Thursday, July 8, 2021 1:41 AM Local Time
Michael "stiltwalk" Mercaldo Wins WSOP Online Event #7: $777 Lucky 7’s ($123,574)
The 2021 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Online continued Wednesday evening with Event #7: $777 NLH Lucky 7's, a tournament that attracted 888 entries and offered up a $621,600 prize pool. It took nearly 11 hours of play for New Jersey's Michael "stiltwalk" Mercaldo to emerge victorious to claim a $123,574 top prize and the first bracelet of his career.
He did so by defeating 2019 WSOP Little One for One Drop champ James "biggs2424" Anderson in heads-up play, denying him a second bracelet in the process. According to The Hendon Mob, Mercado more than $148K in live tournament earnings, of which $98K has come from WSOP-related cashes.
Event #7: $777 Lucky 7's Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|
| 1st | Michael "stiltwalk" Mercaldo | $123,574 |
| 2nd | James "biggs2424" Anderson | $76,395 |
| 3rd | Justin "MadTitan" Turner | $53,458 |
| 4th | Angel "ChromeKing" Lopez | $37,980 |
| 5th | Ryan "Protential" Laplante | $27,350 |
| 6th | Jake "nattydaddy24" Hernandez | $20,016 |
| 7th | Paul "presicion" Zappulla | $14,856 |
| 8th | Krista "Pollux" Gifford | $11,189 |
The top 126 finishers made the money including Dylan "PokerNpizza" Hortin (11th - $6,651), Matthew "saul_goodman" Rosen (21st - $3,481), Ema "Momma_says" Zajmovic (35th - $2,859), Jamie "DanBilzerian" Kerstetter (52nd - $2,113), Daniel "centrfieldr" Lupo (56th - $1,803), Daniel "DNegs" Negreanu (66th - $1,616), Kyle "kdruck" Draucker (82nd - $1,368), and Scott "miamicane" Davies (90th - $1,368).
Final Table Action
Krista "Pollux" Gifford was the first to fall from the final table after her king-nine suited failed to outdraw the king-queen of Anderson, and then Paul "presicion" Zappulla lost with king-eight to the king-jack of Jake "nattydaddy24" Hernandez.
Despite winning that hand, Hernandez was the next to go after running jacks smack dab into Anderson's kings, and then bracelet winner Ryan "Protential" Laplante followed him out the door losing a flip with queen-jack to Justin "MadTitan" Turner's pocket nines.
Turner then dispatched Angel "ChromeKing" Lopez in fourth place before taking his own leave in third place running king-jack into Mercaldo's pocket aces.
Heads-up play began with Mercaldo and Anderson nearly even in chips, but it proved to be a wild back-and-forth affair with both players holding the chip lead. Eventually, Mercaldo picked off a bluff to double through Anderson and then flopped a straight against the latter's two pair to seal the deal.
Runner-up James Anderson
Thursday, July 8, 2021 1:36 AM Local Time
James "biggs2424" Anderson Eliminated in 2nd Place ($76,395)
James "biggs2424" Anderson raised to 320,000 and Michael "stiltwalk" Mercaldo called bringing the flop.
Mercaldo check-called the 299,999 continuation bet from Anderson and the turn saw Mercaldo check-called Anderson's 1,928,471 all in bet.
James "biggs2424" Anderson:
Michael "stiltwalk" Mercaldo:
Mercaldo flopped the goods but Anderson was still live drawing to any nine or seven but the river ended his tournament.
Anderson Can't Fill Up | Michael "stiltwalk" Mercaldo | 13,320,000 | 6,765,347  |
| James "biggs2424" Anderson | 0 | -6,765,347  |
Thursday, July 8, 2021 1:21 AM Local Time
Level 39 started
Level: 39
Blinds: 80,000/160,000
Ante: 20,000
Thursday, July 8, 2021 1:18 AM Local Time
Back to Even
| James "biggs2424" Anderson | 6,765,347 | 277,550 |
| Michael "stiltwalk" Mercaldo | 6,554,653 | -277,550 |
Thursday, July 8, 2021 1:07 AM Local Time
Level 38 started
Level: 38
Blinds: 60,000/120,000
Ante: 15,000
Thursday, July 8, 2021 1:06 AM Local Time
Justin "MadTitan" Turner Eliminated in 3rd Place ($53,458)
Michael "stiltwalk" Mercaldo raised to 200,000 from the button and called when Justin "MadTitan" Turner three-bet jammed for 1,650,668 from the small blind.
Justin "MadTitan" Turner:
Michael "stiltwalk" Mercaldo:
The board ran out and Turner, who captured his first WSOPC gold ring in the online Winter Super Series, bowed out in third place.
| Michael "stiltwalk" Mercaldo | 6,832,203 | 2,256,918 |
| James "biggs2424" Anderson | 6,487,797 | -556,250 |
| Justin "MadTitan" Turner | 0 | -1,700,668 |
Thursday, July 8, 2021 12:56 AM Local Time
Break Time
The final three players are on a five-minute break.
| James "biggs2424" Anderson | 7,044,047 | 2,970,906 |
| Michael "stiltwalk" Mercaldo | 4,575,285 | 1,868,091 |
| Justin "MadTitan" Turner | 1,700,668 | -3,857,422 |
Thursday, July 8, 2021 12:46 AM Local Time
Level 37 started
Level: 37
Blinds: 50,000/100,000
Ante: 12,500
Thursday, July 8, 2021 12:44 AM Local Time
Angel "ChromeKing" Lopez Eliminated in 4th Place ($37,980)
Angel "ChromeKing" Lopez was all in preflop for roughly 1,000,000 holding a pair of and was called by Justin "MadTitan" Turner holding a suited .
Turner flopped an eight and Lopez couldn't find a set as he was eliminated in fourth place for $37,980.
| Angel "ChromeKing" Lopez | 0 | -909,075 |
Thursday, July 8, 2021 12:35 AM Local Time
Ryan "Protential" Laplante Eliminated in 5th Place ($27,350)
Justin "MadTitan" Turner raised to 160,000 from the cutoff and Ryan "Protential" Laplante responded with a three-bet jam for 1,277,946 from the button. Both blinds folded and Turner called.
Justin "MadTitan" Turner:
Ryan "Protential" Laplante:
It was a flip but Laplante needed to improve to stay alive. Unfortunately for him, that didn't happen as the board ran out to improve Turner to a winning set of nines.
| Justin "MadTitan" Turner | 5,558,090 | 1,252,946 |
| Ryan "Protential" Laplante | 0 | -1,325,446 |
Thursday, July 8, 2021 12:31 AM Local Time
Level 36 started
Level: 36
Blinds: 40,000/80,000
Ante: 10,000
Thursday, July 8, 2021 12:31 AM Local Time
Updated Chip Counts for the Final Five
| Justin "MadTitan" Turner | 4,305,144 | 2,090,855 |
| James "biggs2424" Anderson | 4,073,141 | -209,814 |
| Michael "stiltwalk" Mercaldo | 2,707,194 | 763,237 |
| Ryan "Protential" Laplante | 1,325,446 | -505,276 |
| Angel "ChromeKing" Lopez | 909,075 | 103,949 |
Thursday, July 8, 2021 12:20 AM Local Time
2021 WSOP Online Bracelet Winners Thus Far
| Date | Tournament | Players | Re-entries | Total Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|
| 1-Jul | Event #1: $500 NLH BIG 500 Kick-Off | 837 | 440 | 1277 | $574,650 | Jose "deposit" Noboa | $105,161 |
| 2-Jul | Event #2: $600 NLH Monster Stack | 727 | 311 | 1038 | $560,520 | Manig "Ohio77" Loeser | $104,313 |
| 3-Jul | Event #3: $500 NLH Turbo Deepstack | 641 | 309 | 950 | $427,500 | Donnell "Spreezy52" Dais | $90,801 |
| 4-Jul | Event #4: $500 NLH Super Turbo | 608 | 242 | 850 | $382,500 | Jeffery "Steelvikes7" Hoop | $73,861 |
| 5-July | Event #5: $1,000 NLH 8-Max | 459 | - | 459 | 648,700 | Jeremiah "freestylerr" Williams | $139,600 |
| 6-July | Event #6: $2,000 NLH Deepstack | 312 | 104 | 416 | $769,60 | Tyler "ShipTheShip" Denson | $175,700 |
Thursday, July 8, 2021 12:15 AM Local Time
Level 35 started
Level: 35
Blinds: 30,000/60,000
Ante: 7,500
Thursday, July 8, 2021 12:08 AM Local Time
Jake "nattydaddy24" Hernandez Eliminated in 6th Place ($20,016)
Jake "nattydaddy24" Hernandez raised to 122,550 from the hijack and James "biggs2424" Anderson three-bet to 255,555 on the button.
Action folded back around to Hernandez who four-bet all in for 1,110,561 and Anderson snap-called.
James "biggs2424" Anderson:
Jake "nattydaddy24" Hernandez:
Hernandez was way behind and things got worse after the flop gave Anderson top set. Hernandez needed running jacks but the turn left him drawing dead to the river.
| James "biggs2424" Anderson | 4,282,955 | 183,766 |
| Jake "nattydaddy24" Hernandez | 0 | -849,311 |
Wednesday, July 7, 2021 11:57 PM Local Time
Break Time
The final six players are on a five-minute break.
Wednesday, July 7, 2021 11:56 PM Local Time
Paul "presicion" Zappulla Eliminated in 7th Place ($14,856)
Paul "presicion" Zappulla raised all in for 337,280 on the button and Jake "nattydaddy24" Hernandez isolated from the small blind.
Paul "presicion" Zappulla:
Jake "nattydaddy24" Hernandez:
Zappulla was behind needing help and the flop wasn't it as it gave Hernandez a club flush draw. The turn left Zappulla drawing to an eight but he river ended his tournament.
| Jake "nattydaddy24" Hernandez | 849,311 | 167,280 |
| Paul "presicion" Zappulla | 0 | -640,290 |
Wednesday, July 7, 2021 11:50 PM Local Time
Krista "Pollux" Gifford Eliminated in 8th Place ($11,189)
James "biggs2424" Anderson raised to 80,000 on the button and then called the 213,344 three-bet jam Krista "Pollux" Gifford made from the big blind.
Krista "Pollux" Gifford:
James "biggs2424" Anderson:
Gifford was dominated and the flop left her drawing to running nines.
Unfortunately for her, the turn left her drawing dead and the river made her the first final table elimination.
Gifford Collapses | James "biggs2424" Anderson | 4,099,189 | 527,343 |
| Krista "Pollux" Gifford | 0 | -1,631,739 |
Wednesday, July 7, 2021 11:32 PM Local Time
Final Table Draw and Counts
Event 7 Final Table| James "biggs2424" Anderson | 3,571,846 | 2,140,756 |
| Justin "MadTitan" Turner | 2,214,289 | -21,000 |
| Michael "stiltwalk" Mercaldo | 1,943,957 | 705,594 |
| Ryan "Protential" Laplante | 1,830,722 | 42,000 |
| Krista "Pollux" Gifford | 1,631,739 | 0 |
| Angel "ChromeKing" Lopez | 805,126 | -59,500 |
| Jake "nattydaddy24" Hernandez | 682,031 | 169,650 |
| Paul "presicion" Zappulla | 640,290 | -214,500 |
Wednesday, July 7, 2021 11:31 PM Local Time
Ross "BlueTang" Gottlieb Eliminated in 9th Place ($8,578)
Ross "BlueTang" Gottlieb was all in preflop from the big blind for 445,204 and Krista "Pollux" Gifford called from the small blind.
Krista "Pollux" Gifford:
Ross "BlueTang" Gottlieb:
Gottlieb was racing for his tournament and the flop gave him a broadway draw but the turn followed by the river made him the final table bubble.
| Krista "Pollux" Gifford | 1,631,739 | 1,102,704 |
| Ross "BlueTang" Gottlieb | 0 | -731,648 |