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
- Sam Soverel – $340,000
- Sean Winter – $221,000
- George Wolff – $136,000
- Kahle Burns – $85,000
- Anthony Zinno – $68,000
2019 Poker Masters Championship Standings
- Chance Kornuth – 630 points
- Sam Soverel – 570
- Kahle Burns – 330
- Kristen Bicknell – 300
- Isaac Baron – 300
2019 Poker Central Player of the Year Standings
- Sam Soverel – 2,580 points
- Cary Katz – 2,000
- Ali Imsirovic – 1,685
- Stephen Chidwick – 1,580
- Sean Winter – 1,090