Event #65: MINI Main Event No-Limit Hold'em (freezeout)

It's every poker player's dream to win a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet. Few have done it. Even fewer have two. But it's truly a select group that has done it three times.

Georgios Sotiropoulos of Greece is now part of that poker pantheon after winning his third bracelet in 2021 WSOP Event #65: $1,000 Mini Main Event. Sotiropoulos outlasted a starting field of 3,821 entries to take home $432,575.

"It feels amazing. So many players in the tournament, 3,000 or so. So many hours played. And in the end, the result was what I wanted," Sotiropoulos said.

Sotiropoulos is now a double-bracelet winner in 2021, also winning the Flip & Go Online on GGPoker in August. His first bracelet came at the 2015 WSOP Europe in a €1,100 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo event. He has established himself as one of the top no-limit hold'em players, but that reputation doesn't really mean much to him.

"I don't really think about that," Sotiropoulos said. "But it's an amazing achievement. I really love the World Series of Poker, Las Vegas, the tournaments, the people here. Everything excites me. Makes me come again and again, playing more and winning more. Feeling grateful."

2021 WSOP Mini Main Event Final Table Resuts

Final Table Action

Sotiropoulos came into Day 3 with a chip lead of 105,550,000, more than 60 million ahead of second place with five players remaining. It was Wataru Miyashita who made quick work to bring about heads-up play, eliminating James Rubinski on the second hand of the day with ace-queen. He then flopped a set of eights to take out James Patterson in fourth place before eliminating Jordan Meltzer in third with Big Slick that made top pair on the river.

Sotiropoulos and Miyashita began heads-up play with identical chip stacks. Sotiropoulos pulled ahead when he called a 15 million preflop three-bet from Miyashita. Sotiropoulos also called bets of 8.5 million on the flop and 12 million on the turn with the board showing     . Both players checked the   river, and Sotiropoulos won with    for two pair, queens and sevens, as Miyashita flashed pocket fours.

The end came in a limped pot when Sotiropoulos and Miyashita saw the turn on a board of     . Sotiropoulos check-raised a 9 million bet from Miyashita to 26 million and called when Miyashita shoved for 78.3 million. Miyashita had trip queens, but Sotiropoulos had made a flush with   . The river came the  , and Sotiropoulos was a three-time bracelet winner.

Sotiropoulos dedicated the win to his namesake grandfather and to his friends who cheered him on from the rail. He plans to play the rest of the WSOP and maybe even the WSOP Europe in Rozvadov to try to win bracelet No. 4.

"I just want to keep playing, keep grinding," he said. He's now part of an elite company, but Sotiropoulos isn't content to stop there.

Congratulations to Georgios Sotiropoulos, the 2021 WSOP Event #65: $1,000 Mini Main Event champion!

Wataru Miyashita raised to 9,000,000 and Georgios Sotiropoulos came along from the big blind. The flop came    , and Miyashita bet another 5,500,000.

Sotiropoulos called to see the   turn. He checked, then folded when Miyashita announced he was all in.

Georgios Sotiropoulos	138,000,000	-12,000,000
Wataru Miyashita	91,400,000	12,000,000

Georgios Sotiropoulos raised to 7.2 million and then called the 15 million three-bet from Wataru Miyashita.

The     flop saw Miyashita continue for 8.5 million and Sotiropoulos called bringing the   turn.

Miyashita fired out 12 million and Sotiropoulos called once again to see the   complete the board on the river.

Both players checked and Miyashita rolled over    but it was no good as Sotiropoulos showed    to win the pot.

Georgios Sotiropoulos	155,380,000	50,380,000
Wataru Miyashita	74,000,000	-50,400,000

Georgios Sotiropoulos raised to 7.2 million and Wataru Miyashita defended to see a     flop.

Miyashita check-called the 5.8 million continuation bet from Sotiropoulos and then did the same for 9 million after the   paired the board on the turn.

After the   double paired the board on the river, Miyashita fired out an uncontested 11 million bet to win the pot.

Wataru Miyashita	140,380,000	15,380,000
Georgios Sotiropoulos	89,000,000	-15,300,000

Wataru Miyashita raised to 5,100,000 from the button and Georgios Sotiropoulos defended his big blind. Both players checked the     flop.

Sotiropoulos checked again on the   turn and Miyashita bet 5,500,000. Sotiropoulos called and the   river was checked down.

Sotiropoulos turned over    for a missed straight draw, while Miyashita had    for a pair of fives to win the first significant pot of heads-up play.

Wataru Miyashita	125,000,000	10,310,000
Georgios Sotiropoulos	104,300,000	-10,390,000

After just receiving a double, Jordan Meltzer raised all in for 52 million from the small blind and Wataru Miyashita snap-called from the big blind.

Jordan Meltzer:   
Wataru Miyashita:   

Meltzer woke-up with an ace but was in dominating position after Miyashita rolled over big slick and the       runout ended his tournament in third place for $202,695.

Wataru Miyashita	114,690,000	24,690,000
Georgios Sotiropoulos	114,690,000	9,140,000
Jordan Meltzer	0	-39,000,075

Wataru Miyashita shoved all in for 35,900,000 from the button on the first hand and won the blinds and antes.

On the next hand, James Rubinski went all in for 22,325,000 from under the gun, Miyashita re-shoved, and the rest of the table folded.

James Rubinski:   
Wataru Miyashita:   

Neither player connected with the       board and Miyashita won the pot with his queen-kicker, making Rubinski the first casualty of Day 3.

Wataru Miyashita	65,000,000	29,100,000
James Rubinski	0	-22,325,000