WSOP 2022: Dan Zack, Dominick Sarle and Bryan Schultz All Win Bracelets on Epic Day of Action

Eight bracelet events saw three players claim gold on Day 11 of the 2022 World Series of Poker at Bally’s and Paris casinos in Las Vegas. With five other events in action too, there was drama all the way as some of the biggest players in the world such as Alex Foxen, Scott Ball, Dan Zack and Daniel Negreanu duked it out for glory.

Dan Zack Wins Second Bracelet After Seven-Hour Heads Up Showdown

Just five players started the final day. Somehow, 11 hours of action later, there was a winner, with Dan Zack eventually outlasting Dustin Dirksen after one of the longest heads-up battles in WSOP history.

The first three eliminations of the day in the $10-,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship were relatively quick, with each of Jake Liebeskind (5^th for $105,913), Ray Dekhharghani (4^th for $142,456) and overnight chip leader Yuval Bronshtein (3^rd for $195,203) lasting an average of just an hour. Then, Dan took on Dusting and Zack and Dirksen clashed in an unbelievable heads-up showdown that left both the victor and runner-up staggering away from the table at 4am.

For Zack, his eventual victory earned a second WSOP bracelet. For Dirksen, it was ultimately his third second-place finish in WSOP events and the pain was evident after he told this reporter “Was a lot of fun ‘til I lost.” The reality is, however, that in a battle this intense and revealing of character, there couldn’t be a loser, just two great players sharing the biggest slice of the prize pool a little less than evenly.

Dirksen will have to wait for his moment holding up the bracelet for the cameras, while Zack got to do so for the second time. In the end, however, after such an incredible match to watch play out, poker ended the night the biggest winner.

WSOP 2022 Event #15 $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Championship Final Table Results:   

1. Daniel Zack – $440,757
2. Dustin Dirksen – $272,408
3. Yuval Bronshtein – $195,203
4. Ray Dekhharghani – $142,456
5. Jake Liebeskind – $105,913

Sarle Claims Maiden Bracelet Win for $164,000

It was a dramatic ending to Event #17 where Dominick Sarle finally won his first WSOP gold bracelet a year after coming so close in a WSOP Online event. Sarle, who overcame Jerry Wong heads up for the win, somehow last summer’s BIG $500 Encore event after having a huge heads-up lead, but this time sealed the deal to outlast Wong and claim gold in the $2,500-entry Mixed Triple Draw event for a top prize of $164,243.

Day 3 began with Bariscan Betil in the chip lead, but he would pall in 11^th place as it was all change at the top of the leaderboard. Once the seven-handed final table convened, there were some very big players with stacks, while others such as bracelet winners Steve Zolotow (17^th for $7,565), Galen Hall (15^th for $7,565) and Yehuda Buchalter (13^th for $7,565) missing out on the final table.

Once there, players such as John Monnette (4^th for $46,294) and Daniel Strelitz (3^rd for $67,820) both got close, but Sarle took on Wong for the title. Sarle built a big chip lead again and might well have been thinking of last year’s summit meeting for gold. The same would come true for Wong, who came second for $101,514 a year after doing likewise in the Mixed Big Bet event. For Sarle, however, it was redemption. This time the lead stuck and he rode it home to claim the top prize of $164,243 and his first-ever WSOP bracelet.

WSOP 2022 Event #17 $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Final Table Results:                          

1. Dominick Sarle – $164,243
2. Jerry Wong – $101,514
3. Daniel Strelitz – $67,820
4. John Monnette – $46,294
5. Matthew Schreiber – $32,033
6. Alex Epstein – $23,052
7. Philip Eisman – $16,833

Miscikowski Leads $3,000 NLHE Event #16 Final

David Miscikowski leads the final table of nine players in Event #16, the $3,000-entry No Limit Hold’em tournament with a $558,616 top prize. Of the nine finalists, Miscikowski (9.8 million) is joined by other former bracelet winners Davide Suriano (2,725,000) and Joey Weissman (4,980,000) also still in contention.

Miscikowski’s closest rival when the final day begins will be Stefan Lehner (7,195,000), with Nathan Russler (7,000,000) not far behind. Overnight chip leader Alex Foxen made the final table but will have to work hard to emerge victorious and claim his first WSOP bracelet, having just 4,020,000 chips to work with.

Players to depart on the day included Niall Farrell, whose rollercoaster of a day saw him lead the event with three tables remaining only to bust in 12^th place, the exact place he busted the corresponding event last year, cashing for $28,102 after running queens into Miscikowski’s pocket kings.

Others to cash included Romain Lewis (19^th for $18,628), Felipe Ramos (34^th for 15,489) and Jeff Platt, whose run came to an end in 45^th place for a score of $11,180.

WSOP 2022 Event #16 $3,000 NLHE Final Table Chipcounts:                       

1. David Miscikowski – 9,800,000
2. Stefan Lehner – 7,195,000
3. Nathan Russler – 7,000,000
4. Nicholas Dolen – 6,125,000
5. Kevin Stevens – 5,690,000
6. Joey Weissman – 4,980,000
7. Alex Foxen – 4,020,000
8. Davide Suriano – 2,725,000
9. Toby Boas – 2,075,000

Scott Ball Leads from Williams and Negreanu in PLO High Roller

A busy day in the $25,000-entry Event #19, the $25,000-entry Pot Limit Omaha High Roller, saw 69 late entries bolster the field to 264 as the 2022 event bulked up its number to pile up over $6.2 million in prize money. With 52 players more than played the same event in 2021, the bumper field was trimmed to just 28 players by the close of play. Top of the shop after those 10 levels was Scott Ball, who bagged a stack of 3,990,000 chips. Behind him, however, are a number of great players who will relish hunting him down to claim the bracelet and $1.4 million top prize.

In the top 10, Jonathan Depa (3,625,000) was closest to Ball’s stack while David Williams was bought in on his birthday and bagged up 2,970,000 chips in third place on the leaderboard. Daniel Negreanu (1,550,000) and 2021 WSOP Player of the Year Josh Arieh (835,000) lurk menacingly in the chasing pack, with Chance Kornuth (515,000) a little further back.

Anything could happen on what will be a hugely entertaining Day 3, not least due to Ball, Arieh and Kornuth lining up next to each other – in that clockwise order – when play resumes.

WSOP 2022 Event #19 $25,000 PLO High Roller Top 10 Chipcounts:

1. Scott Ball – 3,990,000
2. Jonathan Depa – 3,625,000
3. David Williams – 2,970,000
4. James Chen – 2,585,000
5. Emmanuel Sebag – 2,315,000
6. Aaron Mermelstein – 1,955,000
7. Philip Wiszowaty – 1,640,000
8. Sam Stein – 1,635,000
9. Daniel Negreanu – 1,550,000
10. Frank Crivello – 1,550,000

Schultz Can’t Be Caught as Windy City Native Blows Away Young Sik Eum

Chicago player Bryan Schultz eventually took down the $1,000-entry Event #18 after an awesome display of skill and perseverance gave him the gold in the early hours of Saturday morning in Las Vegas. Nine players made the final table, but when they began, it was Kevin Legerski who busted first, earning $30,375 when his was beaten by Young Sik Eum’s dominating .

Soon after, Mike Holtz busted in eighth place for $38,874 when his couldn’t catch Chultz’s pocket jacks as the eventual winner of the event stamped his authority on proceedings. After the bust-outs of Tony Dam (7^th for $50,180) and Robert Hofer (6^th for $65,326), Nick Palma lost to Eum’s turned straight to earn $85,761. That was the last five-figure sum to be won, with Harry Rubin just missing the podium places in fourth for $113,532.

Three-handed play lasted soe time, with Angela Jordison in particular impressing, but eventually, she missed out on the heads-up when her shove with which initially met favor on the board showing by the turn dashed her dreams when Eum’s hit top pair on the river.

That left Eum trailing Schultz by over 2:1 in chips, and while the outsider dropped then re-doubled back to the same-sized stack, he was eventually beaten when Schultz’s held there against Eum’s after a board of had Eum drawing to three outs on the turn and shaking hands by the river.

WSOP 2022 Event #18 $1,000 NLHE Freezeout Final Table Results:                     

1. Bryan Schultz – $330,057
2. Young Sik Eum – $203,949
3. Angela Jordison – $151,544
4. Harry Rubin – $113,532
5. Nick Palma – $85,761
6. Robert Hofer – $65,326
7. Tony Dam – $50,180
8. Michael Holtz – $38,874
9. Kevin Legerski – $30,375

Altizer Leads with Glaser Chasing in Limit Lowball Event

The final table of Event #20, the $1,500-entry Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw event saw just nine players still in seats by the close of play, with Von Altizer leading the way on over 2.6 million chips. Yufei Zhong is right behind her on just under 2.3 million, while in third place on the leaderboard, British mixed game specialist and four-time WSOP bracelet winner Benny Glaser (1,185,000) has the chance to win his fifth gold bracelet and the top prize of $108,250.

Kenny Hsiung will come into the final day in sixth place in terms of chips with 485,000 and is the only WSOP bracelet winner still in the hunt other than Glaser. On a very busy day at the felt, players such as Allen Kessler, Jake Daniels, Adam Friedman and Joe McKeehen all ended the day without chips, with Friedman cashing in 16^th place for $5,054, going close but not close enough to the final day.

WSOP 2022 Event #20 $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Final Table Chipcounts:                    

1. Von Altizer – 2,625,000
2. Yufei Zhong – 2,290,000
3. Benny Glaser – 1,185,000
4. Denis Nesterenko – 940,000
5. James Maguire – 700,000
6. Kenny Hsiung – 485,000
7. Evan Sayer – 275,000
8. Hieu Luu – 175,000
9. Peter Lynn – 75,000

Monster Stack and Seven Card Championship Each End of Day 1 Flights

There were a massive 2,947 entries on Day 1a of the $1,500-entry Monster Stack, otherwise known as Event #21, Chip leader on the day Frank Lagodich (635,000), was followed in the counts by Italian pro Mustapha Kanit (550,500), Vanessa Kade (470,500), Tim Reilly (481,000), Michael Gathy (380,000) and Johnnie ‘Vibes’ Moreno (367,500) as 898 players survived to Sunday’s Day 2 and with a day off to prepare.

Players to fall on Day 1a included WSOP bracelet winners James Dempsey, Michael Mizrachi, Kevin MacPhee, Barny Boatman, Allen Cunningham, Men Nguyen and Jason Wheeler.

WSOP 2022 Event #21 $1,500 Monster Stack Top 10 Chipcounts:

1. Frank Lagodich – 635,000
2. Mustapha Kanit – 550,500
3. Paul Siegel – 491,500
4. Scott Roderick     – 489,000
5. Andrew Dean – 485,000
6. Tim Reilly – 481,000
7. Vanessa Kade – 470,500
8. Mathieu Carpena – 469,000
9. Dominique Dunn – 468,000
10. Kelly Minkin – 443,000

Big names were all over Day 1 of the $10,000-entry Seven Card Stud Championship like a Bally’s player on a cup of ice as Bertrand Grospellier (262,000) ended the day ahead of close rivals Phil Ivey (256,500) and Yueqi Zhu (237,000) in the top 10 chipcounts.

Others such as Randy Ohel (228,000), Adam Friedman (153,000) and Brian Rast (108,000) all had strong showings to be proud of in one of the toughest fields of players yet in this year’s WSOP, while plenty of big names couldn’t survive, with stars such as Scott Seiver, Felipe Ramos, Nick Schulman, Mike Matusow and Shaun Deeb all ending their days before 41 of the 85 total entries bagged up their chips.

WSOP 2022 Event #22 $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship Top 10 Chipcounts:                      

1. Bertrand Grospellier – 262,000
2. Phil Ivey – 256,500
3. Yueqi Zhu – 237,000
4. Randy Ohel – 228,000
5. James Paluszek – 220,500
6. Brian Liberman – 206,500
7. Kevin Gerhart – 205,000
8. Leonard August – 196,000
9. John Lytle – 191,000
10. Vasilis Lazarou – 182,500

Michael ‘Gags’ Gagliano let everyone in the world know of exactly how warm the atmosphere was at Bally’s with air con problems affecting everyone in seats.

For all the years I complained that it was too cold in the Rio…I'm sorry. This is far worse

— Gags30 (@Gags30poker) June 9, 2022

Maria Ho had a novel solution for some players who are enduring the stifling heat.

While the AC situation is still on the fritz @Ballysvegas, may I suggest that the gift shop here stocks up on extra deodorant? #WSOP

— Maria Ho (@MariaHo) June 10, 2022

There was good news, however, as WSOP guru ‘Kevmath (Kevin Mathers) provided the news that players needed to see.

I'm no AC expert, but it looks promising? https://t.co/Kzb1WJrVgt

— Kevin Mathers (@Kevmath) June 11, 2022

Finally, Norman Chad has held his powder on recent cheating allegations to a degree, but he could not hold it in any longer.

– If a poker player cheats online, he should not be allowed to play live.

– If a player cheats on Monday, he should not be playing on Tuesday.

– If a player cheats over there, he should not be playing over here.

It is poker madness that we do not directly address this stuff.

— Norman Chad (@NormanChad) June 10, 2022

Official photographs courtesy of PokerGO, the home of live-streamed action throughout the 2022 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.