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The 2021 World Series of Poker concluded on Tuesday from the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, with Josh Arieh officially being named the 2021 WSOP Player of the Year presented by Velo.

The Head of PocketFives and part-time poker player broke a 16-year drought to win his third WSOP bracelet in Event $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha. He followed that with a final table appearance in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship before winning Event #66: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Championship to collect his fourth career WSOP bracelet. With WSOP Player of the Year in sight, Arieh pushed to the very end making deep runs in three more events to see his 2021 WSOP conclude with 12 cashes, over $1.1 million in winnings, two WSOP bracelets, and 2021 WSOP Player of the Year honors.

It was a true battle to the last day as three players had the chance to overtake Arieh. Phil Hellmuth would have taken the lead with a victory in Event #84: $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller, while Daniel Negreanu fell two places shy in third of overtaking Arieh in Event #85: $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller. Heading into Event #88: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em, both Arieh and Negreanu were eliminated shy of the money, Hellmuth exited in 62nd place, and when Ben Yu fell 10th, Arieh was officially the 2021 WSOP Player of the Year.

Josh Arieh’s 2021 World Series of Poker Results

Event Place Prize
Event #20: $1,00 GGPoker Flip & Go 46th $4,335
Event #23: $1,500 8-Game Mix 64th $2,415
Event #27: $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. 53rd $3,215
Event #39: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha 1st $204,766
Event #60: $50,000 Poker Players Championship 6th $161,422
Event #66: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Championship 1st $484,791
Event #67: $10,000 Main Event 411th $30,000
Online Event #7: $3,200 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller 4th $96,049
Event #72: $1,500 Mixed No-Limit Hold’em / Pot-Limit Omaha 40th $5,057
Event #73: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Championship 9th $30,290
Event #84: $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller 7th $165,462
Event #86: $1,000 Super Turbo No-Limit Hold’em 10th $10,604

The 2021 WSOP Player of the Year Race was presented by Velo, and for the first time in WSOP history, there was a second leaderboard for No-Limit Hold’em only events. Both the WSOP Player of the Year and No Limits Velo leaderboards would award $25,000 in prize money each.

WSOP 2021 Presented by Velo Leaderboards

WSOP POY No Limits Velo
Place Prize Player Player
1st $15,000 Josh Arieh Scott Ball
2nd $7,500 Phil Hellmuth Koray Aldemir
3rd $2,500 Daniel Negreanu Cole Ferraro

Negreanu was chasing an unprecedented third WSOP Player of the Year award, while according to Hellmuth, this was the fourth time he finished runner-up for WSOP Player of the Year honors. The No Limits Velo award was won by Scott Ball who won two WSOP bracelets ahead of 2021 WSOP Main Event winner Koray Aldemir and youngster Cole Ferraro who at his first WSOP collected his maiden WSOP bracelet following a runner-up finish.

Arieh follows in the footsteps of Robert Campbell, Shaun Deeb, Chris Ferguson, Jason Mercier, Mike Gorodinsky, Greg Merson, Ben Lamb, Frank Kassela, Jeff Lisandro, Erick Lindgren, Tom Schneider, Jeff Madsen, Allen Cunningham, and Negreanu twice, as previous winners of the WSOP Player of the Year that dates back to 2004.

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WSOP, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Josh Arieh, Scott Ball, Koray Aldemir, 2021 WSOP, WSOP 2021, Cole Ferraro, Velo