The 2021 WSOP Main Event is finally complete after Germany's Koray Aldemir was the last player standing out of 6,650 original runners in the $10,000 marquee event at the Rio Casino in Las Vegas. Aldemir defeated American George Holmes heads up at the final table to win his first-ever bracelet and $8 million in cash. Holmes earned $4.3 million for his magical run that unfortunately ended in second place.
We have a new champion. Ship it to Germany. Koray Aldemir was a seasoned pro from Germany who resided in Austria and coming into the Main Event, he was #8 on the all-time German money list with $12.5 million in earnings. He had gone deep in a couple WSOP events in 2016, but could only muster up a runner-up in a donkament and third-place finish in the One Drop High Roller. After binking the 2021 WSOP Main Event for an $8 million score, Aldemir passed $20 million in earnings and rocketed to fourth on the all-time Germany money list.
After a back-and-forth heads-up battle, Aldemir defeated George Holmes to win his first bracelet and the 2021 WSOP Main Event. Holmes, who is originally from New Jersey but now living in Atlanta, Georgia, played the role of the amateur in this battle of Joes vs Pros, but he'd been playing poker for over two decades yet mostly in cash games. Holmes had a heck of a run and banked $4.3 million for a runner-up finish.
The 2021 WSOP Main Event Championship and its $10,000 buy-in attracted 6,650 runners. Not bad all things considered for a fall version of the WSOP. The top 1,000 places paid out with $8 million set aside to the champion and everyone at the final table locking up at least a cool million.
The final table began on Tuesday with Germany's Korey Aldemir leading the final nine with 140M. American George Holmes was second with 83.7M. Two short stacks busted in the first six hands when American pro Chase Bianchi and the UK's Jareth East busted in the first orbit.
Argentina's Alejandro Lococo was knocked out in seventh place when he ran into Aldemir's flopped full house. Hye Park busted in sixth place when Aldemir won a race. Ozgur Secilmis from Turkey was picked off in fifth place when Aldemir won yet another race. Josh Remitio hit the bricks in fourth place when Jack Oliver took him out in fourth place.
On Day 9 or the second day of the final table, Koray Aldemir held the chip lead with 140M and more than half the chips in play. George Holmes was second overall with 83.7M, while Jack Oliver was the shorty with 30.4M.
It took 40-plus hands of three-handed before someone busted. The two of the smaller stacks squared off when Jack Oliver and George Holmes went to battle. Jack Oliver was the shorty and moved all-in for 35.7M with 
. George Holmes called with 
. Oliver hit the flop and paired his eight, but Holmes took the lead when the 
spiked on the turn. The pair of Jacks held up for Holmes and he dragged the pot.
Jack Oliver from the UK hit the road in third place, which paid out $3 million.
With two to go, it was Germany and the USA heads-up for the bracelet and championship. Holmes trailed Aldemir approximately 262M to 137.5M. The two had been the big stacks for the last couple of days, so it was inevitable that the two would throw down.
On Hand #233 of the final table or the 55 th hand of heads up play, we saw fireworks in a hand that everyone will be talking for a very long time. During Level 41 with Blinds at 1.2M/2.4M and a 2.4M ante, Holmes led 205M to 194M.
Holmes raised to 6M and Aldemir called. The flop was 
. Aldemir checked, Holmes fired 6M, Aldemir check-raised to 19M, and Holmes called. The 
hit the turn. Aldemir bet 36.5M and Holmes called as the pot swelled to over 120M. The 9c fell on the river. Aldemir checked, Holmes moved all-in for 133M. Aldemir tank-called with two pair and 
and won the pot with two pair against Holmes' pair of Kings with 
.
Aldemir won the pot, the tournament, the bracelet and $8 million in cash. Holmes was knocked out in second place and he earned a second-place finish worth $4.3 million.
Aldemir won the Main Event for his biggest score to date, but he also won his first-ever WSOP bracelet. He flirted with bracelet victories in 2016, but missed on two different instances. He took second place and lost heads up against Adrian Mateos in the "Summer Solstice" donkament, but he also finished third in the One Drop High Roller.
Prior to the WSOP Main Event, Aldemir had $12.3 million in tournament winnings according to Hendon Mob and was ranked #8 on the all-time Germany money list. After shipping the Main Event, Aldemir moved into #4 on the all-time German winner's list with $20.3 million. He's now behind Fedor Holz, Christoph Vogelsang, and Rainer Kempe. He also leapfrogged Dom Nitsche, Ole Schemion, and 2019 Main Event champ Hossein Ensan.
2021 WSOP Main Event
Buy-in: $10,000
Prize Pool: $62,011,250
Payouts: 1,000
Entrants: 6,650
Final Table Results:
1. Koray Aldemir (Germany) $8,000,000
2. George Holmes (USA) $4,300,000
3. Jack Oliver (UK) $3,000,000
4. Josh Reitio (USA) $2,300,000
5. Ozgur Secilmis (Turkey) $1,800,000
6. Hye Park (USA) $1,400,000
7. Alejandro Lococo (Argentina) $1,225,000
8. Jareth East (UK) $1,100,000
9. Chase Bianchi (USA) $1,000,000
