Event #83: The Closer - No-Limit Hold'em

Spanish poker professional Leo Margets won her first World Series of Poker bracelet on Sunday, Nov. 21 by taking down Event #83: $1,500 The Closer for a six-figure score worth $376,850. She outlasted a field of 1,903 participants and, in doing so, became the first woman to win a bracelet in an open-entry event at the 2021 World Series.

The tournament generated a total prize pool of $2,540,505 and attracted the likes of Chris Moorman, Michael Wang, Yuval Bronshtein, Mitchell Halverson, Joao Simao and 2013 Main Event champion Ryan Riess, all of whom made deep runs that extended into Day 2.

Event #83: $1,500 The Closer Final Results

A Victory for Women in Poker

Margets, a Winamax Team Pro whose poker portfolio includes a 27th place finish in the 2009 Main Event for $352,832 and a second-place finish in Event #73: $1,000 DOUBLE STACK No-Limit Hold'em (30 minute levels) in 2018, secured her first WSOP bracelet by overcoming a dominant chip lead held by heads-up opponent Bosnian grinder Alex Kulev, who earned a payday of $232,920. Margets joins Lara Eisenberg, who won Event #22: Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship earlier in the series, as one of two women to earn bracelets so far at this year's WSOP.

"Usually, it's going be harder for a woman to get a bracelet because we are few (in poker)," Margets told PokerNews, adding that she believes her bracelet victory "might motivate women to be interested" in the game.

Margets wasn't the only woman to make a deep Day 2 run in The Closer. Melanie Weisner found a 17th place finish worth $14,740, while Cherish Andrews joined Margets at the final table and finished in sixth place for $74,680.

"I hope there is one day when there isn't such an issue," Margets said about the disproportionate number of women in poker. "It shouldn't be an issue."

Margets added a few words of encouragement for anyone looking to pursue the game: "I you like it, go ahead, even if you're a man, a woman or a monkey!"

"What a Comeback"

It seemed like it would likely be another second-place finish for Margets when she began heads-up play with about seven million chips to the 40 million of Kulev, whose dominant appearance at the final table included a double-knockout of Marc Lange and Arturo Segura in fourth and fifth place, and later the elimination of Stephen Song in third.

"He had a massive chip lead," she recalled. "He actually did all of the hard work."

Margets acknowledged that she made a near-fatal error early in heads-up play when she miscounted her stack and got it in with nine-four against the ace-nine of her opponent. However, she hit a four on the turn to give her the double-up that propelled her to victory.

"Somehow, I made a super huge mistake because I miscalculated my stack," said Margets. "I thought I had 2.5 bigs and I had seven bigs. And that was a huge mistake, but I got lucky."

Margets then mounted a comeback that climaxed in a hand with middle pair and a flush draw against the top pair of Kulev and improved to trips on the turn. The encounter left Kulev short and he was eliminated in the next hand when he got it in with ten-four against the king-jack of Margets, who came back from less than 10 big blinds to take down the tournament.

"What a comeback," she said in reflection.

That wraps up the PokerNews live reporting team's coverage of Event #83: $1,500 The Closer. Be sure to also check out the team's coverage of other WSOP events.

Leo Margets limped in the small blind, Alex Kulev raised to 2.4 million, and Margets called.

The flop came    , and that proved to be quite an action flop.

Kulev bet 4.1 million, Margets jammed for 20.4 million, and Kulev called.

Leo Margets:   
Alex Kulev:   

Kulev had top pair top kicker and Margets had middle pair and a flush draw. The   hit the turn to put Margets ahead with trips, and the   completed the board to send her the massive pot.

Kulev was left with only 1.8 million chips which he jammed in on the next hand and was called.

Alex Kulev:   
Leo Margets:   

The board ran out       and Margets officially completed the heads-up comeback to win the tournament and the gold bracelet, meanwhile, Kulev will have to settle for the $232,920 runner-up prize as consolation for his strong efforts.

Leo Margets	48,000,000	25,000,000
Alex Kulev	0	-25,000,000

Leo Margets was all-in preflop with around 6,000,000 against Alex Kulev.

Leo Margets:   
Alex Kulev:   

It looked like it would be a short heads-up match as Margets was dominated, and the flop of     didn't help her. But the   peeled off on the turn to improve her held, which held up after the   river.

Alex Kulev	36,000,000	-4,000,000
Leo Margets	12,000,000	5,000,000

Arturo Segura jammed for 3.65 million in the hijack, Marc Lange re-jammed for 4.3 million on the button, and Alex Kulev put in his chips in the small blind.

Arturo Segura:   
Marc Lange:   
Alex Kulev:   

The     flop gave Segura a straight flush draw, the   came on the turn to change nothing, and the   hit the river to send the pot to Kulev and eliminate the other two players.

Lange started the hand with more chips than Segura so he will take fourth, while Segura will have to settle for fifth following his deep run. Meanwhile, Kulev extends his huge chip lead even more and seems to be running away with it.

Alex Kulev	38,000,000	13,000,000
Stephen Song	6,000,000	-1,150,000
Leo Margets	4,000,000	-4,000,000
Arturo Segura	0	-4,500,000
Marc Lange	0	-3,100,000

Cherish Andrews shoved in her short stack in the hijack and Stephen Song isolated in the small blind.

Cherish Andrews:   
Stephen Song:   

The     flop put Andrews ahead, and the   turn improved her to a boat. A double for her looked imminent until the   spiked the river to give Song the better boat as the table roared.

"So sick," Song said.

Stephen Song	7,150,000	3,850,000
Cherish Andrews	0	-2,200,000

Stephen Song jammed his 1.425 million stack in the small blind and Marc Lange called in the big blind.

Stephen Song:   
Marc Lange:   

The board ran out       to give Song the pot on a fortunate river.

Stephen Song	3,300,000	1,900,000
Marc Lange	3,100,000	-1,900,000

Arturo Segura open-shoved for 1.3 million from early position, Aleksandr Shevliakov raised to 2.1 million from middle position, and Marc Lange jammed for 5.1 million from the cutoff. Alex Kulev tanked on the button but eventually folded, and Shevliakov also folded.

Arturo Segura:   
Mark Lange:   

Segura needed help and the flop came    . The   turn gave him some more outs with a straight draw, and he converted that draw on the   river.

"Yes!" Segura said as he gave a clap of his hands upon the unlikely win, which gave him more than triple his stack thanks to the dead money and the blinds.

Aleksandr Shevliakov	10,000,000	-2,500,000
Marc Lange	5,100,000	800,000
Arturo Segura	4,900,000	1,800,000

Benjamin Underwood open-shoved in the small blind and Aleksandr Shevliakov called in the big blind .

Benjamin Underwood:   
Aleksandr Shevliakov:   

Underwood was dominated and couldn't get there as the board ran out       to send him out in ninth place.

Aleksandr Shevliakov	12,500,000	4,400,000
Benjamin Underwood	0	-4,400,000