Forget the predictable headlines of ‘Winter is Coming’. Winter is not coming. Winter is here; he’s been here since the beginning, and he’ll be here until the end.
The man for all seasons has taken down Event #4: $10,000 Short-Deck, beating a 42-entrant field for his first US Poker Open title, and now holds a 100-point lead over the defending champion, Stephen Chidwick.
Judging by the fall in numbers from the vanilla flavoured Pot-Limit Omaha (64) and No-Limit Hold’em events (90 & 91), many are afraid of testing the new format, but Winter wasn’t amongst them.
“I was trying to figure it out on the fly,” Winter told Maria Ho after his win. “Everything is just flowing well. I’m focused, feeling mentally strong and I’m getting lucky in the right spots and getting away with things in others,”
The Action
Day 1 consisted of 14-Levels, and David Peters, Seth Davies, Ben Yu and Ben Lamb made their first final tables of the series. Winter was making his fourth appearance, and Chidwick was making his third.
Final Table Seat Draw
Seat 1: David Peters – 5,450,000
Seat 2: Seth Davies – 3,250,000
Seat 3: Ben Yu – 1,795,000
Seat 4: Sean Winter – 1,135,000
Seat 5: Ben Lamb – 325,000
Seat 6: Stephen Chidwick – 645,000
Day 2 began with Ben Lamb doubling through David Peters after rivering a straight holding 9c7d against the AKdd of the chip leader and then got lucky again to double through Ben Yu when AJ beat AQ, rivering a jack.
Then the two favourites for the US Poker Open title clashed with devastating effects for the reigning champion. The action folded around to Chidwick who moved all-in for 725,000 holding AsQc and Winter moved all-in to isolate him holding pocket kings, and they stuck to send Chidwick out in sixth place.
Yu must have been stroking Lamb’s head for luck because he doubled through Peters after getting it in on KhJdTh holding AhTs for a pair of tens with a redraw, and Peters holding Qd9c for a straight. The 7h on the turn gave Yu a flush draw, and the 9h on the river was the perfect card to keep Yu in the competition.
Yu’s new lease of life didn’t last long.
After losing a critical hand against Lamb, Yu once again ended up short and shipped it holding KQcc. Seth Davies called with Ac8h and ace-high was enough to send Yu out in the fifth spot.
David Peters still had the lead, heading into the first break of the final table.
1. David Peters – 5,190,000
2. Seth Davies – 4,090,000
3. Ben Lamb – 1,840,000
4. Sean Winter – 1,480,000
Winter doubled through Davies when his pocket queens dodged a gutshot on the flop against the AdTs of Davies, and then we lost Ben Lamb.
Winter limped into the pot holding pocket kings and called when Lamb moved all-in with QhJc. A third king arrived on the fourth street to confirm Lamb’s elimination and hand Winter the chip lead with three remaining.
Davies doubled through Peters AJ>A7, but he couldn’t repeat that feat in a fatal hand against Winter. The pair got it in pre-flop with Davies holding the lead with AJdd versus J9cc, but Winter flopped a two pair hand to send Davies to the cash desk to pick up his $67,200 third place prize.
Heads-Up
Winter – 9,090,000
Peters – 3,510,000
Peters struck first blood when his Q9dd cracked the pocket aces of Winter, rivering a flush. Winter then won back-to-back pots to extend his chip lead before finishing off the job.
Winter moved all-in holding K9cc, and Peters called holding Jd9s. The couple both hit a piece of the AcKs9d flop, but neither would improve on the turn or river leaving Winter with the best hand, a title, and the overall lead at the top of the US Poker Open rankings.
Final Table Results
1. Sean Winter – $151,200 (200 pts)
2. David Peters – $100,800 (140 pts)
3. Seth Davies – $67,200 (100 pts)
4. Ben Lamb – $42,000 (80 pts)
5. Ben Yu – $33,600 (60 pts)
6. Stephen Chidwick – $25,200 (40 pts)
2019 US Poker Open Standings
1. Sean Winter – 440 points
2. Stephen Chidwick – 340 points
2. Jordan Cristos – 240 points
4. Lauren Roberts – 200 points
5. Manig Loeser – 180 points