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It’s time to break down the broad beams of poker’s Triple Crown.

Adrian Mateos is pushing the issue.

The #1 All-Time Spanish Money earner has had a MILLIONS World Bahamas that would make even the hardest poker sceptic hum with admiration. Less than a week ago, Mateos was the most chilled person in the house, taking down the $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em MILLIONS Super High Roller for $520,464. He’s just added another $1,162,805 to his bank balance after surviving the 948 entrants in the $10,000, $10m GTD MILLIONS World Bahamas Main Event.

It’s Mateos’s 16th win of his career and his second of 2019. It’s also his third seven-figure score, and the following accomplishments rank amongst his roll call:

The 2013 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) Main Event.

The 2015 European Poker Tour (EPT) Grand Final in Monte Carlo.

The 2016 World Series of Poker (WSOP) $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em.

The 2017 WSOP $10,000 Heads-Up Championship.

All of this means Mateos is a World Poker Tour (WPT) title away from being the only player in history to win all four majors.

As I said, those beams are coming down, and it’s the calloused trophy hands of Mateos ripping them apart.

Here is the nutshell action.

The Nutshell Action

Final Table Seat Draw

Seat 1: Peter Jetten – 41,500,000
Seat 2: William Blais – 120,000,000
Seat 3: Aaron Van Blarcum – 144,000,000
Seat 4: Scott Wellenbach – 87,000,000
Seat 5: Adrian Mateos – 144,000,000
Seat 6: Chris Hunichen – 305,000,000
Seat 7: Oleg Mandzjuk – 61,500,000
Seat 8: Gregory Baird – 44,500,000

Chris Hunichen opened with a raise to 9,000,000 from midfield, Gregory Baird three-bet 44,000,000 from the cutoff, Hunichen put Gregory all-in, and he called for his last million. When the hands were turned over, Baird felt as warm and cosy as Angelina Jolie’s lips, with sevens ahead of sixes. Those lips would soon feel cracked, however, when a third six hit the river to send Baird to the rail.

Then we lost Peter Jetten after the Canadian moved all-in for 39,500,000, holding KdTh, and Scott Wellenbach found pocket queens and the call from the big blind. Jetten would river a second ten, but it wasn’t good enough, and the rail beckoned.

Aaron Van Blarcum needed a little nudge to get going, and it happened when William Blais moved all-in for 125,000,000 on the button, and Van Blarcum called with the smaller stack from the small blind. Blais turned over 9d7d, and Van Blarcum was ahead with AdQs, and a second queen on the turn dashed all hope for Blais.

The mandatory German final table incumbent ran out of magic dust in the sixth spot. Scott Wellenbach opened to 12,500,000 from the hijack seat, and then called with a covering stack when Oleg Mandzjuk moved all-in for 51,500,000 from the small blind. Wellenbach was ahead with Ad8d versus 5d4d, and Mandzjuk went straight to hell without passing go after Wellenbach turned the nut flush.

William Blais followed Mandzjuk into the fire not long after. Hunichen opened to 12,000,000 from the cutoff, Blais three-bet to 19,000,000 from the button, and then called when Hunichen moved all-in with the bigger of the two chip collections. Blais was ahead with As8d facing off against QcTh, but the Qh on the river drew a suffocating veil over the head of Blais who then stumbled over the rail, and nobody ever saw him again.

The elimination of Blais gave Hunichen a massive chip lead.

Chris Hunichen – 472,000,000
Aaron Van Blarcum – 175,500,000
Adrian Mateos – 166,000,000
Scott Wellenbach – 134,500,000

Wellenbach had the lowest stack, and the next elimination went the way of math. The action folded to Van Blarcum in the small blind, and he moved all-in for 121,000,000, and Wellenbach called for 45,500,000. Van Blarcum tabled Ad9h and was ahead of the Qh5c. It stayed that way for five community cards, and Wellenbach left the tournament with a big smile on his face, hiding a smidgen of disappointment.

Then came one of the pivotal passages of play in the tournament.

Hunichen had become a flock of red-billed quelea, with everyone else looking exceedingly hummingbird-like, when Mateos decided to open his wings and flap up a storm.

Firstly, Hunichen opened to 15,000,000 on the button, and Mateos called in the big blind. Three fives hit the flop, Hunichen bet 20,000,000, and Mateos called. The action checked through the Js turn, and when the 9s hit the river, Mateos check-called a 60,000,000 Hunichen bet. Mateos showed Kd9d for a full-house, and Hunichen mucked his hand.

Next, Hunichen once again opened to 15,000,000 from the button, and Mateos called from the big blind. This time the flop was AcJd6h, and Mateos check-called a 20,000,000 Hunichen bet. The 7s hit the turn, and the same action ensued for 69,000,000, and on the Ts river, Mateos checked, Hunichen moved his covering stack over the line, and Mateos called. Hunichen showed AhKd for a pair of aces, but Mateos doubled up with pocket sevens for the set.

Hunichen retook the lead without playing a hand when Van Blarcum doubled through Mateos when AcJc out flopped, turned, and rivered the pocket sevens of the Spaniard, and it was at this time that the final three players agreed upon a deal.

Chris Hunichen – $1,097,195
Adrian Mateos – $1,062,805
Aaron Van Blarcum – $970,000

No sympathy anywhere to be seen.

That left $100,000 in the middle.

The players also agreed to cut the levels down to 30-minutes.

Hunichen was the first to leave after getting it in with Ah3c against the dominating AdKc of Van Blarcum, giving the fans a heads-up encounter of even stack-sizes if not experience and skill.

Adrian Mateos – 496,000,000
Aaron Van Blarcum – 452,000,000

Van Blarcum took the lead, and then Mateos regained it, and never rescinded it. The final hand saw Van Blarcum move all-in blind, and Mateos call with Jc9h. Van Blarcum turned over Doyle Brunson’s superweapon (Tc2h), and a nine on the flop cemented Mateos’s position as the winner and the collector of that additional $100,000.

Final Table Results

  1. Adrian Mateos – $1,162,805*
  2. Aaron Van Blarcum – $970,000*
  3. Chris Hunichen – $1,097,195*
  4. Scott Wellenbach – $650,000
  5. William Blais – $500,000
  6. Oleg Mandzjuk – $350,000
  7. Peter Jetten – $250,000
  8. Gregory Baird – $180,000

Three other high rollers who went deeper than an osmium badge dropped into the Mariana Trench were Philipp Gruissem (9th), Alex Foxen (12th) and Ryan Riess (13th).

Elimination Richard Yong

At the turn of the year, Richard Yong was the man sitting on the Malaysian All-Time Money List throne with $11.3m in live tournament earnings. Yong is an entrepreneur first, and a poker player second, but he would have been as proud as a newly minted alpha wolf, and it would have hurt to see his Triton co-founder, Paul Phua, win more than that in a single calendar year, to replace him.

There’s some fight in the old wolf, yet.

Yong has taken down an ultra-competitive $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em at the partypoker MILLIONS World in the Bahamas. Sixty-three entrants (20 re-entries) ripped off their muzzles and snapped at people in this one, creating a $3,055,500 prize pool, and Yong banked a portion worth $850,000.

It’s Yong’s third live tournament win in 19 cashes giving him a healthy 15% win rate when cashing. His first tournament victory came during the 2015 Aussie Millions, winning the AUD 100,000 Challenge for $1.4m. His last title came last year, taking down the HKD 250,000 No-Limit Hold’em Six-Max at the Triton Super High Roller Series in Montenegro for $388,024.

Eight of the finest No-Limit Hold’em players in the game flocked to the final table, including three of the four front runners in the race to be crowned the 2019 Global Poker Index (GPI) Player of the Year (POY).

Rainer Kempe is the outside bet for that award. Kempe finished in eighth place for $150,000. The German star also finished 112th in the $25,500 No-Limit Hold’em MILLIONS World Super High Roller and finished seventh in the MILLIONS Vegas Main Event in June.

Sean Winter is the second of three looking for GPI honours. Incredibly, Winter decided to shorten his schedule as his partner is expecting a baby. It hasn’t stopped him piling on the points. Winter had a superb Poker Masters finishing ITM in four events. He also cashed in the $25,500 MILLIONS World Super High Roller, in 14th place.

Leading the GPI POY race is Kahle Burns. The Australian also performed well in the Poker Masters, cashing in three events, including winning a $25,000 game. Burns was one of the stars of the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE), winning two bracelets, and earning close to a million bucks, and he finished third in this one.

Sam Soverel deposed Ali Imsirovic as the Poker Masters champion a few weeks ago, and both players made this final table. Imsirovic finishing seventh and Soverel claimed the fourth prize. Soverel’s placing almost certainly ensures he retains his Poker Central High Roller of the Year crown.

There was also a place for a revigorated Phil Ivey. The former card-for-card best in the business finished sixth for $220,000. Ivey has rarely been seen on the live tournament circuit in recent years, but had a sterling WSOPE, cashing for close to $1.7m. He also finished fourth in the $25,500 MILLIONS World Super High Roller.

All great players, but none of them made it through to the heads-up phase. Yong’s final opponent would be Orpen Kisacikoglu. The London-based entrepreneur had reached the heads-up stage of live tournaments on four occasions, only losing once. Yong had a 50/50 record from six ventures past the great wall.

Yong would win the match-up to take first prize. Kisacikoglu’s great run continues after finishing 15th in the $10k and 7th in the $25k.

Here are the final results.

ITM Results

  1. Richard Yong – $850,000
  2. Orpen Kisacikoglu – $550,000
  3. Kahle Burns – $400,000
  4. Sam Soverel – $320,500
  5. Sean Winter – $260,000
  6. Phil Ivey – $220,000
  7. Ali Imsirovic – $180,000
  8. Rainer Kempe – $150,000
  9. Michael Zhang – $125,000

The record books show that Adrian Mateos won the $25,500 No-Limit Hold’em Super High Roller at partypoker MILLIONS WORLD Bahamas, but Brock Wilson was the real winner.

125-entrants created a $3.125m prize pool, and Wilson collected the most significant chunk of change after securing a favourable heads-up deal with Adrian Mateos that saw him earn a lifetime best of $619,536. After striking the agreement, the pair agreed to flip for the title; Mateos won.

Wilson won’t be too bothered about that. The win dwarfs his previous best score of $62,250, earned during a World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) victory in the summer of 2018.

Mateos banked $520,464 for his 15th win in 153 ITM finishes. It’s his first victory since taking down a $25k High Roller at the Aria in the summer of 2018, and his biggest win since taking fifth in the 2018 Super High Roller Bowl for $972,000.

The #1 Spanish All-Time Money earner now has $18.2m in live tournament cashes, $6.1m ahead of the legendary Carlos Mortensen.

Final Table Seat Draw

Seat 1: Adrian Mateos – 15,500,000
Seat 2: David Eldridge – 16,000,000
Seat 3: Michael Zhang – 8,300,000
Seat 4: Niall Farrell – 6,200,000
Seat 5: Christopher Fraser – 26,600,000
Seat 6: Orpen Kisacikoglu – 14,000,000
Seat 7: Brock Wilson – 18,800,000
Seat 8: Ben Pollak – 19,200,000

The Nutshell Action

Michael Zhang opened to 3,900,000 from midfield, and then called when Christopher Fraser moved all-in with the covering stack from the cutoff. It was a flip with Fraser ahead with pocket tens against Big Slick. The tens dodged both the ace and king’s sentry towers to send Zhang to the rail.

The next elimination pitted Niall Farrell in the role of the sheepdog, and Orpen Kisacikoglu as the sheep. Scotland’s number one moved all-in from the button holding pocket fives, and Kisacikoglu called with Kd8s. Farrell dodged both overcards and ushered the London-based entrepreneur quietly to the rail.

Benjamin Pollak was the next player to feel spit turning into foam. Brock Wilson made it 1,700,000 to play from under the gun and then called after the Frenchman moved all-in for 14,000,000 in the next seat. Wilson called, and his pocket aces made the ace-ten of Pollak want to climb back into the deck’s womb. The Js9d7h flop gave Pollak some hope; the turn and river did not.

Then we lost Niall Farrell in the fifth place. The No-Limit Gaming ambassador moved all-in from the button holding Ah7c and ten big blinds, only for Fraser to call and gobble him up like Desperate Dan eats meat pies with KsQh in the small blind – a king on the flop seeing Fraser wiping his mouth with glee.

Fraser wiped another player off the map when he called an all-in from David Aldridge holding pocket nines. Aldridge turned over pocket eights, the Poker Gods resisted the temptation to create an upset, and Aldridge was out.

Heading into three-handed action, Brock Wilson was the man.

Chip Counts

Brock Wilson – 82,300,000
Adrian Mateos – 25,700,000
Christopher Fraser – 17,000,000

Heads-up would become a battle between America and Spain after Wilson eliminated Fraser in third-place. Fraser shipped his final 15 bigs on a flop of Kx8x4x, and Wilson made the call. Fraser held 7x5x for the gutterball, and Wilson was ahead with Ks3s for top pair. The nefarious gutshot never showed, and Wilson took a massive lead into heads-up action.

Heads-Up Tale of the Tape

Brock Wilson – 98,500,000
Adrian Mateos – 27,500,000

Wilson caught Mateos’s hand in the cookie jar to extend his lead to 105,000,000 v 18,500,000.

Mateos doubled up when pocket tens beat Ks8s.

Brock Wilson – 80,600,000
Adrian Mateos – 44,400,000

It’s at this time that heads-up aficionados were left bitterly disappointed. The pair decided to run the numbers, Wilson banked $619,536, Mateos collected $520,464, and the couple then flipped for the trophy, title, and headlines – the Spaniard won.

Final Table Results

  1. Adrian Mateos – $520,464*
  2. Brock Wilson – $619,536*
  3. Christopher Fraser – $326,250
  4. David Eldridge – $255,000
  5. Niall Farrell – $200,000
  6. Ben Pollak – $160,000
  7. Orpen Kisacikoglu – $135,000
  8. Michael Zhang – $115,000

*Indicates a heads-up deal

Seven more high rollers who went deeper than an hour-long discussion on the existence of perversion were Darren Elias (9th), Rainer Kempe (12th), Peter Jetten (13th), Sean Winter (14th), Kristen Bicknell (15th), Alex Foxen (16th, and Elio Fox (17th).

It’s an overstatement to say that Daniel Dvoress likes the Bahamas – I mean, who doesn’t like the Bahamas – but Daniel Dvoress really likes the Bahamas.

His first-ever live cash came in the 2013 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) in the Bahamas, finishing 39th in a $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em event for $2,700. His first-ever win in a live tournament came in last year’s same series, winning a $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em game for $73,785.

Then he rocks up to the Baha Mar and takes down the 51-entrant $250,000 Super High Roller Bowl for $4,080,000. Given that the previous field size of his first win fitted in an inkpot (6-players), it’s safe to say that this was his first ‘real’ victory, and it took him less than two days to pick up his second.

Dvoress secured back-to-back Bahamian boom-booms after taking down the $25,000 Short-Deck event at partypoker MILLIONS World, and it wasn’t easy. The final six players were a tombstone makers dream with $97.2m in live tournament winnings between them.

John Cynn finished in sixth place for only the fourth cash since winning the 2018 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. Ike Haxton shifted his annual earnings to $3.7m after taking fifth (the third-best yearly haul of his career). 

Phil Ivey continued his healthy return to the live tournament tables with a fourth-place finish. Ivey cashed four times at the WSOP in the Summer before picking up $1.7m in winnings during the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE). 

The third-place spot belonged to one of the hottest live tournament players on the circuit. Chin Wei Lim has earned $7.3m this year, including a tenth place finish in the Triton Million for £1.2m, before going on to win the €100,000 Diamond High Roller for $2.4m, and finishing second in the €250,000 Super High Roller for $1.9m, both at the WSOPE.

The heads-up action came down to a battle of the Daniels. 

Both Tang and Dvoress had recently played the role of the grim statue as the photog poured praise onto someone else. The location was Montenegro. The series was Triton. And on each occasion, both Daniels played second fiddle to a man called Bryn Kenney (Dvoress lost the HKD 500k, and Tang lost the HKD 1m). 

Dvoress also lost a second heads-up skirmish in Montenegro, when John Juanda beat him to win the HD 250,000 Short-Deck, and in 2017 he lost heads-up in two €50k events at the PokerStars Championships in Panama (Ben Tollerene) and Monte Carlo (Adrian Mateos).

Tang had picked up seven silver medals, four of which have been in World Poker Tour (WPT) side events. The $1.8m Tang received for losing to Kenney in Montenegro sweetened that one. 

The history books showed that Dvoress had the experience, and it helped, as he overcame Tang to collect another primetime victory. You wait for six-years for your first big win, and then two come along, just like buses.

ITM Results

  1. Daniel Dvoress – $375,000
  2. Daniel Tang – $250,000
  3. Chin Wei Lim – $175,000
  4. Phil Ivey – $126,250
  5. Isaac Haxton – $95,000
  6. John Cynn – $70,000

A few episodes of Gogglebox ago, Daniel Negreanu, the most famous poker player on the planet, posted on Twitter an account from a friend, abducted by aliens.

It kicked up a raging storm. 

The rational and logical home of poker is not a place for a serious discussion on the existence of extra-terrestrials with all and sundry asking the fundamental question – where are they?

We now have the answer.

They’re hiding underneath Negreanu’s beard.

A few days ago, Negreanu marched down the Las Vegas Strip, kicking his selfie-stick with his spurs, as he explained his decision to become GGPoker’s brand ambassador. The signing is a big deal. Negreanu is the man, and with 476,000 Twitter followers, has incredible pull, but he doesn’t need the money, so why sign?

As you would expect, Negreanu referred to GGPoker in glowing terms, calling their mobile platform ‘cutting edge’, and pinpointing their software, and staking platform as two incredible assets. 

But that’s not why Negreanu has signed.

The Canadian left PokerStars in May after 12-years at the helm of the grandest online poker stage in the business. He was never going to become a corpse, as the intensity of his 2019 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Player of the Year (POY) run showed, but it seems Negreanu wanted more because Negreanu loves being in the thick of the very thing he loves.

Poker.

The Lone Wolf Becomes a Pack Animal

Negreanu’s presence at GGPoker means Bryn Kenney will have to hand over one of his reins. The self proclaimed ‘lone wolf of poker’ has to learn to be a pack animal. 

In an interesting twist, Kenney is currently the All-Time Money Leader on Hendon Mob with $55,505,634, after finishing second at the Triton Million London – an event that Negreanu regretted missing. Negreanu held onto the All-Time Money lead for four-years before Justin Bonomo deposed him during his incredible 2018 run. 

It’s an incredible achievement for GGPoker to have both Kenney and Negreanu, placing a gloved hand on the marketing wheel. They are two of the best in the business with a raft of experience. Kitty Kuo, Danny Tang and Michael Soyza all represent GGPoker skin, Natural8, but only Negreanu and Kenney speak for those sitting on the throne.

GGPoker calls themselves “The World’s Biggest Poker Network,” and in the past 12-months, has become the home of high stakes action, online, hosting $25,000 events with abandon. Earlier this year, they promised $50m in guarantees for their flagship online series, a year after $3m seemed like a reach. 

To celebrate Negreanu’s arrival, GGPoker is hosting the $100,000 Daniel Negreanu Challenge promotional event, giving players a 200% deposit bonus, up to a $1,000 ceiling, by using the promo code ‘Daniel.’

GGPoker doesn’t serve U.S. Based players; ironic given that Kenney is from New York, and Negreanu lives in Las Vegas. 

Negreanu is a six-time WSOP bracelet winner who has earned $42,024,087 in live tournament earnings. His peers elected him to the Poker Hall of Fame as soon as he turned 40, and is the only player to win the WSOP POY twice (he became the first person to win it thrice until an administration error saw the honours go to Robert Campbell). 

He also has aliens hiding in his beard.

During his GGPoker Twitter announcement, one of his fans became so enamoured about Negreanu’s sleek and shiny beard; he asked him if Kid Poker dyed it?

“No. I use beard oil,” said Negreanu before continuing, “I have some grays underneath, but nothing too drastic.” Cue the X-Files theme tune.

The heads of Sam Soverel and Daniel Dvoress sleep soundly on plush pillows after the pair earned a couple of rubies at the Poker Masters and Super High Roller Bowl (SHRB) respectively.

We start in Las Vegas and the 2019 Poker Masters.

Sam Soverel entered the competition as the winner of Poker Central’s previous event: The British Poker Open (BPO), while also holding the title of 2018 Poker Central Player of the Year (POY). After sending all and sundry to the Poker Masters funeral pyre, Soverel is odds-on to defend that POY title. 

Long before Soverel stood in the Aria doorway, flexing his muscles, Chance Kornuth looked the likeliest of winners. Kornuth had the frustration of finishing runner-up in Events #1, #2 and #6 to take the lead in the championship table before Soverel cackled into control winning Event #7. 

Soverel would finish fourth in Events #8 & 9 (both $25k NLHE events), before going on to secure victory by winning Event #10: $50,000 NLHE. When the dust had settled in the aftermath of Soverel’s EMP style winning performance he had banked $1.4m in prize money, prompting writers of the ilk of Remko Rinkema to call him ‘The Best No-Limit Hold’em Tournament Player in the World.”

After the Poker Masters, high rollers had a choice – go home and wrap some presents, or play some more poker. Daniel Dvoress was amongst those that couldn’t resist the temptation. The Canadian ended up in the Bahamas for the $250,000 buy-in SHRB (a Poker Central and partypoker partnership), and won his first major title, beating 51-entrants, and collecting $4m in a performance where ‘everything came together.’

In other live poker-related news, our good friends at Triton have released Part II of the Triton Montenegro Cash Game, and Tom Dwan’s “I am High Stakes Poker” episode.

Online Poker: Igor Kurganov Leaves PokerStars; High Roller Series Scheduled

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the most beautiful PokerStars ambassador of them all?”

“Not Igor Kurganov or Liv Boeree.”

Last week, PokerStars’ Posh & Becks departed for pastures new. Boeree joined PokerStars in 2010, and Kurganov followed in 2017. 

Kurganov’s first year at Stars was his best in recent years winning the $10,000 Tag Team title at the WSOP (with Boeree) as well as winning €25,000 and €50,000 games in the now-defunct PokerStars Championships.

As well as announcing ambassadorial departures, PokerStars also announced plans to host another High Roller tournament series Dec 1 – 9. The online giant has guaranteed $11m in prize money throughout 27 events. The buy-ins range between $530 and $10,300, with at least one game daily falling between the $5,200 & $10,300 range. 

Here are the $10k+ events.

Dec 1 – $10,300 NLHE 8-Max, $1m GTD
Dec 3 – $10,300 NLHE 8-Max, $1m GTD
Dec 5 – $10,300 NLHE 8-Max PKO, $1m GTD
Dec 8 – $10,300 PLO 6-Max, $500k GTD

The Beef: Doug Polk v Daniel Negreanu on the WSOP POY Race

You couldn’t listen to a poker podcast without stumbling across the voice of Daniel Ngreanu this past week. Kid Poker hit the podcast airwaves en masse to defend his honour after Doug Polk intimated that perhaps Negreanu did know that he had been incorrectly awarded too many Player of the Year points in Las Vegas this summer. 

Negreanu stuck with a consistent line that he knew nothing about the error. Mike Matusow leapt to the defence of Negreanu, but when Polk is in the line of fire, the Mouth likes to stick his fangs in him. 

Life Outside of Poker: Bill Perkins’ Death Date; Leonard’s Musical Tour

Bill Perkins is expecting to die in 13,230 days. We know this because Perkins likes to keep an ‘estimated death date countdown’ on his phone ‘to keep a sense of urgency in my life and remind me of the gifts I get to enjoy and that they don’t last forever.

Patrick Leonard and his buddies followed the British rap star, Dave, on every stop of his North American tour last week. Leonard and his tribe followed the Psychodrama tour throughout the USA and Canada, documenting the trip on Twitter, including an interested ten stop pizza tour of the Big Apple. 

The Quote of the Week

We leave you with the quote of the week, courtesy of Sam Greenwood, who chimed in on the Daniel Negreanu WSOP POY debate with this piece of comedic genius.

And that’s a wrap for this week’s Pinnacle.

When you work in poker long enough, you see the Corvettes coming up between the Cortinas, and in 2019, few looked as tip-top as Daniel Dvoress. The Canadian has been gatecrashing final tables of European Poker Tour (EPT) events for fun for a while, but it was at Triton’s starting grid where he looked most at home.

Dvoress made six final tables at Triton events in 2019, securing two runner-finishes, and netting $3m (gross). Yet, there was one thing missing from that impressive list of accolades – a win.

Until now.

Dvoress took down the inaugural Super High Roller Bowl (SHRB) Bahamas during partypoker’s MILLIONS World at the Baha Mar Resort, and it was a fantastic time for the Canadian to crack his cherry. 

51-entrants made it the third most successfully attended SHRB of all time. The buy-in was $250,000, and Dvoress collected $4m for his troubles after beating another Triton Titan, heads-up, in Wai Leong Chan. 

It was a final table brimming with the best players in the world.

Erik Seidel was making his third visit to an SHRB final table after his previous jabs fell short of the mark in 2015 & 2016. Jason Koon finished ninth in the SHRB China, and third in Las Vegas last year. Steve O’Dwyer is, well, Steve O’Dwyer.

Seth Davies finished runner-up to Juan Pardo Dominguez in the €50,000 at the European Poker Tour (EPT) in Barcelona in August, and fifth in the most recent $50,000 Poker Masters Main Event. Kathy Lehne became the first woman to cash in an SHRB event (she was also the first woman to play in 2016). Then you had Justin Bonomo, the beast who won both 2018 SHRB games in China & Vegas as part of his $25.4m annual haul.

Let’s see how Dvoress managed to sneak past all of those rabid wolves. 

The Nutshell Action

Final Table Seat Draw

Seat 1: Daniel Dvoress – 1,925,000
Seat 2: Jason Koon – 2,720,000
Seat 3: Seth Davies – 2,915,000
Seat 4: Justin Bonomo – 1,430,000
Seat 5: Steve O’Dwyer – 1,935,000
Seat 6: Kathy Lehne – 2,100,000
Seat 7: Wai Leong Chan – 1,390,000
Seat 8: Erik Seidel – 885,000

The first player to fall like a calamitous crane was the man with the acronym SHRB tattooed into his pre-frontal cortex, Justin Bonomo. Following him to the wrong side of the rail were Koon and O’Dwyer. 

Davies then made a river hero-call with king-high on a paired board only for Dvoress to eliminate him in the fifth place with a two-pair hand. Dvoress then set his sights on Seidel’s orbit, flopping a set at the same time the Poker Hall of Famer flopped a flush draw. Seidel made a pair on the turn and called a shove when Dvoress made a boat on the river. That hand reduced Seidel to chip sherbert, and he busted in the next hand to leave in fourth place.

The three-handed play saw Chan double through Dvoress, and Dvoress double through Chan, at which point, Dvoress held onto the chip lead like Dora the Explorer holds onto her map. 

Dvoress kept increasing his stack, leaving Chan and Lehne duelling for a place in the heads-up battle. The final hand saw Chan get it in with sixes against aces only to hit his two-outer on the river to eliminate her and take his place in the final with a 2:1 chip deficit.

Heads-up lasted 90-minutes, during which time Dvoress had created an 8:1 chip lead. The last piece of action saw Dvoress’ A9 beat Chan’s J7 to win his first major title and $4m in prize money.

While Chan will no doubt be disappointed in losing, it’s worth remembering than the man from Malaysia has now earned more than $5m in each of the last two years, including an ITM finish in the Triton Million London for £1.2m.

Here are the final results:

Final Table Results

  1. Daniel Dvoress – $4,080,000
  2. Wai Leong Chan – $2,677,500
  3. Kathy Lehne – $1,785,000
  4. Erik Seidel – $1,275,000
  5. Seth Davies – $1,020,000
  6. Steve O’Dwyer – $765,000
  7. Jason Koon – $637,500
  8. Justin Bonomo – $510,000
Image by Joe Giron

I’m in Los Angeles, impatiently strolling aimlessly outside of the Staples Centre waiting for someone to let my wife and me into a Tool concert. We didn’t check our tickets or follow the correct process hence the problem. I feel like a tool. 

I’m not alone.

As I look to my right, I see the actor Jai Courtney complaining about the same thing. Then I look to my left, and see Igor Kurganov and Liv Boeree, two more tools, it seems. 

I give them both a hug.

It turns out that Tool is Kurganov’s favourite band. Odd. I thought it would have been Liv’s. I had Kurganov pinned down as a fan of the Noordpool Orchestra.

Tool has a song called ‘Hooker With a Penis,’ and that’s what some people were calling him back in 2017 when he decided to join the PokerStars payroll. It was a time when large swathes of the poker community stood outside of the barricaded doors of the Isle of Man offices, with nothing but empty magazine pouches for company. 

But Kurganov is a smart man. He knew that PokerStars had made a mess of things, and to influence things moving forward, he had a better chance if he shared the same orbit. It was also a smart move given his role at Raising for Effective Giving (REG). Yeah, PokerStars was pissing people off, but REG was saving lives. It was a decision that irked some, but for others, it seemed a smart move.

Two years later, and none of that matters one iota. To steal one more Tool song title, PokerStars has been ‘Culling Voices’ from their ambassadorial ranks at a quickening pace, and Kurganov is the latest to leave. 

Back in the Day

When Kurganov joined PokerStars, he was one of the most successful high rollers in the biz, winning more than $12m playing high stakes tournaments. His German and Russian background, effective altruism connections, and relationship with Boeree made him a marketing marvel. 

Speaking at the time of his appointment, Kurganov called PokerStars ‘the driving force in the poker market,’ and the company he believed provided the ‘best poker experience.’

The appointment triggered a series of exceptional results for Kurganov. Together with Boeree, he won the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Tag Team Championship at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), for his only bracelet. In August of that year, he topped the 86-entrant field in the €50,000 No-Limit Hold’em PokerStars Championship Super High Roller in Barcelona for €1,084,100. Then he finished the year by winning a 52-entrant €25,500 No-Limit High Roller at the PokerStars Championship in Prague, beating JC Alvarado, heads-up, for €371,250.

He didn’t reach the same heights in 2018 & 2019, but did finish 4/99 in the $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super High Roller at the 2019 WSOP for $840,183, and bubbled the £1m Triton Million in London.

Boeree Also Billowing 

Boeree joined PokerStars in 2010, making her one of the most experienced pros in the stable. The online poker giant picked her up shortly after her $1.7m EPT San Remo win, and at the time, it was a significant signing given her marketing potential.

The lady from the UK didn’t disappoint, spreading the PokerStars brand far and wide thanks to her polymathic broadcasting talents, and now she leaves to focus on those things. 

Boeree has won $3.8m playing live tournaments. Although she isn’t a high rolling reg, she has appeared in several $25k+ events, including finishing 3/152 in a €25,500 No-Limit High Roller during the 2015 EPT Barcelona series for €391,000.

Who’s Left?

If you’re a high roller, then partypoker remain the likeliest online poker room to sign you up.

Jason Koon, Mikita Badziakouski, Isaac Haxton and Kristen Bicknell are high rollers that represent partypoker. Koon also doubles his time serving the Triton Poker brand where Tom Dwan joins him. 

Bryn Kenney is the sole figurehead for GGPoker, although Michael Soyza and Danny Tang both represent GGPoker’s skin Natural8. 

Michael Soyza once played in a rock band and even recorded an album. I doubt he ever had a song title as beautifully crafted as ‘Hooker With a Penis,” but you never know. 

Image by Poker Masters

Sam Soverel has followed up his win at the British Poker Open (BPO) by winning the 2019 Poker Masters, inching him closer to locking up the Poker Central Player of the Year for a second successive stint. 

Soverel underlined his ability to compete against the best in the business across all formats of poker by cashing in seven of ten Poker Masters events, winning two, and cashing for $1.4m (gross). 

“A lot of the guys I thought were really good I saw make mistakes online recently, and I actually think now that the playing field is a lot more level than I originally thought.”

The BPO Champ flew through this thing like a gunshot after winning Event #7: £25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha. He overtook Chance Kornuth at the top of the charts, and never relinquished the lead, taking fourth in Events #8 & 9 (both $25k No-Limit Hold’em), before winning the $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event.

Soverel has now made $12.9m playing live tournaments, with 17 of his 21 wins coming in the past two-years – not bad for a cash game reg. 

The Nutshell Action

Vertebrae belonging to 34-entrants stiffened in chairs, safe in the knowledge that it would only be a single shift. 

Six players would take a seat at the final table, with only five pulling out a profit. Stephen Chidwick faced the reigning champion, Ali Imsirovic, in the chaotic bubble hand. Chidwick was all-in on the turn holding QcJc on Tc6h9d5c, and Imsirovic called with AhTh for top pair. The Bosnian had to dodge an incredible 21-outs. He didn’t. Chidwick hit his river, and Imsirovic’s only job was to hang around so he could drape the purple jacket over someone else’s shoulders.

Seth Davies was next to twirl into the rail after running pocket queens into the kings of Soverel, and Chidwick went on a magic carpet ride to the cash desk a little earlier than he would have liked when he played out the same hand combo with Chris Hunichen.

The table dirt stopped gathering beneath Elio Fox’s fingertips when he exited in third place. Soverel crippled him when the pair rivered boats, only for Soverel’s to turn out to be a warship. Fox would lose his chip dust not long after.

Fox’s elimination gave Soverel a 4:1 chip advantage over Hunichen, and there was no valiant comeback. Soverel set Hunichen into the deliberation tank when moving all-in with QT, and Hunichen called it off with pocket deuces. The lowest pair in the deck didn’t rise to prominence, and Soverel stepped into the crosshairs of the photographer.

Poker Masters

ITM Finishes

  1. Sam Soverel – $680,000
  2. Chris Hunichen – $442,000
  3. Elio Fox – $272,000
  4. Stephen Chidwick – $170,000
  5. Seth Davies – $136,000

Poker Masters Championship Results

  1. Sam Soverel – 1160 points ($1,396,800)
  2. Kahle Burns – 630 ($585,950
  3. Chance Kornuth – 630 ($556,400)
  4. Sean Winter – 480 ($495,350)
  5. Ali Imsirovic – 450 ($497,600)
  6. George Wolff – 420 ($404,500)
  7. Alex Foxen – 330 ($169,450)
  8. Kristen Bicknell – 300 ($408,000)
  9. Sergi Reixach – 300 ($369,000)
  10. Isaac Baron – 300 ($223,100)

The lung-bursting run is nearly over. The finishing line is in sight, and four lions remain in the hunt for the $100,000 in prize money, a snazzy purple jacket, and the title of 2019 Poker Master.

Amongst the pride is Kahle Burns. The Australian won the penultimate event: $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em, and $416,500 in prize money, after defeating a 49-entrant field.

I don’t know what prayers Burns emits to the Poker Gods, but they’re working. After winning two bracelets at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) in Rozvadov, Burns has cashed in three Poker Master events and occupies the second spot in the championship leaderboard.

Burns’ 2019 Poker Masters Record

2nd – $10,000 Big Bet Mix
4th – $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
1st – $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em

The win is Burns’ fourth of the year, and his $3.7m haul is more than double his previous best ($1.8m, 2017).

The favourite to win the 2019 Poker Masters remains Sam Soverel. The British Poker Open (BPO) winner, finished fourth in Event #9, to extend his reach at the top to 180 points. Should Soverel finish third or higher in the final game: $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event, then he will secure his second major series win of the year. 

Two more players are in contention for the title.

Chance Kornuth didn’t cash in Event #9, but his previous three runner-up finishes have earned him 630 points, level with Burns, but behind on money-earned. 

Sean Winter did cash in Event #9, finishing in the third spot, and although he’s an outside shot with 480-points, he could still win the series should he win the event, and the other three fail to make an impression. 

Championship Standings

  1. Sam Soverel – 810
  2. Kahle Burns – 630
  3. Chance Kornuth – 630
  4. Sean Winter – 480

Event #9 Round-Up

Coming into the final table of six, the defending champion, Ali Imsirovic, had the chip lead, but it was David Peters who started the better. The action folded to Peters on the button, and he moved all-in, holding Q2dd. Imsirovic called for his tournament life from the small blind holding AJdd and won to leave Peters with chip dust. Peters would exit in the sixth place not long after.

The challenge of Elio Fox withered away in fifth place. Kahle Burns moved all-in holding A7o, and Fox made an easy call with a pair of queens. A second ace appeared on the turn, and there was no salvation on the river for Fox. 

Soverel could have locked up the title had he won this event, but instead, PokerGO fans will see the series go to the wire after the Poker Central Player of the Year busted in the fourth-place. Soverel made his final stand with KQcc but lost a race against the pocket nines of the eventual winner. One hand after Soverel hit the dirt, so did Winter. Burns continued his role as vanquisher, with A9 beating KQ to bring the tournament to an exciting conclusion. 

Imsirovic needed to beat Burns, heads-up, to retain hope of defending his title, but it didn’t happen. The final hand saw Imsirovic all-in holding QJs, and Burns holding the dominating AJ. Imsirovic did flop a queen to take the lead, but Burns rivered a flush to end Imsirovic’s hopes of placing a second purple jacket in the closet. 

Event #9 ITM Results

  1. Kahle Burns – $416,500
  2. Ali Imsirovic – $269,500
  3. Sean Winter – $183,750
  4. Sam Soverel – $122,500
  5. Elio Fox – $98,000
  6. David Peters – $73,500
  7. Alex Foxen – $61,250