The world is facing unprecedented decisions and quandaries, but for a segment of the high stakes stratum, life motors on as usual with one man, in particular, finding Sochi is as sweet as figgy pudding.
Phil Ivey conquered a 55-entrant field in Event #7: $50,000 Short-Deck at the partypoker MILLIONS Super High Roller Series, a hop, skip and a jump away from finishing runner-up to Wai Kin Yong in the previous $50,000 Short-Deck event.
It’s the first tick in Ivey’s win column since beating Daniel “Jungleman” Cates, heads-up, in an HKD 250,000 Short-Deck event at the 2018 Triton Poker Super High Roller Series in Montenegro. It’s not that Ivey’s been in stealth mode for no reason. He’s had his reasons.
Appearances at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE), partypoker MILLIONS World, and now Sochi, prove that Ivey’s tool cupboard door is wide open. Let’s hope he doesn’t shut it for the foreseeable future.
Ivey’s win sees him move above the $30m mark in live tournament earnings, replacing Daniel Colman in the 11th spot, a blob of spit away from Steve O’Dwyer in tenth.
Here is how Ivey took this one down.
The Nutshell Action
Final Table Seat Draw
Seat 1: Sam Greenwood – 950,000
Seat 2: Phil Ivey – 3,515,000
Seat 3: Sergi Reixach – 2,915,000
Seat 4: Michael Soyza – 5,120,000
Seat 5: Lee Wai Kiat – 2,540,000
Seat 6: Seth Davies – 855,000
The day began with Event #6’s bubble boy leading the final six players. Michael Soyza did participate in the first big hand of the final, but his role was minor. The main cast members were Seth Davies and Sergi Reixach.
Soyza limped from under the gun, holding KdJh, and Seth Davies raised to 450,000 holding AdQc. The action then fell to Sergi Reixach who moved all-in holding AcKc. Davies called, and Soyza folded leaving a showdown with Davies at risk, and a queen on the river saved him.
The chip leader may have played a supporting role in the first big hand, but he was all over the second one.
Sam Greenwood moved all-in for 1,050,000 from under the gun holding KdQs, and Soyza called with pocket jacks. Greenwood did flop a second king, but it arrived alongside a third jack for Soyza, and the Canadian, making his third final table, became the first player to leave this one.
Then we lost Reixach.
Phil Ivey opened to the hijack for 300,000 with AhTh and then called when Reixach moved all-in for 1,260,000 holding the superior AdQh. After some math, Ivey made the call, and the man many youngsters thought was a fable, flopped and rivered a few more tens to send the Spaniard to the rail.
Soyza took his second scalp when eliminating Seth Davies in fourth. Davies made it 800,000 to play from the cutoff holding As7s, and then called after Soyza moved all-in holding AdQc. No sevens, spades or liferafts arrived to rescue Davies, and he fell out of the loop.
Lee Wai Kiat doubled through the chip leader when Ah8h bettered the pocket tens of Soyza. A flopped ace taking the role of the hammer to the head.
After that double-up, Kiat went on to take the chip lead from Soyza before losing it to Ivey. The compelling three-handed play ended when Soyza called from the hijack holding queens and called again when Kiat moved all-in holding JsTs. Soyza needed the third ten on the flop, after Kiat turned a jack, and he would take a 9.6m>6.3m chip lead into the heads-up phase against Ivey.
Heads-Up
The pair traded blows until Ivey landed one that took the puff out of Soyza’s guts.
With the action at 150,000/300,000, Soyza limped into the pot holding 9c8d and called when Ivey raised to 1,000,000 holding KhQh. The dealer placed a receding hairline producing flop of Jh9h7d onto the flop, and Ivey put Soyza all-in. The call came, and Ivey rivered the nut flush to take a commanding chip lead.
Then, down to ten button antes, Soyza flung them across the line after Ivey had set him in holding Ah6h. Soyza called with Kd7s, and although he flopped the lead with a second king, Ivey caught up by the river, securing a flush for his first title in yonks.
ITM Results
- Phil Ivey – $856,050
- Michael Soyza – $561,780
- Wai Kiat Lee – $374,520
- Seth Davies – $267,520
- Sergi Reixach – $214,010
- Sam Greenwood – $160,510
- Dmitriy Kuzmin – $133,760
- Thai Ha – $107,000