James Chen soared to the summit of Event #4: €250,000 Super High Roller No-Limit Hold’em like a majestical griffin at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) in the King’s Resort in Rozvadov.
It was a victory that erased the pain of his last two heads-up defeats, losing to Kuisong Wu in an HKD 200,000 Super High Roller in Macau, and Stephen Chidwick with the $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) High Roller – the coveted bracelet, a fingernail from his grasp in the summer.
Chen earned a million bucks for finishing runner-up to Chidwick, his previous personal best, until this score.
“I wouldn’t say that winning a bracelet necessarily means you are a good player or not but when I was a beginner in poker it was always just a dream of mine to win one,” said Chen.
It’s Chen’s first World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet, and his $7,337,206 lifetime haul, sees him climb to the summit of the Taiwanese All-Time Money list. It’s going to be a long time before anyone catches him.
The event pulled in 30-entrants (inc. 8 re-entries), creating a prize pool of €7,125,000, and this is how Chen took it down to Taiwanese town.
Final Table Chip Counts
Seat 1: Dominik Nitsche – 42,500,000
Seat 2: James Chen – 13,100,000
Seat 3: Christoph Vogelsang – 16,300,000
Seat 4: Chin Wei Lim – 23,900,000
Seat 5: Cary Katz – 20,000,000
Seat 6: Ryan Riess – 15,600,000
Seat 7: Tony T – 18,600,000
Dominik Nitsche is a confident man. Add a monstrous chip lead to the comfortableness of knowing you once beat 132 people in this venue to win €3.5m, then you have a dragon, with the rush of air from his wings capable of sending all and sundry to the rail.
But even dragons need a good start.
Nitsche didn’t get one.
With blinds at 500k/1m/1m, Nitsche opened from midfield to 2m and called when Christoph Vogelsang moved all-in for 13.8m in the cutoff. Nitsche showed AsQs, but his compatriot had him beat with pocket kings. Vogelsang would river an unnecessary flush to double up through the chip leader.
Then Nitsche’s altitude fell further when the same situation presented itself in the same level – this time James Chen’s pocket kings doubling through Nitsche’s AdQh.
The unthinkable happened a few orbits later.
Nitsche moved all-in for 14.6m, holding AdKs, and Chin Wei Lim sent him smashing into the rail like an errant pinball with pocket queens. The overnight chip leader was the first to bite Freddie Mercury’s dust.
The elimination of Nitsche brought the action to the money bubble, and it was the former World Champion, Ryan Riess, who wore the crown of thorns.
With blinds at 600k/1.2m/1.2m, Riess, who had fallen below ten bigs, moved all-in from the cutoff, and Tony G reshoved from the button. Riess tabled AhJc, but G had him beaten with AdQh, and neither the flop, turn or river could prevent G from roaring like thunder.
Vogelsang then took the chip lead in a hand that crippled James Chen.
With blinds at 600k/1.2m/1.2m, Vogelsang opened to 2.4m holding pocket aces, and Chen defended the big blind with AsQd. The flop of 6s2h2d hit the table, Chen checked, Vogelsang bet 1.8m, Chen check-raised to 6m, and Vogelsang called. The turn was the Jh, Chen bet 8.5m, and Vogelsang called. The river was the 3d, Chen moved all-in with his bluff, and Vogelsang took him to a town called malice after a quick call, leaving Chen with a mere 8.3m chips leading into the first break of the day.
Chen returned from his 15-minute break, and immediately doubled up through Lim. Chen opened shoved the button for 7.5m, holding Kh5d, and Lim called and lost with Qh8h after Chen flopped a king.
Cary Katz Eliminated in 5th Place (€538,722)
Then we lost Cary Katz.
With blinds at 800k/1.6m/1.6m, Tony G opened to 3.5m in the hijack seat, and Katz defended the big blind. The flop dragged KsJd9h out of the deck, Katz moved all-in for 5.3m, and Tony G called. Katz had flopped the second pair with Jh6h, but G had him beaten with KcQs for the top pair hand. The turn and river bricked for Katz, who exited in the fifth place.
Chen began rising through the ranks, doubling through Vogelsang AhJs>ThTc. Then Lim took the chip lead after doubling through G QdJd>9s9d.
Tony G Eliminated in 4th Place (€799,045)
G never recovered from the mop over the head from Lim.
With blinds at 800k/1.6m/1.6m, Chen opened to 3.2m from the cutoff, and Tony G defended the big blind. The dealer fanned AdTc8c across the centre of the table, and Tony G check-raised jammed for 27.9m; Chen called. G showed Jh9c for the open-ender, and Chen showed AsTd for the top-two pair hand, and it held.
Vogelsang doubled through Chen: KsQs>KhJc, and then Chen got them back when pocket sixes out flipped AsKc.
Chip Counts
James Chen – 89,200,000
Chin Wei Lim – 43,400,000
Christoph Vogelsang – 17,400,000
Christoph Vogelsang Eliminated in 3rd Place (€1,185,161)
Then we lost the former Super High Roller Bowl winner.
With blinds at 1m/2m/2m, Lim opened to 6m on the button and called when Vogelsang moved all-in for 15.4m in the big blind. Vogelsang was ahead pre-flop with pocket fives taking on AcTc, but Lim flopped a ten to take the German’s scalp, and scarf.
Heads-Up Tale of the Tape
Chen – 94,200,000
Lim – 55,800,000
Lim took the chip lead when with blinds at 1.2m/2.4m/2.4m, he limped on the button holding AdQd, and Chen checked from the big blind with 6s5s. The flop was Qh9s6h, Chen checked, Lim bet 3m, and Chen called. The 3c hit the turn, and the same action ensued for 10m. The final card was the Jh, giving Lim the lock on the hand. Chen checked, Lim bet 15m, and Chen folded.
Lim – 80,400,000
Chen – 69,600,000
Chen then opened up a 2:1 chip lead.
In the same level, Chen limped on the button with two black queens, Lim raised to 8m from the big blind with AdQd, and Chen called. The dealer put the lowly looking 6c5c4s onto the flop, and Lim called a 9m Chen bet. The Tc hit the turn, and Lim folded after Chen bet 13m.
Lim then doubled back into contention when As3h bested Ah2d at the end of an all-in and call before Chen took another big chip lead.
With blinds at 1.5m/3m/3m, Lim raised to 6.5m on the button, holding Ks5d, and Chen called with Ts6d. The flop was Tc8d3s to give Chen top pair, and both players checked. The 8h joined the melee on the turn, Chen bet 7m, and Lim called. The final community card was the Td, Chen bet 19m, and Lim called with only king high. Chen showed the full-house and dragged in a monster pot.
And then it was over.
Chen moved all-in holding Ad4d, and Lim called with Ah5c. It was a fab situation for Lim until the second four hit the river to give Chen his first sliver of gold and leave Lim with invisible silver.
ITM Results
- James Chen – €2,844,215
- Chin Wei Lim – €1,757,857
- Christoph Vogelsang – €1,185,161
- Tony G – €799,045
- Cary Katz – €538,722