This time last year Jose Noboa was making a deep run in Event #1 ($500 NLHE Kickoff) of the 2020 World Series of Poker Online on WSOP.com. He fell just a dozen places short of making the final table, busting in 21st for a respectable $3,936 score. On Thursday night, as the 2021 WSOP Online kicked off, Noboa improved greatly upon that result and now has six figures and a WSOP bracelet to show for it.
Noboa worked his way through 1,268 players to make the final table of Event #1 ($500 NLHE Kickoff) and then eliminated his last four opponents to win his first career WSOP bracelet and just north of $100,000. The final table started with Noboa in third place in chips and Christopher Basile leading.
One of the first hands of the final table led to the first bust out. Action folded to Michael Marder in the cutoff and he moved all in for 1,788,638. From his immediate left, Ye Yuan moved all in over the top for 2,151,688 and both blinds folded. Marder turned over 
but got bad news when Yuan showed 
. Marder got even more bad news after he failed to improve on the 
flop. Neither the 
turn nor the 
river saved Marder from a ninth place finish.
It took another 10 minutes of play before the next player was sent to the rail. Down to five big blinds, Shannon Shorr moved all in from the button with 
and Basile re-raised all in for 7,885,394 from the small blind with 
allowing Ryan Franklin to fold the big blind. The board ran out 
to give both players a rivered pair of kings with Basile’s ace kicker playing to eliminate Shorr in eighth.
Twenty minutes later, the two shortest stacks clashed leaving one of them to collect their payout. With blinds of 80,000/160,000 (20,000 ante), Franklin moved all in for 669,074 from UTG+1. Charles Varner called all in for his last 584,612 from small blind and after Steve Gross folded his big blind, tabled 
. Franklin showed . The 
flop gave Franklin top pair and left Varner in trouble. The 
turn was no help and neither was the river and Varner was out in seventh place.
Gross only lasted a few more minutes and was sent packing thanks to a battle of the blinds. Yuan moved all in for 3,602,673 from the small blind and Gross responded by calling off his last 1,281,477 from the big. Yuan turned over 
while Gross showed 
. Yuan picked up extra outs on the 
flop and then improved to a pair of nines on the 
turn. The 
turn gave Yuan trip nines and eliminated Gross in sixth.
Noboa finally picked up his first final table victim just 10 minutes later. Franklin moved all in for 2,092,382 from the cutoff before Noboa re-raised all in for 4,110,796 forcing the other players to fold. Franklin showed 
and was racing against Noboa’s 
. The board ran out 
to eliminate Franklin in fifth place and move Noboa to second in chips behind Basile.
Two minutes later, Noboa ended another opponent’s night and moved into the chip lead. Action folded to Noboa in the small blind and he called the extra 100,000 and ‘LND999‘ checked his option. After the 
flop, Noboa check-called a 200,000 bet. The turn was the 
and Noboa check-called a bet of 456,325. The river completed the board and Noboa checked once again. ‘LND999’ bet 756,325 and Noboa responded by raising to 3,418,975. ‘LND999’ called all in and turned over 
but was shown by Noboa to lose full house to full house and was eliminated in fourth.
After briefly surrendering the chip lead back to Basile, Noboa regained it and sent the tournament to heads up at the same time. Yuan raised to 400,000 from the button and Noboa called from the big blind. The flop came and Noboa check-called Yuan’s 527,500 bet. Both players checked 
turn and the 
river completed the board. Noboa checked, Yuan bet 900,000, and Noboa moved all in for 7,890,677. Yuan took some time before calling off his last 2,879,150 and showed 
for top pair only to have Noboa turn over 
for a rivered straight. Yuan was eliminated in third place and Noboa held a slight chip lead when heads up play began.
While it took just under an hour to go from nine-handed to heads up, it took Noboa more than 25 minutes to vanquish the last player standing in his way. On the final hand, with blinds of 120,000/240,000 (35,000 ante), Basile called from the small blind and Noboa checked. The flop came 
and Noboa checked. Basile bet 240,000 and then called when Noboa raised to 570,000. The turn was the and Noboa led out for 1,080,000. and Basile called. The 
completed the board and Noboa moved all in for 19,007,712. Basile tanked for 30 seconds before calling off his last 2,692,288 and showing for second pair but Noboa gladly tabled 
for a flopped full house and Basile was out in second place as Noboa claimed his first career WSOP bracelet and $105,161.
The event attracted a total of 1,277 entries from 837 unique players to create a $574,650 prize pool. The 2020 WSOP Online started with the same event and had 1,715 total entries and a $771,750 prize pool.
There were a number of well-known players who made deep runs and picked up a cash on Thursday night. One year after finishing 11th in the same event, Phil Hellmuth finished 141st to win $862 while the defending champ in this event, Jonathan Dokler, finished in 75th place for $1,149. Other players who cashed included Ryan Riess (143rd – $862), Tom Marchese (130th – $862), Andrew Lichtenberger (129th – $862), former PocketFives #1 Ari Engel (97th – $919), Ankush Mandavia (83rd – $1,034), Daniel Buzgon (43rd – $2,126), Nick Schulman (38th – $2,126), and Jason Koon (37th – $2,126).
2021 WSOP Online Event #1 Final Table Payouts
- Jose Noboa – $105,161
- Christopher Basile – $64,935
- Ye Yuan – $46,144
- ‘LND999’ – $33,330
- Ryan Franklin – $24,250
- Steve Gross – $17,872
- Charles Varner – $13,389
- Shannon Shorr – $10,114
- Michael Marder – $7,578
