Category: The Third Rail

The Poker Gods have added another spice to the Poker Masters pot, and it tastes familiar. Sam Soverel, the king of the British Poker Open (BPO), and the reigning Poker Central Player of the Year sits within spitting distance of Chance Kornuth at the head of the Poker Masters Championship Leaderboard after winning Event #7: $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO).

Soverel was the only apple remaining in an orchard that began with 34 of them dangling from cadaverous tree limbs. It’s his seventh live tournament victory of the year, and his second PLO title, after winning a 12-entrant $10,000 event at Aria in the summer. 

The win in Event #7 is Soverel’s fourth cash of the series: fifth in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em, sixth in the $10,000 Short-Deck, and fourth in the $10,000 Big Bet Mix. Soverel’s $340,000 purse means he has now won $4,325,903 this year, his best effort since he left his gazebo to play live tournament poker, eight years ago. 

Another Cracking Final Table

It wouldn’t be a Poker Masters Final Table without a host of players wiping away the dribble from the fountain of shit-hot poker knowledge. 

Soverel had to beat Sean Winter, heads-up, to win the event. Like Soverel, Winter has enjoyed a spanking 2019, earning $3.29m. It’s his second cash of the series, after finishing ninth in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em, and his fourth runner-up finish of the year.

Another player who has had a fab year is George Wolff. Gross annual earnings of $760,513 are his best year to date (Only 29 ITM cashes). Wolff won the £10,500 PLO at the BPO and finished second in the £26,000 PLO at the same event. This is his second Poker Masters ITM finish after finishing seventh in the $10,000 8-Game. Wolff also finished runner-up to Luke Schwartz in the $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in the summer.

Kahle Burns is another star who has gone supernova this year. The Australian cashed at the Poker Masters for the second time after finishing runner-up to Julien Martini in the $10,000 Big Bet Mix, and that’s good enough for a third-place spot in the leaderboard overall. Burns came into Las Vegas after winning two bracelets at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE).

Anthony Zinno also made it a 1-2 cash in the Poker Masters PLO events after finishing ninth in the $10,000 version. Zinno also had a splendid WSOPE, finishing third in the €10,350 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event for €485,291. Zinno has won $1,523,812 this year, the second-largest annual haul of his illustrious career.

The Nutshell Action

The first contract that Soverel took out belonged to Zinno. The triple World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event winner, opened with AKT7 (3 x spades), and Soverel defended the big blind with JT76 (2 x clubs). The dealer placed 689 (2 x spades) onto the flop to give both players a straight. Zinno had flush outs, and Soverel had outs to a higher straight, and it was the latter that struck gold when a seven hit Fourth Street. 

The short-stacked Burns was the next player with time on his hands, and once again, Soverel was the man with the claws. Soverel opened with QT76, and Burns called with QJ43 (2 x clubs). The dealer planted AT5 (2x diamonds) onto the flop, Burns bet the pot, and Soverel called. The turn was a four, Burns moved all-in, and Soverel made the call. A second ace hit the river, and Soverel’s pair of tens was enough to send Burns home in the fourth place.

Wolff left in third place after getting it in with trip tens on a TT6 flop, holding AQT9, only for Winter to call and turn a straight holding J987. The river was no help to Wolff, and we were heads-up for the title.

Winter began with a 2:1 chip lead, but Soverel fought back and took the lead. The final hand saw Soverel open with J964, and Winter called with AKT8. The flop was K66 to give Soverel trip sixes, and both players checked. The turn was a deuce; Winter bet 260,000, Soverel raised the pot to 1,070,000, and Winter moved all-in. The river didn’t help Winter, and Soverel was our champion.

ITM Results

1. Sam Soverel – $340,000
2. Sean Winter – $221,000
3. George Wolff – $136,000
4. Kahle Burns – $85,000
5. Anthony Zinno – $68,000

2019 Poker Masters Championship Standings

1. Chance Kornuth – 630 points
2. Sam Soverel – 570
3. Kahle Burns – 330
4. Kristen Bicknell – 300
5. Isaac Baron – 300

2019 Poker Central Player of the Year Standings

1. Sam Soverel – 2,580 points
2. Cary Katz – 2,000
3. Ali Imsirovic – 1,685
4. Stephen Chidwick – 1,580
5. Sean Winter – 1,090

I don’t know if Kristen Bicknell has a hoard of female acolytes feeding off her inspiration, but it sure feels good to write about a woman taking a sledgehammer to the highest echelons of poker. 

Bicknell smashed Event #6: $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em to bits, earning a career-high $408,000 in the process, taking down the Poker Masters new warlord, Chance Kornuth, in heads-up action. 

Whereas Bicknell hogs the headlines, it’s Kornuth who is in the prime position to win the 2019 Poker Masters after finishing runner-up for the third event of the series giving him a big lead on the Championship Leaderboard.

The biggest buy-in event of the series attracted 51-entrants, and Bicknell entered the fray in fine fettle after finishing 5/1109 in the WPT Montreal Main Event. But she wasn’t the only player in the cult of outstanding performances.

The defending champion, Ali Imsirovic, made his second final table of the series (he finished fifth in the $10k PLO). Ralph Wong was also making his second appearance at a Poker Masters final table (he finished third in the $10k NLHE). Andras Nemeth has been one of the top high rollers both live and online in the past 18-months. And Ben Heath finished third in the recent £100,000 at Triton Million London for £1.35m and won his first bracelet in the summer claiming the $1.4m first prize in the $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller. 

The Nutshell Action

Heath was the first player to take that not so magical carpet ride to the rail after running kings into the aces of Nemeth. Next Bicknell doubled through Kornuth: AT>J7 before Kornuth went on a killing spree. Wong went first when A9 came up against the dominating AJ, Nemeth’s A3 was no match for Kornuth’s pocket fives, and then the defending champion became a slug bathed in salt when J3cc beat K8o after Kornuth turned and rivered trip jacks. 

Heads-Up

Bicknell – 3,470,000
Kornuth – 6,375,000

The pair traded blows for two-hours before Bicknell coolered Kornuth to take the title. The Global Poker Index (GPI) World #1 Female Player moved all-in with pocket eights, Kornuth called with pocket nines, but Bicknell rivered a straight to win her third title of 2019. 

ITM Results

1. Kristen Bicknell – $408,000
2. Chance Kornuth – $267,500
3. Ali Imsirovic – $178,500
4. Andras Nemeth – $127,500
5. Ralph Wong – $102,000
6. Ben Heath – $76,500
7. David Stamm – $63,750
8. Elio Fox – $51,000

2019 Poker Masters Championship Standings

1. Chance Kornuth – 630 points
2. Kristen Bicknell – 300
3. Isaac Baron – 300
4. Ryan Laplante – 300
5. JulienMartini – 300

James Bond will tell you there is only one way to enjoy a Martini.

“Shaken, not stirred.”

A stark contrast to poker’s Martini {Julien}, because when you see him play, you get the impression that nothing can shake him.

In the summer of 2018, Martini was down to less than a big blind during his involvement in a $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8-or-Better event at the World Series of Poker (WSOP).

Unshaken, Martini doubled and doubled until he had enough chips for hope to stir. The Frenchman went on to win the 911-entrant event for $239,771, and yesterday, Deja Vu. 

Martini is one of the most improved players on the live tournament circuit, in recent years. That or he’s one of the luckiest.

Check this out for progress.

2017: $76,984
2018: $905,502
2019: $3,496,705

“I came to the Poker Masters because even though I’m having an incredible year I didn’t have a single win and I really wanted one,” Martini told reporters after tying up loose ends in Event #5: $10,000 Big Bet Mix. 

It’s the third win of his career, and all three have been different variants, showing his ability to understand all poker’s protocols. His two previous wins came in 2018, winning a 30-entrant $5,200 No-Limit Hold’em during the WPT Bellagio Elite Poker Championships, and the aforementioned bracelet win. 

Martini had a decent showing at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) finishing fifth in the €25,500 Mixed Games Championship, and seventh in the €10,300 WSOPE Main Event. The bulk of his earnings came in January, finishing runner-up to Ramón Colillas in the $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) for $2,974,000.

The Final Table

The final table attracted a host of assassins looking to give someone a good pistol-whipping. 

Kahle Burns is having the best tournament year of his life. The Australian won two bracelets in the WSOPE (€2,500 Short Deck, and €25,500 No-Limit Hold’em), made two final tables in Triton Million London (£25,500 & £50,000 No-Limit Hold’em), finished runner-up to Anuj Agarwal in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Max Championships at the WSOP, and won an Aussie Millions side event.

Van Hoof was making his fourth final table since August, including a fourth-place finish in Event #3: $10,000 Short-Deck, an event that Erik Seidel also finished ITM. 

Sam Soverel is the 2018 Poker Central Player of the Year, and the odds-on favourite to win it in 2019, Yuri Martins won his first bracelet in the summer, and Stephen Chidwick is the Global Poker Index (GPI) World #1.

The Nutshell Action

The ‘official’ final table began after Erik Seidel and Yuri Martins Dzivielevski departed in 8th and 7th respectively. Chidwick held 65% of the chips in play, but started disastrously, losing double-ups quicker than the flap of a hummingbird’s wing.

Burns eliminated Pedro Bromfman in the sixth position during a hand of No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw. Then Soverel sent Chidwick to the library to find a book on how to deal with crushing disappointment after his AQ beat J9s when all-in pre-flop in a hand of No-Limit Hold’em. 

Soverel took command of the final table after eliminating the World #1, but it wasn’t long before he had Chidwick’s IV drip hanging out of his vein. 2-7 Single Draw was the game, and Soverel failed to hit when drawing to an 8-6 low, against the J-8 low of Burns.

Burns voluminous chip stack continued to grow as we entered three-handed play, leaving Martini and Van Hoof to fight it out for the right to face the Australian, heads-up, for the title. 

Then came the critical hand. 

Van Hoof moved all-in with a 10-7 draw, Martini moved all-in with J-8, and Burns called with J-8. Burns stood pat. Van Hoof drew two cards to draw to a 7-5-4. Martini drew one card to an 8-7 and got there to knock Van Hoof out and double through Burns.

Heads-up action lasted an hour before Martini was able to tell the valet to get his Aston Martin out of the garage. The final hand saw the pair clash with Martini holding A8, and Burns K3, in a hand of No-Limit Hold’em. Burns check-called a small bet on a T54 flop before the action checked through to the river after a jack and deuce turned up. Burns moved all-in for 3m (double the pot), and Martini called with ace-high for the win.

ITM Results

1. Julien Martini – $166,400
2. Kahle Burns – $109,200
3. Jorryt van Hoof – $72,800
4. Sam Soverel – $52,000
5. Stephen Chidwick – $41,600
6. Pedro Bromfman – $31,200
7. Yuri Martins Dzivielevski – $26,000
8. Erik Seidel – $20,800

2019 Poker Masters Championship Standings

1. Chance Kornuth – 420 points
2. Isaac Baron – 300
3. Ryan Laplante – 300
4. JulienMartini – 300
5. Jared Bleznick – 300

The 2019 Poker Masters continues to power on like steam bursting from the spout of an angry kettle. Four events are now unclogged pores, with Jared Bleznick taking down the latest: Event #4: $10,000 8-Game.

It’s the first time that Bleznick has won a live tournament; understandable given his orders have always been to imprison and torture cash game players both online and live. 

He doesn’t even play poker for a living anymore.

He doesn’t need it.

The victory was Bleznick’s 29th ITM finish of his career, with 24 of those coming at the World Series of Poker (the WSOP banned Bleznick in 2016 for unruly behaviour, until Phil Hellmuth’s support added the coagulant needed for a reversal to occur). 

The $153,000 that Bleznick picked up for this win is his fourth-largest win to date, with his previous best remaining the $526,625 secured after finishing runner-up to Daniel Alaei in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) event at the 2013 WSOP.

Tournaments may not be his ‘thing’, but Bleznick had three close shaves at the WSOP this summer finishing 3/1216 in the $600 Online PLO event for $59,163, 3/467 in the $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw for $58,343, and 10/218 in the $2,500 Mixed Big Bet for $9,234.

Let’s check out the final table in this one.

The Final Table

As one would expect in these Poker Master brawls, the final table contained more magic than a Harry Potter movie.

Nick Schulman won his third WSOP bracelet in the summer, defeating 193-entrants to win the $463,670 first prize in the $10,000 PLO Hi-Lo 8-or-Better Championship, and also finished third in the $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller for $1.725m.

Cary Katz is one of the most in-form players in the world, winning the Super High Roller Bowl London for £2.1m as well as making a swathe of final table appearances in the biggest games across the globe.

Brandon Adams won his first WSOP bracelet in the summer while also grabbing a fourth and fifth in the $50,000 and $100,000 High Rollers at the same series. Adams also won Poker Master titles in 2017 & 2018. 

George Wolff is coming off the back of a cracking performance at the British Poker Open winning a £10,000 and finishing second in a £25,000 (both Pot-Limit Omaha events).

Mike Gorodinsky is a former WSOP Player of the Year.

The Nutshell Action

Event #4 attracted 45-entrants, and the killing inside those veins only lasted for a single day. 

Bleznick took a big chip lead into the final, but it was Schulman who was first to put on his dancing shoes and turn the table into his own private ballroom. 

He ripped the howl out of Wolff in a hand of 2-7 Triple Draw that saw Schulman’s 8-5 catch up to Wolff’s 9-6. Then Adams was next to hit the rail, and once again 2-7 Triple Draw was the kick to the groin, with Schulman’s 8-7 beating Adams’ 9-8.

Gorodinsky gave Schulman a rest, when he dunked Jake Abdalla into a vat of brine after making a 7-6 low in another hand of 2-7 Triple Draw, only to follow Abdalla out of the door marked ‘Exit’ after his 97cc lost to the A9 of Bleznick in a hand of No-Limit Hold’em.

Cary Katz would face Bleznick for the title, after ‘Harrington10’ eliminated Schulman in a hand of Stud 8, before getting his mitts on the title after removing Katz in a hand of PLO.

Here are the ITM results.

ITM Results

1. Jared Bleznick- $153,000
2. Cary Katz – $99,000
3. Nick Schulman – $67,500
4. Mike Gorodinsky – $45,000
5. Jake Abdalla – $36,000
6. Brandon Adams – $27,000
7. George Wolff – $22,500

2019 Poker Masters Championship Standings

1. Chance Kornuth – 420 points
2. Isaac Baron – 300
3. Ryan Laplante – 300
4. Jared Bleznick – 300
5. Jonathan Depa – 300

The machine still beeps ever so faintly. The frightening sound of the flatline is preparing to enter the stage. Jonathan Depa is putting on a surgical Short-Deck display sending shockwaves through the Aria. Even the old grannies playing the slot machines feel the bass rattle in their mothballed caverns.

In times gone by, Depa and tournaments went together like chalk and cheese, but this year, he’s more like blackboard and chalk or crackers and cheese. In March, Depa beat 41-entrants to win the $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super High Roller at partypoker MILLIONS South American for $400,000. He followed that up with three ITM finishes in Short-Deck events at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE).

Depa finished 7/111 in the €25,500 Short-Deck High Roller for €88,861, he won the 27-entrant €50,000 Short-Deck High Roller for €641,250 (beating Phil Ivey, heads-up, no less), and ended the series with a 24/179 finish in the €2,500 Short-Deck for a min-cash.

“I don’t really play that many tournaments,” Depa told the Poker Central crew after his most recent win. “To win two tournaments in two weeks is pretty awesome, and it’s always nice when you’re just basically winning every all in.”

Depa became handcuffed to the title from the off in Event #3: $10,000 Short-Deck, beating 37-entrants over two days play.

The final six featured a glittering array of stars.

Sam Soverel is the defending Poker Central Player of the Year, and big favourite to defend that title. Soverel is having a cracking year, dominating the British Poker Open, and finishing fifth in the opening $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em event in this series.

Ben Yu finished fifth in this game during the US Poker Open in February.

Alex Foxen has won close to $4m this year, including the $20,000 No-Limit High Roller in last month’s WPT bestbet Bounty Scramble, and is still the Global Poker Index (GPI) World #2.

Jorryt Van Hoof finished third in the WPT High Roller that Foxen won, and also made the final table of a chunky €25k at the European Poker Tour (EPT) in Barcelona recently.

Erik Seidel.

I won’t insult your intelligence by writing anything about the man, but know this, it was his first ITM finish in a Short-Deck event, and you get the feeling it won’t be long before he has the game tattooed to his prefrontal cortex.

The Nutshell Action

Final Table Seat Draw

Seat 1: Jorryt van Hoof – 1,425,000
Seat 2: Sam Soverel – 1,265,000
Seat 3: Ben Yu – 1,745,000
Seat 4: Alex Foxen – 1,285,000
Seat 5: Jonathan Depa – 3,305,000
Seat 6: Erik Seidel – 2,065,000

The first player eliminated from the final table was the Poker Central Player of the Year. Jorryt Van Hoof limped under the gun, holding KQs, and called when Sam Soverel moved all-in holding QTo, and the better hand held.

Ben Yu busted next when his JTo lost to Jonathan Depa’s superior AKs. Yu did flop the lead, but Depa regained it on the turn. Erik Seidel doubled with aces v van Hoof’s kings. Then the Dutchman ran AQs into the pocket kings of Alex Foxen to exit in fourth.

Seidel headed for a cup of tea and a cold bath after running K9o ran into the AQs of Foxen. Seidel took the lead on the flop, but Foxen hit runner-runner flush to hand the Poker Hall of Famer his first Short-Deck cash two places short of the most brilliant of debuts.

Depa beat Foxen, heads-up, with the final hand seeing QJ beat J9.

“I definitely don’t have it all figured out, that’s for sure,” Depa told Poker Central. “I’m learning just like everybody else’s. I have a lot of PLO experience, and the two games have tons of similarities. So that’s probably why I picked it up pretty quickly. I really like it because it sort of has the best elements of No-Limit Hold’em and PLO combined, which makes it a really enjoyable game for me.”

Cue the flatline.

ITM Finishes

1. Jonathan Depa – $133,200
2. Alex Foxen – $88,800
3. Erik Seidel – $59,200
4. Jorryt van Hoof – $37,000
5. Ben Yu – $29,600
6. Sam Soverel – $22,200

Poker Masters Leaderboard

1. Chance Kornuth – 420 points
2. Isaac Baron – 300
3. Ryan Laplante – 300
4. Jonathan Depa – 300
5. Thai Ha -210
6. Alex Foxen – 210

The game of poker is like a series of labyrinths. One minute you’re peeking through the keyhole, and next, you’re running through the calculations as booby traps detonate all around you.

Deafening.

Disorientating.

Debilitating.

If you work effectively and efficiently and sprinkle some run good, there’s every chance you’ll find your way to the treasure; your moment of glory, and then it’s time to head into the catacombs once more.

Ryan Laplante is bent over, hands on knees, and a big smile etched all over his face.

He’s just found his way through.

Laplante took down the 62-entrant Event #2: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) at the 2019 Poker Masters for $186,000, his second most significant score to date. When Poker Central’s host, Maria Ho, asked him for his secret, Laplante pointed to the Game Theory Optimal (GTO) work he’s been applying on his online training site (LearnProPoker), and the aid of the Poker Gods.

The win pushes, Laplante’s lifetime tournament career earnings to $2,381,807. It’s his sixth victory, and half of them have been in PLO events. In 2016, Laplante won the 2,483-entrant $565 PLO event at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) for a personal best $190,328. In the same year, he won a 113-entrant PLO event for $36,172 during the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic in Las Vegas.

Laplante cashed 11 times at the WSOP in the summer including finishing 3/2477 in a $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em event and also appeared in the $25,000 PLO event, finishing 29/278. The $601,235 earned in 2019 is his best annual haul since he started racking up scores like spores back in 2011.

The Final Table Picture

For the second consecutive tournament, the Day 2 chip leader would go on to win the event. Laplante went wire-to-wire, refusing to let go of a chip lead that materialised after moving from ‘dust to heaps’ before you could say ‘miracle.’

Chance Kornuth finished runner-up to Isaac Baron in Event #1: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em, and he had once again found his way to the top table. Thai Ha finished eighth in Event #1 and was the runner-up to Siamak Tooran in the €25,500 No-Limit Hold’emHigh Roller at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) event – another radioactive pro.

Tim McDermott finished runner-up to Scott Clements in the $1,500 Dealers Choice 6-Handed event in the WSOP this summer, and then you had the defending champion. Ali Imsirovic has earned a personal best $3.8m this year, including a runner-up finish to Cary Katz in the £250,000 Super High Roller Bowl, London for $1.1m.

Bombs would drop.

Clouds of dust would turn Portobello.

Here’s how it all began.

Final Table Seat Draw

Seat 1: Chance Kornuth – 545,000
Seat 2: John Riordan – 990,000
Seat 3: Thai Ha – 1,730,000
Seat 4: Ryan Laplante – 2,540,000
Seat 5: Ali Imsirovic – 1,595,000
Seat 6: Tim McDermott – 410,000

The Nutshell Action

Laplante would flick an elastic band into the face of four of the five finalists with enough force to send them crashing into the rail. The one-piece of meat he left for someone else to devour came in the shape of Tim McDermott. The short-stack doubled-up to create a glimmer of hope before the KsKh6s2h of John Riordan crushed AhQh9c5h when all-in pre-flop,

Ali Imsirovic’s tattooist had to put his ‘Back-to-Back’ art piece on the back burner after seeing his aces slammed into the earth by the nut flush of Laplante. Then Riordan exited stage left when AcJs4s3d lost to Th8s6s2d on Qd9d3c8cJd. The money went in on the flop, and Laplante rivered a straight.

The impressive Thai Ha wasn’t laughing when his tournament life lost consciousness in the third position. The Vietnamese pro got it in good with 9s8s7c2c on Th9d6d for the straight, only for Laplante’s KsKd7d6h to hit the 4d on the turn for a flush.

The heads-up play didn’t last too long, and when it did, a cooler hogged the limelight.

Kornuth held QhQd6c3s, and Laplante held TsTh9c8s as the dealer planted a nuclear explosion on the flop (Tc3c3h). The pair got it in, and Kornuth couldn’t find that last remaining trey, settling for his second consecutive runner-up finish, and the top spot on the overall leaderboard.

Laplante was the man.

“Being able to play against these people, just even being able to compete, not even cashing, and then winning it is just absolutely absurd,” said Laplante after his win. “Obviously, I thought it was possible when I signed up, but when you’re playing against players of this calibre, and you pull through, it makes me feel very fortunate and very lucky.”

No rest for the wicked.

Back into the labyrinth you go, Ryan.

ITM Results

1. Ryan Laplante – $186,000
2. Chance Kornuth – $124,000
3. Thai Ha – $86,000
4. John Riordan – $62,000
5. Ali Imsirovic – $49,600
6. Tim McDermott – $37,200
7. Damjan Radanov – $31,000
8. Brent Roberts – $24,800
9. Anthony Zinno – $18,600

Poker Masters Standings

1. Chance Kornuth – 420 points
2. Isaac Baron – 300
3. Ryan Laplante – 300
4. Thai Ha – 210
5. Ralph Wong – 150

We give a plastic crow the arduous task of flying the mermaid over the extraction point, and then dropping her into the eggcup without the enemy hearing a pin drop. The mermaid will then climb teabox hill, and rescue the princess while humming the theme tune to Frozen. 

“Let her go.”

But it will be a difficult task, as the enemy is unlike anything the extraction team has seen before. We’re talking about the beast who orchestrated the My Little Pony massacre; the bathtub dockyard explosions, and imprisoned the princess against her will.

I am, of course, talking about the evil plastic sheep from Mattel: Baron Von Baa Baa!

Moving swiftly on from one massacre created by a Baron to another, and Isaac Baron has beaten a field of 97-entrants to win the opening event at the Poker Masters.  

Event #1: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em took place at the PokerGO Studios at the Aria in Las Vegas, a cardroom Baron called the ’nicest’ he has ever visited.

The win is Baron’s fifth of his career, and his second of 2019 after winning his first bracelet at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), after topping a field of 1,832-entrants to claim the $407,739 first prize in a $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed event.

Due to a lack of live reporting, the nutshell action is more ant ball-sack in nature, but before you complain, consider the terrible circumstances the princess has been facing in the past 24-hours, and consider yourself grateful you only have these first world problems.

Baron came into the final table after 19 Day 1, levels, and the former online poker genius wasn’t exaggerating when he called his trajectory to the top of Event #1 ’straight’ and his ride ‘smooth.’

Two people stood out at the final table.

Scott Blumstein is a former WSOP Main Event Champion, and Sam Soverel is the reigning Poker Central Player of the Year, and the odds-on favourite to defend his crown in 2019. 

Final Table Seat Draw

Seat 1: Chance Kornuth – 455,000
Seat 2: Tha Ha – 655,000
Seat 3: Jeremy Ausmus – 1,995,000
Seat 4: Isaac Baron – 3,055,000
Seat 5: Dan Shak – 480,000
Seat 6: Ralph Wong – 1,770,000
Seat 7: Scott Blumstein – 765,000
Seat 8: Sam Soverel – 630,000

The Ant Ball-Sack Action

Poker Central scribe, Remko Rinkema, called the eliminations of Thai Ha (8th), Dan Shak (7th), and Scott Blumstein (6th) ‘quick’.

Then it became the Isaac Baron Show.

The man known online as ‘westmenloAA’ eliminated Soverel in the fifth spot when pocket aces melted pocket eights. Next, he took out Jeremy Ausmus in a blind v blind battle when Q9 outkicked Q7.

Baron took a massive chip lead into heads-up with Chance Kornuth after eliminating Ralph Wong in the third-place when J6 beat K9, and the heads-up action lasted one hand when 53cc spiked a three to beat A9o.

The win puts Baron in the lead for the $100,000 first prize, the title of 2019 Poker Master and the Purple Jacket. One impediment could be his lack of Short-Deck experience. Apart from that, Baron is going for it. 

“I highly doubt I’ll play the Short Deck because I’ve never played that game before, but to me, at this point, I’m committed to these events with the top prize and the jacket to play for,” said Baron. “I’m a big golf fan, and The Masters is my favourite sporting event of the year. While the money will always come first, I love the accolades and accomplishments and having something more to play for at the Poker Masters.”

Will the evil Baron von Isaac also conquer Event #2.

Not if the mermaid and plastic crow have anything to do with it.

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) doesn’t have a moonwalk in this choreography. 

There’s no need to backpedal. 

In 2015, only 313 people entered the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) Main Event. What had once been one of the biggest monsters in the European tournament calendar, was comparable with bugs on a windshield.

Something had to change to protect the brand – in stepped Leon Tsoukernik.

Since Tsoukernik partnered with the WSOP, numbers have swollen to 529, 534 and, this year, 541. It’s the second most significant attendance in WSOPE Main Event history (593 = 2011), and Alexandros Kolonias took it down to Athens town. 

Kolonias is no shoplifter when it comes to significant buy-in events. In 2016, he earned €805,900 after finishing runner-up to Alexandru Papazian in a €25k event at the European Poker Tour (EPT) in Monte Carlo. But Kolonias was by no means the star attraction at this top table. 

Anthony Zinno and Dario Sammartino shared that billing. 

Zinno was one of two members of the final table to have won a WSOP bracelet (Rifat Palevic, the other), and with three World Poker Tour (WPT) titles to boot, and the chip lead – Zinno was the man holding all of the hostages. 

In making the final table, Sammartino became only the fourth player to make the final table of the WSOP and WSOPE Main Event in the same year. None of the previous three had won either of them. 

Claas Segebracht is a former Master Classic of Amsterdam Main Event winner, leaving Anh Do as the only player who seemed a tad out of place when it came to his live tournament resume. 

Here is the pistachio nutshell action. 

The Nutshell Action

Final Table Seat Draw

Seat 1: Rifat Palevic – 2,915,000
Seat 2: Anh Do – 8,725,000
Seat 3: Claas Segebracht – 6,400,000
Seat 4: Dario Sammartino – 7,100,000
Seat 5: Anthony Zinno – 16,845,000
Seat 6: Alexandros Kolonias – 12,150,000

Alexandros Kolonias was the first player to rip the hood from the Day 5 executioner, Anthony Zinno when the Greek star won a series of chunky pots to take the chip lead.

Then in Level 30, we lost Rifat Palevic.

With blinds at 120k/240k/240k, Palevic moved all-in for 2,650,000 when the action folded to him in the small blind, and Anh Do called from the big. Palevic turned over Kh2d, and Do showed pocket queens. King-deuce rarely picks the pocket of one of the two ladies, and Palevic’s vision of utopia crumbled by the time the dealer had gotten to the river.

Dario Sammartino then doubled through Kolonias when pocket kings beat pocket jacks, and after moving into Level 31, Do doubled through Zinno when AhJh found an ace on the flop to beat pocket kings. Do then passed those chips to Sammartino in a hand that reeked of manure. The pair got it in with Sammartino well behind with pocket jacks squaring off against pocket queens, only for a third jack to spring out of a box marked ‘turn.’

Do then gained revenge doubling with Js9c versus Th5s in a button versus big blind battle, but it was not enough to help him avoid a fifth-place exit.

With blinds at 150k/300k/300k, Do opened to 1,800,000 from the cutoff, and Claas Segebracht called on the button. The dealer placed AdJd9d onto the felt, and Segebracht called when Do moved all-in for 450,000. Do showed Kh9h for bottom pair, but the German had him crushed with pocket kings, including the king of diamonds for the flush draw. The Ts and 3h finished the action, and Do was done. 

Chip Counts

Alexandros Kolonias – 20,775,000
Claas Segebrecht – 19,100,000
Dario Sammartino – 9,450,000
Anthony Zinno – 4,775,000

Kolonias lost the chip lead for the first time since taking it from Zinno, and Segebracht was the pincher. Then Zinno delivered skewered an internal organ when his pocket queens doubled up through Ah8h. Zinno moved into the second spot after doubling through Sammartino KcTc>AcJs after flopping a king when all-in pre-flop. 

Moments after doubling up Zinno, the sophisticated Italian gained revenge when pocket tens beat ace-seven, all-in, pre. But Sammartino couldn’t make thunder roar twice when he got it in with AK versus the JT of Segebrecht with the German flopping a jack to send Sammartino’s perfectly coiffured hair smashing into the rail.

Kolonias fell to the bottom of the three-handed barrel before climbing back up courtesy of a double-up through Segebrecht when Ad3s found a doubled paired board of kings and queens to beat pocket nines when all-in, pre-flop. Then Kolonias doubled into the lead in a hand that left Zinno shorter than a Liliputian. 

With blinds at 250k/500k/500k, Zinno moved all-in from the small blind for 15,250,000, and pocket treys and Kolonias called and won with AcJc. Zinno then added a double to a triple to get back into contention until Kolonias sorted him out.

With blinds at 300k/600k/600k, Zinno moved all-in from the big blind for 7,650,000 after Kolonias had opened to 1,300,000. Kolonias called and had some catching up to do with JdTh facing Ad9c. Kolonias did catch up when a second jack hit the flop, and Zinno’s hand never improved. 

Heads-Up

Tale of the Tape

Alexandros Kolonias – 31,100,000

Claas Segebrecht – 23,000,000

Segebrecht doubled through Kolonias to bring the chip counts to scale level after the following hand.

With blinds at 300k/600k/600k, Kolonias opened with a raise from the small blind, and Segebrecht made the call. The flop was a wet-looking AdTc9c, and Segebrecht check-called a 1,000,000 Kolonias bet. The 4c arrived on the turn, and both players checked to the Ts on the river. Segebrecht check-raised all-in; Kolonias called and was surprised to see that his trip tens (JsTh) had lost to a full-house (AcAs).

Then it was all over.

Kolonias opened to 1,200,000 holding AsKs and called when Segebrecht moved all-in holding pocket treys. The second king arrived on the flop, and then Kolonias rivered a flush to seal his most magnificent of victories. 

Final Table Results

1. Alexandros Kolonias – €1,133,678
2. Claas Segebrecht – €700,639
3. Anthony Zinno – €485,291
4. Dario Sammartino – €341,702
5. Anh Do – €244,653
6. Rifat Palevic – €178,171
7. Julien Martini – €132,017
8. Jakob Madsen – €99,555

Four more high rollers who went deeper than an angler fish in this one were Alex Foxen (26th), Martin Kabrhel (41st), Benjamin Pollak (47th), and Joao Vieira (49th).

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).