Noboa wins first 2021 WSOP online event

The 2021 World Series of Poker Online Bracelet Events kicked off on WSOP.com Thursday afternoon with 2021 WSOP Online Event #1: NLH Big 500 Kick-Off, which drew 837 runners who rebought 440 times.

The 1,277-entry field resulted in a $574,650 prize pool, and after 12 hours of play, it was New Jersey's Jose "deposit" Noboa who came out on top win a $105,161 top prize.

According to their database, Noboa has nine WSOP-related cashes totaling $39,341, including six online cashes for $17,227. Now, he has a six-figure score to his name and the first gold bracelet of the summer.

After Poker Hall of Famer Jack "borgia92" McClelland" bubbled the tournament in 181st place, the eliminations came at a rapid pace. Among the notables to cash were two-time WSOP bracelet winner Anthony "heheh" Zinno (151st - $861.97), fifteen-time bracelet winner Phil "Lumestackin" Hellmuth (141st - $861.97), defending champ Jonathan "Art.Vandelay" Dokler (75th - $1,149.30), Kathy "Luckygal" Liebert (39th - $2,126.20), Nick "CashUsKlay" Schulman (38th - $2,126.20), Jason "eddievedder" Koon (37th - $2,126.20), and last year's Championship Event runner-up Norman "Abnormality" Michalek (13th - $4,769.59).

The final table, which was streamed on the PokerNews Twitch channel, was filled with recognizable names including Michael "ParxBigStax" Marder, who busted after running queens into aces, and Shannon "Aulophobia" Shorr, who lost with king-ten to the ace-king of two-time WSOP Circuit online ring winner Christopher "basile28" Basile.

Steve "gborooo" Gross, fresh off winning a gold ring in the online Summer Super Circuit Series, was eliminated in sixth place after losing a race with pocket fours to the ace-nine of Ye "yuan365" Yuan, who you might recall as being at the 2020 WSOP Domestic final table last December.

Yuan, a student at the University of Wisconsin, made a run at the bracelet but ultimately came up two spots short in third place. It happened after he called off his stack with top pair of kings only to see Noboa roller over a rivered straight.

Heads-up play began with Basile and Noboa near even in chips, but before too long the latter pulled out to a big lead. Eventually, after more than 11 hours of play, Noboa sealed the deal after flopping a full house and getting Basile to call off with two pair.

Final Table Results

1 Jose "deposit" Noboa $105,161
2 Christopher "basile28" Basile $64,935
3 Ye "yuan365" Yuan $46,144
4 "LND999" $33,330
5 Ryan "PostmatesSel" Franklin $24,250
6 Steve "gborooo" Gross $17,872
7 "chuckthebum" $13,389
8 Shannon "Aulophobia" Shorr $10,114
9 Michael "ParxBigStax" Marder $7,758

(Article courtesy of World Series of Poker)