British pro Richard Gryko has won Event #3: €3,250 Eight-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha after beating Mike Leah in a tough heads-up encounter in Berlin.
Gryko has been playing professionally for well over a decade. It’s his eighth WSOP cash, his second final table, both in World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) events, and he had to do it the hard way.
161 entrants ponied up the €3,250 buy-in thus creating a €468,510 prize pool. The increased buy-in produced an increase in quality. It shone brightly on the final table.
Roberto Romanello came into the final table with dreams of joining the elite band of pros who have won the Triple Crown. The most successful Welshman in history has already bagged European Poker Tour (EPT) and World Poker Tour (WPT) titles, and was making his fifth WSOP final table appearance, three of which have come in WSOPE events.
The restaurateur wasn’t the only elite member of the European community to make tit to the final table. Benjamin Pollak is currently the number one ranked Frenchman in the Global Poker Index (GPI) – no mean feat when you consider the quality. Then you had Max Pescatori. The Italian Pirate filled poker lovers hearts with joy in the summer when he won two bracelets. He was making his second final table appearance in Berlin. Rounding of that impressive list of Europeans was Ismael Bojang. The German is one of the most consistent WSOP cashers in the business; this was his fourth final table of 2015.
One of the hot favourites going into the final was Mike Leah. The Canadian is having a barnstorming few years. Last year, he won his first WSOP bracelet when he topped the field in the World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific (WSOP-APAC) High Roller for $524,411, and in February he was runner-up to Anthony Zinno in the WPT LA Poker Classic for a $701,350 score. Add two World Championships of Online Poker (WCOOP) final tables to that resume, including one bracelet victory in a PLO event, and you understand why many people thought he would walk out with more gold on his wrist.
In the end, it wasn’t meant to be for Leah. The Canadian did make it down to heads-up, and spent the best part of four and a half hours battling the British pro, but when all was said and done, it was another runner-up spot for Leah, and he will be disappointed not to have picked up bracelet number two.
As for Gryko, he will be delighted to capture his first WSOP bracelet, in a format that he more than comfortable playing. Victory means he has now earned $876,182 in live tournament earnings, and continues a great start to the Berlin festival for the English: Stephen Chidwick and John Gale making the final tables of Event’s 1 & 2 respectively.
Final Table Results
1st. Richard Gryko – €126,345
2nd. Mike Leah – €78,150
3rd. Mikkel Plum – €55,755
4th. Roberto Romanello – €40,480
5th. Lawrence Lazar – €29,940
6th. Benjamin Pollak – €22,535
7th. Max Pescatori – €17,240
8th. Ismael Bojang – €13,445
Other notables to come away with some money included Barny Boatman (9th), Noah Bronstein (12th) and Maxim Panyak (13th).
