Event #50: Mixed No-Limit Hold'em/Pot-Limit Omaha Deepstack 8-Handed

Darrin Wright had a premonition, and at the final table of Event #50: $600 No-Limit Hold'em/Pot-Limit Omaha, it became a reality.

The recreational player from Chicago dominated the final table, knocking out five of his seven opponents on his way to earning the victory and $127,219 top prize. It was not only Wright's first WSOP bracelet, it was his first WSOP cash. His only other result came in a Circuit event in his hometown in 2019.

He might seem like a surprise champion, but Wright had a hunch he would end up in this spot. "I just felt it. You know how sometimes you can feel something and you can feel it in your stomach, they say that's your gut. I felt it in my gut," Wright said.

"I was crashing them. If you had seen me, it was like, I knocked out so many players."

Wright was in total control of the final table, playing nearly every pot and putting pressure on his opponents. He knocked out John Gilchrist in seventh place with a full house. He eliminated Ryan Colton with top pair. He flopped quads to send Hanan Braun home in fifth. And he eliminated Joshua Ray in third with a pair of eights.

The end came in a hand of Pot-Limit Omaha, when he called the all in of Victor Paredes with      on a board of     . Paredes had top two pair, but this night belonged to Wright and he completed his flush on the   river.

Final Table Results

Wright is retired after working for the Chicago Sun-Times. He's only been playing poker recreationally for a few years but wanted to take his shot at WSOP glory in 2021.

"I just said I wanted to come out and do it, because people say you can come out and play in some of the smaller games and stuff like that and win pretty big," he said. "And lo and behold, here I am."

The event attracted a field of 1,569 players, 61 of whom returned to play on Day 2. Along the way Dan Zack (57th), Daniel Buzgon (42nd), Mark Seif (31st), and Lee Watkinson (23rd) hit the payout line. Day 1 chip leader Eric Froehlich fell in 15th place.

In the end, it was Wright left standing. He took control of the final table and steamrolled his way to victory. Just as he thought he would.

There are more bracelets to be handed out tonight, so check out the WSOP live reporting hub for more live updates!

Pot-Limit Omaha

Darrin Wright raised to 1,250,000 and Victor Paredes defended his big blind. The flop came    , Paredes checked, Wright bet 1,200,000, and Paredes went all in for 6,200,000. Wright called.

Victor Paredes:     
Darrin Wright:     

Paredes had flopped two pair to outdraw the aces of Wright and stayed ahead on the    turn and river to earn another double up.

Darrin Wright	32,500,000	8,000,000
Victor Paredes	14,500,000	-8,000,000

Pot-Limit Omaha

Darrin Wright called and Victor Paredes checked to see a flop    . Paredes quickly check-called Wright's bet for 1,000,000. The turn was the   and the same action happened, this time for 3,300,000.

A   hit the river and both players opted to check. Wright flipped over      for a pair of tens and Paredes looked at his cards one more time and sent them into the muck.

Darrin Wright	24,500,000	-4,900,000
Victor Paredes	22,500,000	4,900,000

Pot-Limit Omaha

Darrin Wright limped from the button, Victor Paredes folded his small blind, and Joshua Ray checked. The flop came     and Wright bet, Ray raised all in, and Wright snap-called.

Joshua Ray:     
Darrin Wright:     

Ray had a pair of deuces and a flush draw, while Wright had eights and a higher flush draw. The board ran out    and Wright's pair stayed in front, eliminating Ray in third place.

Wright and Paredes are now preparing for heads-up play.

Darrin Wright	29,400,000	5,900,000
Joshua Ray	0	-8,600,000

Pot-Limit Omaha

Darrin Wright called for 500,000 on the button and it was completed by Victore Paredes and checked by Joshua Ray in the blinds.

The flop revealed     and Paredes and Ray checked. Wright sent a bet worth 1,200,000 in the middle and Paredes tanked for a minute before announcing a raise to 5,600,000. Ray and Wright quickly folded.

Darrin Wright	23,500,000	-850,000
Joshua Ray	17,300,000	-500,000
Victor Paredes	6,400,000	1,600,000

The last four players agreed for a one hour dinner break. Action will resume at blinds 250,000/ 500,000 with a 500,000 ante. The orange 5,000 chips will be colored up.

Pot-Limit Omaha

Darrin Wright raised to 800,000 on the button and Victor Paredes chose to call from the big blind.

Both checked on the flop     and a   was dealt on the turn. Paredes check-folded this time after Wright sent a bet of 500,000.

Darrin Wright	19,100,000	1,100,000
Victor Paredes	11,150,000	-1,950,000

No-Limit Holdem

It folded to Darrin Wright on the button who limped and Colten Yamagishi completed. Victor Paredes decided to three-bet to 2,000,000 and it was enough to grab the pot right away.

Darrin Wright	15,000,000	-500,000
Victor Paredes	13,100,000	2,350,000
Colten Yamagishi	7,280,000	-620,000

No-Limit Hold'em

Ryan Colton raised from the cutoff leaving himself 20,000 behind and Darren Wright called in the small blind.

The flop came    . Colton shoved all-in for his last 20,000 and Wright called, covering him.

Ryan Colton:   
Darrin Wright:   

The board ran out    and Wright eliminates Colton with a pair of jacks.

Darrin Wright	15,500,000	3,500,000
Ryan Colton	0	-3,320,000