Event #74: $2,500 Big Bet Mix
Day 3 Completed
2021 World Series of Poker
Event #74: $2,500 Big Bet Mix
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2021 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$2,500
Prize Pool
$471,700
Entries
212
Level
26
Blinds
0 / 0
Ante
0
Entries
14
Players Left
1
Level 26
Russia's Denis Strebkov defeated Jerry Wong in heads-up play to win his second World Series of Poker title in Event #74: $2,500 Big Bet Mix at the 2021 WSOP. Strebkov outlasted a field of 212 entries to win $117,898 and the gold bracelet.
This is Strebkov’s second WSOP title, the first coming in 2019 in the $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. event. Strebkov found a great deal of success in 2019, making three final tables in mixed formats and winning one.
“I like the mixed format because I play a lot of games,” Strebkov told PokerNews after the win. “I play a lot of mixed. I don’t like to play hold’em but I like some other games where you can play a lot of hands and have more fun.”
Strebkov was eager to build on his 2019 success, but travel restrictions related to COVID-19 made the 2021 WSOP a complicated trip that required a stop in Croatia to get the necessary vaccines.
“This is fantastic. I am glad I can play. I had a problem because the Russian vaccine is not approved here.”
Strebkov is taking a moment to celebrate, but after going through the trouble to get to the United States, he plans to make more noise at the 2021 WSOP.
“I am just speechless right now. The second bracelet is very good! I am going to go to the Razz event right now. I am already thinking about the next one. I might play another Omaha tournament, but we will see how it’s going.”
2021 WSOP Event #74 Final Table Results
| Place | Name | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denis Strebkov | Russia | $117,898 |
| 2 | Jerry Wong | United States | $72,868 |
| 3 | Pearce Arnold | United States | $48,864 |
| 4 | Richard Bai | United States | $33,583 |
| 5 | Shanmukha Meruga | United States | $23,670 |
| 6 | Patrik Ciklamini | Slovakia | $17,119 |
| 7 | Hooman Nizad | United States | $12,715 |
Day 3 Action
Noah Boeken was the first to hit the rail on Day 3 when Strebkov drew the fourth ten in Five Card Draw High to send him home in 14th place. Amnon Filippi followed right behind in a Pot-Limit Omaha hand where Strebkov made two-pair to beat Filippi’s pocket aces.
Shortly after the re-draw to two tables, Asher Lower hit the rail in 12th place in a hand of Pot-Limit 2-7 Triple Draw when he caught a pair of fives on the last draw to lose to the ten-nine of Anthony Ribeiro.
Jordan Siegel was next to go after he got it in with pocket nines against the ace-king of Richard Bai. Bai flopped a straight and Siegel was out in 11th place. Jon Turner went home with a 10th-place finish after he got it in with ace-jack but Patrik Ciklamini looked him up with pocket aces.
Ciklamini went on to bust Scott Bohlman in ninth place when he called Bohlman’s shove and caught a pair of twos score the elimination. Riberio was close behind in eighth after running into Wong’s two-pair in Five Card Draw.
After the final table re-draw, Hooman Nizad fell in seventh place in a Big O hand when Bai made a pair of aces to beat his pocket kings. Cinkamini was out in sixth after shoving with ace-eight against Strebkov’s ace-queen. Shanmukha Meruga managed to ladder up in the process, but he ran out of time after being forced all-in on his big blind, and Bai stepped in to finish the job with tens full of nines in a hand of Pot-Limit Omaha 8 or Better.
Bai was the next out after tangling with Wong in a hand of Pot-Limit 2-7 Triple Draw. The fourth-place finisher got it in and drew to a seven, but a queen on the third draw lost to Wong’s eight-seven. Pearce Arnold finished third after running into Strebkov’s nut flush in a hand of Big O.
Heads-up play started with both players close to even, but Wong took a big hit early when he made a failed attempt to bet Strebkov off of a flush. The big moment came just a short time later when Strebkov made three eights in Pot-Limit Omaha 8 or Better and Wong missed his last chance at a low draw.
Congratulations to Denis Strebkov for winning his second bracelet in Event #74: $2,500 Big Bet Mix. Be sure to keep it here throughout the rest of the series for updates on all of your favorite events from the PokerNews live reporting team.
Level 26
Pot Limit Omaha 8 or Better
With his chip stack now slightly over a million, Jerry Wong raised to 150,000 on the button/small blind and was called by Denis Strebkov in the big blind.
The duo saw a flop of 
, and Strebkov checked to Wong who bet 350,000. Strebkov check-raised all-in and Wong called.
Jerry Wong: 
Denis Strebkov: 
Wong's queens were behind Strebkov's trip eights, but he did have a low draw. Unfortunately for Wong, the 
and 
fell, giving Strebkov the victory and ending Wong's day in second place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
7,420,000
1,020,000
|
1,020,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 26
Pot-Limit Omaha 8 or Better
Denis Strebkov raised to 120,000 from the button and Jerry Wong three-bet to 360,000. Denis Strebkov placed a column of green chips in the middle to put Wong all-in and he called.
Jerry Wong: 
Denis Strebkov: 
The board ran out 
and the players split the high with their kings, while Wong took the low pot to quarter Strebkov.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,400,000
-120,000
|
-120,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
980,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
|
|
||
Level 26
No-Limit Hold'em
Jerry Wong and Denis Strebkov took a limped pot to a flop of 
.
Strebkov checked, and Wong bet 40,000 on the button. Strebkov then check-raised Wong to 110,000. Wong called.
The turn brought the and again Strebkov checked. Wong bet again, this time for 75,000. Strebkov just called.
On the river, Strebkov checked once more and Wong moved all-in for his last 395,000. Strebkov faced another tough decision, but this time he opted to fold.
With the win, Wong has crept back toward one million chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,520,000
-530,000
|
-530,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
900,000
530,000
|
530,000 |
|
|
||
Level 26
No-Limit Hold'em
Jerry Wong raised to 90,000 from the button and Denis Strebkov called.
The flop was 
and Strebkov checked. Wong bet 100,000 and Strebkov check-called.
The turn was 
and Strebkov checked again. Wong continued for 160,000 and Strebkov check-raised to 460,000. Wong called and the river was .
Strebkov bet 860,000 on the river and Wong went into the tank. After several minutes he shoved with Strebkov covered. Strebkov took his turn in the tank for several minutes before calling with . Wong turned over 
and Strebkov dragged a huge pot with the flush.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,050,000
3,695,000
|
3,695,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
370,000
-3,700,000
|
-3,700,000 |
|
|
||
Level 26
Big O
Denis Strebkov raised to 100,000 on the button and Pearce Arnold called in the big blind with approximately 350,000 behind.
On the 
flop, Pearce bet the pot, and Strebkov moved him all-in, which Pearce called.
Pearce Arnold: 
Denis Strebkov: 
The quickly fell on the turn, giving Strebkov the nut flush. Arnold was still drawing live to a low to chop the pot, but the fell on the river, ending his tournament in third place.
After a short impromptu break, Strebkov and Jerry Wong have agreed to pass on taking a dinner break, and will now play it out for the bracelet and $117,898 first prize.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,070,000
-210,000
|
-210,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,355,000
390,000
|
390,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 26
Richard Bai raised to 120,000 from the button and Jerry Wong bet the pot for 400,000 from the small blind. Bai called and drew two while Wong took one.
Wong bet pot on the first draw for 880,000. Bai shoved his last 1,280,000 and Wong called.
Bai drew one on each of the last two draws while Wong stood pat for both.
Wong turned over 
. Bai had 
and he peeled a 
to lose the pot and hit the rail in fourth place for $33,583.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,280,000
2,080,000
|
2,080,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 26
Pot-Limit Omaha
Jerry Wong limped in from the small blind and Pearce Arnold checked his option in the big blind.
The players checked the 
flop, then on the 
turn, Wong led out for 80,000. Arnold called, leaving himself about 300,000 in his stack.
The 
paired the board on the river, and Wong bet the size of the pot, 280,000, which was most of Arnold's remaining stack.
Arnold didn't take long to fold, preserving the shortest stack of the remaining four players.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,200,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
300,000 | |
Level 26