With 2022 approaching, the final few major tournaments of the year are coming to a close. The latest tournament to conclude was the 2021 Wynn Winter Classic $5,300 buy-in no-limit hold ’em main event. The tournament attracted a packed field of 672 entries across two starting flights, crushing the $2 million guarantee to create a final prize pool of $3,306,240. In the end, it was Eli Berg who championed it to earn $626,499 and his first recorded live tournament title for the victory.
This was the largest poker score ever for the Massachusetts native to earn $626,499, easily crossing the $94,625 he had earned as the fifth-place finisher in a $25,000 buy-in high roller at the 2018 L.A. Poker Classic. This latest victory took his lifetime tournament earnings to more than $1.3 million.
This was his second POY-qualified score of the year, having also finished eighth in a $5,200 buy-in progressive bounty event at this same series a week before taking down this event. With 1,776 total points, Berg has now moved to 112th place in the 2021 POY race sponsored by Global Poker.
The final day began with 24 contenders, with Berg holding the seventh-largest stack. Several big names cashed the event before the official final table was reached, including Tim Reilly (22nd for $26,491), WPT champion Pavel Plesuv (19th for $30,332), Mitchell Halverson (17th for $34,881), bracelet winner Romain Lewis (16th for $34,881), & bracelet winner Boris Kolev (12th for $46,131).
Berg began the 9-handed final table as second in chips, just a few big blinds behind bracelet winner Joseph Cheong. Zachary Mcdiarmid knocked out Z Stein (9th for $63,024), before exiting in eighth place for $74,853) at the hands of Germany’s Christopher Frank. Following Mcdiarmid were Garrett Greer (6th for $112,412), Christopher Frank (5th for $145,144) & Joseph Cheong (4th for $196,391).
After Shannon Shorr going out in 3rd place for $278,749, it finally came down to the head-up for the title. The final showdown began with Loli holding 19,800,000 over Berg’s 7,100,000. Berg managed to double up twice to overtake the lead and eventually ship the title. On the final hand, all the chips went in preflop with Loli holding Ah 10c against Berg’s Ac Js. The board ran out Jd 10h 8c 3c 6s and Berg won the title with the top pair, top kicker. Loli took home $410,599 for his runner-up finish.
Final Table Payouts
|
1. |
Eli Berg – |
$626,499 |
|
2. |
Mark Ioli – |
$410,599 |
|
3. |
Shannon Shorr – |
$278,749 |
|
4. |
Joseph Cheong – |
$196,391 |
|
5. |
Christopher Frank – |
$145,144 |
|
6. |
Garrett Greer – |
$112,412 |
|
8. |
Zachary Mcdiarmid – |
$74,853 |
|
9. |
Z Stein – |
$63,024 |