WSOP 2021: Dan ‘Jungleman’ Cates Wins Poker Players Championship, Josh Arieh Scores Second Series Victory
WSOP 2021: Dan ‘Jungleman’ Cates Wins Poker Players Championship, Josh Arieh Scores Second Series Victory

After a stunning final table performance, Dan Cates won the $50,000 Poker Players Championship to get his name on the Chip Reese Trophy. Elsewhere, Josh Arieh won his fourth bracelet and Georgios Sotiropoulos took his third on Day 37 of the 2021 World Series as Day 1b of the World Series of Poker Main Event also took place on a day of drama.

Dan Cates Wins First-Ever Bracelet in $50K Poker Players Championship

It was a packed day of action in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship, as Dan Cates rose through the ranks to win his first-ever WSOP bracelet for over $954,000. As ridiculous as it sounds, the money will hardly matter to one of the most unique poker players the game has ever produced.

The first player to bust the final table in fifth place was Chris Brewer, who went in No-Limit Hold’em when he called all-in with 7s7c on a flop of AhQs5h. Brewer had currently established that the aggressor in the hand, Ryan Leng, hadn’t hit the flop, but Leng’s JsJc were good enough to eliminate Brewer for $211,235 after a turn of 2c and the 6d river.

An extended period of play saw no-one bust for hours, overnight chip leader Eli Elezra was gone. Elezra lost a Razz pot to Paul Volpe to cash for $286,983, some way short of the top prize he was favorite to win a few hours earlier.

Three-handed play lasted some time before Dan Cates offered to buy everyone on the rail some drinks to get more support to push him over the line. No, really… everyone.

Spurred on, Cates then took out Paul Volpe in third place for $404,243 as Volpe lost in Limit Hold’em with Kd2s of Cates winning against Volpe’s Ks6h on a board of QsTc2h2c7s when all the money went in on the flop.

Heads-up play began with Cates in complete control, holding 16 million chips to Leng’s 2.9 million. After early pressure from Leng, however, he chipped up and got a full double when top pair was good enough to take a vital Limit Hold’em pot as Leng vaulted to 9 million chips, almost drawing level.

That quickly went in the other direction, however, as Cates grew his lead and sealed the deal in a round of Limit Hold’em as his Qc3d won after being all-in behind on the flop of AhJhTh against Leng’s Td5s. The Qh turn put Cates into the lead and Jungleman was swinging from the vines when the 3s gave him the title, $954,020 top prize and first-ever bracelet, with Leng’s runner-up result (his second of the series in addition to winning a bracelet) worth $589,628.

“I said I was gonna win, so I won. But it was pretty important because now I have more money to help the world and to continue a career outside of poker,” Cates said after his victory.

WSOP 2021 Event #60 $50,000 Poker Players Championship Final Table Results:

  1. Dan Cates – $954,020
  2. Ryan Leng – $589,628
  3. Paul Volpe – $404,243
  4. Eli Elezra – $286,983
  5. Chris Brewer – $211,235

Arieh Captures Fourth Bracelet, Second in a Fortnight

To say that Josh Arieh has enjoyed a purple patch at the felt is a little like saying the Rio is slightly cold. The popular professional won his third WSOP bracelet just two weeks ago, but after a stirring run to the line Event #66, Arieh captured his fourth-lifetime WSOP bracelet and second this Series to vault up the Player of the Year leaderboard and further strengthen his incredible 2021 and general poker legacy.

The professional, who has played the game for quarter of a century, took down a dramatic final table as he ruled the PLO Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship for a massive score of $484,791.

The final table saw players such as British mixed game specialist Adam Owen and Jeff Gross bust before the final four, with Dan Colpoys’ elimination followed by the end of Russian player Anatolii Zyrin’s chances. With overnight leader Danny Chang to conquer heads-up, Arieh controlled the short but exciting battle as he put an almost 3:1 chips lead to perfect use.

While Chang cashed for $299,627, it was Arieh who sealed yet more memories in a 2021 World Series of Poker fast becoming known for his deep runs in some of the toughest events on the poker calendar. Did someone say WSOP Player of the Year? The race for the ‘flag’ everyone wants to see hanging in the WSOP venue is up for grabs now.

WSOP 2021 Event #66 $10,000 PLO8 Championship Final Table Results:

  1. Josh Arieh – $484,791
  2. Danny Chang – $299,627
  3. Anatolii Zyrin – $207,369
  4. Dan Colpoys – $146,817
  5. Jeff Gross – $106,391
  6. Adam Owen – $78,955
  7. Aaron Kupin – $60,040
  8. Matt Woodward – $46,813
Josh Arieh Bracelet 4
Josh Arieh won his fourth WSOP bracelet on a huge day at the felt on Day 37 of the 2011 WSOP

Sotiropoulos Seals Third Bracelet Win

Georgios Sotiropoulos won the Mini Main Event after outlasting his final four opponents and putting another dominant chip lead to great use to win his third WSOP bracelet.

Sotiropoulos closed it out in style, winning heads-up against Japanese player Wataru Miyashita, who grabbed the $267,328 runner-up prize after running over the final table and eliminated the other three players in his bid to stop the Greek star.

That didn’t happen, however, as Sotiropoulos – who started heads-up level with Miyashita – remerged as the dominant force and closed it out to win his third bracelet across a stellar poker career and the top prize of $432,575.

WSOP 2021 Event #65 $1,000 Mini Main Event Final Table Results:

  1. Georgios Sotiropoulos – $432,575
  2. Wataru Miyashita – $267,328
  3. Jordan Meltzer – $202,695
  4. James Patterson – $154,720
  5. James Rubinski – $118,898
  6. Matthew Jewett – $91,991
  7. David Tuthill – $71,661
  8. James Morgan – $56,208
  9. Erkut Yilmaz – $44,394

On Day 1b of the WSOP Main Event, 845 players took to the felt in pursuit of the biggest prize in poker. With just 611 players surviving, Steve Foutty bagged up the biggest stack of the day with 287,000 chips, followed in the counts by Matthew Traylor (279,500) and Maxime Canevet (277,000).

Other big names to make it included Ronnie Bardah (139,600), Stephen Chidwick (124,900), four-time bracelet winner Kevin Gerhart (112,400) and Mike Matusow (56,500), while others such as WSOP Main Event back-to-back 1987 and 1988 winner Johnny Chan, John Racener, Brian Rast, Nick Schulman and Shaun Deeb all fell on the first day.

WSOP 2021 Event #67 $10,000 Main Event Day 1b Main Event Top 10 Chipcounts:

  1. Steve Foutty – 287,000
  2. Matthew Traylor – 279,500
  3. Maxime Canevet – 277,000
  4. Justin Garcia – 243,500
  5. Kayvon Shahbaz – 238,500
  6. Keegan Westover – 230,700
  7. Kevin Rasor – 228,900
  8. Aaron Earthman – 226,800
  9. Jonathan Williams – 225,100
  10. Jean Guillette Canada – 223,200

With the WSOP Main Event under way, popular British player Patrick Leonard speculated on exactly which player types you’ll meet if you’re playing the legendary tournament.

Finally, it wouldn’t be a World Series of Poker day if Phil Hellmuth wasn’t providing a window into the crazy life he leads as he mingles with the stars!