuja’s . The turn was the and the completed the board to eliminate Pahuja in sixth place.

Five-handed play did not last but a few minutes. Action folded to Ryan Tosoc on the button and he moved all in for 1,718,408 with and Parry called from the big blind with . The flop missed Tosoc and he was sent to the rail after the turn river completed the board.

Despite being responsible for two early final table eliminations, Deutschmeister was the next to go. Parry made it 450,000 to go from the button with and Deutschmeister moved all in for 1,802,612 from the small blind with . Guagenti folded his big blind and Parry called. The board ran out to eliminate Deutschmeister in fourth.

It took 45 minutes of three-handed play to get to heads up. Engel moved all in from the small blind for 2,748,802 with and Guagenti called from the big blind with . The flop gave Guagenti top pair but left Engel with outs to a flush. The turn was a brick and the river gave Guagenti an unnecessary improvement to win the hand and eliminate Engel in third place.

Starting heads up play with a 3-2 chip lead over Parry, Guagenti needed just 15 minutes to eliminate his final opponent and lay claim to his first career WSOP bracelet. On the final hand Guagenti opened to 748,000 and Parry called. The flop came and Guagenti bet 1,173,0000. Parry moved all in for 8,539,988. Guagenti called and showed for a flopped straight while Parry tabled for top pair. The turn gave Guagenti complete control and Parry was out after the river.

Final Table Payouts

1. Nick ‘shadowjacker’ Guagenti – $305,433.36
2. Matthew ‘EarvinMagic’ Parry – $189,192.69
3. Ari ‘philivey’ Engel – $130,291.74
4. Brian ‘BD_out’ Deutschmeister – $91,260.99
5. Ryan ‘toosick’ Tosoc – $65,003.94
6. Vinny ‘brownmagic’ Pahuja – $47,120.76
7. Rory ‘peeeeeeeeeno’ Brown – $34,772.85
8. James ‘DanFriel’ Gilbert – $26,115.12
9. Tom ‘.beast.’ Cannuli – $20,012.13

Faces in the Crowd

Engel wasn’t the only former #1 on PocketFives to run deep. Calvin Anderson bubbled the final table for $15,612.30 while Bryan Piccioli (11th – $15,612.30) and Shaun Deeb (36th – $6,954.57) also cashed. Other familiar names that wound up in the money included Jack Salter (12th – $56,612.30), Joe McKeehen (42nd – $6,102.99), and Tony Dunst (46th – $5,251.41). Ian Steinman picked up some extra WSOP leaderboard points after coming in 70th for $4,399.83.