The 2021 World Series of Poker main event drew 6,650 entries, the tenth-largest turnout in the tournament’s history. From that sea of players, there are now just 96 remaining with a shot at the championship bracelet and the first-place prize of $8,000,000.
Koray Aldemir ended day 5 of the $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em world championship with 14,325,000 for the largest stack in the room. The German high-stakes tournament player (pictured above) has more than $12.3 million in prior live tournament earnings under his belt. He won a key hand down the stretch after calling the all-in of Ognyan Dimov with a flush draw, straight draw, and a pair. Dimov was ahead when the money in on the turn, having flopped top set, but the rivered completed Aldemir’s flush to send the massive pot his way.
Other big stacks heading into day 6 include 2019 $25,000 buy-in PokerStars NL Hold’em Players Championship winner Ramon Colillas (12,000,000), 40-year-old Canadian investment advisor Jonathan Dwek (10,125,000), and 31-year-old Las Vegas cash game grinder Zachary McDiarmid (9,700,000). McDiarmid has played the main event four times prior to this year and had yet to record cash. Now he and the other remaining players have locked up at least $59,000, with a shot at millions in potential earnings.
The next-largest stack belongs to 26-year-old poker pro Jesse Lonis, who now sits with 8,995,000 in his debut appearance in the big dance. Lonis was already having a breakout year on the tournament circuit, with eight final-table finishes and more than $600,000 in scores before buying into this event. Now he is among the leaders at the business end of the largest poker tournament in the world.
“It just feels like a dream, almost. I’m just kind of in the moment, and it’s like the emotions haven’t really hit me yet,” Lonis told Card Player on day 5. “I’m just trying to worry about the next hand, just worry about making the right decision and try to get to the end.”
Other notable players to survive day 5 included bracelet winner Chase Bianchi (7,065,000), three-time bracelet winner Chance Kornuth (5,920,000), bracelet winner […]
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