Tuesday, November 16, 2021 4:17 AM Local Time
Aldemir Takes a Big Lead into the Final Table of Event #67: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event Championship
Germany's Koray Aldemir will take a massive lead into the final table of Event #67: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event Championship at the 2021 World Series of Poker.
After 36 hopefuls showed up to Day 7 in hopes of achieving the dream of making the Main Event final table, only nine remain to play for the $8,000,000 top prize and the title of WSOP World Champion. The 2021 edition of the November Nine will return at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, November 16 for a final table that will be streamed at PokerGO.
2021 Main Event Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Player | Chip Count | Country | Big Blinds |
|---|
| 1 | Jareth East | 8,300,000 | United Kingdom | 10 |
| 2 | Koray Aldemir | 140,000,000 | Germany | 175 |
| 3 | Jack Oliver | 34,000,000 | United Kingdom | 43 |
| 4 | Ozgur Secilmis | 24,500,000 | Turkey | 31 |
| 5 | George Holmes | 83,700,000 | United States | 106 |
| 6 | Chase Bianchi | 14,100,000 | United States | 18 |
| 7 | Joshua Remitio | 40,000,000 | United States | 50 |
| 8 | Alejandro Lococo | 46,800,000 | Argentina | 59 |
| 9 | Hye Park | 13,500,000 | United States | 17 |
The returning nine players are guaranteed $1,000,000, and Aldemir leads the pack after picking up over 100 million chips on Day 7. Aldemir bagged the Day 5 chip lead, and he is among the most accomplished players in the final group, even if he attributes some of his Main Event success to luck.
"To be honest, I got super lucky. I mean, I hit all the hands," Aldemir said to PokerNews while bagging his final table chips. "I mean, that big hand where I had queen-eight and he rivered a flush was kind of typical for the whole day: I hit the perfect river card! Yeah, sometimes poker is easy if you just hit all the hands."
Koray Aldemir
Aldemir is approaching the final table like he would any other.
"The focus is on sleeping well. That's going to be kind of important. It's of course a big final table, but it's still poker. So I'll try to play well. Just normal poker. I'll try to play it like any other final table and see where it brings me."
Following in the distance is George Holmes, who was down to just over one big blind at one point early in the day. Holmes bagged an improbable 83 million chips in just his second WSOP Main Event.
Among the other nine finalists are Chase Bianchi, Alejandro Lococo, and England's Jack Oliver. Bianchi is the only bracelet winner left in the group and he's making a miracle run in his only event of the 2021 WSOP.
Oliver is looking to turn his third career WSOP cash into his first bracelet on the biggest stage of them all. Lococo, who is better known to some as Argentian rapper Papo MC, came into Day 7 in eighth place on the leaderboard and he will go into the final table with the third most chips.
The 2021 WSOP Main Event Final Table
Other final table finalists include Joshua Remitio, Hye Park, Jareth East, and Ozgur Secilmis.
Secilmis is still standing after being involved in the infamous quads vs. quads hand during the money bubble. Remitio was down to his last card at one point when his jacks were outflopped by the ace-jack of Ramon Colillas, but a spade on the river brought the flush and he lived to fight all the way to the final table. East and Park fought their way up and down the leaderboard throughout Day 7, and both will return looking for an opportunity to spin it up early in final table action.
Final Table Payouts
All nine returning players have locked up at least $1,000,000 with $8,000,000 waiting up top for the winner.
| Place | Prize |
|---|
| 1 | $8,000,000 |
| 2 | $4,300,000 |
| 3 | $3,000,000 |
| 4 | $2,300,000 |
| 5 | $1,800,000 |
| 6 | $1,400,000 |
| 7 | $1,225,000 |
| 8 | $1,100,000 |
| 9 | $1,000,000 |
Day 7 runners that did not advance to the final nine include Matthew Jewett, Vasu Amarapu, Jesse Lonis, Andreas Kniep, and Chance Kornuth, who was knocked out by Holmes during his miraculous run.
Day 8 will return in Level 36 with blinds at 400,000/800,000/800,000 and play will continue until there are four players left. The tournament will conclude with the final four players on Wednesday, November 17.
Be sure to stay with the PokerNews team for live hand-for-hand coverage from the final table of the 2021 WSOP Main Event.
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 2:42 AM Local Time
Nine Players Remaining at End of Day 7
Day 7 has ended with nine players surviving to make the final table. Stay tuned for a recap of the day's events.
| Koray Aldemir | 140,000,000 | 0  |
| George Holmes | 83,700,000 | 0 |
| Alejandro Lococo | 46,800,000 | 0 |
| Joshua Remitio | 40,000,000 | 0 |
| Jack Oliver | 30,400,000 | 0 |
| Ozgur Secilmis | 24,500,000 | 0 |
| Hye Park | 13,500,000 | 0 |
| Chase Bianchi | 12,100,000 | 0 |
| Jareth East | 8,300,000 | 0 |
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 2:41 AM Local Time
Demosthenes Kiriopoulos Eliminated in 10th Place ($585,000)
Koray Aldemir opened to 1,600,000 from under the gun and Demosthenes Kiriopoulos three-bet to 3,800,000 from middle position with just 100,000 behind. Aldemir raised to put Kiriopoulos all-in and at risk of busting on the final table bubble and missing a massive pay jump. Kiriopoulos called.
Demosthenes Kiriopoulos:
Koray Aldemir:
Kiriopoulos was ahead with ace-high but his opponent had two live cards. The flop of gave Aldemir a pair of queens but also gave Kiriopoulos a flush draw.
"Red deuce!" someone on Aldemir's rail screamed heading to the turn.
The turn brought a red card with the and Kiriopoulos needed a spade or an ace to stay alive.
"Pair the board!" the rail of Aldemir screamed.
The locked up the pot for Aldemir to send Kiriopoulos out in 10th place on the final table bubble for a payday of $585,000.
| Koray Aldemir | 140,000,000 | 9,500,000  |
| George Holmes | 83,700,000 | 0 |
| Alejandro Lococo | 46,800,000 | -2,200,000 |
| Joshua Remitio | 40,000,000 | -3,600,000 |
| Jack Oliver | 30,400,000 | -2,000,000 |
| Ozgur Secilmis | 24,500,000 | -2,000,000 |
| Hye Park | 13,500,000 | 1,600,000 |
| Chase Bianchi | 12,100,000 | -2,000,000 |
| Jareth East | 8,300,000 | -1,600,000 |
| Demosthenes Kiriopoulos | 0 | -5,900,000 |
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 2:22 AM Local Time
Chip Leaders Duke It Out
Koray Aldemir raised to 1,600,000 in middle position and George Holmes three-bet to 4,100,000 in the small blind. Aldemir called and the flop came . Holmes led out with a bet of 3,400,000 and Aldemir called.
The turn brought the and both players checked to the on the river. Holmes fired out a bet of 8,400,000 and Aldemir quickly mucked his cards.
| Koray Aldemir | 130,500,000 | 300,000 |
| George Holmes | 83,700,000 | 7,500,000 |
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 2:07 AM Local Time
East Chips Up in First Hand at Unofficial Final Table
Jack Oliver raised to 1,600,000 in early position and the action folded to Jareth East in the big blind, who moved all-in for 7,100,000.
Oliver folded and East added a significant amount of chips to his short stack.
| Jack Oliver | 32,400,000 | -1,600,000 |
| Jareth East | 9,900,000 | 2,000,000 |
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 1:52 AM Local Time
Final Table Redraw
| Seat | Player | Chip Count | Country | Big Blinds |
|---|
| 1 | Jareth East | 7,900,000 | United Kingdom | 10 |
| 2 | Koray Aldemir | 130,200,000 | Austria | 163 |
| 3 | Jack Oliver | 34,000,000 | United Kingdom | 43 |
| 4 | Demosthenes Kiriopoulos | 5,900,000 | Canada | 7 |
| 5 | Ozgur Secilmis | 26,500,000 | Turkey | 33 |
| 6 | George Holmes | 76,200,000 | United States | 95 |
| 7 | Chase Bianchi | 14,100,000 | United States | 18 |
| 8 | Joshua Remitio | 43,600,000 | United States | 55 |
| 9 | Alejandro Lococo | 49,000,000 | Argentina | 61 |
| 10 | Hye Park | 11,900,000 | United States | 15 |
| Koray Aldemir | 130,200,000 | 8,300,000 |
| George Holmes | 76,200,000 | 0 |
| Alejandro Lococo | 49,000,000 | 0 |
| Joshua Remitio | 43,600,000 | -2,000,000 |
| Jack Oliver | 34,000,000 | -1,900,000 |
| Ozgur Secilmis | 26,500,000 | -7,100,000 |
| Chase Bianchi | 14,100,000 | -400,000 |
| Hye Park | 11,900,000 | 1,600,000 |
| Jareth East | 7,900,000 | -2,800,000 |
| Demosthenes Kiriopoulos | 5,900,000 | 0 |
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 1:40 AM Local Time
10 Remaining Players on Break
The remaining 10 players are on a 20-minute break for the unofficial final table redraw.
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 1:35 AM Local Time
Sean Ragozzini Eliminated in 11th Place ($585,000)
Sean Ragozzini limped in from the small blind and Alejandro Lococo announced all in from the big blind. Ragozzini quickly snapped off his remaining 14,800,000 chips and was at risk on the unofficial final table bubble.
Sean Ragozzini:
Alejandro Lococo:
The flop came to give Ragozzini a set of queens but Lococo picked up a straight draw. The on the turn changed nothing but it was the on the river that sent the Amazon Room into a frenzy. Lococo celebrated with his rail after making a straight and Ragozzini was eliminated in 11th place.
| Alejandro Lococo | 49,000,000 | 21,800,000 |
| Sean Ragozzini | 0 | -17,500,000 |
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 1:22 AM Local Time
Level 36 started
Level: 36
Blinds: 400,000/800,000
Ante: 800,000
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 1:18 AM Local Time
Break Time Chip Counts
| Koray Aldemir | 121,900,000 | 1,200,000 |
| George Holmes | 76,200,000 | 4,600,000 |
| Joshua Remitio | 45,600,000 | -2,200,000 |
| Jack Oliver | 35,900,000 | 3,400,000 |
| Ozgur Secilmis | 33,600,000 | -300,000 |
| Alejandro Lococo | 27,200,000 | -3,400,000 |
| Sean Ragozzini | 17,500,000 | 200,000 |
| Chase Bianchi | 14,500,000 | -5,400,000 |
| Jareth East | 10,700,000 | -3,900,000 |
| Hye Park | 10,300,000 | 900,000 |
| Demosthenes Kiriopoulos | 5,900,000 | -1,500,000 |
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 1:14 AM Local Time
Last Break of the Night
With just 11 players remaining, Level 35 has come to an end. The players are heading on a 10-minute break and will play down to the final nine players when they return.
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 1:09 AM Local Time
Secilmis Sends Kiriopoulos Into the Tank
Demosthenes Kiriopoulos opened to 1,200,000 from under the gun and Ozgur Secilmis defended from the big blind. The flop came and Secilmis led out with a bet of 1,800,000 which Kiriopoulos called.
The turn brought the and Secilmis fired out another bet of 2,400,000. Kiriopoulos went into the tank for over five minutes but finally dumped his cards into the muck.
| Ozgur Secilmis | 33,900,000 | 7,800,000 |
| Demosthenes Kiriopoulos | 7,400,000 | -4,800,000 |
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 1:05 AM Local Time
Holmes Calls Ragozzini
George Holmes raised to 1,300,000 and Sean Ragozzini called from the big blind.
The flop was and Ragozzini checked. Holmes bet 1,000,000 and Ragozzini check-called.
Both players checked after the came on the turn before the river paired the board.
Ragozzini bet 3,800,000 and Holmes thought it over before he called and tabled the . Ragozzini sent the losing hand into the muck and Holmes dragged the pot to move over the 70 million mark.
| George Holmes | 71,600,000 | 7,400,000 |
| Sean Ragozzini | 17,300,000 | -7,600,000 |
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 1:00 AM Local Time
Ark Onikul Eliminated in 12th Place ($470,000)
The action folded to Ark Onikul in the small blind who made it 2,000,000 to go. Koray Aldemir called from the big blind and they saw a flop of . Onikul checked to Aldemir who bet 1,800,000 and Onikul called.
The turn brought the and Onikul checked again. Aldemir counted out a bet of 5,800,000 and Onikul check-raised to 14,000,000. Aldemir went into the tank for nearly two minutes and finally called.
The river was the which prompted another check from Onikul. Aldemir thought for over a minute again and ripped all in, putting Onikul to the test for his remaining 26,300,000. Onikul stuck in the last of his chips and Aldemir turned over for a full house. Onikul showed his for a flush but was eliminated in 12th place.
| Koray Aldemir | 120,700,000 | 41,100,000 |
| Ark Onikul | 0 | -47,000,000 |
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 12:52 AM Local Time
Vasu Amarapu Eliminated in 13th Place ($470,000)
Vasu Amarapu open-shoved from under the gun for 13,500,000 and Jack Oliver re-shoved for 17,500,000 from the next seat over. The rest of the table got out of the way and Amarapu was at risk.
Vasu Amarapu:
Jack Oliver:
The ran out on the board and the flopped ace was enough to knock Amarapu out of the tournament in 13th place for $470,000. Amarapu ends his miraculous run that started as a ClubGG qualifier and ended at the final two tables of the Main Event.
| Jack Oliver | 32,500,000 | 16,500,000 |
| Vasu Amarapu | 0 | -13,500,000 |
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 12:43 AM Local Time
Ramon Colillas Eliminated in 14th Place ($380,050)
Ramon Colillas raised to 6,000,000 on the button and Ozgur Secilmis three-bet to 11,300,000 in the small blind. Colillas called off with just 700,000 more.
Ramon Colillas:
Ozgur Secilmis:
Colillas was dominated and Secilmis took a massive lead with top pair on the flop. Colillas hit the rail in 14th place after the turn and completed the board. For his efforts, he earned a payday of $380,050.
| Ozgur Secilmis | 26,100,000 | 9,400,000 |
| Ramon Colillas | 0 | -9,700,000 |
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 12:37 AM Local Time
Remitio Bets Big on the River
Joshua Remitio raised to 1,200,000 before Sean Ragozzini three-bet to 4,800,000. Remitio called and the rolled out on the flop.
Ragozzini bet 3,500,000 and Remitio called to see the on the turn.
Both players checked the turn and the came on the river. Ragozzini checked and Remitio bet 8,400,000. Ragozzini folded and Remitio picked up another pot late in Day 7.
| George Holmes | 64,200,000 | 2,800,000 |
| Joshua Remitio | 47,800,000 | 8,000,000 |
| Alejandro Lococo | 30,600,000 | -6,800,000 |
| Sean Ragozzini | 24,900,000 | -4,100,000 |
| Chase Bianchi | 19,900,000 | -4,200,000 |
| Jack Oliver | 16,000,000 | 0 |
| Vasu Amarapu | 13,500,000 | 400,000 |
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 12:34 AM Local Time
George Holmes Enjoying His Wild Ride at the 2021 Main Event
George Holmes is on the ride of his life after coming back from the brink of elimination to pick up over 65 million chips on Day 7 of the WSOP Main Event at the 2021 World Series of Poker.
In the midst of the second level of Day 7, Holmes found himself with just over one big blind left after a failed attempt to oust Jack Oliver from the Main Event. Holmes had shoved his last 9 million into the middle with king-queen, and Oliver, an up-and-coming poker star from England, called with ace-king. The board ran out with no favors for Holmes, and he was left with just 475,000 in tournament chips.
A few hands later, Holmes got it in with four callers and won a pot to give himself some life with just over 2 million chips. Within 90 minutes, he had 16 million. When Day 7 broke for dinner he had 20 million, and by the end of the fourth level of the day, Holmes had amassed over 32 million in chips and had become a legitimate problem for the remaining Main Event hopefuls.
As Day 7 reached midnight Las Vegas time, Holmes sat near the chip lead on a mountain of 68 million chips after picking up pocket aces to bust Kornuth.
George Holmes on Day 7 of the 2021 WSOP Main Event
Main Event Specialist
The rollercoaster ride on Day 7 is just another one of the many unforgettable experiences that Holmes is managing in just his second Main Event. His first shot at the WSOP's flagship event came in 2019, where Holmes ran deep and finished in 213th place for $50,855.
"I only play the Main Event," Holmes told PokerNews during a quick break on Day 7. "I've been to a WSOP Circuit stop in North Carolina a few years ago, but this is the only WSOP event I come out to play."
Holmes is originally from New Jersey, and he currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia where he plays in a weekly home game. He mostly plays cash games, and he has been interested in poker since 1999. His tournament experience is limited, and his run at the 2019 Main Event is the only recorded cashing finish.
To say that this is all new and exciting would be an understatement, but the Main Event grind doesn't allow that much time for reflection.
"It's a wild ride. It's surreal," Holmes said about his Main Event experience. "I don't even think I'll be able to take it all in until it's over."
George Holmes and Chase Bianchi on Day 7 of the 2021 WSOP Main Event
The Comeback Trail
After fighting his way back from the felt, Holmes crossed the 30 million mark when he picked up two-pair in a hand with Alejandro Lococo. The hand started out innocently enough when Holmes limped from the small blind and Lococo checked his option.
Holmes bet 500k on the flop, and Lococo called. Both players checked the turn to see on the river.
Holmes bet 2.3 million and Lococo raised to 8 million. After taking a moment to consider his options, Holmes called with and took the pot with two-pair as Lococo mucked a pair of aces. The pot was big enough to push Holmes above the 30 million mark, a far cry from the 475,000 he had just a few hours prior.
If Holmes can navigate his way to the final table, which he has a good shot of doing, he'll have a shot at turning his comeback into an $8 million payday.
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 12:30 AM Local Time
East Doubles Through Onikul
Koray Aldemir opened to 1,200,000 in early position and Jareth East three-bet jammed a stack of 5,200,000 on the button. Ark Onikul flat-called in the big blind and Aldemir folded.
Jareth East:
Ark Onikul:
East was at risk and took the lead on the flop of , and the runout of improved his hand to a full house.
| Ark Onikul | 47,000,000 | -5,600,000 |
| Jareth East | 14,600,000 | 9,100,000 |
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 12:22 AM Local Time
Aldemir Climbs Higher
Jareth East opened to 1,200,000 and Koray Aldemir three-bet to 3,300,000. East called.
East checked on the flop and called when Aldemir bet 2,800,000. Both players then checked on the turn.
East led out with a bet of 4,500,000 on the river and Aldemir took a minute before calling. East tabled for ace-high and Aldemir showed to win the pot with a pair of kings.
| Koray Aldemir | 79,600,000 | 0 |
| Jareth East | 5,500,000 | 0 |