Event #85: $50,000 High Roller
Day 2 Completed
2021 World Series of Poker
Event #85: $50,000 High Roller
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2021 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$50,000
Prize Pool
$5,409,875
Entries
113
Level
26
Blinds
300,000 / 600,000
Ante
300,000
Entries
113
Players Left
1
Level 26
: 300,000/600,000, 300,000 ante
After just two days of play out of the originally scheduled three days, Mikita Badziakouski has emerged victorious in Event #85: $50,000 High Roller. Badziakouski topped a 113-entry field to take home his first gold bracelet in addition to the $1,462,043 first-place prize.
The 29-year-old Belarusian has had a number of close calls prior to today's victory, including a second-place finish in a online WSOP short deck event on GGPoker back in July, and more recently, a fifth-place finish in the $25,000 heads-up event earlier in the series.
"Honestly, the bracelet is not as important for me as it is for many other players," Badziakouski said on how it felt to win his first. "I will just say it feels great to win a high roller."
Indeed, it was business as usual for Badziakouski, who said he relied on his experience toward his path to victory.
"I've played many final tables. You just try to perform your best — there's no special or unique ideas. You just do what you've learned before and that's it."
A regular attendee of high-roller events, Badziakouski had already racked up over $29 million in tournament earnings according to The Hendon Mob prior to today's victory. Badziakouski's first-place prize following today's win marks an incredible eighth seven-figure score for him from tournaments.
2021 WSOP Event #85: $50,000 High Roller Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mikita Badziakouski | Belarus | $1,462,043 |
| 2 | Ren Lin | United States | $903,610 |
| 3 | Daniel Negreanu | Canada | $661,041 |
| 4 | Jason Koon | United States | $489,585 |
| 5 | Stephen Chidwick | United States | $367,153 |
| 6 | Ali Imsirovic | Bosnia | $278,840 |
| 7 | Carlos Villamarin | United States | $214,496 |
| 8 | Joao Vieira | Portugal | $167,152 |
| 9 | Ryan Leng | United States | $131,982 |
Day 2 Action
An additional 12 entries at the start of Day 2 brought the total number of players to start the day to 47. However, that number would be halved within the first three levels as the turbo-like structure ensured swift eliminations right from the get-go.
Among those to start the day but fall short of the money include Ole Schemion, Josh Arieh, Noah Schwartz, Michael Addamo, and Dan Smith – who lost the majority of his chips in a brutal pot wherein he and Jason Koon both held ace-king and Koon made a one-card flush.
The money bubble burst when Cary Katz called off his remaining stack with queen-jack suited and lost a race against Stephen Chidwick’s pocket fives.
Eliminations continued rapidly after the money bubble with Thomas Winters (17th - $84,486), Shaun Deeb (16th - $84,486), Christoph Vogelsang (12th - $92,407), and Elio Fox (10th - $105,607) all cashing but falling short of the final table.
Final Table Action
Ryan Leng entered the final table as the short stack and would bust almost immediately after running his pocket fives into the pocket kings of Ren Lin and failing to improve. Joao Vieira quickly followed suit to bust in eighth and, in a surprising turn of events, Carlos Villamarin, who entered the final table as the chip leader, ended up busting in seventh place after losing a race to Negreanu and then running ace-jack into Chidwick’s pocket aces all-in preflop.
The pace of knockouts steadied during six-handed play, but the rapidly increasing blinds ensured that many pots were played all-in or close to it preflop. Mikita Badziakouski was able to claim the chip lead after winning a massive pot against Chidwick and then Ali Imsirovic and Chidwick were eliminated shortly thereafter.
Daniel Negreanu, who entered the final table as one of the short stacks, managed to double up multiple times in his bid for a seventh career bracelet, but ultimately fell in third place to Lin after calling a shove by Lin and losing out to an ace on the river.
Heads-up play began with Badziakouski enjoying a nearly 4:1 chip advantage over Lin, however, Lin was quickly able to turn the tide through his aggressive play and at one point was even one card away from victory. However, Badziakouski managed to mount a comeback and secure his first gold bracelet after calling a shove by Lin with ace-five and holding up against king-seven.
Congratulations to Mikita Badziakouski, the winner of 2021 WSOP Event #85: $50,000 High Roller!
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Level 26
: 300,000/600,000, 300,000 ante
In what would be the last of the tournament, Ren Lin shoved for his last four million on the button and Mikita Badziakouski called to put Lin at risk.
Ren Lin: 
Mikita Badziakouski: 
The final board ran out 
— leaving Badziakouski best with his ace and eliminating Lin in second place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
33,900,000
4,225,000
|
4,225,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 26
: 300,000/600,000, 300,000 ante
In a limped pot with a flop of 
, Ren Lin checked to Mikita Badziakouski who bet one million.
Then things got fun.
Lin check-raised to two million, then Badziakouski raised again to three million.
The raising wasn't done, as Lin came back with four million. At this point, Badziakouski just called.
The duo then saw a turn of the 
and Lin checked. Badziakouski then bet one million.
Lin shook his head slightly, then pushed his cards forward into the muck, leaving himself with under five million chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
29,675,000
5,475,000
|
5,475,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
4,325,000
-5,375,000
|
-5,375,000 |
|
|
||
Level: 26
Blinds: 300,000/600,000
Ante: 300,000
Level 25
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Mikita Badziakouski raised to 1.1 million chips from the button pre-flop and was called by Ren Lin.
The flop came 
and Lin checked and called the 650,000 chip bet by Badziakouski.
The turn card was the and this time Lin led for 1.3 million and Badziakouski called.
The river card was the 
and Lin fired 3.1 million more and Mikita opted to call.
Lin tabled 
for a bluff and Badziakouski tabled 
for one pair of sevens, and the latter was awarded the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
24,200,000
5,500,000
|
5,500,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
9,700,000
-5,600,000
|
-5,600,000 |
|
|
||
Level 25
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
The back and forth heads-up match has just seen Mikita Badziakouski climb back into the chip lead with several small pots including the following hand.
Badziakouski limped from the small blind/button and Ren Lin checked his option.
On the 
flop, Lin checked and Badziakouski sprinkled out a bet of 400,000, which Lin called.
On the 
turn, Lin checked again, and this time Badziakouski sized up to 1.7 million.
Lin folded and has ceded the chip lead back to Badziakouski.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
18,700,000
7,200,000
|
7,200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
15,300,000
-7,200,000
|
-7,200,000 |
|
|
||
Level 25
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Ren Lin shoved on the button and Mikita Badziakouski tanked for a bit before committing his remaining 5.6 million into the middle.
Mikita Badziakouski: 
Ren Lin: 
The 
flop vaulted Lin into the lead and the turn nearly sealed his victory, however, the 
river paired Badziakouski's six and he doubled up through Lin.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
22,500,000
-4,500,000
|
-4,500,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
11,500,000
4,600,000
|
4,600,000 |
|
|
||
Level 25
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
On a flop of , Ren Lin checked and called the 500,000 chip bet by his opponent, Mikita Badziakouski.
The dealer burned and turned the 
and this time Lin checked and called 1.7 million.
The river card was the 
and Lin checked one last time. Next, Badziakouski checked back and mucked after Lin tabled 
for a full house, sixes full of fives, and was awarded the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
27,000,000
8,300,000
|
8,300,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
6,900,000
-8,400,000
|
-8,400,000 |
|
|
||
Level 25
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Mikita Badziakouski limped on the button/small blind, and Ren Lin raised to 1.5 million in the big blind.
Badziakouski called to see the 
fall on the flop.
Lin checked and Badziakouski bet 800,000, which Lin called.
On the turn, Lin checked again, and Badziakouski sized up to 3.3 million.
Lin then uttered the now famous words, "no gamble, no future", and pushed the rest of his chips forward, for approximately 9 million total.
Badziakouski quickly folded, and with the win, Lin has now taken over the chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
18,700,000
5,700,000
|
5,700,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
15,300,000
-5,600,000
|
-5,600,000 |
|
|
||