$3,500 NLH Championship
Day 3 Completed
2021 Wynn Fall Classic
$3,500 NLH Championship
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2021 Wynn Fall Classic
Buy-in
$3,500
Prize Pool
$5,724,375
Entries
1,775
Level
38
Blinds
500,000 / 1,000,000
Ante
500,000
Entries
33
Players Left
1
Level 38
: 500,000/1,000,000, 500,000 ante
On Tuesday, the Wynn Fall Classic $3,500 Championship reached its conclusion. The tournament, which offered a $3 million guarantee, drew a 1,775-entry field over three starting flights generating a $5,724,375 prize pool.
After three days of intense play, it was poker pro Jeremy Kottler claiming the title and $643,267 in prize money. Prior to the victory, Kottler had $1,675,372 in live tournament earnings according to The Hendon Mob. That included a prior career-best $251,968 for finishing fourth in the 2013 Borgata Poker Open $3,500 Main Event.
Kottler, who has an economics degree from The Ohio State University, is a WSOP Online Circuit gold ring winner and recently finished in 37th place for $12,062 in last month’s Wynn Fall Classic $2,200 Mystery Bounty.
2021 Wynn Fall Classic Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremy Kottler | United States | $643,267* |
| 2 | Albert Nguyen | Canada | $550,959* |
| 3 | Shachar Haran | Israel | $532,110* |
| 4 | Tommy Tran | United States | $265,296 |
| 5 | Chris Smith | United States | $196,466 |
| 6 | Thomas Eychenne | France | $153,127 |
| 7 | Chris Moorman | United States | $123,360 |
| 8 | Taus Lilius | Denmark | $102,352 |
| 9 | Florin Pandilica | Romania | $86,381 |
*Denotes three-way deal.
Day 3 saw 33 players, each guaranteed $27,860 in prize money, return to action, which came at a fast and furious pace. Among those to hit the rail before the final table were Michael Gathy (32nd - $27,860), Alex Foxen (31st - $27,860), Stanley Lee (23rd - $31,704), Matt Waxman (20th - $41,420), Valerie Novak (19th - $41,420), Brian Hastings (18th - $41,420), Day 1a chip leader Naor Slobodskoy (13th - $63,268), and Joel Wadsworth Jr (10th - $73,518).
A full list of the payouts can be found in the payouts tab.
Final Table Action
The final table was a deep-stacked affair so it was no surprise that it took a cooler for the first bust out to occur. It happened when Florin Pandilica four-bet jammed with two black kings only to see Shachar Haran call and roll over two red aces. The superior pocket pair held and Pandilica was out in ninth place for $86,381.
Start-of-the-day chip leader Taus Lilius was the next to go after flopping aces and tens with a king kicker only to have Tommy Tran get him with trip tens. Lilius became the first player to take home a six-figure score with $102,352 thanks to his eighth-place finish.
Two-time bracelet winner and online poker legend Chris Moorman exited in seventh place after three-bet jamming with ace-three suited and failing to overcome Tran’s pocket sixes. That hand was really the start of Tran’s ascent, though in the very next hand it was someone else scoring a knockout.
It happened when Thomas Eychenne three-bet jammed his short stack with pocket nines only to have Nguyen, the original raiser, call with pocket jacks. The fishhooks held and Eychenne made his way to the payout desk in sixth place to collect $153,127.
Not long after, Chris Smith check-jammed a flopped diamond flush draw and Tran called with top pair. Smith, who back in September won the MSPT Sycuan Casino $360 Regional Event for $33,149, failed to connect and had to settle for fifth place and $196,466 in prize money.
At one point Tran had nearly 50 million of the 71 million chips in play and seemed to have things well in control while Kottler was the extreme short stack. Fate had other ideas for both players as one-by-one Tran’s opponents double and he became stuck in reverse. Near the end of his tournament, he lost a flip with pocket fives to Nguyen’s ace-king, and not long after Nguyen used the same hand to finish him off, this time against the inferior ace-ten.
The final three players then worked an ICM deal that saw them all lock up $500K but leave money to play for — $22,634 for third place, $50,000 for second, and $100,000 for the winner along with the trophy. At the time, Kottler had climbed out of his hole to hold a slight chip lead
Nguyen proceeded to double with aces to the nine of Haran, who bowed out in third place shortly thereafter for $532,110. That allowed Nguyen to take a small chip lead into heads-up play, which turned into a back-and-forth affair.
After a couple of hours, it came down to a flip with stacks nearly even. Nguyen held pocket sevens and Kottler Big Slick. An ace on the flop sealed the deal for Kottler and sent Nguyen back to Canada as the runner-up.
Remaining 2021 Wynn Fall Classic Schedule
| Date | Time (PT) | Tournament | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 3 | 12 p.m. | $550 No-Limit Hold'em | $100,000 |
| Nov. 4-6 | 12 p.m. | $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em | $400,000 |
| Nov. 6 | 1 p.m. | $550 Pot-Limit Omaha | $50,000 |
| Nov. 7-9 | 12 p.m. | $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em (Daily one-day tournaments) | $200,000 |
| Nov. 10-14 | 12 p.m. | $550 No-Limit Hold'em (Daily one-day tournaments) | $10,000 |
| Nov. 15-18 | 12 p.m. | $1,600 Mystery Bounty | $1,500,000 |
| Nov. 19-21 | 12 p.m. | $400 No-Limit Hold'em (Daily one-day tournaments) | $20,000 |
PokerNews will return November 15-18 for the Wynn Fall Classic $1,600 Mystery Bounty.
Level 38
: 500,000/1,000,000, 500,000 ante
Jeremy Kottler raised to 4 million and then called the 33.5M three-bet jam from Albert Nguyen.
Albert Nguyen: 
Jeremy Kottler: 
Nguyen was racing for his tournament life and was ahead until an ace appeared in the window on the 
flop.
The 
turn left Nguyen needing a lucky seven on the river, but it came the 
and ended his tournament in second place for $559,476
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
71,000,000
33,100,000
|
33,100,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 38
: 500,000/1,000,000, 500,000 ante
Albert Nguyen raised all in for 16.550 million and Jeremy Kottler called.
Jeremy Kottler: 
Albert Nguyen: 
The flop came 
pairing both players while giving Kottler the nut flush draw and just when Nguyen thought he was drawing dead, the dealer dropped the on the turn, giving him trips.
Nguyen needed to fade the river and did as the 
completed the board and secured his double-up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
37,900,000
-14,550,000
|
-14,550,000 |
|
|
33,100,000
14,550,000
|
14,550,000 |
Level: 38
Blinds: 500,000/1,000,000
Ante: 500,000
Level 37
: 400,000/800,000, 400,000 ante
Players are on a ten-minute break.
Level 37
: 400,000/800,000, 400,000 ante
A series of preflop raises saw Jeremy Kottler get his 26.225 million stack in the middle and Albert Nguyen called.
Jeremy Kottler: 
Albert Nguyen: 
It was a classic with Nguyen ahead until a jack appeared in the window on the 
flop.
The 
turn didn't change a thing nor did the 
river and Kottler collected the double-u.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
52,450,000
15,450,000
|
15,450,000 |
|
|
18,550,000
-15,450,000
|
-15,450,000 |
Level 37
: 400,000/800,000, 400,000 ante
Albert Nguyen raised to 1.6 million and Jeremy Kottler called.
Both players then checked the 
flop as well as the 
turn.
Kottler then checked the 
river and folded when Nguyen bet 1.1 million.
Despite losing that hand, Kottler has pulled out to a small chip lead over Nguyen in this back-and-forth heads-up match.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
37,000,000
11,000,000
|
11,000,000 |
|
|
34,000,000
-11,000,000
|
-11,000,000 |
Level 37
: 400,000/800,000, 400,000 ante
Albert Nguyen raised and Jeremy Kottler defended his big blind bringing the 
flop.
Kottler check-called the 800,000 continuation bet from Nguyen and then did the same for 2.9 million after the 
fell on the turn.
After the 
completed the board on the turn, Kottler check-called one last time for 10 million.
Nguyen quickly showed 
to win the pot with trip nines.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
45,000,000
15,000,000
|
15,000,000 |
|
|
26,000,000
-15,000,000
|
-15,000,000 |
Level: 37
Blinds: 400,000/800,000
Ante: 400,000