"RaulGonzalez" Defends Title in the WCOOP-52-H: $10,300 8-Game High Roller ($196,176)
The PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker 2021 has crowned the next mixed game champion and it was a familiar face at the top of the final result in Event WCOOP-52-H: $10,300 8-Game High Roller. Out of a field of 44 entries, it was Germany's "RaulGonzalez" who walked away as the champion. He denied Denis "aDrENalin710" Strebkov the tenth victory and earned his second WCOOP title in the process.
One year ago, the very same tournament attracted a field of 67 entries and "RaulGonzalez" took it down for a top prize of $235,531. The German has now doubled that tally after overcoming the other four contenders in just one hour and 16 minutes to pad his bankroll with another $196,176.
While the real name of "RaulGonzalez" has not been revealed so far, it was confirmed in a podcast interview late in 2020 that the high-stakes cash game specialist is in his early thirties. "RaulGonzalez" transitioned to mixed games several years ago and regularly participated in the nosebleed action against big names such as Ben "Sauce123" Sulsky, Viktor "Isildur1" Blom. He most recently battled back and forth with Swedish player "BERRI SWEET" and announced his decision to retire from the high stakes cash game action.
Besides Strebkov, the final day also featured Ari "BodogAri" Engel as well as the five-time WCOOP champions Yuri "theNERDguy" Dzivielevski and Joao "Naza114" Vieira.
Final Result 2021 WCOOP-52-H: $10,300 8-Game High Roller
| Place | Winner | Country | Prize (in USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "RaulGonzalez" | Germany | $196,176 |
| 2 | Denis "aDrENalin710" Strebkov | Russia | $128,480 |
| 3 | Ari "BodogAri" Engel | Canada | $84,144 |
| 4 | Yuri "theNERDguy" Dzivielevski | Brazil | $55,108 |
| 5 | Joao "Naza114" Vieira | Portugal | $36,091 |
"RaulGonzalez" Dominates Short-Lived Final Day
After the money bubble had burst with five players remaining two days prior, none of the five finalists had more than 25 big bets for the limit and stud games at their disposal. It didn't take long for the action to pick up and in the second level of the day, Joao "Naza114" Vieira and Yuri "theNERDguy" Dzivielevski were sent to the rail.
In Deuce to Seven Triple Draw, Vieira got his short stack in with a number two after the second draw only for "RaulGonzalez" to make the nuts. The early hot run of the German continued as he also dispatched Dzivielevski, who missed his low draw and became the second casualty.
Ari "BodogAri" Engel was aiming to win his first WCOOP title but came up short of that bid by two spots. He was already left short in action-packed three-handed action and fell further behind. Denis "aDrENalin710" Strebkov then flopped a wheel to scoop it all Omaha Hi-Lo.
That left Strebkov with a small lead over "RaulGonzalez" and things looked very promising to claim his record-boosting tenth WCOOP title. However, the remainder of Omaha Hi-Lo was heavily dominated by "RaulGonzalez", who quickly established a commanding lead. Strebkov was able to get back into contention in Razz only to see his hopes crushed in Seven Card Stud. "RaulGonzalez" achieved a rare feat in WCOOP history and defended his title successfully.
This concludes the PokerNews live updates for this event but the ongoing festival is gearing up for the 2021 WCOOP Main Event from September 12 to 15. Further selected tournament results and coverages can be found in the PokerStars WCOOP 2021 hub.