It seems that Connor ‘blanconegro’ Drinan is not going to hog the entire limelight of the PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP).
Mike ’SirWatts” Watson wants some.
The Canadian high-roller busted out the party decorations for the fifth time in his SCOOP career, becoming only the tenth person in history to reach that milestone, a few days shy of Drinan becoming #9.
Watson moved through 199 entrants like an apparition to take down Event #66: $2,100 No Limit Hold’em. Amongst those unable to land a blow on the eventual winner was online star Conor ‘1_conor_b_1’ Beresford, who finished fifth.
Results
Mike ‘SirWatts’ Watson – $80,642.40
hotmark777 – $62,088.88
Black88 – $47,804.00
nofingclue11 – $36,805.64
1_conor_b_1 – $28,337.72
MarToMchat – $21,818.00
XMorphineX – $16,798.32
IgorKarkarof – $12,933.48
If it weren’t for the heads-up skills of Noah ‘Exclusive’ Boeken, Watson would have joined the merry band of three men who have won six SCOOP titles, after finishing runner-up to the Dutchman in Event #65.
The $1,050 8-Game attracted 193-entrants to the virtual felt like smoke to a dragon’s burp, and Watson collected $29,098.08 for his second-place finish.
Results
Noah ‘Exclusive’ Boeken – $38,494.94
Mike ‘SirWatts’ Watson – $29,098.08
nilsef – $21,995.18
Kelvin_FP:AR – $16,626.10
Gjeddekongen – $12,567.63
Nor-Wiking – $9,499.84
Charlie Carrel Wins Event #70: $530 No Limit Hold’em PKO
Charlie ‘Epiphany77’ Carrel has enjoyed afflicting maximum pain on his online poker pals this past fortnight. Nine days removed from taking down a $25,000 No Limit Hold’em event at the World Poker Tour (WPT) Online Championships High Roller for $600,000, Carrel has won a SCOOP event.
The former SCOOP Main Event winner secured his third SCOOP title after clamouring through a field of 2,112 entrants in a $530 No Limit Hold’em PKO event.
Results
Charlie ‘Epiphany77’ Carrel – $67,468.09 + $43,912.43
Joao Simao Wins Event #71: $1,050 Six Max Turbo NLO8
Finally, the former PocketFives World #1, and occasional $25,000 seat taker, Joao ‘IneedMassari’ Simao, took down Event #71: $1,050 Six Max Turbo NLO8.
The event pulled in 194-entrants, and the Brazilian star added a further $38,694.35 to his $9m+ in online winnings.
Results
Joao ‘IneedMassari’ Simao – $38,694.35
Pardosh – $29,248.85
rompsa – $22,109.15
BigTreeStump – $16,712.24
Us_Alex – $12,632.75
IAmSoSo – $9,549.06
It seems like an age ago that a thin sliver of the poker hierarchy believed that Phil Galfond was nothing but an accidental tourist with no business stepping into the high stakes realm.
An age ago.
On the weekend, the Run It Once Poker star found time to exchange blows with ‘ActionFreak’ throughout a 716-hand stretch that netted him a €48,169.76 profit.
While the ebb and flow of these matches produce arbitrary wins and losses, this one felt timely, given that ‘ActionFreak’ had won four of the previous five sessions including a mammoth €256,044 victory on Day 9 (the second largest of the series after Galfond collected €310,594.59 on Day 3).
As the architectural delight of the weekend loomed into view, ‘ActionFreak’ knitted together back-to-back wins on Day 11 (€23,363.64) and Day 12 (€57,580.53) to close the redness to €116,308.45. That gap is now €164,478.21.
It’s a lead that has the thin veneer of a ghost, and both players will be aware of this.
‘ActionFreak’ decided to take Monday off, so the action resumes on Tuesday 19 May.
The pair are duelling over 15,000 hands of €150-€300 Pot Limit Omaha. The winner will also receive a side bet worth €150,000 for their troubles.
There are 5,518 hands left in the contest.
Results
Day 1 – 145 hands – ‘ActionFreak’ wins €11,162.32 Day 2 – 1,107 hands – Phil Galfond wins €3,632.83 Day 3 – 844 hands – Phil Galfond wins €310,594.59 Day 4 – 665 hands – Phil Galfond wins €113,377.48 Day 5 – 680 hands – ‘ActionFreak’ wins €95,304.17 Day 6 – 727 hands – ‘ActionFreak’ wins €74,625.85 Day 7 – 746 hands – Phil Galfond wins €26,980.36 Day 8 – 944 hands – Phil Galfond wins €165,093.85 Day 9 – 721 hands – ‘ActionFreak’ wins €256,044 Day 10 – 776 hands – Phil Galfond wins €19,003.35 Day 11 – 784 hands – ‘ActionFreak’ wins €23,363.64 Day 12 – 710 hands – ‘ActionFreak’ wins €57,580.53 Day 13 – 716 hands – Phil Galfond wins €48,169.76
Total
9,482 hands
Phil Galfond leads €164,478.21
Here is the full video of Day 13’s action.
When it comes to the rough terrain of the PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP), only nine players have ever explored the invigorating atmosphere that surrounds a quintet of victories.
Connor ‘blanconegro’ Drinan is Player #9 after taking down Event #56: $1,050 H.O.R.S.E. The American pro topped a field of 139-entrants to claim $30,232.50 of the $139,000 prizepool, including defeating the excellent Mike ‘goleafsgoeh’ Leah, heads-up.
Drinan’s online notoriety needed no further augmentation, but he gets it anyway, becoming only the second player to win four SCOOP titles in a single series. Shaun Deeb is the only other player who has that particular guidebook having set the record in 2012.
There isn’t time for a poker life to turn sterile if you’re excelling in all areas of the game, and Drinan is, adding the H.O.R.S.E title to $530 Pot Limit Omaha 8-or-Better, $5,200 Pot Limit Omaha 6-Max, and $215 No Limit O8 6-Max PKO victories.
In contrast, Preben ‘prebz’ Stokkan claimed his first SCOOP title. The Norwegian star who enjoyed a deep run in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in the Summer, finishing 21st, conquered a field of 235-entrants in Event #62: $5,200 No Limit Hold’em PKO High Roller.
Joao ‘Naza114’ Vieira finished second, and Conor ‘1_conor_b_1’ Beresford took fourth.
Results
Preben ‘prebz’ Stokkan – $101,026.11 + $174,921.87 in bounties
Joao ‘Naza114’ Vieira – $101,025.97 + $1,975 in bounties
Pimmss – $66,626.02 + $18,750.00 in bounties
Conor ‘1_conor_b_1’ Beresford – $50,789.66 + $32,031.25 in bounties
FreeLancerZZ – $38,717.42 + $20,312.50 in bounties
XMorphineX – $29,514.70 + $38,203.13 in bounties
PaGaOVelhinho – $22,499.31 + $14,531.25 in bounties
MissOracle – $17,151.47 + $6,875.00 in bounties
In Other News
Dominik Nitsche made it to the semi-finals of the $2,100 Heads Up No Limit Hold’em before hitting the rail. The event attracted 119 entrants, and ‘CatLover666’ beat Phil ‘Grindation’ McAllister in the final.
Lex Veldhuis made the final table of Event #57: $5,200 No Limit Hold’em High Roller. 184 entrants swarmed to the event like toddlers to a Disney store in a mall, and Veldhuis finished seventh. More than 31,000 people watched the Triton commentator via Twitch, a record for the Dutchman.
Lastly, the former SCOOP Main Event winner, Talal ‘raidalot’ Shakerchi, finished runner-up to Kyle ‘km_freestyle’ Menne in Event #61: $1,050 Omaha 8-or-Better earning $22,099.
As seems to be the trend during the lockdown, PokerStars has chosen to extend the series until May 31. The addendum includes 44 events (132 tournaments), and that bumps the guarantee to $135m, surpassing GGPoker’s recent record of $100m for the WSOP Super Circuit Online Series.
The barometric pressure inside the bedrooms of the world’s most incredible poker players continues to increase thanks to PokerStars, GGPoker and partypoker.
All three are running online tournament series with millions up for grabs. For this short round-up, the thermometer goes up the bum of the World Poker Tour (WPT) Online Championships courtesy of partypoker.
Elio Fox repelled 87-entrants on his way to a $565,500 purse in Event #32: $25,500 Super High Roller. The win was the second most substantial of the series behind Charlie Carrel’s $600,250 windfall in a similar event last week.
The former World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) Main Event winner, spends most of his time grinding on GGPoker’s skin Natural8, winning ten six-figure scores in the past 12-months, including $449,407.83 after taking down a 48-entrant $25,000 in October on the GGNetwork.
Juan Pardo Dominguez went into the final day with the chip lead, only for Fox to defeat the Spaniard during heads-up, for the title, and $150,000 difference in prize money.
Results
Elio Fox – $565,500
Juan Pardo Dominguez – $402,375
Pauli Ayras – $282,750
Samuel Vousden – $195,750
Mark Davis – $152,250
Timothy Adams – $108,750
Christopher Hunichen – $87,000
Andrii Novak – $76,125
Giuseppe Iadisernia Wins Event #26: $2,650 No Limit Hold’em Bounty Builder
The Venezuelan high stakes star, Giuseppe Iadisernia, bagged himself a title by winning Event #26: $2,650 No-Limit Hold’em Bounty Builder. The man who won the 54-entrant $50,000 No Limit Hold’em Super High Roller at the 2018 partypoker Caribbean Poker Party in the Bahamas for $845,000 topped a field of 280-entrants in this one.
Results
Giuseppe Iadisernia – $69,650 + $66,230.51 in bounties
Kasparas Klezys – $50,400 + $28,378.90 in bounties
William Arruda – $35,350 + $5,351.56 in bounties
Phillip Mighall – $25,725 + $12,140.62 in bounties
Shyngis Satubayev – $18,200 + $8,867.19 in bounties
Chad Eveslage – $13,650 + $6,796.87 in bounties
Enrico Camosci – $9,625 + $10,000 in bounties
Pedro Garagnani – $7,000 + $10,195.31 in bounties
Nortbert Szecsi Wins Event #27: $5,200 No Limit Hold’em High Roller
Norbert Szecsi made monkeys out of the 202-entrant field in Event #27: $5,200 No Limit Hold’em High Roller.
The two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner showed that he could be a prickly cactus in the online world as well as the live realm.
Alongside Szecsi’s double bracelet wins include a personal best score of $731,716 for finishing runner-up to Max Silver in a €10,300 No Limit Hold’em High Roller at the 2018 European Poker Tour (EPT) in Barcelona.
In November, Szecsi won the $10,300 No Limit Hold’em MILLIONS High Roller Finale at the Bahamas for $400,000, before finishing runner-up to Mikalai Pobal in December’s €5,300 EPT Prague Main Event, earning $664,617.
Results
Norbert Szecsi – $194,656.20
Laszlo Bujtas – $160,762.81
Artur Martirosian – $106,555
Vicent Bosca Ramon – $78,780
Nick Petrangelo – $55,550
Alexander Ivarsson – $42,420
Rob Lipkin – $31,310
Jans Arends – $23,230
Wiktor Malinowski Wins Event #29: $10,300 High Roller
Wiktor ‘limitless’ Malinowski continued his rise from online freerolls to the biggest stakes games in the world with a win in Event #29: $10,300 High Roller.
Malinowski only became a professional poker player in 2016. Still, he’s more than made up for it, competing, and winning, regularly in the high stakes online cash games, before adding live and online multi-table tournaments (MTTs) to his repertoire.
The Pole topped a field of 115-entrants to win the $281,750 first prize.
Results
Wiktor Malinowski – $281,750
Nick Petrangelo – $201,250
Pascal Lefrancois – $143,750
Samuel Vousden – $100,625
Elias Talvitie – $74,750
Giuseppe Iadisernia – $57,500
Artur Martirosian – $46,000
Benjamin Rolle – $37,375
If Steve O’Dwyer were a camel, he would need more than two humps to hold his poker trophies. The American born pro has earned more than $30m playing live tournaments, including 25 victories, and generationally ranks as one of the most successful players in that artform.
Still, live tournament poker isn’t the only arrow in his quiver. O’Dwyer has also earned $6.4m playing online multi-table tournaments (MTTs), and this week he added a Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) title to his modest haul.
O’Dwyer conquered an 89-entrant $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super High Roller on PokerStars, smothering a final table of stars with the ease of a knife smearing butter on warm toast.
Fedor ‘CrownUpGuy’ Holz, Ole ‘wizowizo’ Schemion, Talal ‘raidalot’ Shakerchi, and Joao ‘Naza114’ Vieira all parked their bikes in the $25,000 cycle shed. Still, it was Andras ‘probirs’ Nemeth, whose wheels remained steadfast the longest.
O’Dwyer defeated Nemeth in heads-up action, preventing the high-rolling Hungarian for capturing two titles in a day after winning Event #52: $2,100 No-Limit Hold’em for $157,734.78.
The win netted O’Dwyer $521,597.77 for his troubles. While that’s more than enough to buy a new pair of shoes, it doesn’t rank as O’Dwyer’s best score. That remains the $896,610 he won last year in a similar event during partypoker’s POWERFEST.
Result
Steve ‘Mr. Tim Caum’ O’Dwyer – $521,597.77
Andras ‘probirs’ Nemeth – $403,096.26
Chun Lei ‘SamRostan’ Zhou – $311,516.98
Joao ‘Naza114’ Vieira – $240,743.65
Talal ‘raidalot’ Shakerchi – $186,049.14
VbV1990 – $143,780.89
Ole ‘wizowizo’ Schemion – $111,115.32
Fedor ‘CrownUpGuy’ Holz – $85,871.02
Patrick ‘pads1161’ Leonard Wins Event #53: $2,100 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-or-Better Six-Max
Despite O’Dwyer’s online success, the Coloradan has only ever reached #7 in the PocketFives Rankings. Two people who have taken the tram to the summit of that particular set of rails are Patrick ‘pads1161’ Leonard and Yuri ‘theNERDguy’ Dzivielevski.
The two former World #1’s clashed in the heads-up phase of the 117-entrant Event #53: $2,100 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-or-Better Six-Max. The partypoker ambassador found the luck, skill, or a bit of both to snatch the $52,605.66 first prize, and claim his second SCOOP title.
Joao “Naza114” Vieira once again showed up at the final table, finishing sixth.
Results
Patrick ‘pads1161’ Leonard – $52,605.66
Yuri ‘theNERDguy’ Dzivielevski – $40,345.85
Murilo ‘Muka82’ Figueiredo – $30,943.24
Little Kraut – $23,731.90
guilherme12 – $18,201.17
Joao ‘Naza114’ Vieira – $13,959.38
A professional poker player rarely rises through the ranks, ultimately taking a seat at the top table. These types of players are animals full of spirit that don’t mind the calf-muscle strain of running up the hill and have an intellectual capacity that dwarfs the field. Find those attributes, sprinkle in some run good, and the ability to foster the right connections and your vista may change.
It’s certainly changed for Thai Ha.
The 29-year-old, Pennsylvania-based pro, began competing on the live tournament scene in 2013. Ha’s first port of call was the low-stakes $200-$300 buy-in tournaments around North America.
Ha’s first big score came three years later, winning a 513-entrant $350 No-Limit Hold ’em DeepStack Bounty event at the World Poker Tour (WPT) Borgata Winter Open for $43,359. His first six-figure score came in 2016, and once again the WPT served it on a platter after Ha took down a 4,075-entrant $350 No-Limit Hold ’em event during WPTDeepStacks Lucky Hearts Poker Open for $230,422.
Supplemented with a larger bankroll, and infused with confidence and run good, Ha’s mind bribed him into taking a shot at the $1k+ buy-in market, and since then, he’s never looked back.
In 2019, he promoted himself into the highest stakes games, finishing runner-up to Alex Epstein in the $10,000 Short-Deck No-Limit Hold ’em at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) for $183,081. He also finished runner-up to Siamak Tooran in the 111-entrant €25,500 Short-Deck Hold” em High Roller at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) for a career-high score of $511,788.
Unfortunately for Ha, COVID-19 put an end to his impressive run by wiping live tournaments from the face of the planet. Before the pandemic struck, Ha made two final tables at partypoker MILLIONS Super High Roller Series in Sochi, finishing 3/61 in the $25,500 Short Deck event, and 8/55 in the $50,000 Short Deck event,
Ha has won $2.4m playing live tournaments, including four career titles.
Ha Signs for Natural8
Ha’s ascent to the top of poker’s tournament food chain has not gone unnoticed. The Asian-facing online poker skin, Natural8, has signed him as a brand ambassador joining the likes of Danny Tang, Michael Soyza, Henri Bueller and Kitty Kuo.
The Pennsylvanian native goes straight to work in the WSOP Super Circuit Series, and the hire is synergistic. Natural8 operates on the GGPoker network, and GGPoker is hosting the WSOP Super Circuit Series.
Tuesday night, and for once, No-Limit Hold’em jumped into the sidecar, leaving Pot-Limit Omaha to drive that Cadillac that Doyle Brunson bangs on about.
The World Poker Tour (WPT) Online Championships continued on partypoker, and Andrew Pantling ended the night as the biggest winner, defeating the 120-entrant field to bank $302,287.20 in Event #22: $10,300 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller.
The last time the poker world caught a sniff of Pantling was at the Triton Million in London during the Summer of 2019, a long time before bats and pangolins conspired to lock us in our homes.
There was no howling to the moon on that night despite eliminating Rick Salomon to take the early chip lead. Pantling eventually drowned, but there was no need for the life raft in this one.
High stakes stars Andras Nemeth, and Jens Kyllonen joined Pantling at the top table, but neither were able to stick their spoon in the jam and figgy pudding.
Colombia’s finest poker export, Farid Jattin, narrowly missed out on the title in the $2,100 Pot-Limit Omaha event. The tournament attracted 168-entrants like nerds to a science lab, and Jattin chopped the $140k left up top with Kristoffer Edberg, before losing the heads-up scuffle for the title.
Results
Kristoffer Edberg – $69,086.18*
Farid De Jesus Jattin Jaraba – $68,360.03*
Joao Vieira – $37,800
Maksim Shuts – $27,384
Arvi Vainionkulma – $20,160
Saku Nasman – $13,440
*Agreed upon a deal
Fabio Sperling Wins WPT500
A $50 competition is hardly a high roller, but as its one of the WPT’s flagship tournaments, you can make it an orphan.
The 4,828-entrant field reduced to four hysterically happy hunters before brokering a deal. The heaviest bag went to Fabio Sperling, who banked $281,125.93, and the title.
Results
Fabio Sperling – $281,125.93*
Walter Treccarich – $235,666.74*
Markus Prinz – $202,012.42*
Christopher Putz – $187,289.83*
Philipp Dietrich – $74,785.72
Harutyun Sahakyan – $50,887.12
Daan Mulders – $35,799.62
Giuseppe Vassallo – $23,174.40
Some take out a bank loan to compete in the PokerStars Spring Championships of Online Poker (SCOOP). Then some toss around SCOOP titles with the same nonchalance of someone tossing the lettuce and tomato from a burger.
Here are two of them.
Every series has someone that shines brightest, and currently, the man shining like sunburn is Connor Drinan. ‘Blanconegro’, as he is known to online poker aficionados, has won three titles in four days, and we’re not talking about high stakes Sit n Go’s.
Drinan poured gasoline and then flicked his engraved Zippo lighter on the 378-entrant field in Event #34: $530 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-or-Better earning $34,420.52. Next, he pummelled the 150-entrant field to win the $152,011.45 first prize in Event #40: $5,200 Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Max, beating 150-entrants for $152,011.46. Drinan continued raking in titles like a Craps stickman dragging in the coin by beating the 1,051 entrant field in Event #45: $215 No-Limit O8 6-Max PKO for $28,358.58.
Drinan who once rose to a high of fourth in the PocketFives World Rankings has now earned four career SCOOP titles, and more than $8.4m playing online multi-table tournaments (MTTs) with $7.4m coming on Stars.
Mike “SirWatts” Watson Wins Event #51: $1,050 No-LImit 2-7 Single Draw
Mike “SirWatts” Watson was another high roller blistering his way through a SCOOP field this week. The Canadian star made weasels of 84-entrants to win the title described in the title.
PocketFives have declared that this is Watts’s fourth career title, but I can only find evidence of three in his back catalogue. Both previous wins came in 2015, and both at the Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) tables. Watson won a $2,100 PLO Hi/Lo for $65,320 & $215 PLO 6-Max for $58,368
Watson has earned more than $4.8m playing online MTTs, including $3.8m playing on Stars.
Results
Mike ‘SirWatts’ Watson – $22,050
Alexander ‘joiso’ Kostritsyn – $15,330
Luke ‘lb6121’ Schwartz – $10,500
ptisan – $7,560
Rui ‘RuiNF’ Ferreira – $5,670
serkku21 – $4,200
Naoya ‘nkeyno’ Kihara – $3,360
The inaugural World Poker Tour (WPT) Online Championships in partnership with partypoker was such a hit; the organisers decided to extend the series until the end of May.
Initially pencilled in to run May 10-26, partypoker associate, Rob Yong, took to Twitter declaring the series would end on May 31. The decision allows them to move the WPTDeepStacks to after the WPT Online Championships Main Event. The shift creates space for additional satellites, and Yong has bumped the guarantee from $2m to $3m as a result.
The highlight of the WPT Online Championships is the $3,200 buy-in, $5m GTD Main Event. There is also a WPT500, and a WPTDeepStacks schedule in addition to a splatter of high rollers, and a whole range of side action from the hosts.
Here are the high roller highlights.
Charlie Carrel Wins Event #14: $25,500 Super High Roller
The most substantial buy-in of the series went the way of Charlie Carrel. The former PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) Main Event Champion conquered a field of 98-entrants to capture the $600,250 first prize, his second personal-best after his $1.2m SCOOP win.
Results
Charles Carrel – $600,250
Ali Imsirovic – $428,750
Elias Talvitie – $306,250
Ivan Galinec – $214,375
Arsenii Karmatckii – $159,250
Wiktor Malinowski – $122,500
Christopher Hunichen – $98,000
Pauli Ayras – $79,625
Sam Greenwood Wins Event #11: $10,300 High Roller
Sam Greenwood bubbled the $25,500 final table, but winning Event #11: $10,300 High Roller somewhat masked that misery. Greenwood picked apart 105-entrants to claim the $257,250 first prize, and it would have felt good after finishing runner-up in two Poker Masters Online events a few weeks ago.
Results
Sam Greenwood – $257,250
Matthias Eibinger – $183,750
Rui Ferreira – $131,250
Jorma Nuutien – $91,875
Alexandru Papazian – $68,250
Timothy Adams – $52,500
Joni Jouhkimainen – $42,000
Pauli Ayras – $34,125
Ola Amundsgaard Wins Event #6: $5,200 Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) High Roller
High stakes PLO fiend, Ola ‘Odds_Oddsen’ Amundsgaard conquered the 101-entrant field in the $5,200 PLO High Roller. Amundsgaard once challenged members of the Norwegian parliament to 10k hands of PLO in a $170k freeroll to prove poker is a game of skill. The Progress Party’s Eriend Wiborg took him on and quit after losing 2,666 bb through 1,056 hands.
Results
Ola Amundsgaard – $117,115.59
Veselin Karakitukov – $110,891.92
Rui Ferreira – $60,600
Matthew Wantmann – $43,430
Lauri Varonen – $31,562.50
Mark Demirjian – $20,957.50
Anthony Zinno Wins Event #10: $1,050 Heads-Up
Stick a WPT event on the poker calendar, and you can guarantee that Anthony Zinno is going to turn up. The man with three WPT titles to his name now has a WPT Online title after beating Ameer Jamil Wakil in the final match of a 121-entrant $1,050 Heads-Up contest.
Results
Anthony Zinno – $29,040
Ameer Jamil Wakil – $29,040
Ivan Sakharov – $12,100
Niklas Åstedt – $12,100
Rui Ferreira Wins Event #18: Mini $320 PLO
Rui Ferreira is one of Europe’s hottest talents when it comes to surfacing with the cream in these endless online poker series. The Portuguese star added another title to his impressive resume, vanquishing 376-entrants to win the $22,560.10 first prize in the Mini $320 PLO.
Results
Rui Ferreira – $22,560.10
Jamil Kanji – $16,694.40
Pedro Zagalo – $12,126
Akseli Paalanen – $8,547.98
Brett Davies – $6,204
Andreas Torbergsen – $4,286.40
Niklas Åstedt Wins Event #15: $1,050 Weekender
Lastly, it wouldn’t be an online poker round-up without the PocketFives World #1 climbing onto the podium.
Niklas Åstedt conquered a field of 125-entrants to claim the $174,751.50 first prize in the $1,050 Weekender event.
Results
Niklas Astedt – $174,751.50
Tyler Goatcher – $124,333
Sonny Franco – $83,508.70
Fredrik Andersson – $56,586.20
Manig Loeser – $39,943.20
Stefan Schillhabel – $28,782.60
Jens Lakemeier – $20,559
Javier Zarco – $14,293.40
The PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) is for poker players what Disneyland is for kids. Host one in the middle of a pandemic induced lockdown, and you’re talking levels of excitement and hype that not even a mouse called Mickey can create.
Seventy-nine events plan to squat on the computers of poker’s most pristine and pallor. Here are the high roller highlights as we eke over the halfway point in proceedings.
Few players are running hotter than Jorryt van Hoof.
‘TheCleaner11’ finished in the money (ITM) in ten Poker Masters Online events, earning $720,308 in gross profit, and he’s packed that run good into his man purse and taken it to PokerStars.
Van Hoof took down the 575-entrant $2,100 NLHE Thursday Thrill for $176,104.37.
Results
Jorryt ‘TheCleaner11’ van Hoof – $88,383.68 + $87,720.69 in bounties
Benny Glaser isn’t spending his severance check on the NLHE High Roller circuit, but you won’t find him too far away from a high limit mixed game event.
The UK pro, earned his fifth SCOOP title, after beating 122-entrants to win the $54,854 first prize in Event #6: $2,100 8-Game Mix. Glaser joins an esteemed group of quintet SCOOP winners that include Jussi Nevanlinna, Jason Mercier, Luke Schwartz and Rui Ferreira.
Ole ‘wizowizo’ Schemion stole his third SCOOP title from beneath the nose of Laszlo ‘omaha4rollz’ Bujtas. The German star took down Event #16: $2,100 PLO for $111,853.75. Both Schemion and Bujtas competed in the Poker Masters Online with mixed results.
Results
Ole ‘wizowizo’ Schemion – $111,853.75
Laszlo ‘omaha4rollz’ Bujtas – $82,910.03
boerni21 – $61,455.98
pkrbt – $45,553.47
goodeh99 – $33,765.84
munkkis – $25,028.52
Artur ‘mararthur1’ Martirosyan Wins Event #17: $10,300 NLHE High Roller
Only Linus Loeliger and the eventual winner, Alexandros Kolonias earned more gross profit during the Poker Masters Online than Artur Martirosyan with the Russian collecting $1.3m in prize money.
That amount just spilt over the $1.5m mark after Martirosyan conquered a tough final table in the $10,300 NLHE High Roller. Martirosyan defeated Fedor Holz, heads-up. Van Hoof collected another huge score, and online stars Rui Ferreira and Andras Nemeth also made the final tables.
Results
Artur ‘mararthur1’ Martirosyan – $271,790.44
Fedor ‘CrownUpGuy’ Holz – $210,580.76
Jorryt ‘TheCleaner11’ van Hoof – $163,156.10
allin2bluff – $126,411.92
vicenfish – $97,942.88
Rui ‘RuiNF’ Ferreira – $75,885.27
Grisha813 – $58,795.22
Andras ‘probirs’ Nemeth – $45,554.00
Matthew ‘MUSTAFABET’ Ashton Wins Event #19: $1,050 Limit Hold’em 6-Max
High stakes live cash game player, and former World Series of Poker (WSOP) Poker Players Championship (PPC) winner, Matthew Ashton, outlasted 109 thieves all out to steal the title in Event #19: $1,050 Limit Hold’em 6-Max. Ashton collected $24,729.17 after overcoming a final table that contained ‘bencb789.’
Ashton also made it to the final table of Event #25: $2,100 7-2 Triple Draw, but had to settle for fourth. Talal ‘raidalot’ Shakerchi won the event and $42,645.76 first prize. It’s Shakerchi’s fourth SCOOP title, including his 2016 SCOOP Main Event win.
Results
Talal ‘raidalot’ Shakerchi – $42,645.76
Naza114 – $31,878.36
Crazy Elior – $23,829.59
MUSTAFABET – $17,813.01
RaulGonzalez – $13,315.52
lb6121 – $9,953.57
Crisper – $7,440.47
Mustapha ‘lasagnaaammm’ Kanit Wins Event #24: $10,300 NLHE High Roller
Mustapha ‘lasagnaaammm’ Kanit collected his third big title of the previous three weeks, after adding Event #24: $10,300 NLHE High Roller to the two titles earned during the Poker Masters Online Series. It’s the Italian’s third career SCOOP title, including winning the 2015 Main Event.
Results
Mustapha ‘lasagnaaammm’ Kanit – $271,790.44
Sergei ‘Futti18’ Koliakov – $210,580.76
Luke ‘Bit2Easy’ Reeves – $163,156.10
Charlie ‘Epiphany77’ Carrel – $126,411.92
Teun ‘tinnoemulder’ Mulder – $97,942.88
Adrian ‘Amadi_017’ Mateos- $75,885.27
iamivar – $58,795.22
NeedBeat – $45,554.00
Joao ‘Naza114’ Viera – $36,095.28
Artur ‘mararthur1’ Martirosyan Wins Second SCOOP Title of the Series
Martirosyan earned his second SCOOP title of the series, taking down Event #29: $5,200 NLHE Midweek Freeze. The Russian defeated 143 entrants to claim the $157,426.77 first prize. Schemion picked up another big result, and the reigning Main Event champ, Gianluca ‘tankanza’ Speranze finished seventh.
