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The 2022 World Series of Poker concludes this week from Bally's and Paris on the Las Vegas Strip with Dan Zack officially being named the 2022 WSOP Player of the Year.
Zack held a sizeable points lead heading into the final week of the WSOP, but it was never going to be easy for the newly-minted 2022 WSOP Player of the Year. Following a deep finish in the WSOP Main Event from Koray Aldemir, and both Daniel Weinman and Shaun Deeb pushing hard to overtake him, Zack was unable to ease up on his playing schedule as every point would count if one of those players managed to score a victory in the final week of the WSOP.
"I kept entering, if anything, I was even more aggressive with some of the reentry and late reentry tournaments," Zack said. "I was very stressed. This is the third time I've tried this, and in the past I've been chasing rather than in the lead, and it's been much lower stress."
Zack began his 2022 WSOP campaign by winning his second WSOP bracelet in Event #15: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Championship for $440,757. After winning, Zack announced his intention to chase WSOP Player of the Year honors, and just a week later would find himself at the Event #31: $10,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Championship final table where he would finish in third place behind Brian Hastings and Eric Wasserson. Zack immediately jumped into the next tournament; Event #40: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Championship. Zack would navigate the 137 entrant field and reach heads-up play against David Funkhouser, however, the tournament would need to be extended into Day 4 where Zack would eventually claim his second WSOP bracelet of the series and extend a WSOP streak of a player winning two bracelets that stretches back to Chris Ferguson in 2000.
With the 2022 WSOP Player of the Year race now squarely his to lose, Zach entered Event #50: $250,000 Super High Roller. Zack found himself holding the chip lead as the final table approached but would lose a huge hand to eventual winner Alex Foxen and entered the final table as the short stack before being eliminated in eighth place. Zack added an additional eight cashes with just one final close call in Event #80: $600 Mixed No-Limit Hold'em / Pot-Limit Omaha where he finished in 12th place.
The 2022 WSOP yielded Zack more than $1.45 million in tournament winnings from 16 cashes, four final tables, and two WSOP bracelets. Winning WSOP Player of the Year was always a dream for Zack, and now he can add that title to his poker legacy that includes three WSOP bracelets and more than $2.7 million in lifetime tournament earnings.
"I will chase it again," Zack said on not being content with winning just one WSOP Player of the Year title as long as he continues to play a full WSOP schedule. "It's something I really enjoy. I like the competition with Shaun and Daniel and the other people who go for it. I don't think I would step back just because I've won it once."
"I think it will be a more impactful thing to have once I step away from poker," Zack said on comparing his WSOP Player of the Year title against WSOP bracelets. "Just to be able to say it is something I accomplished. I place it higher than any of the bracelets individually."
Event | Place | Prize |
Event #5: $500 No-Limit Hold'emThe Housewarming | 200th | $4,805 |
Event #15: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Championship | 1st | $440,757 |
Event #24: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Flip & Go presented by GGPoker | 43rd | $4,330 |
Event #30: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha | 166th | $2,004 |
Event #31: $10,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Championship | 3rd | $129,670 |
Event #40: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Championship | 1st | $324,174 |
Event #46: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed | 91st | $8,807 |
Event #50: $250,000 No-Limit Hold'em Super High Roller | 8th | $488,095 |
Event #53: $5,000 Mixed No-Limit Hold'em / Pot-Limit Omaha | 91st | $8,761 |
Event #58: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo | 48th | $5,294 |
Event #63: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Championship | 23rd | $20,214 |
Event #68: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Million Dollar Bounty | 492nd | $3,841 |
Online Event: $500 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack | 63rd | $2,238 |
Event #74: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Bounty | 149th | $1,645 |
Event #75: $777 No-Limit Hold'm Lucky 7's 7-Handed | 188th | $3,200 |
Event #80: $600 Mixed No-Limit Hold'em / Pot-Limit Omaha | 12th | $9,092 |
Being crowned the 2022 WSOP Player of the Year will see Zack join a list of winners that include Josh Arieh (2021), Robert Campbell (2019), Deeb (2018), Jason Mercier (2016), and Negreanu (2004 and 2013). Zack will now have a Player of the Year banner hanging at Paris and Bally's - the future site of the Horseshoe. Zack also receives a seat in the 2023 WSOP Main Event and the new WSOP Player of the Year trophy that he was awarded during Day 1 of the WSOP Tournament of Champions on Monday.
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