First WSOP bracelet win for Dula

14 October 2021

Dalibor Dula

Dalibor Dula (photo by WSOP)

Dalibor Dula bested Cole Ferraro heads up to take down Event #22: $1,000 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em for $199,227 and his first WSOP bracelet as well as the biggest score of his career. "It hasn't set in for me yet. I think in a week or so I will feel happy, right now I just feel shocked."

Dula, who hails from the Czech Republic, had been playing poker for five years but came to his first WSOP this year and started with a cash in Event #4: $500 The Reunion for $1,540. With his win here today, he vaults himself into the top 100 all-time Czech Republic earners.

The final table was a star-studded affair, with WSOP Circuit ring leader Maurice Hawkins and high stakes regular Maxx Coleman, but in the end it was the two relatively new faces battling heads up for the bracelet.

Dula was all-in and at risk many times throughout the final table and during heads up.

"I was just so focused, " He said. "I did not really think about the flips. Once you are all in, it is out of your hands, you can't do anything to win that all in or lose it."

The Czech Republic pro said that he would be playing the rest of the series as well as the World Series of Poker Europe, hoping to make deep runs in some more events.

The tournament brought out 1,358 entrants to generate a prizepool of $1,208,620 and paid out 204 places. Action lasted two days with 38 total levels being played until a champion was crowned.

The first casualty at the final table came when John Roh tried to bluff all-in against Guowei Zhang's flopped set of sevens. Zhang called him and John Roh was eliminated in 10th place ($13,672).

Next to go were 14-time WSOP circuit ring winner Maurice Hawkins in 9th place ($17,270) and start of day chip leader Levi Klump in 8th place ($22,080) when Hawkins' jacks and Klump's ace-queen could not win against Maxx Coleman's king-jack.

Nicolo Audannio was next to go when his all-in got called by the final table chip leader Cole Ferraro. The ace-eight could not find improvement against the pocket jacks and Audannio was eliminated in 7th place ($28,565).

Play slowed down significantly six-handed, with Cole Ferraro pulling away with the lead and the other stacks jockeying for middle position, but ultimately it was Anthony Askey who's pocket queens were cracked by Edward Welch's king-jack to leave him very short. He busted shortly after when his last chips got in with king ten-suited only to have the river end him when Ferraro rivered a pair of queens. Askey was eliminated in 6th place ($37,393).

High-stakes regular Maxx Coleman got into a race with the chip leader Ferraro and his king-ten suited could not hold up against Ferraro's queen jack suited when it turned a flush. Coleman exited in 5th place ($49,519) and Ferraro had put considerable distance between himself and the rest of the field.

Guowei Zhang and Dalibor Dula got into many all-ins with each other at this point. Both of them trading stacks and having the other at risk for their tournaments at least once, but Dula's ace-queen managed to beat Zhang's pocket threes and sent him out the door in 4th place ($66,335).

Edward Welch started the day with the second shortest stack out of 38 remaining players and managed to double up many times, get to the final table, and end the tournament with a podium finish in 3rd place ($89,875). His ace-two suited could not improve enough against Ferraro's ace-ten and he found himself leaving with Dula and Ferraro to play heads up.

The match between Dalibor Dula and Cole Ferraro lasted roughly four levels. Ferraro began with the chip lead, but the gap narrowed significantly to when Dula won a few key pots to keep himself neck and neck with Ferraro. A key moment had happened when Dula was ahead by a few pots and had put Ferraro all in for his tournament life when Dula had pocket tens in his hand and Ferraro had flopped three eights on an eight-high board. Dula was unable to improve and Ferarro pulled into the chip lead by a significant margin.

It seemed all but over for Dula, who had a roughly 9/1 chip deficit, as he called an all-in for his tournament life with ace-five suited against the pocket kings of Cole Ferraro. An ace on the river kept his tournament hopes alive and from that moment forward the momentum was on Dula's side.

Play lasted 40-minutes more after the fortuitous ace on the river, as Dula continued to apply pressure and took the chip lead. It all came to an end when Dalibor Dula went all in from the button with king-three suited and Ferraro called it off with jack-eight suited and found no improvement on the board, giving Dula the victory and eliminating Ferraro in 2nd place ($123,142).

Final Table Results
1 Dalibor Dula Czech Republic $199,227
2 Cole Ferraro United States $123,142
3 Edward Welch United States $89,875
4 Guowei Zhang United States $66,335
5 Maxx Coleman United States $49,519
6 Anthony Askey United States $37,393
7 Nicolo Audannio United States $28,565
8 Levi Klump United States $22,080
9 Maurice Hawkins United States $17,270

(Article courtesy of World Series of Poker)

Related Links
Ranked Online Poker Rooms
WSOP.com Site Details
World Series of Poker Gaming Vendor Information

Featured Vendors
Casino Schedule Ease
Casino Network
Casino Schedule Ease
Full Featured & customizable for the complex scheduling needs of table games & other casino depts
Casino Network
20+ years experience selling refurbished slot machines, parts & glass for all major brands
Casino City Press
TribalHub
Casino City Press
A leading publisher and distributor of casino and gaming business data and market research reports.
TribalHub
26th Annual TribalNet Conference Sept 15-18, 2025 at Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada
Shenzhen ZhengYuanTai Technology Co., Ltd.
Texas Slots & Gaming
Shenzhen ZhengYuanTai Technology Co., Ltd.
14 years experienced gaming display manufacturer: open frame, curved, and halo monitors
Texas Slots & Gaming
Wholesale gaming reimagined. Texas Slots & Gaming is your sustainable gaming partner.
Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) Conference
Regulatory Management Counselors, PC
Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) Conference
The biggest little show in Indian gaming! Save the date: July 14-16, 2025 Tulsa, Oklahoma
Regulatory Management Counselors, PC
Over 45 years of experience serving the legal and regulatory needs of casino industry clients
Betson Imperial Parts & Service
Sunkist Graphics, Inc.
Betson Imperial Parts & Service
Your one stop shop for all your gaming and OEM needs!
Sunkist Graphics, Inc.
Specializing in the creation of best-of-breed gaming graphics - slot glass, sign faces, and more
Global Gaming Expo (G2E)
Imagine This
Global Gaming Expo (G2E)
The largest gathering of global, commercial and tribal gaming professionals in North America.
Imagine This
Imagine This #1 Source for Player Gifts. Over $50 million in stock ready to ship! Let us serve you!
Players Pal
Rymax Marketing Services, Inc.
Players Pal
Revolutionize the way you connect with your casino players with the Players Pal mobile app
Rymax Marketing Services, Inc.
Leader in creating award winning player & employee loyalty programs & events proven to increase ROI
AmericanChecked
Slot Machines Unlimited
AmericanChecked
Background checks for the gaming industry with key & non-key packages & fingerprinting solutions
Slot Machines Unlimited
Exporter of IGT, Williams, AVP, Trimline, Aristocrat, Konami, Bally, & parts over 20 yrs experience


Your Guide to 14,828 Gaming Industry Suppliers