Koray Aldemir

{{Short description|German poker player (born 1990)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}

{{Infobox poker player

|name=Koray Aldemir

|nickname=

|image=Koray Aldemir 2017.jpg

|caption=Koray Aldemir at 2017 WSOPE

|birth_place= Berlin, Germany

|birth_date=1990

|hometown= Vienna, Austria

|updated = 17 November 2021

|wsop bracelet count=1

|wsop final tables=4

|wsop money finishes=33

|wsop main event best finish rank=Winner

|wsop main event best finish year=2021

|multi-year wsop winner

|wpt titles=

|wpt final tables=

|wpt money finishes=

|ept titles=

|ept final tables=1

|ept money finishes=4

}}

Koray Aldemir (born 1990) is a German professional poker player of Turkish descent, born in Berlin and now residing in Vienna, Austria. In 2021, he won the World Series of Poker Main Event for $8,000,000.{{Cite web |last=Sofen |first=Jon |date=17 November 2021 |title=Koray Aldemir Wins 2021 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event for $8,000,000 |url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2021/11/2021-wsop-main-event-aldemir-40287.htm |website=PokerNews.com |accessdate=17 November 2021}}

Aldemir first played poker while at a friend's house on New Year's Eve in 2006. He began by playing freerolls on PokerStars and had his first recorded live cash in January 2012 in a €200 tournament held in Berlin.{{Cite web |last=Grant |first=Calum |date=16 November 2021 |title=2021 WSOP Main Event Final Table Profile: Koray Aldemir |url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2021/11/2021-wsop-main-event-final-table-profile-koray-aldemir-40263.htm |website=PokerNews.com |accessdate=18 November 2021}} While playing a tournament in Rozvadov, Czech Republic in 2013, Aldemir allowed another player to use his computer to send money on PokerStars and had his account locked on the site for the next four years. He moved to Vienna soon after to study psychology in university.{{Cite web |last=Op de Woerd |first=Frank |date=27 April 2017 |title=Koray Aldemir: Taking a Huge Shot Paid Off |url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2017/04/koray-aldemir-taking-a-huge-shot-paid-off-27767.htm |website=PokerNews.com |accessdate=18 November 2021}}

Prior to the Main Event, Aldemir's best career cash was for $2.1 million when he finished in third place in the $111,111 One Drop High Roller at the 2016 World Series of Poker.{{Cite web |title=47th World Series of Poker - WSOP 2016, No Limit Hold'em High Roller for One Drop (single re-entry) (Event #67) |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=373015 |access-date=4 December 2023 |website=The Hendon Mob |language=en}} That same year, he finished runner-up to Adrian Mateos in the Summer Solstice event.{{Cite web |last=Fast |first=Erik |date=24 June 2016 |title=Adrian Mateos Wins 2016 World Series of Poker $1,500 Summer Solstice No-Limit Hold'em Event |url=https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/20538-adrian-mateos-wins-2016-world-series-of-poker-1-500-summer-solstice-no-limit-hold-em-event |website=CardPlayer.com |accessdate=17 November 2021}}

Aldemir won a Triton high roller in the Philippines in 2017 for $1.3 million.{{Cite web |date=19 February 2017 |title=Koray Aldemir Wins the 2017 Triton Super High Roller Series Manilla |url=https://triton-series.com/koray-aldemir-wins-2017/ |website=Triton Poker |accessdate=17 November 2021}} In 2018, he finished third in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure for $481,000.{{Cite web |last=Hartwell |first=Louis |date=16 January 2018 |title=Maria Lampropulos becomes the first woman to win the PCA Main Event |url=https://somuchpoker.com/maria-lampropulos-becomes-the-first-woman-to-win-the-pca-main-event/ |website=SoMuchPoker.com |accessdate=17 November 2021}} He also won an event at the 2019 U.S. Poker Open.{{Cite web |last=Holloway |first=Chad |date=22 February 2019 |title=Koray Aldemir Wins 2019 USPO Event #9: $50K NLH for $738K; Sean Winter Takes Overall Points Lead |url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2019/02/koray-aldemir-wins-uspo-event-9-50k-nlh-33446.htm |website=PokerNews.com |accessdate=17 November 2021}}

At the 2021 Main Event, Aldemir began the final table with the chip lead and went heads-up against George Holmes. On the 223rd hand of the final table, Holmes moved all in with {{cards|Kc|Qs}} on a board of {{cards|10h|7s|2h|Ks|9c}} and Aldemir called with {{cards|10d|7d}} for two pair to win the tournament.{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Donnie |date=17 November 2021 |title=KORAY ALDEMIR WINS 2021 WSOP MAIN EVENT FOR $8,000,000 |url=https://www.pokergonews.com/articles/koray-aldemir-wins-2021-wsop-main-event-for-8000000/ |website=PokerGo |accessdate=17 November 2021}} The victory moved him past $20 million in career earnings and into fourth place on Germany's all-time money list.{{Cite web |title=Germany All Time Money List |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/ranking/198/ |access-date=4 December 2023 |website=The Hendon Mob |language=en}}

At the 2022 WSOP, Aldemir finished 3rd in the player of the year race, and made another deep run in the Main Event, finishing in 75th place out of 8,663 competitors in defense of his title.{{Cite web |title=53rd World Series of Poker - WSOP 2022, No Limit Hold'em - WSOP Main Event (Event #70) |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=805555 |access-date=4 December 2023 |website=The Hendon Mob |language=en}}{{cite web | last=Shillibier | first=Will | title=Koray Aldemir: Back-to-Back WSOP Main Event Runs "A Privilege" | website=PokerNews | date=2022-07-13 | url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2022/07/koray-aldemir-back-to-back-wsop-main-event-runs-a-privilege-41636.htm | access-date=2024-12-11}}