Event #50: $600 Mixed No-Limit Hold'em/Pot-Limit Omaha Deepstack
Day 2 Completed
2021 World Series of Poker
Event #50: $600 Mixed No-Limit Hold'em/Pot-Limit Omaha Deepstack
Day: 2
Event Info
Level 35
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Darrin Wright had a premonition, and at the final table of Event #50: $600 No-Limit Hold’em/Pot-Limit Omaha, it became a reality.
The recreational player from Chicago dominated the final table, knocking out five of his seven opponents on his way to earning the victory and $127,219 top prize. It was not only Wright’s first WSOP bracelet, it was his first WSOP cash. His only other result came in a Circuit event in his hometown in 2019.
He might seem like a surprise champion, but Wright had a hunch he would end up in this spot. “I just felt it. You know how sometimes you can feel something and you can feel it in your stomach, they say that’s your gut. I felt it in my gut,” Wright said.
“I was crashing them. If you had seen me, it was like, I knocked out so many players.”
Wright was in total control of the final table, playing nearly every pot and putting pressure on his opponents. He knocked out John Gilchrist in seventh place with a full house. He eliminated Ryan Colton with top pair. He flopped quads to send Hanan Braun home in fifth. And he eliminated Joshua Ray in third with a pair of eights.
The end came in a hand of Pot-Limit Omaha, when he called the all in of Victor Paredes with 
on a board of 
. Paredes had top two pair, but this night belonged to Wright and he completed his flush on the 
river.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darrin Wright | $127,219 |
| 2 | Victor Paredes | $78,604 |
| 3 | Joshua Ray | $57,276 |
| 4 | Colten Yamagishi | $42,192 |
| 5 | Hanan Braun | $31,425 |
| 6 | Ryan Colton | $23,668 |
| 7 | John Gilchrist | $18,028 |
| 8 | Kyle Mclean | $13,889 |
Wright is retired after working for the Chicago Sun-Times. He’s only been playing poker recreationally for a few years but wanted to take his shot at WSOP glory in 2021.
“I just said I wanted to come out and do it, because people say you can come out and play in some of the smaller games and stuff like that and win pretty big,” he said. “And lo and behold, here I am.”
The event attracted a field of 1,569 players, 61 of whom returned to play on Day 2. Along the way Dan Zack (57th), Daniel Buzgon (42nd), Mark Seif (31st), and Lee Watkinson (23rd) hit the payout line. Day 1 chip leader Eric Froehlich fell in 15th place.
In the end, it was Wright left standing. He took control of the final table and steamrolled his way to victory. Just as he thought he would.
There are more bracelets to be handed out tonight, so check out the WSOP live reporting hub for more live updates!
Level 35
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Pot-Limit Omaha
On a limped pot, the flop read when Darrin Wright quickly check-called a bet from Victor Paredes for 1,800,000.
Things heated on the turn. Wright led out for 3,300,000 and Paredes tanked for some time before moving all in for a remaining stack around 11,500,000. Wright took a minute and made the call.
Victor Paredes: 
Darrin Wright:
Paredes was ahead with two pairs but the hit the river, giving a flush to Wright and eliminating Paredes in second place for $78,604.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
47,000,000
14,500,000
|
14,500,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 35
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Pot-Limit Omaha
Darrin Wright raised to 1,250,000 and Victor Paredes defended his big blind. The flop came 
, Paredes checked, Wright bet 1,200,000, and Paredes went all in for 6,200,000. Wright called.
Victor Paredes: 
Darrin Wright: 
Paredes had flopped two pair to outdraw the aces of Wright and stayed ahead on the 
turn and river to earn another double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
32,500,000
8,000,000
|
8,000,000 |
|
|
14,500,000
-8,000,000
|
-8,000,000 |
|
|
||
Level 35
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
No-Limit Hold'em
Darren Wright limped and Victor Paredes shoved all-in from the big blind, Wright called covering him.
Victor Paredes: 
Darrin Wright: 
The board ran out 
and Paredes doubled with a pair of threes.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
38,870,000
14,370,000
|
14,370,000 |
|
|
8,200,000
-14,300,000
|
-14,300,000 |
|
|
||
Level 35
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Pot-Limit Omaha
Darrin Wright called and Victor Paredes checked to see a flop 
. Paredes quickly check-called Wright's bet for 1,000,000. The turn was the and the same action happened, this time for 3,300,000.
A hit the river and both players opted to check. Wright flipped over 
for a pair of tens and Paredes looked at his cards one more time and sent them into the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
24,500,000
-4,900,000
|
-4,900,000 |
|
|
22,500,000
4,900,000
|
4,900,000 |
|
|
||
Level 35
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
29,400,000 | |
|
|
17,600,000
-600,000
|
-600,000 |
|
|
||
Level 35
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Pot-Limit Omaha
Darrin Wright limped from the button, Victor Paredes folded his small blind, and Joshua Ray checked. The flop came 
and Wright bet, Ray raised all in, and Wright snap-called.
Joshua Ray: 
Darrin Wright: 
Ray had a pair of deuces and a flush draw, while Wright had eights and a higher flush draw. The board ran out 
and Wright's pair stayed in front, eliminating Ray in third place.
Wright and Paredes are now preparing for heads-up play.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
29,400,000
5,900,000
|
5,900,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 35
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Pot-Limit Omaha
All three players limped in and saw a flop of 
. They checked through to the turn, when Victor Paredes bet 2,000,000.
Joshua Ray then raised to 8,000,000, Darrin Wright folded, and Paredes went all in for 9,150,000. Ray called.
Victor Paredes:
Joshua Ray: 
Ray had two pair with a flush draw, but Paredes had the lead with a straight. The 
came on the river to secure the double up for Paredes.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
18,200,000
11,800,000
|
11,800,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
8,600,000
-8,700,000
|
-8,700,000 |
Level 35
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Pot-Limit Omaha
Darrin Wright called for 500,000 on the button and it was completed by Victore Paredes and checked by Joshua Ray in the blinds.
The flop revealed 
and Paredes and Ray checked. Wright sent a bet worth 1,200,000 in the middle and Paredes tanked for a minute before announcing a raise to 5,600,000. Ray and Wright quickly folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
23,500,000
-850,000
|
-850,000 |
|
|
17,300,000
-500,000
|
-500,000 |
|
|
6,400,000
1,600,000
|
1,600,000 |
|
|
||