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