Event #8: $600 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack
Day 3 Completed
2021 World Series of Poker
Event #8: $600 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2021 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$600
Prize Pool
$2,309,280
Entries
4,527
Level
42
Blinds
1,200,000 / 2,400,000
Ante
2,400,000
Entries
5
Players Left
1
Level 42
: 1,200,000/2,400,000, 2,400,000 ante
After just over an hour of final table action, Zhi Wu of Boston, Massachusetts defeated Ari Mezrich of Las Vegas in heads-up play to win the gold bracelet in Event #8: $600 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack.
The first Deepstack event of the 2021 World Series of Poker attracted 4,527 entrants to generate a $2,309,280 prize pool from which Wu collected $281,604 for the victory.
The victory was Wu’s first cash at the WSOP after previous success in other tournaments around the country.
Event #8: $600 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack Final Table Results
| Place | Name | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhi Wu | United States | $281,604 |
| 2 | Ari Mezrich | United States | $173,998 |
| 3 | Chrishan Sivasundaram | United States | $131,675 |
| 4 | Ryan Chan | Canada | $100,330 |
| 5 | Nicholas Zautra | United States | $76,974 |
Winner's Reaction
Wu hails from Boston and plays most of his poker in home games with his friends, some of whom were on the rail for his victory. The group plans to go home to Boston after this weekend before returning at the end of October for the Main Event.
“I won a Foxwoods $400 a couple of years ago and I came in second in a $1,700 bounty in Florida,” Wu said through a translator. “I am not a professional, but I have some experience.
“I am going to play the Millionaire Maker, the Main Event, and a few others. We plan to party a little bit but stick to the schedule.”
The $600 deepstack event drew previous bracelet-winners Asi Moshe, Joey Weissman, and Craig Varnell, but they were all eliminated prior to Day 3 and the final table welcomed a group of fresh faces looking for their first WSOP victory.
Final Table Action
The action unfolded quickly when Chrishan Sivasundaram knocked out Nicholas Zautra with a pair of kings as the final table got underway. Zautra was soon followed by Ryan Chen in fourth place. Chen was Wu’s first victim of the day when he shoved his stack with middle-pair on the flop against Wu’s top-pair of eights.
Wu applied pressure early in three-handed play and extended the lead with two big pots before eliminating Sivasundaram in third place. Wu called Sivasundaran’s shove with seven-three and the hot run continued when he made two-pair on the flop.
Runner-up Mezrich entered the day as the shortest stack and Wu held a commanding lead going into heads-up play, but Mezrich immediately went to work and doubled up twice before taking two other pots to bring the players near even. In a matter of minutes, Wu had lost his commanding chip lead and Mezrich was on the march.
“I was nervous about big hands so I changed my strategy,” Wu said. “I played big hands differently because I knew my opponent was a strong heads-up player.”
The nerves didn’t last long, however, and Wu soon looked down at a pair of aces. Mezrich called off with mid-pair after tanking for more than a minute when Wu shoved the turn. The river was a brick and Wu was all smiles as he took his first look at the WSOP gold bracelet.
This wraps up coverage of Event #8: $600 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack. Be sure to keep it with the PokerNews live reporting team for updates on all the action as it happens live from the 2021 WSOP.
Level 42
: 1,200,000/2,400,000, 2,400,000 ante
Zhi Wu raised to 5,200,000 and Ari Mezrich made the call.
The flop was 
and Mezrich checked. Wu bet 5,000,000 and Mezrich called.
The turn was 
and Mezrich checked again. Wu shoved 51,000,000 and had Mezrich covered.
Mezrich went into the tank for more than a minute before he called and turned over 
for a pair of tens. Wu turned over 
.
The river was 
and the aces and jacks knocked Mezrich out of the tournament.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
135,810,000
64,910,000
|
64,910,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level: 42
Blinds: 1,200,000/2,400,000
Ante: 2,400,000
Level 41
: 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Ari Mezrich limped, and Zhi Wu checked back from the big blind.
Both players checked the 
flop, as well as the 
turn. Mezrich bet 10,000,000 on the 
river and Wu called.
Mezrich tables 
, good for a king-high flush and the win.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
70,900,000
-12,000,000
|
-12,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
64,800,000
12,000,000
|
12,000,000 |
Level 41
: 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Zhi Wu called and Ari Mezrich checked the option from the big blind.
The flop was 
and both players checked.
The turn was 
and Mezrich checked again. Wu bet 2,500,000 and Mezrich raised to 6,000,000. Wu called and the river was 
.
Mezrich bet 6,000,000 on the river and Wu called. Mezrich showed for sevens full of kings and Wu's hand went into the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
82,900,000
-17,600,000
|
-17,600,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
52,800,000
17,600,000
|
17,600,000 |
Level 41
: 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Ari Mezrich shoved from the small blind for 16,600,000, and Zhi Wu called in the big blind.
Ari Mezrich: 
Zhi Wu: 
Board: 
The flop brought in a favorable hand for Mezrich, who made nines full and left Wu drawing dead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
100,500,000
-18,600,000
|
-18,600,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
35,200,000
18,600,000
|
18,600,000 |
Level 41
: 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Zhi Wu shoved from the small blind, and Ari Mezrich called.
Ari Mezrich: 
Zhi Wu: 
Board: 
Both players paired up on the flop, but Mezirch's top pair stayed ahead through the runout.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
119,100,000
-2,300,000
|
-2,300,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
16,600,000
2,300,000
|
2,300,000 |
Level 41
: 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Chrishan Sivasundaram shoved for 20,100,000 from the small blind, and Zhi Wu called from the big blind.
Chrishan Sivasundaram:
Zhi Wu:
Board: 
Two pair came in on the flop for Wu, and the turn left Sivasundaram drawing dead. Sivasundaram exited the tournament in third place, collecting $131,675.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
121,400,000
20,100,000
|
20,100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
14,300,000
-1,000,000
|
-1,000,000 |
|
Busted | |
Level 41
: 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Zhi Wu limped from the small blind and Ali Mezrich checked the option.
The flop was 
and both players checked.
The turn was and Wu led out with a bet for 2,000,000. Mezrich called and the river was .
Wu continued on the turn for 3,000,000 and Mezrich folded to give the chip leader another pot to extend the lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
101,300,000
27,500,000
|
27,500,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
19,100,000
-15,900,000
|
-15,900,000 |
|
|
15,300,000
-11,600,000
|
-11,600,000 |