Josh Arieh took home the third bracelet in his career in the $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha for $204,766.

The Rio was buzzing on Friday for the World Series of Poker as six different events were taking place in various parts of the Amazon Room, Brasilia, and Pavilion.

However, all eyes were on the final table of the $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha where longtime WSOP mixed game grinder Josh Arieh, went the distance in commanding fashion, besting the final table of five and picking up $204,766 and the gold bracelet.

At the same time, the $10K. H.O.R.S.E. brought back a stable full of bracelet winners to see who would make the prestigious final table and another two events kicked off to keep the action going throughout the weekend.

Josh Arieh Wins Third Career Gold Bracelet

The final day of Event #39 ($1,500 Pot Limit Omaha) brought back the final six players to determine who would walk away with the $204,766 first-place prize and gold bracelet.

In the end, it was PocketFives own Josh Arieh who dominated the entire final table and earned the third gold bracelet of his career – his first since 2005 – and the sixth-largest WSOP cash of his career.

“I mean, I don’t know, I think I’m really good, just like everybody else,” he told PokerNews. “But I haven’t won a bracelet in 15 years. I’ve come close. I think I have three or four seconds in the last six years and I ****ing dog it, like I choke, and I started feeling that pressure again right at the beginning. But I was lucky enough to hold some cards and fought through the mental weakness I guess.”

Bracelet winner Tommy Le, finished in second place for $126,549 and Robert Blair took home the bronze for $89,968.

“I’m a gambler at heart and I gamble at anything that I feel like I have an edge or I gamble at anything that’s close to 50-50 because I feel like I’m lucky,” Arieh continued.

What’s more, is that Arieh sold pieces to this bracelet victory on right here on PocketFives and 10 backers turned $15 (1%) into a $2K score.

He also noted that he’s planning on trying to win bracelet #4 in the $10K Pot Limit Omaha. The new WSOP bracelet winner has routinely been selling action (and will continue to) in the new PocketFives Staking marketplace – so sign up right here.

Event #39 $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha Final Table Payouts

  1. Josh Arieh – $204,766
  2. Tommy Le – $126,549
  3. Robert Blair – $89,968
  4. Ivan Deyra – $64,890
  5. Gabriel Andrade – $47,492

Kevin Gerhart Leads Final Five in $10K H.O.R.S.E

The final 16 players returned to play to a final table in the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. and it was packed with former bracelet winners. Eleven of the 16 returning had earned at least one bracelet in the past, making it an especially tough day to make the final table.

Kevin Gerhart tops the final five returning for a shot at the $361,124 payday up top, followed closely by Eddie Blumenthal. Previous WSOP bracelet winners Marco Johnson, Bryce Yockey, and Brandon Shack-Harris round out the table which should make for exciting viewing when it’s broadcast on PokerGO on Saturday.

Eric Rodawig (16th, $20,272) and Max Pescatori (14th, $20,272) hit the rail early. They were eventually joined by Kevin Song (13th, $22,685), Jerry Wong (12th, $22,685), and GGPoker ambassador Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier, who busted in 10th place for a $26,171.

Three-time WSOP bracelet winner Benny Glaser fell in ninth place for $31,110, while David Benyamine (8th, $38,035) and Jake Schwartz (7th, $47,835) managed to ladder. Two-time bracelet winner Chris Vitch fell on the televised final table bubble in sixth place, taking home $61,819.

Event #40 $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Final Table Chip Counts

Kevin Gerhart – 2,720,000
Eddie Blumenthal – 2,400,000
Marco Johnson – 1,840,000
Bryce Yockey – 1,445,000
Brandon Shack-Harris – 540,000

Eight Left In $2,500 Freezeout

Just eight players remain in the tough field of Event #41 ($2,500 Freezeout) with Carlos Chang holding the overnight chip lead. When the final eight return they’ll be battling for a $364,589 first-place prize, with the final four all hauling in no less than six figures.

Brady Osterman is not far behind in second position and he’ll be joined by Arthur Conan, bracelet winner Sung Joo Hyun, and Sergi Reixach.

On Day 2, 135 players made it into the money and there were plenty of notable names who fell short of the final table but still managed to make the money. Sam Grafton (127th, $4,009), Kevin Martin (115th, $4,385), and Frank Marasco (105th, $4,385) were a few of the players who made an early exit.

Andre Akkari (73rd, $5,306), Ali Imsirovic (45th, $7912), Daniel Lazrus (29th, $9,112), and Jeremy Ausmus (29th, $9,112) all managed to ladder as well.

Event $41 $2,599 Freezeout Final Eight Chip Counts

  1. Carlos Chang – 8,140,000
  2. Brady Osterman – 7,690,000
  3. Arthur Conan – 4,800,000
  4. Quang Ngo – 4,300,000
  5. Gerald Cunniff – 2,000,000
  6. Sung Joo Hyun – 1,815,000
  7. Adrien Delmas – 1,400,000
  8. Sergi Reixach – 1,190,000

Dzivielevski, David ‘ODB’ Baker Make $1,500 Razz FT

A number of big names remain in the final seven players of Event #42 ($1,500 Razz). Charles Sinn holds the chip lead headed into the final table but he’ll have to contend with the likes of Matt Grapenthien, #1-ranked Yuri Dzivielevski, Alex Livingston, a short-stacked David ‘ODB’ Baker among others.

Just 98 players from a field of 311 returned to have a shot at the $99,188 first-place prize, but a little over half the Day 2 field would leave empty-handed. That was not the case for David ‘Bakes’ Baker (46th, $2,4310, four-time bracelet winner Anthony Zinno (41st, $2,431), and 2019 Player of the Year Robert Campbell (39th, $2,659) all of whom managed to sneak into the money.

Ryan Reiss (27th, $3,039), Julien Martini (24th, $3,376), and Frank Kassela (23rd, $3,376) managed a pay jump or two while Perry Friedman (18th, $4,376) and Bryan Micon (13th, $4,537) managed to make their way into the top 20.

Event #42 $1,500 Razz Final Table Chip Counts  

  1. Charles Sinn – 2,345,000
  2. Brett Feldman – 1,230,000
  3. Matt Grapenthien – 1,215,000
  4. Yuri Dzivielevski – 1,015,000
  5. Alex Livingston – 860,000
  6. Bradley Ruben – 855,000
  7. David ‘ODB’ Baker – 180,000

$1K Double Stack Kicks Off With 1937 Runners

Event #43 ($1,000 Double Stack) brought out a large field of NLHE experts and by the end of the day, it was Alexander Farahi who grabbed the chip lead, followed closely by Bay Area grinder Alex Greenblatt in second position.

The field drew 1,937 runners and just 506 found a bag with plenty of notables coming back for a shot at running it up including Barry Greenstein, Ian Steinmann, Jonathan Dokler, Jeff Platt, Daniel Smiljkovic, Ryan Leng, Maria Konnikova, and Ryan Hagerty among many.

Day 1B will get started on Saturday.

Event #43 $1,000 Double Stack Day 1A Top 5 Chip Counts

  1. Alexander Farahi – 742,500
  2. Alex Greenblatt – 617,500
  3. Alexander Tafesh – 601,000
  4. Eduardo Amaral – 596,000
  5. Alex Kulev – 591,500