Event #21: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em

Less than a month removed from a win in the 2014 World Series of Poker Circuit National Championship, Dominik Nitsche won his third WSOP gold bracelet, taking down Event 21: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em today.

The day began with 16 players and things moved rather quickly with David Lucchesi, Louis Campbell, Mickey Petersen, Dan Alspach, Eric Shanks, and Erwann Pecheux all busting before they moved 10-handed. Lance Harris then bubbled the official final table and Thayer Rasmussen took a hefty lead nine-handed with Nitsche third in chips.

Englishman David Burt soon ran his short stack and    into Jeff Gross' aces to say goodbye ninth before Billy Horan took a nasty beat to bust eighth, running pocket aces into Dave D'Alesandro's own aces and cringing as D'Alesandro four-flushed.

D'Alesandro also busted Eric Milas seventh when his tens held against   , again making a flush on the river.

Bob Bounahra then started to make a move, grabbing the chip lead without showdown. But it was Nitsche who busted Jeff Gross next, sending Gross home sixth when his queens held against big slick.

Five-handed play took a good couple of levels and the chips were traded around the table before Rasmussen became Nitsche's next victim, getting in with    against Nitsche's    and failing to improve. Zach Gruneberg also fell to the run-good powers of Nitsche, shoving    and grimacing as Nitsche called with    and got there yet again.

Nitsche would finally lose a hand three-handed, calling with    after Bounahra moved in with    and D'Alesandro re-shoved with   . That hand bounced Bounahra and gave D'Alesandro the heads-up chip lead, but nothing would stop Nitsche tonight.

Through a 92-hand heads up battle, no matter how many times D'Alesandro ground away at Nitsche and had him all in for his tournament life, he managed to double up and stay alive.

Nitsche got almost even getting it in with    against D'Alesandro's    and holding.

Then suddenly in the 286th hand, Nitsche took control, getting it all in with    against D'Alesandro's    and finding a way to make a heart flush on the river. Crippled, D'Alesandro finally fell when he got it in with queen-high against Nitsche's king-high and was outdrawn again.

With that, Nitsche took home $335,659 and a WSOP gold bracelet, mercifully ending Event #21.

Hand #262: Dave D'Alesandro made it 200,000 and Dominik Nitsche called. The flop came     and both players checked. The turn came the  , Nitsche bet 250,000 and D'Alesandro let it go.

Hand #263: Dominik Nitsche bet 200,000 and Dave D'Alesandro called. The flop was     and D'Alesandro check-called a 210,000 bet from Nitsche. The turn was the   and after D'Alesandro bet 450,000 Nitsche folded.

Hand #264: Dave D'Alesandro bet 200,000 and won the pot.

Hand #265: Dominik Nitsche bet 200,000, Dave D'Alesandro moved all in and Nitsche folded.

Hand #266: Dave D'Alesandro bet 200,000, Dominik Nitsche called and they saw a flop of    . D'Alesandro check-called 150,000, and the turn was the  . D'Alesandro check-called 275,000 and the river came the  . It checked down, D'Alesandro showed    to take down the pot.

Hand #267: Dominik Nitsche made it 200,000, Dave D'Alesandro raised to 500,000and Nitsche folded.

Hand #268: Nitsche got a walk.

Hand #269: Dominik Nitsche made it 200,000 and Dave D'Alesandro called. The flop was     and both players checked. The turn was the   and both players checked. The river was the  . D'Alesandro bet 200,000, Nitsche called and they chopped the pot both showing a queen.

Hand #270: Dave D'Alesandro bet 200,000, and Dominik Nitsche made the call. The flop was     and after a check from Nitsche, D'Alesandro bet 225,000. Nitsche folded.

Hand #247: Dominik Nitsche bet 160,000 and won the pot.

Hand #248: Dave D'Alesandro made it 160,000 and Dominik Nitsche made thecall. The flop was     and both players checked. The turn brought the   and they checked again to bring out the   river. Nitsche bet 140,000 and D'Alesandro decided to fold.

Hand #249: Dominik Nitsche bet 160,000 and Dave D'Alesandro made the call. The flop came     and D'Alesandro check-called a 165,000 Nitsche bet. The river was the   and after D'Alesandro checked, Nitsche bet 350,000. He called and the   river was checked by both. D'Alesandro turned over    to take the pot.

Hand #250: Dave D'Alesandro bet 160,000 and took it down.

Hand #251: Dominik Nitsche bet 160,000 and Dave D'Alesandro made the call. The flop came     and both players checked. They also checked the [10c turn, but when the   river came down D'Alesandro bet 225,000 and took it down.

Hands #234: Dave D'Alesandro moved all in from the button to win the pot.

Hand #235: Dominik Nitsche moved all in for 710,000 to win the pot.

Hand #236: D'Alesandro moved all in and Nitsche called. This time it was    for D'Alesandro versus Nitsche's   . Ace-high held on the       board to give Nitsche the double.

Dave D'Alesandro	4,500,000	2,400,000
Dominik Nitsche	1,600,000	-2,400,000

Hands #220: Dominik Nitsche called a 160,000 open from Dave D'Alesandro and the flop came    . Nitsche checked and D'Alesandro made it 100,000. Nitsche called and the turn brought the  . Both players checked and the   river was revealed. Nitsche checked and a 300,000 bet from D'Alesandro won the pot.

Hand #221: D'Alesandro was in the big blind when Nitsche pushed all in. D'Alesandro called and Nitsche was light, holding   . D'Alesandro looked poised to win the tournament with   . He even held through the     flop and   turn. But Nitsche paired up on the   river to double.

Dominik Nitsche	4,000,000	2,230,000
Dave D'Alesandro	2,100,000	-2,260,000

Hand #200: Dave D'Alesandro raised to 160,000 and Dominik Nitsche called. Nitsche called 175,000 on the     flop, and he then bet 275,000 on the   turn. D'Alesandro called, and the river was the  . Nitsche checked, and D'Alesandro slid out 600,000. That was enough to take the pot.

Hand #201: D'Alesandro folded to a button raise.

Hand #202: D'Alesandro raised to 160,000 and got called. Nitsche check-folded on the     flop.

Hand #203: Nitsche shoved preflop.

Hand #204: Nitsche got a walk.

Hand #205: Nitsche called, and D'Alesandro moved all in. Nitsche folded.

Hand #206: Unknown action.

Hand #207: The two saw the flop of     for the minimum. Nitsche bet 85,000 and took the pot.

Hand #208: Nitsche got a walk.

Hand #209: D'Alesandro bet 80,000 on a     flop, and Nitsche called. A   hit the turn, and D'Alesandro bet 160,000, and Nitsche called to see the  . D'Alesandro checked, and Nitsche bet 250,000. D'Alesandro folded.

Hand #196: Dave D'Alesandro got a walk in the big blind

Hand #197: Bob Bounahra made it 180,000 and took it down.

Hand #198: Dominik Nitsche limped the small blind and Bounahra checked. Nitsche bet the     flop and won the pot.

Hand #199: Nitsche made it 160,000, Bouhnara moved all in and D'Alesandro did the same. Nitsche made the call.

It was    for Nitsche,    for D'Alesandro and    for Bounahra. The board ran out       and Bounahra was eliminated.

D'Alesandro will now take a chip lead into heads-up play.

Dave D'Alesandro	4,360,000	1,460,000
Dominik Nitsche	1,770,000	-230,000
Bob Bounahra	0	-1,500,000

Hand #187: Dominik Nitsche raised to 120,000 on the button. Dave D'Alesandro reraised to 345,000 from the big blind. Nitsche elected to four-bet ship, and D'Alesandro let his hand go.

Hand #188: Bob Bounahra opened to 125,000 on the button, and D'Alesandro shoved from the small blind. He took down the pot.

Hand #189: D'Alesandro opened from the button and took down the pot.

Hand #190: Nitsche raised to 120,000 on the button. Bounahra decided 315,000 was more appropriate, and he took the pot.

Hand #191: D'Alesandro limped the small blind, and Nitsche checked his option. Both players checked the     flop, and a   turned. D'Alesandro folded to 60,000.

Hand #192: Nitsche limped the small blind, and Bounahra checked. Nitsche bet the     flop and won the pot.

Hand #193: Nitsche opened to 120,000 before folding to a 300,000 three-bet from D'Alesandro.

Hand #194: D'Alesandro limped, and Nitsche checked. D'Alesandro checked the     flop, and Nitsche bet 60,000. D'Alesandro called to see a   turn. D'Alesandro check-called 130,000, and a   fell. D'Alesandro checked a final time, and Nitsche bet 250,000. D'Alesandro called quicker this time, and his    beat the    of Nitsche.

Hand #195: D'Alesandro raised to 125,000 and was called by Nitsche in the small blind. Nitsche checked the     flop, and he check-raised to 320,000 after D'Alesandro bet 135,000. D'Alesandro made it 540,000, and Nitsche pushed all in, taking down the pot.

Hand #164: Dominik Nitsche got a walk.

Hand #165: Dave D'Alesandro raised to 125,000 on the button and took the pot.

Hand #166: Nitsche raised to 120,000 on the button and took the pot.

Hand #167: Bob Bounahra raised to 130,000 on the button, and NItsche defended his big blind. Two checks followed the     flop, and more checks followed the  . A   hit the river, and Nitsche check-folded to 180,000.

Hand #168: D'Alesandro raised on the button and won the pot.

Hand #169: Bounahra took down the pot with a bet on an unknown flop.

Hand #170: Nitsche got a walk.

Hand #171: Nitsche limped the small blind, and Bouhnara checked. Nitsche's flop bet won the flop.

Hand #172: Nitsche raised to 120,000 on the button and took the pot.

Hand #173: D'Alesandro limped the small blind, and Nitsche checked. On the     flop, D'Alesandro bet 75,000 and took it down.

Hand #174: Unknown action.

Hand #175: Nitsche raised to 120,000 on the button, and D'Alesandro defended his big blind. Nitsche bet 140,000 on the     flop, and D'Alesandro folded.

Hand #176: D'Alesandro limped in, and Nitsche checked. D'Alesandro bet 75,000 on the     flop, and Nitsche called. Both players checked the  , and a   completed the board. D'Alesandro bet 155,000, and Nitsche raised to 350,000. D'Alesandro cut out two stacks of green T25,000 chips before ultimately folding.

Nitsche showed the  .

Hand #177: Nitsche limped the small blind, and Bounahra checked. Nitsche bet 75,000 on the     flop, and Bounahra called. Both players checked the  , and Nitsche checked the   before folding to 215,000 from Bounahra.

Hand 151:Bob Bounahra open-shoved    and got the call from Dave D'Alesandro. Dominik Nitsche then moved all in behind him and D'Alesandro was forced to let it go.

Nitsche had Bounahra crushed with    but the     flop changed that. The    run out was all Bounahra needed to triple up

Dave D'Alesandro	2,900,000	-500,000
Dominik Nitsche	2,000,000	-500,000
Bob Bounahra	1,500,000	60,000