2024 WSOP Paradise: Eric Wasserson Outlasts Josh Arieh Heads-Up to Win Maiden Bracelet in Event #5: $25K Dealers Choice Championship ($353,340)

Eric Wasserson (cover image) has always been considered among the best poker players in the world without a WSOP bracelet. Well, consider that void filled! Wasserson etched his name into poker history by winning Event #5: $25,000 Dealers Choice Championship at the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise in the Bahamas.

Wasserson triumphed over a field of 49 elite mixed-game players to capture the title and the $353,340 top prize. His heads-up opponent, Josh Arieh, was a formidable challenger looking to add a seventh WSOP bracelet to his collection, but Wasserson kept his cool and closed out the victory, leaving Arieh with a still-impressive $262,090 runner-up prize.

🎉 Here is what @EWassPoker had to say about his #WSOP #Bracelet win in the Dealers Choice Championship @JeffPlatt 👀 pic.twitter.com/0UtkxslLP0

— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) December 12, 2024

This victory was particularly meaningful for Wasserson, who has come close to winning a bracelet many times before, with two second-place and three third-place finishes in bracelet events. With this win, his live tournament earnings have now surpassed $2.80 Million, according to his Hendon Mob profile.

The final table was a gathering of some of the best minds in poker, and Wasserson acknowledged the camaraderie among the competitors.

Several poker legends, including Nick Schulman, Jason Mercier, Daniel Negreanu, and Dan Shak, were on hand to witness Wasserson’s victory.

$25K Dealers Choice Championship Highlights

The $25K Dealers Choice Championship attracted poker’s elite for an intense showdown. Sixteen players returned for Day 2, but the arrival of new entries—including reigning WSOP Player of the Year Scott Seiver, 17-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, and fellow Hall of Famer Daniel Negreanu—brought the total field to 49 entries and generated a prize pool of $1,225,000. The top seven finishers were guaranteed at least $60,040, but the road to the money was paved with tough beats and eliminations.

Both Negreanu and Hellmuth suffered brutal exits, their aces cracked in dramatic Omaha hands. In a PLO clash, Negreanu faced off against Seiver, with both holding pocket aces. The board, however, delivered a runner-runner miracle for Seiver, pairing his “danglers” and sending Kid Poker to the rail.

Hellmuth’s run ended in an Omaha Hi-Lo hand when his aces were cracked by a set. Despite having a combo draw, the Poker Brat couldn’t find the cards he needed, exiting just before the money bubble.

The casualty list ahead of the money line read like a who’s who of poker, with Mike Watson, Jared Bleznick, Michael “Texas Mike” Moncek, and Shaun Deeb all falling short.

Four-time bracelet winner and 17-time Circuit ring champion Ari Engel was the unfortunate bubble boy. Engel’s couldn’t beat Daniel Zack’s on a flop, and the turn and river sealed his eighth-place elimination.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Daniel Zack – 1,800,000
2. Eric Wasserson – 1,650,000
3. Mike Gorodinsky – 1,100,000
4. Josh Arieh – 1,000,000
5. John Racener – 1,000,000
6. Benny Glaser – 700,000
7. Nacho Barbero – 270,000

Final Table Recap

The final table was a masterclass in mixed-game poker, with the chip lead changing hands multiple times. The action started with Nacho Barbero‘s elimination in seventh place in a No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw hand. Barbero moved all-in and was called by Benny Glaser. Barbero confidently announced he was pat with [x], but Glaser snap-patted behind with a better hand: . Glaser’s smooth nine sent Barbero to the rail.

Benny Glaser’s run ended soon after in a Stud Hi-Lo hand. Facing a completion from Mike Gorodinsky, Glaser raised all-in and got the call.

Glaser: //

Gorodinsky: //

Gorodinsky’s seven-high straight and six-low sent Glaser out in sixth place.

The pace of play slowed down during five-handed action, with players exchanging jokes and discussing tanking strategies. Finally, John Racener found himself all-in during a Pot-Limit Omaha hand. After a three-way pot on a flop of , Gorodinsky isolated with a bet, showing . Racener’s was already behind and couldn’t improve as the turn and river brought , sending Racener home in fifth.

The four remaining players bagged for an unscheduled Day 3, with Eric Wasserson leading the way with a commanding 3.9 Million stack.

Final Day Chip Counts

1. Eric Wasserson – 3,900,000
2. Daniel Zack – 1,970,000
3. Josh Arieh – 970,000
4. Mike Gorodinsky – 635,000

Final Day Recap

Day 3 began with a bang as Daniel Zack was the first to fall. In No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw, Zack jammed the button with a two-card nine draw but ran into Mike Gorodinsky’s pat jack. Zack drew a queen, but it wasn’t enough, and he exited in fourth place.

Mike Gorodinsky, who had been steadily climbing the leaderboard, hit a rough patch and found himself short-stacked. In Pot-Limit Omaha, he jammed with against Josh Arieh’s . The board came , giving Arieh a full house and eliminating Gorodinsky in third.

Eric Wasserson entered heads-up play with a chip lead over Josh Arieh and quickly gained momentum. However, 30 minutes into the match, Arieh clawed back in a No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw hand, where his eight draw beat Wasserson’s pat jack-ten, evening the stacks.

The momentum swung back to Wasserson, who steadily rebuilt his lead. As Josh Arieh became short-stacked, he made his final stand in a No-Limit Hold’em hand. Arieh limped the button with and snap-called Wasserson’s shove with . The board ran out , and a jack on the turn sealed the victory for Wasserson.

Complete Results (USD)

1. Eric Wasserson – $353,340
2. Josh Arieh – $262,090
3. Mike Gorodinsky – $194,430
4. Daniel Zack – $144,230
5. John Racener – $107,000
6. Benny Glaser – $79,370
7. Nacho Barbero – $60,040

Content & Images Courtesy: WSOP & PokerNews

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