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It’s was time to chain the ‘whoop’ to a prison wall found in the darkest recess of their mind. The professional had to remain as focused as a sniper. The only thing that counted was the hand that lay underneath their whorls. For three and a half levels, on Day 5 of the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) Main Event, not even the Rolling Stones could make them budge. 

Day 1 began with 541-entrants each hoping to feel that slight nausea that accompanies winning €1.13m, and at the start of the penultimate day, 14 took a pew.

How did the Poker Gods condense 14 to 6?

Here’s the nutshell action.

The Nutshell Action

Mykola Kostyrko Eliminated in 14th Place.

With blinds at 50k/100k/100k, Marek Blasko opened to 225,000 in the first position, and then called after Mykolo Kostyrko moved all-in for 645,000 in midfield. It was a race with Blasko’s pocket sixes the favourite against AdJh, and it remained that way after a flop, turn, and river brought zero salvation for Kostyrko.

Christoph Rudolph Eliminated in 13th Place.

In the same level, Dario Sammartino opened to 200,000 on the button, and then called when Christian Rudolph moved all-in for approx. 1,400,000 in the small blind. Sammartino had queens for the easy call. Rudolph tabled Ah8c, and despite flopping a second eight, couldn’t catch up. 

David ‘ODB’ Baker Eliminated in 12th Place.

A few hands later, and Alexandros Kolonias opened to 210,000 from the cutoff and then called when David ‘ODB’ Baker moved all-in from the big blind. It was another race, this time with Kolonias having to play catch-up, and that’s what he did, flopping a second ace to ensure that AhQd beat JhJs of the Player of the Year pursuing Baker. 

Jan-Peter Jachtmann Eliminated in 11th Place.

With blinds at 60k/120k/120k, Jan-Peter Jachtmann opened to 280,000 from under the gun and then jammed after Anh Do had three-bet to 980,000 in the big blind. Jachtmann showed jacks; Do showed kings, and both players flopped a set and nothing more leaving the former WSOP bracelet winner with the following day to fill.

Daniel Rezaei Eliminated in 10th Place.

The action remained in the same level when Daniel Rezaei moved all-in for 1,080,000 from the small blind holding Ad2d, and Kolonias woke up with pocket jacks in the big blind. There were no aces, no deuces, no wheel draws, no diamonds – nothing but an exit for Rezaei.

Unofficial Final Table Redraw

Seat 1: Rifat Palevic – 4,695,000
Seat 2: Marek Blasko – 1,415,000
Seat 3: Julien Martini – 7,280,000
Seat 4: Anh Do – 8,255,000
Seat 5: Claas Segebrecht – 3,060,000
Seat 6: Dario Sammartino – 8,840,000
Seat 7: Anthony Zinno – 8,630,000
Seat 8: Jakob Madsen – 2960,000
Seat 9: Alexandros Kolonias – 8,970,000

Marek Blasko Eliminated in 9th Place.

With blinds at 100k/200k/200k, Anthony Zinno opened to 450,000 in early position, and Marek Blasko called from the cutoff. The dealer laid AcQh8s onto the flop as carefully as runny eggs on toast. Zinno bet 2,000,000, and Blasko, who had an inferior stack, made the call. Blasko must have been delighted when he saw Zinno’s KcTc for the straight draw, as he held KsQs for middle pair. The turn was the Th to give Zinno more outs, and the Ts on the river was one of them. It was a cruel way for Blasko to bow out, but bow out he did.

Jakob Madsen Eliminated in 8th Place.

Anthony Zinno made it 500,000 to play with blinds still at 100k/200k/200k. Jakob Madsen moved all-in for 2,060,000 in mid-position, Kolonias made the call from the hijack, and Zinno folded. It was another flip with Kolonias’s pocket jacks going toe-to-toe with ace-king, and the jacks won. 

Julien Martini Eliminated in 7th Place.

The tournament reached the final table during the same level, and Julien Martini was the last man not to make it. The Frenchman opened to 450,000 from the hijack, Do called in the cutoff, Zinno squeezed to 1,700,000 from the big blind, Martini moved all-in for 5,870,000, Do folded, and Zinno called. 

Cooler time.

Martini showed pocket queens, Zinno showed pocket aces, and that’s why the World Poker Tour (WPT) Champions Club member begins the final day of the WSOPE Main Event with the chip lead.

Final Table Seat Draw

Seat 1: Rifat Palevic – 2,915,000

Seat 2: Anh Do – 8,725,000

Seat 3: Claas Segebrecht – 6,400,000

Seat 4: Dario Sammartino – 7,100,000

Seat 5: Anthony Zinno – 16,845,000

Seat 6: Alexandros Kolonias – 12,150,000

Both Zinno and Palevic have WSOP bracelets in a draw at home somewhere (Zinno has two). Sammartino becomes only the fourth player in history to make the final table of both the WSOPE and WSOP Main Event in the same year. Not bad for someone who recently became semi-retired. 

Here are the payouts.

1. €1,133,678
2. €700,739
3. €485,291
4. €341,702
5. €244,653
6. €178,171

No epigrams.

No complicated language.

No need.

Kahle Burns is the business, and his actions speak far louder than anything these fingers can produce. 

The Australian star has defeated 179-entrants to win the €101,834 first prize in Event #13: €2,500 buy-in €250,000 guaranteed Short-Deck No-Limit Hold’em at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE). It’s his second bracelet of the series after winning the €25,500 No-Limit Hold’em Platinum High Roller. Burns also finished ninth in the €2,500 8-Game Mix, and 12th in the World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) Main Event at the same venue. 

Day 1 ended with Arturs Scerbaks leading the final 35-entrants. Scerbaks made money, finishing in 15th place. The following high rollers didn’t: Dario Sammartino, Anthony Zinno, Anson Tsang, Shaun Deeb, Alex Foxen, Sam Grafton, and Phil Hellmuth.

Burns began the final table with the chip lead.

He was the only one left seated at the end of Day 2. 

Let’s see how he managed it.

The Nutshell Action

Final Table Seat Draw

Seat 1: Oshiri Lahmani – 950,000
Seat 2: Kahle Burns – 2,171,000
Seat 3: Felix Schulze – 2,083,000
Seat 4: Federico Anselmi – 754,000
Seat 5: Vladimir Peck – 364,000
Seat 6: Manig Loeser – 906,000
Seat 7: Pierre Neuville – 1,681,000

The first big hand to take place at the official final table saw Federico Anselmi double-up at the expense of Pierre Neuville. 

Kahle Burns limped into the pot from early position, Anselmi did the same from midfield, Manig Loeser followed suit in the cutoff, and Neuville joined the fray from the button. 

A soaking wet flop of JdTh8h greeted the family, and the action checked through to Neuville who bet 65,000. The action folded to Anselmi who check-raised to 240,000, and after Loeser folded, Neuville made the call. The Belgian held Tc9h for a pair and a straight draw; Anselmi was ahead with 9s7s for the straight. Neuville’s hand never improved, and Anselmi had doubled-up.

The next big hand was also a double-up.

It was another family pot as six of the seven players turned into bloodhounds hoping to find something to lock a jaw. The dealer splayed AhAs7c onto the flop, and Schulze lit the first firework with a bet of 67,000, Loeser moved all-in for 886,00, and Schulze made the reluctant call. Both players had an ace, but Loeser’s queen hung Schulze’s jack on a hook, and the former Triton Champion became a significant force in this event.

Vladimir Peck made it three double-ups in succession when he got it in pre-flop holding Td7d against the KdJc of Burns. The Australian strengthened his lock on the hand after flopping a pair of jacks, but Peck picked up a pair and gutshot that filled up on the river. 

Then we lost our first player.

Loeser started things off with a raise to 24,000 from the hijack seat, and Neuville and Burns called. The dealer placed TdTh6h onto the flop before releasing the harness, and Loeser bet 34,000; only Neuville called. The 8c landed on the turn, Loeser moved all-in, and Neuville called. 

Loeser was ahead with 9d7d for the straight, and Neuville was not, holding AsTc. Neuville needed a boat to stay afloat. The 7c hit the river, and the other six players watched as he drowned. 

Then we lost Lahmani.

Schulze opened shoved, and Lahmani made the call with the smaller stack. Schulze held AhKc, and Lahmani had pocket kings. Lahmani dodged the rockets on the flop and turn until one arrived on the river, blowing him to smithereens. 

Five soon became four when Peck hit the deck. 

The American moved all-in for 556,000, and Burns made the call. Peck showed 9d8d, and Burns tabled pocket jacks. Peck did pick up a pair on the flop, but the jacks remained the dominant hand by the time the dealer had done his job.

Loeser then doubled through Burns when JsTc beat AdJd when all-in pre-flop. Loeser rivered trip tens to come from behind after Burns had flopped a second ace.

Loeser wasn’t the only player coming from behind to win a vital pot. Anselmi and Schulze both got it in pre-flop with Schulze’s AdTs well behind the AhKc for Anselmil, only for Schulze to flop two more tens to eliminate the Italian in fourth.

Chip Counts

1. Kahle Burns – 4,850,000
2. Felix Schulze – 2,500,000
3. Manig Loeser – 1,800,000

Loeser continued doubling-up, this time when KcJd beat the AdJh of Burns, and Loeser made it to heads-up when Burns eliminated Schulze in the third position. Once again the action took place, pre-flop, with the pair getting it in. Schulze held 9h8h and Burns Ts8s. The Australian hit a straight on the turn, and it was good for a 6,340,000 v 2,560,000 heads-up chip lead against Loeser.

Heads-Up

The Tale of the Tape

Kahle Burns – 6,340,000

Manig Loeser – 2,560,000

Heads-up lasted two hands.

In the only one worth talking about, the pair got it in with Burns ahead of Loeser with AhJh up against KhJc. Burns improved his hand after flopping a second ace. Loeser didn’t improve his hand and exited in second place. 

Final Table Results

1. Kahle Burns – €101,384
2. Manig Loeser – €62,929
3. Felix Schulze – €42,344
4. Federico Anselmi – €29,027
5. Vladimir Peck – €20,444
6. Oshiri Lahmani – €14,764
7. Pierre Neuville – €10,939

Seven more high rollers who went deeper than a pirate wearing lead boots who’s just walked the plank were John Cynn (11th), Thai Ha (14th), Phil Ivey (18th), Ryan Riess (21st), Yake Wu (23rd), Jonathan Depa (24th) and Tony G (27th).

Chin Wei Lim is standing in some random corner of the King’s Resort in Rozvadov, finger and thumb hammering on a mobile keyboard as if it’s a drum. A note filled with exultation weaves its way through the fibres – “I have just won €2.1m”.

I wonder who receives it?

Whoever it is, I have an inkling that before long they’re going to get bored.

Lim has just whistled through a 39-entrant €100,000 No-Limit Hold’em event like a wind high on serotonin. Nobody could stop the Malaysian star, and that included a final table housing an in-form Phil Ivey.

You can go out on a limb and say that Lim’s 2019 is full of good vibrations. The Triton Poker stalwart bubbled the £1m buy-in Triton Million final table, collecting £1.1m, before finishing fifth and fourth in £25k and £50k events. Lim then boarded a jet plane for Barcelona and finished second and third in a €25k and €50k.

And now a gold bracelet.

Manig Loeser led the final 25 players at the end of Day 1.

Anatoly Filatov led at the end of Day 2.

Let’s get to the action.

Final Table Seat Draw

Seat 1: Christoph Vogelsang – 15,385,000
Seat 2: Chin Wei Lim – 20,460,000
Seat 3: Matthias Eibinger – 27,445,000
Seat 4: Anatoly Filatov – 42,300,000
Seat 5: Ole Schemion – 5,900,000
Seat 6: Phil Ivey – 2,375,000
Seat 7: Danny Tang – 3,900,000
Seat 8: Jean-Noel Thorel – 26,085,000

The Nutshell Action

The WSOPE has been a good stomping ground for Ivey. It would be wonderful to see the old warhorse back in full-time high stakes tournament action, and let’s hope his deep runs in Rozvadov will help create the meaning and purpose he needs to remain in the game.

Being Phil Ivey didn’t stop Phil Ivey from being the first casualty, though.

With blinds at 120k/240k/240k, Ivey moved all-in for 2.375m from the hijack holding Ad5c, and Christoph Vogelsang called and won from the small blind, holding pocket sixes.

Danny Tang won his first bracelet in the summer, beating the field in the $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em event, but he would fall short of his second attempt. The man from Hong Kong moved all-in for ten bigs after Matthias Eibinger had opened from under the gun. Eibinger called with pocket jacks, and Tang showed ace-king. The two highest cards remained snuggled in the deck; Tang was out.

Ole Schemion is one of those players who carry the tag “Greatest Player Not to Win a Bracelet.” It’s still sewn inside his scarf. The WPT Tournament of Champions winner, moved all-in over a raise from Anatoly Filatov and the Russian called. Schemion’s Ad9d needed help against the pocket kings of Filatov, and like the leopards of Amur, no help came.

Then Lim made his play.

With blinds at 200k/400k/400k, Lim opened to 900k from under the gun, holding a pair of sixes, and Christoph Vogelsang defended the big blind. The dealer bathed the flop in shadow (Ts6s3c), prompting Vogelsang to check-raise to 2.4m with his 4d3s. Lim, as cool as a freshly polished eye socket, made the call. The turn of 4c was a disaster for Vogelsang. With the unlikeliest of two-pair hands underneath the long fingertips of the German, he check-raised all-in, and Lim called with his set. The frivolous 7h completed the action, and Lim charged to the top of the chip counts. Vogelsang sank to the bottom.

The action slithered like a serpent into the 300k/600k/600k level where Vogelsang found a fortunate double-up, with his pocket jacks elbowing the pocket queens of Eibinger in her girly bits. Eibinger then got the remainder of his chips in with Jd8c facing the Qs6d of Lim, and Lim won to send the Austrian to find a fire that crackled.

Lim continued to send people to the moon, this time Vogelsang running out of oxygen when he moved all-in, holding Ac3s, only for Lim to call and win with AdJd.

Chip Counts

Chin Wei Lim – 58,700,000
Jean-Noel Thorel – 56,800,000
Anatoly Filatov – 22,500,000

With blinds at 400k/800k/800k, the action folded to Filatov who moved all-in for 12.5m from the small blind holding Ah3d. Thorel was in the big blind holding KhTh, and he made the call. The Frenchman was behind, but a king on the flop looked like goat’s cheese to a man holding a cracker. A jack and a five finished the runout, and Thorel would take a chip lead into heads-up action.

Heads-Up

Tale of the Tape

Jean-Noel Thorel – 73,400,000
Chin Wei Lim – 70,600,000

With blinds at 500k/1m/1m, Thorel made it 2m to play from the button, holding Kh9h, and Lim called with Ks4d. The flop of AsKd4c brought the anti-aircraft missiles out. Lim checked, Thorel bet 3m, and Lim called. The Jh on the turn prompted Lim to check for a second time. Thorel bet 4m, and Lim once again called. The river was the 5d, and Lim bet 13m, Thorel called, and was left with a nasty hangover when Lim turned over his hand.

Then it was all over.

Lim opened to 2.4m, and Thorel called. The dealer laid 8c4d2c onto the flop like a soldier diligently laying landmines. Thorel checked with Ad9c and then called Lim’s 4m bet holding 8s4c for two-pairs. The 3c on the turn gave Thorel a stronger flush draw than Lim, and it was sufficient enough for the Frenchman to call a 6.8m bet. The final card was the 4s, and Thorel surprised everyone by check-raising all-in for 45m after Lim had bet 19m. Lim called, and it was all over.

ITM Results

1. Chin Wei Lim – €2,172,104
2. Jean-Noel Thorel – €1,342,459
3. Anatoly Filatov – €907,301
4. Christoph Vogelsang – €633,336
5. Matthias Eibinger – €457,107
6. Ole Schemion – €341,510
7. Danny Tang – €264,440
8. Phil Ivey – €212,504
9. Daniel Pidun – €177,477
10. Paul Phua – €177,477
11. Ryan Riess – €154,285

If poker players were Gods, and the World Series of Poker (WSOP) was Olympus, then Phil Hellmuth would be Zeus. And yet, I doubt there is any repentance in the mind of Besim Hot, more like impiety, as the man from Switzerland ended Hellmuth’s run at a 16th gold bracelet.

Event #10: €25,500 Mixed Games Championship attracted 45-entrants, and for 44 of them, the gold bracelet became more stinging nettle than dot leaf. The three-time WSOP bracelet winner, Benny Glaser, led the final 21 players at the end of Day 1, including Player of the Year chasers Shaun Deeb, Phil Hui, Daniel Negreanu and Robert Campbell.

By the end of Day 2, seven players emerged from burning hot coals, all within a shot of an origin story hitting the headlines. Hot was in charge, Glaser was hanging by a thread, Hellmuth looked healthy, and Negreanu was the only Player of the Year in-waiting left in the field.

Let’s see how Hot did it.

Final Table Seating

Seat 1: Dzmitry Urbanovich – 7,425,000
Seat 2: Julien Martini – 4,475,000
Seat 3: Besim Hot – 15,795,000
Seat 4: Phil Hellmuth – 5,495,000
Seat 5: Benny Glaser – 2,750,000
Seat 6: Alex Livingston – 4,005,000
Seat 7: Daniel Negreanu – 5,315,000

The Nutshell Action

Mixed-games is Benny Glaser’s religion. Variety is in his bones. And the three-time bracelet winner, doubled up early on Day 3 when he got the better of Julien Martini, and Daniel Negreanu in a hand of Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better, but it still left him woefully short of any serious challenge.

Shortly after resumption of play at the end of the first break, Alex Livingston nearly amputated Martini from the table during a hand of Limit Hold’em that saw the Frenchman folding to a flop bet on As9s2c, leaving him only four big blinds. Martini then doubled up through Negreanu in a hand of Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better.

Martini’s well-timed injection of hope would ultimately hand him a couple of pay jumps. Livingston became the first player to leave the final table. The WSOP Main Event finalist gave his chips to Hot after failing to find the better hand in Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better.

Martini continued to scrap and scrape, doubling through Negreanu in a hand of 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw, holding a 7x5x4x3x2x, and Glaser did likewise through Phil Hellmuth in a hand of Seven Card Stud, making a straight versus the airball of the 15-time WSOP champion. Then the Englishman doubled through Hot during a hand of Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better.

Negreanu’s pursuit of a seventh bracelet remained intact when he doubled through Glaser in a hand of Razz, but it wasn’t enough to keep him in the game, as Hellmuth elbowed his fellow titan out of the competition in the same game a few hands later.

Chip Counts

1. Besim Hot – 15,400,000
2. Phil Hellmuth – 14,400,000
3. Dzmitry Urbanovich – 6,950,000
4. Benny Glaser – 4,930,000
5. Julien Martini – 3,900,000

Martini will have mixed feelings on his final table experience. The Frenchman would have loved to have run deeper, but vaulting two pay jumps after being reduced to chip dust is sure to bring a sense of satisfaction. The bracelet winner exited at the hands of the only person remaining never to win a bracelet, Urbanovich – the Pole shoving him into the rail after a game of Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better.

Urbanovich then made a hermit out of Glaser when the pair locked horns in a hand of No-Limit Hold’em. Glaser got it in holding Jc8s, and Urbanovich called and won with pocket nines, but it wasn’t enough steam for the Pole. Hot and Hellmuth continued to strangle the life out of the table, and it was Hellmuth who eliminated Urbanovich in third place during a hand of Razz.

Heads-Up

The Tale of the Tape

Besim Hot – 24,075,000
Phil Hellmuth – 20,925,000

Hot created a 2:1 lead after winning hands in Limit Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha. Then a chasm emerged between the two players after Hot won back-to-back pots in Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better.

Hellmuth doubled his stack during a hand of 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw, but Hot pulled ahead with wins in No-Limit Hold’em and Seven Card Stud. Hellmuth added more chips to his stack in a hand of Razz, but it wasn’t enough. During a hand of Pot-Limit Omaha, Hot raised to 750,000 on the button, and Hellmuth made the call. The flop fell Tc9h9c, Hellmuth checked, Hot bet 500,000, and Hellmuth check-raised to 2,000,000. Hot moved all-in, and Hellmuth called.

Hellmuth: Ah9d4h3c

Hot: QcJs9s7h

Hellmuth was ahead with trip nines and the ace kicker. Hot also had trip nines with a queen kicker.

The turn was the Jc, to improve Hot’s hand to a boat, and the 4c on the river was as safe as Swiss house, and Hot had the bracelet, and not Hellmuth.

Final Table Results

1. Besim Hot – €385,911
2. Phil Hellmuth – €238,509
3. Dzmitry Urbanovich – €162,463
4. Benny Glaser – €111,689
5. Julien Martini – €77,502
6. Daniel Negreanu – €54,287
7. Alex Livingston – €38,389

There was a time when people with money would organise a fox hunt, or hire a fool to entertain them during a ball. Today, they play host to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and organise last-minute side events with €100,000 and €50,000 buy-ins.

The game of choice was Short-Deck, and the organisers classed both events as ‘non-bracelet’ affairs. 

Two men won.

Two were more fox-like than bloodhound. 

We begin with the €100,000 No-Limit Hold’em King’s Short-Deck Super High Roller, and host Leon Tsoukernik defeated a field of 29-entrants (inc. 15 re-entries) to win the €1,102,000 first-prize.

The win is Tsoukernik’s fourth of his part-time poker career and his second most significant score behind the $1.8m received for finishing fourth in the 2017 Super High Roller Bowl (SHRB). It also erases the memory of finishing runner-up to Pablo Joaquin Melogno Cabrera in a $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em event during partypoker MILLIONS South America earlier in the year. 

Tsoukernik defeated Phil Ivey, heads-up, for the title, and the former God of the poker world is having a splendid time at the WSOPE finishing ninth in the €25,500 Short-Deck bracelet event, and finishing runner-up to Jonathan Depa in the €50,000 non-bracelet Short-Deck event.

Depa’s win came shortly after finishing seventh in the €25,500 Short-Deck bracelet event. It’s his second victory of the year after winning a $25,000 game at the partypoker MILLIONS South America. The €641,250 haul earned in King’s is his biggest of his career. 

Another player worthy of mention is Cary Katz. 

A few people spit in the eye of his slow but steady pace, but Katz is as consistent as a cucumber in a juice bar. The Poker Central founder finished fifth and 13th in €25,500 bracelet events and took third in the €50,000 and fourth in the €100,000 non-bracelet games. Katz’s eye socket bursting form shouldn’t come as a surprise after he won the Super High Roller Bowl London before jetting to the Czech Republic. 

Here are the results.

€100,000 No-Limit Hold’em King’s Short-Deck High Roller

29-entrants (inc. 15 re-entries)

ITM Results

1. Leon Tsoukernik – €1,102,000

2. Phil Ivey – €826,500

3. Paul Phua – €551,000

4. Cary Katz – €275,500

€50,000 No-Limit Hold’em King’s Short-Deck High Roller

27 entrants (inc. 17 re-entries)

ITM Results

1. Jonathan Depa – €641,250

2. Phil Ivey – €384,750

3. Cary Katz – €256,500

Phil Collins once sang:

“She calls out to the man on the street. Sir, can you help me? It’s cold, and I’ve nowhere to sleep. Is there somewhere you can tell me?”

How about the King’s Resort in Rozvadov and the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE)?

And so another day in paradise begins.

Event #6: €25,500 No-Limit Hold’em Short-Deck High Roller attracted 111-entrants; the ballpark area for the organisers who pinned a €2.5m guarantee on this thing and were happy with the €2.636m return.

Besim Hot led the Day 1 field, and Orpen Kisacikoglu led the final seven.

Here they are.

Final Table Seat Draw

Seat 1: Jonathan Depa – 12,925,000

Seat 2: Siamak Tooran – 20,925,000

Seat 3: Orpen Kisacikoglu – 22,925,000

Seat 4: Netanel Amedi – 22,300,000

Seat 5: Rob Yong – 3,700,000

Seat 6: Thai Ha – 6,275,000

Seat 7: Besim Hot – 21,600,000

The Nutshell Action

Richard Yong, who came into the final table with peanuts, turned them into Brazil nuts, after doubling through Netanel Amedi when his AQ beat KQ. As Yong rose, Jonathan Depa slipped, and he fell into the rail after running JdTd into the pocket kings of Amedi. 

The Dusk till Dwan (DTD) owner avoided the housefire of 7th place finish, but he couldn’t prevent the bonfire of 6th. After jamming with KQ, Siamek Tooran called with AK, flopped an ace, and Yong headed for an early bubble bath.

Amedi doubled through Besim Hot when AJ found a jack on the flop to beat AK. Then the Swiss poker player with the best name in the business exited in fifth place when Orpen Kisacikoglu came from behind with KJ to beat AQ after flopping a two pair hand that turned into a full house on the river.

Thai Ha doubled through Amedi KQ>AT, and then Siamak Tooran took what was left of his stack when QT beat JT.

Kisacikoglu looked in a world of hurt when he got it in Ah7d versus the AhTd of Ha. Things got decidedly worse when the flop of AcJhTs improved Ha’s hand to two-pairs until an eight and a nine on the turn and river handed Kisacikoglu an unlikely straight, and the voices in his head began chanting his name.

The chanting stopped when Kisacikoglu got it in holding pocket kings against the AK of Ha. The deck created an incision in Kisacikoglu’s chest, and a rivered ace ricocheted into his heart. 

Heads-Up

Tale of the Tape

Thai Ha – 75,900,000

Siamak Tooran – 34,600,000

Ha had all of the chips. Tooran started like a troll realising that someone had dared to cross his bridge. The German was unstoppable, winning pot after pot to leave Ha dazed and confused enough to commit his tournament life on Ac7s. Tooran called and won with AhKc.

It was the first win of Tooran’s live tournament career. His previous best score being a runner-up finish to Danijel Hodak in a €220 No-Limit Hold’em event at the partypoker MILLIONS Germany back in 2018. Tooran earned €56,104 for that win, also in the King’s Resort. Tooran’s past 11 in the money finishes have come in Leon’s gaff. 

Here are the final table results.

Final Table Results

1. Siamak Tooran – €740,996

2. Thia Ha – €457,964

3. Orpen Kisacikoglu – €323,553

4. Netanel Amedi – €230,807

5. Besim Hot – €166,258

6. Rob Yong – €120,946

7. Jonathan Depa – €88,861

Five more high rollers who went deeper than a cold harpoon driving through the blubber of a whale minding his own business in whale disco were Dario Sammartino (8th), Phil Ivey (9th), Leon Tsoukernik (14th), and Daniel Negreanu (16th).