George Wolff earns his money away from the live tournament tables, and so it would have stung more than a reg when he lost when heads-up against Paul Snead in a $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em event during the World Poker Tour (WPT) Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, and again in the summer, losing against Luke Schwartz in the $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship.
Today, he’s healed that hurt.
Wolff beat Sam Soverel, the reigning Poker Central High Roller Player of the Year, and current leader, in a heads-up war, to win Event #2: £10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha at the British Poker Open.
The win was Wolff’s first of his career, and he took it down, playing against a man who has made the top 3 spots in 11 2019 events, winning four of them, and with two previous Pot-Limit Omaha live tournament wins tucked in his boxers.
The Action
The tournament attracted 30-entrants, and by the end of Day 1, Stratford locals heard George Wolff as he howled to the moon in celebration of leading the final six players.
Day 2 Seat Draw
Seat 1: George Wolff – 1,722,000
Seat 2: Stephen Chidwick – 593,000
Seat 3: Gavin Cochrane – 194,000
Seat 4: Jens Kyllonen – 97,000
Seat 5: Joni Joukimainen – 272,000
Seat 6: Sam Soverel – 878,000
It was a perfectly symmetrical final table with two players each from Finland, the UK and the US.
Only one would leave feeling as cantankerous as a castrated crocodile, and it turned out to be Jens Kyllonen.
The former winner of the World Series of Poker’s (WSOP) $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller got it in with 9h8h6d6s but lost against the AdQsTs9d of Sam Soverel.
There would be no Finnish blood at the coronation of this thing after Joni Jouhkimainen followed his compatriot out of the door in the fifth place. The partypoker ambassador was all-in pre-flop holding AcJh9s6c, and Stephen Chidwick threw him into the water and stepped on his head as QcQs9c5d flopped a boat.
Gavin Cochrane was next to seek out a new horizon when he moved all-in on the fourth street holding AhKh8s7d on Qh2h6d4c. Soverel made the call holding Qd8h4d3s for the two -pair hand, and Cochrane missed his flush, before collecting his £30,000 price.
The three-handed play belonged to Wolff as he tore through his opponents without ever finding the carotid. But he went into heads-up without the chip lead, after Soverel busted Chidwick in the following hand.
Chidwick held KcQc9d6s against Soverel’s KsJs4d3s when the pair stared at a flop of KdKhJd. Chidwick held trips, but Soverel had flopped a full house. Fireworks? Nope. Both players checked. On the 2c turn, Chidwick bet small, 75,000, and Soverel made the call. Then the 2d finished off the action, Chidwick bet 230,000, Soverel put him all-in, and Chidwick made the call. Chidwick won his first WSOP bracelet in the summer, playing in a PLO event – he wouldn’t be following it up with another one here in Stratford.
Heads-Up
Sam Soverel – 2,125,000
George Wolff – 1,625,000
The chip lead changed hands more times than the US and Russia used to exchange spies during the Cold War before Wolff closed it down.
The pair got it in on a flop of Ah7c6d with Soverel shipping the lot, bar one chip. The Poker Central patriot held AcJh9c5s for the best hand. Wolff, who had flopped a wrap, made Soverel play for that last chip and turned a two-pair hand when the 4s joined the fray. Soverel needed help from the deck to stay in the competition, and the Qc was not what the Soverel had ordered. Wolff was declared the champion.
ITM Results
- George Wolff – £120,000
- Sam Soverel – £78,000
- Stephen Chidwick – £48,000
- Gavin Cochrane – £30,000
- Joni Joihkimainen – €24,000
British Poker Open Championship Standings
- George Wolff – £120,000 (200 Points)
- Luc Greenwood – £119,600 (200)
- Sam Soverel – £78,000 (140)
- Steve O’Dwyer – £72,600 (140)
- Stephen Chidwick – £48,000 (100)
- Robert Flink – £41,600 (100)
- Gavin Cochrane – £30,000 (80)
- Sam Grafton – £26,600 (80)
- Joni Jouhkimainen – £24,000 (60)
Remaining British Poker Open Events
Event #3: £10,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #4: £10,000 Short-Deck
Event #5: £25,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #6: £25,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #7: £25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
Event #8: £25,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #9: £50,000 No-Limit Hold’em
Event #10: £100,000 No-Limit Hold’em