WSOP Event #48: SHOOTOUT No-Limit Hold'em

Event #48 of the 2021 WSOP is $1,500 SHOOTOUT No-Limit Hold'em, a unique format in which each starting table functions as its own single-table tourney and only the winner advances to the next run. This three-day, three-or-four-round event began at 11 am on Monday, October 25. The field was capped at 2,000 entrants, and late registration closed after just three 40-minute levels. Despite the small cap, the $1,500 SHOOTOUT No-Limit Hold’em drew a field of only 800. That round number created a similarly even 80 tables with ten players each to start the event. Each player started with 25,000 in chips. Play continued at each table until one player collected all 250,000 chips. On Day 3, the ten players at the final table played down a single winner. Gershon Distenfeld came out on top, scoring $204,063 and his first WSOP gold bracelet. While it's true that Distenfeld is a first-time bracelet winner, he did make a small cash in the 2021 WSOP $800 Deepstack event. With that said, his lifetime live earnings before today were just $14,300. That low lifetime earnings number doesn't include the $126k he scored for his 8th place finish in last year's Online WSOP Domestic Main Event. Distenfeld will give all of his winnings from the $1,500 Shootout to charity. He did the same thing last year with his winnings from the Domestic Main Event. He encouraged other bracelet winners to donate just 1% of their money to charity. "There's no lack of needs out there," Distenfeld said. "If I could have a lasting impact in the poker community, it would be that." Heads-up play was three hours long. The chips went back and forth between Distenfeld and Johan Schumacher. Schumacher was whittled down to just a few blinds several times during his battle with Distenfeld. He eventually hit the rail when Distenfeld's Q♣4♠ drew more than Schumacher's Q♦️T♣ after a pre-flop all-in. The final board stood at A❤️Q♠7♠4❤️K♠, and Schumacher came away with $126,133 for second place. WSOP Circuit regular Brett Apter, who is a two-time ring winner, was the reigning champion for this event. Apter beat a 917-entry field in 2019 to earn $238,824 and the bracelet in the second-largest payday of his poker career.Read about the 2021 WSOP Event #48 winner here.