Daniel Lazrus
Daniel Lazrus won his second WSOP bracelet in four months to win the Millionaire Maker

Daniel Lazrus won the Millionaire Maker for a glorious seven-figure score and a career-defining victory on Day 14 of the 2021 World Series of Poker. With two other bracelet winners taking home gold on an action-packed day, the Thunderdome was the scene for Lazrus, who won his first bracelet in the WSOP Online Series back in the summer, to grab glory and move into fifth place on the WSOP Player of the Year Leaderboard.

Lazrus Denies Gathy and Moron for Millionaire Maker Win

The overnight chip leader, Daniel Lazrus, took down the Millionaire Maker as he dominated the final five to win $1,000,000 and his second bracelet of the year after triumphing online back in July.

Taking the title against the four-time bracelet winner Michael Gathy and Spanish sensation Ignacio Moron in the Thunderdome, Lazrus came into the action with a massive chip lead, and while he lost that lead along the way, he never lost his head to announce his arrival as one of the players of this World Series in style.

With five players going into the last day of action, Lazrus was the first to take another out of the reckoning. Ignacio Moron from Spain came into the day second in chips but was short-stacked by the time he shoved all-in with Ah9c. Lazrus called with KsKc and the board of Jh8d6s5dJd eliminated Moron in fifth place for $222,430 and further increased Lazrus’ lead.

Next to go was the most experienced player at the table as Lazrus’ dream narrative continued. Michael Gathy had already won four WSOP bracelets before he arrived at the final table, but he couldn’t make it five. Gathy moved all-in for a micro-stack with Ah7s but while he started the hand ahead of Darryl Ronconi’s KdQs, he didn’t end it that way, with Ronconi hitting a straight on the turn to reduce the field to just three. Gathy cashed for $288,715 by finishing in fourth place.

That pot put Ronconi in the lead briefly, but Lazrus grabbed the advantage right back, winning with a set of sevens against the aggressive Ronconi’s ace-king, with a big call on the turn seeing Lazrus take the lead back. From that point, the eventual winner never lost it again. Jeffrey Gencarelli busted in third place for $377,125 when his shove with As5s on a board showing QcJd4dTs was doomed by Lazrus’ call with Qd7s after a 9h on the river, allowing Lazrus to go into heads-up in control.

With a 4:1 lead, Lazrus began the heads-up well, but a crucial double for Ronconi made the stacks closer. Ronconi shoved with Js2d and Lazrus made the call with 3h3d. The flop of Ts8c7c kept the chip leader in front, but while the Ks maintained that advantage, the 9s river gave Ronconi a miraculous gutshot straight to see Lazrus lead reduced only doubling his opponents stack.

The final hand was around the corner, and Ronconi ahead got it in with the worst hand, four-bet jamming with Tc7h, with Lazrus making a quick call with AsJh and surviving the board of 9h9d8hKc4s to win his second WSOP bracelet and a career high score of $1,000,000, condemning Ronconi to second place and $500,125.

WSOP Event #17 $1,500 Millionaire Maker Final Table Results:

  1. Daniel Lazrus – $1,000,000
  2. Darryl Ronconi – $500,125
  3. Jeffrey Gencarelli – $377,125
  4. Michael Gathy – $288,715
  5. Ignacio Moron – $222,430
  6. Kevin Palmer – 172,455
  7. Todd Saffron – $124,570
  8. Adam Sherman – $105,690
  9. Sertac Turker – $83,545

Drinian Denied As Ryan Leng Wins $1,500 Eight Game Mix

In Event #23, a thrilling denouement to the Eight-Game Mix saw Ryan Leng crowned champion at Connor Drinan’s expense as six final table players played down to the latest bracelet winner. The $1,500-entry event saw some great names make the final six, with Ryan Hughes first to bust for $19,317 before Schuyler Thornton joined him on the rail in fifth place for $27,038.

It was WSOP bracelet winner Dan Zack who busted next, taking the fourth place prize of $38,752 before Brett Shaffer went one place further in third for $56,839. Heads-up saw Drinan begin with the lead and he grew that advantage to a point where he had ten times Leng’s chips. But the pair of two-time WSOP bracelet holders were closesly matched skill-wise and Leng managed to double back into contention before takig the lead.

With the chip advantage for the first time, Leng saw it out with back-to-back hands in 2-7 Triple Draw and took down the tournament, winning $137,969 and his first mixed game bracelet, with Drinan’s score of $85,273 scant consolation to the man who was bidding to win his second live WSOP bracelet since the WSOP began, a feat attained by no-one to date.

WSOP Event #23 $1,500 Eight-Game Mix Final Table Results:

  1. Ryan Leng – $137,969
  2. Connor Drinan – $85,273
  3. Brett Shaffer – $56,839
  4. Daniel Zack – $38,752
  5. Schuyler Thornton – $27,038
  6. Ryan Hughes – $19,317

Prendergast Becomes PLO Champ

Three people won WSOP bracelets on Day 14, and the last one of those to do so was Michael Prendergast, who won the $600-entry PLO Deepstack Event #24. Heading into the final table, it was Joao Simao who was the most recognizable name at the felt, but the Brazilian pro crashed out in fourth place to miss out on the podium places and win $42,272.

Heads-up began with Jeffrey Barnes in command of proceedings, with a 5:1 chip lead and all the momentum, but Prendergast turned it round, doubling up several times to switch the power in the duel to his side of the table. A few hands later, pocket aces would see him win the bracelet and claim the $127,428 top prize at Barnes’ expense, the runner-up collecting $78,755.

WSOP Event #24 $600 Pot Limit Omaha Deepstack Final Table Results:

  1. Michael Prendergast – $127,428
  2. Jeffrey Barnes – $78,755
  3. Jungwoong Park – $57,386
  4. Joao Simao – $42,272
  5. Daniel Wasserberg – $31,485
  6. Donnie Phan – $23,713
  7. Eric Polirer – $18,062
  8. John Bunch – $13,915
  9. Joseph Sanders – $10,845

Aoki Leads Final Five in Ladies Championship

In the Ladies Championship, the overnight chip leader Mikiyo Aoki went wire-to-wire to lead the final five heading to the Thunderdome to play for the bracelet. With just 17 players starting the day, a dozen would-be busted, with players such as Amanda Baker cashing in 15th place for $4,670 but not making the final.

Elsewhere, Thi Nguyen (10th for $7,023), Cherish Andrews (8th for $11,341) and MArle Cordeiro (7th for $14,791) all got close but Aoki leads the final five with over 4.8 million chips from Debora Brooke (4.4m), while each of the other three ladies to make the final table have more than 1.2 million but less than 1.3m, meaning some exciting early action is guaranteed.

WSOP Event #22 $1,000 Ladies Championship Final Table Chipcounts:

  1. Mikiyo Aoki – 4,880,000
  2. Debora Brooke – 4,280,000
  3. Diane Cooley – 1,265,000
  4. JJ Liu – 1,250,000
  5. Lara Eisenberg – 1,200,000

Negreanu, Dzivielevski Made $5K Six Max Day 3

In Event #25, the $5,000-entry six-handed tournament, there were 31 survivors to Day 3 as John Racener bagged up the biggest stack of 1,949,000 chips. He is followed in the counts by Jared Jaffe (1.9m) and Craig Mason (1.86m), while stars of the felt such as Bin Weng (1,692,000), Ben Yu (1,493,000), and Anthony Spinella (1,050,000) all made the overnight chip counts.

Daniel Negreanu also survived, bagging up over 30 big blinds with 773,000, though ‘Kid Poker’ might be wishing he had walked away from the table with an hour to go, sitting as he did on double those chips with the overall lead in the room. Others to survive with healthy stacks include Yuri Dzivielevski (1,211,000), Vanessa Kade (982,000), and George Wolff (842,000).

WSOP Event #25 $5,000 Six-Handed No Limit Hold’em Top 10 Chipcounts:

  1. John Racener – 1,949,000
  2. Jared Jaffe – 1,900,000
  3. Craig Mason – 1,860,000
  4. Scott Drobes – 1,825,000
  5. Bin Weng – 1,692,000
  6. Ben Yu – 1,493,000
  7. Arie Kliper – 1,358,000
  8. Justin Liberto – 1,192,000
  9. Vicent Bosh – 1,100,000
  10. Anthony Spinella – 1,050,000

Klump Tops $1K Freezeout Leaderboard

In Event #26, the $1,0000 Freezeout event, Levi Klump bagged the biggest stack at the end of the night as 1,358 players were whittled down to just 38 on a fast-paced Day that took 11 hours to complete. With Klump on 2,230,000 chips, he was followed in the counts by Rittie Chuaprasert (1,805,000) and Richard Talerico (1,480,000).

Others to cash but not make the final day included Erik Cajelais, Michael Perrone and Dylan Linde, but others were not so fortunate, with just 204 places paid. With almost three dozen players left, there is only one previous bracelet winner among them, with Pete Chen bagging up 920,000 chips with which to attack the final day’s play.

WSOP Event #26 $1,000 Freezeout Top 10 Chipcounts:

  1. Levi Klump – 2,230,000
  2. Rittie Chuaprasert – 1,805,000
  3. Richard Talerico – 1,480,000
  4. Evan Sandberg – 1,215,000
  5. Kazuki Ikeuchi – 1,210,000
  6. Cole Ferraro – 1,195,000
  7. Axel Reese – 1,110,000
  8. Anthony Askey – 1,045,000
  9. Clement Van Driessche – 1,000,000
  10. David Flood – 945,000

Adam Owen, Josh Arieh In Top 10 of $1,500 H.O.R.S.E

Finally, a field of superstars gathered to play the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. Event #27, with 594 players taking to the felt and only 207 remaining. Only 90 players will cash, and on Day 1, some who failed to do so included Benny Glaser, Eli Elezra, Mike Matusow, Brian Rast, Dan Zack, Dylan Linde, Andre Akkari, and Christina Hill.

At the close of play, Mark Dickstein (300,000) led from Adam Owen (220,000), but others such as 2021 bracelet winner John Monnette (162,500), Barry Greenstein (148,500) and Jason Somerville (120,000) will each hold out hope of becoming the latest WSOP winner on Day 15.

WSOP Event #27 $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. Top 10 Chipcounts:

  1. Mark Dickstein – 300,000
  2. Adam Owen – 220,000
  3. John Holley – 209,500
  4. David Funkhouser – 188,000
  5. Koray Aldermir – 186,500
  6. Barry Ingram – 176,500
  7. Donny Rubenstein – 173,000
  8. Ben Landowski – 173,000
  9. Josh Arieh – 171,000
  10. Michael Coombs – 170,500

Finally, with much talk of player respect and rulings over the last 48 hours, should the last word go to a man who coined his own effect? The 2003 world champion had some words for the man who won it 14 years before him in the row over, well… rows.

Maybe Doyle Brunson’s latest World Series viral quote is about right.