One WSOP Gold Bracelet. Three final tables. Fifteen cashes. That was the body of work of Ian "apokerjoker2" Steinman in last year's WSOP.com Online Bracelet Series, one that would be the envy of nearly everyone who fired in last year's version. Steinman, who already has been seeking action on some bracelet bets for this year's series, will be looking to duplicate his many deep runs and massive success this year.
Steinman's heater began last year with two final tables early in the series, with a fifth-place performance in Event #7: $800 NLH Knockout Deepstack for $24,578, followed by a sixth-place finish two days later in Event #9: $1,000 NLH 6-Max for $30,995. Steinman's bracelet would be earned late in the series, when he took down Event #27: $400 NLH Freezeout for $110,557 after beating Japan's Satoshi Tanaka in heads-up play. Steinman used these performances to take down the $100,000 Leaderboard competition of the WSOP.com portion of the series, which sent an additional $18,000 his way.
Steinman doesn't appear to be resting on his laurels in preparing for a summer of poker, however, already getting in some prep work by winning the Benny Binion Summer Shoot-Out at the South Point Poker Room for $65,000 after a three-way deal. As much as winning his first bracelet meant to Steinman, the quest for another crusher of a summer is on for the hyper-talented Steinman.
Ross "BlueTang" Gottlieb raised and then called the 85,062 three-bet jam Jeffrey "PlusEv905" Schwartz made on the button.
Ross "BlueTang" Gottlieb:
Jeffrey "PlusEv905" Schwartz:
Schwartz was ahead with his made hand and the flop gave him a gutshot straight draw.
The paired the board on the turn which made things interesting as it gave Schwartz a sweat and for good reason as the double-paired the board on the river, counterfeiting Schwartz.
The WSOP.com Summer Online Circuit Event runs July 16�C27. You��ll have a chance to win over $1 Million in guarantees, 12 WSOP Gold Rings, a chance to climb to the top spot on the $10k Series Leaderboard, and entry into the $25,000 Freeroll.
$10k Player of the Month Leaderboard
Pays in Tournament Tickets to the top 10 players in the Gold Ring events
First-place leaderboard finisher gains a seat into the $250,000 Year-End Championship event(which will award a WSOP Gold Bracelet)
$25,000 Freeroll �C July 30 @ 4:30pm
Each ring event winner from the series as well as the top 10 finishers on the $10k Player of the Month are eligible to participate in freeroll.
Grinder��s Only Second Chance Freeroll �C July 30 @ 5:00pm
The winner of this freeroll will earn a seat into the $250,000 Year-End Championship Event.
Players who played in at least 3 Gold Ring events will be eligible to participate.
Year-End Championships
This event will award $250,000 in prize money as well as a WSOP Gold Bracelet. Only eligible players are invited to participate in this event. To become an eligible player:
Win a WSOP Gold Ring Event during the 2021 season
Win a $10,000 Player of the Month Leaderboard
Win a Grinder��s Online Second Chance Freeroll
Be one of the top 50 players on the Cumulative Circuit Leaderboard
Lily "theslimshady" Torrence open-jammed under the gun for 65,130, Daniel "centrfieldr" Lupo called next to act and Adrian "sacakewalk" Sacher called off his 64,218 stack from the small blind.
Daniel "centrfieldr" Lupo:
Adrian "sacakewalk" Sacher:
Lily "theslimshady" Torrence:
Lupo held the best made hand but it was Sacher who took the lead after the flop gave him top set.
The turn didn't change a thing as Sacher was looking good to score the pot until the appeared on the river giving Lupo a set of aces to win the hand.
Columbus, Ohio's Ross "BlueTang" Gottlieb recorded four cashes in last year's WSOP.com Online Bracelet Series, but it was one huge run that defined his series, and brought him agonizingly close to earning his first career WSOP Gold Bracelet.
In Event #8: $500 NLH Freezeout, Gottlieb found himself at a final table of absolute crushers, including Robert "bustinballs" Kuhn, Scott "miamicane" Davies, and Randy "StayAlive" Ohel among others. Gottlieb was on the shorter side of the counts at the start of the final table, but took the majority of Kuhn's chips with queens to take a commanding lead with five players remaining.
When heads-up play commenced, Gottlieb was back in a 2:1 deficit against Alan "GladiusIII" Goehring, but looked poised to take back command of the battle when the final hand of the tournament took place. Gottlieb, holding king-nine, flopped a king-high straight, while Goehring held ace-three of clubs for a higher straight draw and a flush draw. Gottlieb went from retaking the chip lead to out in one card when the turn was a club, and Gottlieb was forced to settle for $73,942 for a second-place run.
Gottlieb, who describes himself on his Twitter bio as a "full time veterinarian, part time button clicker", is back in action for this year's series, and looks to have a full schedule of events to play in his quest to finish one spot higher in an event this year, and lay claim to a WSOP Gold Bracelet.