Dan Zack Wins 2022 WSOP Player Of The Year

Sixteen cashes, four last tables, and two bracelets earned Dan Zack the 2022 World Series of Poker Player of the 365 days crown. [Image: PokerGO.com]

Deeb taught Zack the complete systems

A pair of weeks within the past, I was playing the 2022 World Series of Poker Mini Most predominant Occasion, drawing an unusually demanding table for one of these soft match that included Shaun Deeb and top Irish participant/expert thriller bounty envelope-opener Padraig O’Neill.

Deeb exquisitely “reversed slowrolled” me

Deeb exquisitely “reversed slowrolled” me in a space the put we purchased 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 attain motivate. I held and we purchased chatting, playing a sport of “Name the Most predominant Occasion winners from every year in reverse chronological uncover” and then later discussing the Player of the 365 days contest. It went roughly as follows:

Me: “What number of of us can snatch it?”

Deeb: “That’s a wide ask.”

Me: “Thanks Shaun, asking wide questions is what I do.”

Deeb: “What do you imagine the quantity is?”

Me: “40-50?”

Deeb: “It’s bigger than that. If somebody catches heat early, they normally sprint for it and consistently absorb an opportunity.”

Me: “Swish point.”

Deeb: “But you’re magnificent that it’s now no longer that many.”

The conversation naturally became to the leader within the escape Dan Zack with Deeb half of-jokingly, half of severely lamenting how he had given away to Zack “the complete systems” of systems to maximise his possibilities. Deeb indubitably knows his stuff on this entrance. He’s a perennial chaser, consistently within the mix, and this year used to be no exception as he carried out fourth. In fact, must you search at total WSOP POY aspects earned over the last decade, he’s miles in entrance.

Zack’s three-year blueprint

Zack hopped into all the pieces he would possibly maybe maybe down the dwelling stretch, within the kill holding off challenges from Deeb, Dan Weinman (2nd), Koray Aldemir (Third), and David Peters (fifth). A contender since 2017, it used to be ultimately his time. Sixteen cashes, four last tables and two gold bracelets used to be enough to get better from the line.

After being declared the winner, an emotional and grateful Zack made it obvious that rotund-time poker is now no longer in his long-length of time future. He’s getting married subsequent year and plans to quiet down and absorb a family. This used to be therefore really appropriate one of his last photographs at the title.

it’s been an insane combat every year and I’m really contented to actually get there”

“It methodology loads, I discipline a blueprint three years within the past that I really wished to envision out to grab it earlier than I left poker, and here is the third sequence I’ve tried…it’s been an insane combat every year and I’m really contented to actually get there…I really had been sizable careworn the previous few weeks trying to shut out the sequence. On account of everybody who’s wished me apt fortune.”

Two bracelets

On his advance to winning POY, Zack obtained his 2nd and third bracelets, single-handedly conserving the dart of double-bracelet winners at the sequence since 2000 alive. These bracelets had been exhausting fought, as Zack played two of the longest heads-up fits of the summer to declare them.

Zach’s first got here within the $10,000 prefer-in Omaha Eight-or-Higher Championship event, in which he battled with Dustin Dirksen for seven hours to within the kill declare the title and $440,757. His 2nd got here within the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Eight-or-Higher Championship event the put he obtained $324,174. This time, it used to be David Funkhouser who clung on for eight hours earlier than ultimately succumbing.

Irrespective of the 2 victories, Zack would possibly maybe maybe feel the chasing pack breathing down his neck and knew that he would favor to originate EV sacrifices. He alluded to this in his submit-victory interview:

“You’re tossing away about a hundred dollars here and there apt to present your self the actual probability to compete attributable to you know that guys love (Deeb) are doing the same thing and it’s the actual advance to retain scuttle with them.”

Poker immortality

Down the homestretch, with the POY crown within his rating, Zack sold action to enter the $250,000 prefer-in Desirable Excessive Roller event. He made the last table, bowing out in 8th discipline for $488,095 and a really crucial aspects injection. At the 2022 WSOP, his cashes totaled practically $1.5m, accounting for half of of his career reside match earnings.

Zack’s prize for winning Player of the 365 days is a custom-made trophy and a $10,000 seat into the 2023 most predominant event. More importantly though, he becomes immortalized at the WSOP with a custom-made banner that will hang proudly on the wall of either Bally’s or Paris all over future Series.

Remaining 2022 WSOP POY Standings

1. Dan Zack – 4,530.64
2. Daniel Weinman – 4,040.20
3. Koray Aldemir – 3,275.02
4. Shaun Deeb – 3,197.65
5. David Peters – 2,982.08
6. Yueqi Zhu – 2,766.27
7. Joao Vieira – 2,752.88
8. Joao Simao Peres – 2,735.76
9. Alex Foxen – 2,548.47
10. Brian Rast – 2,520.06
11. Dario Sammartino – 2,465.20
12. Phil Hui – 2,445.32
13. Yuri Dzivielevski – 2,433.13
14. Lawrence Brandt – 2,418.11
15. Calvin Anderson – 2,403.91
16. Georgios Sotiropoulos – 2,397.74
17. Harry Resort – 2,370.19
18. Raj Vohra – 2,358.05
19. Chad Eveslage – 2,346.89
20. Jose Ignacio Barbero – 2,333.67
21. Michael Moncek – 2,320.70
22. Phil Ivey – 2,264.88
23. Yuliyan Kolev – 2,250.31
24. Adam Hendrix – 2,242.90
25. Scott Seiver – 2,236.35