Gabi Livshitz has every reason to smile after winning his first WSOP bracelet on Sunday night. (PokerStars photo)

Gabi Livshitz eliminated five of the final six players – including one of the most dominant players in PocketFives history – on his way to victory in Event #17($400 PLOSSUS) of the 2021 World Series of Poker Online on GGPoker Sunday night to earn his first WSOP bracelet and a six-figure score.

Having arrived at the final table with just a touch more than 10 big blinds, Shihhui Wang never managed to escape the danger zone. With blinds at 300,000/600,000, Livshitz raised to 1,200,000 holding JcTs9d8h from middle position before Wang jammed for 3,933,594 from the cutoff with AcQcQd7c. The Th8s4h flop gave Livshitz two pair and wrap. The turn was the 6d and the 9s river gave Livshitz a straight to bust Wang in seventh.

Livshitz had to wait nearly 25 minutes to find his second victim. From the button, Livshitz opened to 1,400,000 and then called when Lasse Enojarvi raised to 5,250,000 from the button. The flop came KdJh9s and Livshitz checked. Enojarvi moved all in for 4,135,424 and Livshitz called. Enojarvi tabled AdAh9d2d but got bad news when Livshitz showed KsQhTh6s for a flopped straight. Neither the 7h turn nor the Tc river were any help and Enojarvi was out in sixth place.

Five-handed play carried on for 37 minutes before Livshitz ended yet another player’s tournament. Former #1-ranked PocketFiver Niklas Astedt raised to 3,500,000 and Livshitz called from the big blind. The flop came 8s5s3d and Livshitz bet 7,718,750 and Astedt called all in for his last 6,539,398. Livshitz showed KhQh3c2s which gave him a slight lead over Astedt who tabled AhKsTh9h. The Qd turn gave Livshitz two pair and when the 7h river completed the board, Astedt was shown the exit in fifth place.

With Livshitz holding nearly half of the chips in play, the final four players played for 40 minutes without sending anybody home. That all ended after a pre-flop raising war between the two shortest remaining stacks. First to act, Idris Ambraisse raised to 2,400,000 with AcAh6c6s. Yuri Suvorov bumped it up to 8,400,000 from Ambraisse’s immediate left with AsQh2h2s. Livshitz and Shengchao Zhu both folded and Ambraisse moved all in for 24,512,632 and after a full minute of tanking, Suvorov called. The board ran out Ts4s3h9cJs to give Suvorov the nut flush and eliminate Amrbaisse in fourth.

Over the next 30 minutes of three-handed action, Suvorov took the chip lead from Livshitz but eventually conceded it back, setting up Livshitz to resume his duties as table captain. Suvorov conceded hi button and Livshitz limped from the small blind before Zhu raised to 4,800,00 from the big blind. Livshitz popped it up back up to 14,400,000 and Zhu called. The flop came Jd5c5d and Livshitz potted it to 29,400,000 with Zhu holding 33,145,442. Zhu moved all in and Livshitz called. Zhu showed KdKsTdTs but Livshitz turned over AdAh9c9s. Neither the 6s turn or the 3h river changed anything and Zhu was gone in third place.

Livshitz started heads up play against Suvorov with 65% of the chips in play. The two played for just four minutes before Livshitz put the finishing touches on a dominating performance. Suvorov raised to 4,800,000 and Livshitz re-raised to 14,400,000 and Suvorov called. After the Kd7h3c flop, Livshitz bet 17,520,000 and Suvorov called all in. Livshitz was ahead with AdAs6h3s while Suvorov was hoping for his JdJs8d8s holding to improve. The turn was the 7c and the river was the 7s to eliminate Suvorov in runner-up position and give Livshitz his first WSOP bracelet and $152,165.44.

The event attracted a total of 4,576 entries from 3,486 unique players to build a total prize pool of $1,738,880 to easily surpass the $1,000,000 guarantee.

Final Table Payouts

  1. Gabi Livshitz – $152,165.44
  2. Yuri Suvorov – $89,236.81
  3. Shengchao Zhu – $52,317.61
  4. Idris Ambraisse – $43,949.86
  5. Niklas Astedt – $35,065.02
  6. Lasse Enojarvi – $19,673.48
  7. Shihhui Wang – $22,107.05