Sixteen cashes, 4 closing tables, and two bracelets earned Dan Zack the 2022 World Collection of Poker Participant of the 12 months crown. [Image: PokerGO.com]
Deeb taught Zack all of the methods
A few weeks in the past, I used to be enjoying the 2022 World Collection of Poker Mini Important Occasion, drawing an unusually robust desk for such a gentle event that included Shaun Deeb and high Irish participant/skilled thriller bounty envelope-opener Padraig O’Neill.
Deeb exquisitely “reversed slowrolled” me
Deeb exquisitely “reversed slowrolled” me in a spot the place we received it all-in on the flip, I holding the third nuts and he with the nut blocker.
“Nuts,” he declared earlier than rolling over the nut-draw with one card to come back. I held and we received chatting, enjoying a sport of “Title the Important Occasion winners from annually in reverse chronological order” after which later discussing the Participant of the 12 months contest. It went roughly as follows:
Me: “How many individuals can win it?”
Deeb: “That’s an important query.”
Me: “Thanks Shaun, asking nice questions is what I do.”
Deeb: “What do you suppose the quantity is?”
Me: “40-50?”
Deeb: “It’s greater than that. If somebody catches warmth early, they usually go for it and at all times have an opportunity.”
Me: “Truthful level.”
Deeb: “However you’re proper that it’s not that many.”
The dialog naturally turned to the chief within the race Dan Zack with Deeb half-jokingly, half critically lamenting how he had given away to Zack “all of the methods” of maximize his possibilities. Deeb definitely is aware of his stuff on this entrance. He’s a perennial chaser, at all times within the combine, and this yr was no exception as he completed fourth. The truth is, while you have a look at whole WSOP POY factors earned over the past decade, he’s miles in entrance.
Zack’s three-year objective
Zack hopped into every thing he may down the house stretch, finally holding off challenges from Deeb, Dan Weinman (2nd), Koray Aldemir (third), and David Peters (fifth). A contender since 2017, it was lastly his time. Sixteen cashes, 4 closing tables and two gold bracelets was sufficient to recover from the road.
After being declared the winner, an emotional and grateful Zack made it clear that full-time poker just isn’t in his long-term future. He’s getting married subsequent yr and plans to quiet down and have a household. This was due to this fact considered one of his final photographs on the title.
it’s been an insane battle annually and I’m actually ecstatic to truly get there”
“It means loads, I set a objective three years in the past that I actually needed to attempt to win it earlier than I left poker, and that is the third sequence I’ve tried…it’s been an insane battle annually and I’m actually ecstatic to truly get there…I’ve been tremendous pressured the previous few weeks making an attempt to shut out the sequence. Because of everybody who’s wished me luck.”
Two bracelets
On his approach to successful POY, Zack received his second and third bracelets, single-handedly protecting the streak of double-bracelet winners on the sequence since 2000 alive. These bracelets have been laborious fought, as Zack performed two of the longest heads-up matches of the summer season to assert them.
Zach’s first got here within the $10,000 buy-in Omaha Eight-or-Higher Championship occasion, during which he battled with Dustin Dirksen for seven hours to finally declare the title and $440,757. His second got here within the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Eight-or-Higher Championship occasion the place he received $324,174. This time, it was David Funkhouser who clung on for eight hours earlier than lastly succumbing.
Regardless of the 2 victories, Zack may really feel the chasing pack respiratory down his neck and knew that he must make EV sacrifices. He alluded to this in his post-victory interview:
“You’re tossing away just a few hundred {dollars} right here and there simply to present your self the most effective likelihood to compete as a result of that guys like (Deeb) are doing the identical factor and it’s the one approach to hold tempo with them.”
Poker immortality
Down the homestretch, with the POY crown inside his grasp, Zack bought motion to enter the $250,000 buy-in Tremendous Excessive Curler occasion. He made the ultimate desk, bowing out in eighth place for $488,095 and an important factors injection. On the 2022 WSOP, his cashes totaled virtually $1.5m, accounting for half of his profession reside event earnings.
Zack’s prize for successful Participant of the 12 months is a customized trophy and a $10,000 seat into the 2023 important occasion. Extra importantly although, he turns into immortalized on the WSOP with a customized banner that can dangle proudly on the wall of both Bally’s or Paris throughout future Collection.
Closing 2022 WSOP POY Standings
- Dan Zack – 4,530.64
- Daniel Weinman – 4,040.20
- Koray Aldemir – 3,275.02
- Shaun Deeb – 3,197.65
- David Peters – 2,982.08
- Yueqi Zhu – 2,766.27
- Joao Vieira – 2,752.88
- Joao Simao Peres – 2,735.76
- Alex Foxen – 2,548.47
- Brian Rast – 2,520.06
- Dario Sammartino – 2,465.20
- Phil Hui – 2,445.32
- Yuri Dzivielevski – 2,433.13
- Lawrence Brandt – 2,418.11
- Calvin Anderson – 2,403.91
- Georgios Sotiropoulos – 2,397.74
- Harry Lodge – 2,370.19
- Raj Vohra – 2,358.05
- Chad Eveslage – 2,346.89
- Jose Ignacio Barbero – 2,333.67
- Michael Moncek – 2,320.70
- Phil Ivey – 2,264.88
- Yuliyan Kolev – 2,250.31
- Adam Hendrix – 2,242.90
- Scott Seiver – 2,236.35
