Three barrels of pure value including Steven ‘SvZff’ taking down another major online tournament; a triple winner on 888Poker, and Bryn Kenney to end the year as the main man.
Poker rankings don’t typically mirror the success of our major tournament winners, but that could change if Steven ‘SvZff’ van Zadelhoff continues to shake up online poker rooms like Charlie Parker did to jazz clubs.
As frustrated and skint parents begin throwing themselves off the top of Christmas trees like a strange breed of lemming, the winner of the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) Main Event, and $1.6m first prize, is looking likely to end the year as the world number one online multi-table tournament (MTT) player.
Over the weekend, the man with the fiercest beard in poker took down partypoker’s $250,000 Guaranteed Title Fight. The $215 buy-in attracted 1,050 entrants, and SvZff beat the lot to capture the $43,000 first prize after the hosts had to fork out a $40,000 overlay.
I’m sure they can afford it.
The current number one is Simon “C Darwin2” Mattsson, but only 200 PLBs are separating the pair.
Entirely out of context, but I reckon van Zadelhoff would make a superb shopping mall Father Christmas if his online poker career ever goes tits up.
Malakias Bags a Triple on 888Poker
Moving from a consistent performer to someone who turned up one day and stole the show.
The UK-based online poker player MalakiasCF has won an incredible three tournaments in a single session, playing online at 888Poker. And not just any old three. MalakiasCF took down three of their most significant events.
MalakiasCF defeated a field of 109 entrants to win the first prize of $33,000 in the $120k GTD Whale. The World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner, Chris “NigDawG” Brammer finished seventh in that one. The run continued with victory in the $100k Mega Deep, beating 347 entrants to win $19,250. The third victory came in the $10k GTD Crocodile, banking $3.3k after besting a field of 121 entrants.
It’s not his first 888Poker title.
MalakiasCF won an XL Inferno title in May when he beat 933 players to win the $44 buy-in $30k GTD Mini Quarterback for $7,862.
Bryn Kenney Ends Up On Top
With the PokerStars Championship currently climbing into the coffin vacated by the European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague, Bryn Kenney is 99.999999999% likely to end the year as the most successful live tournament player in terms of dollars won.
It’s a remarkable achievement when you consider that Kenney earned more than the WSOP Main Event Champ, Scott Blumstein. Americans filled four of the top ten places. The Germans grabbed four. Spain and Indonesia picked up two spots.
Despite winning the most dosh, Kenney is likely to lose the Global Poker Index (GPI) Player of the Year race to Adrian Mateos. Kenney currently sits second on the World Rankings and the POY standings with the Spaniard perched above him on both.
Here are Kenney’s biggest victories of the year.
He won $1.8m at the PokerStars Championship Bahamas, including victories in the $50k and $25k High Rollers.
He banked $500,000 for finishing fourth in the Triton Super Series High Roller in Manilla.
Next up was a $1.9m score in the PokerStars Championship Monte Carlo $100k High Roller.
He won $800,000 at the PokerStars Championship Barcelona after final tables in the €50k & €25k High Rollers.
He banked over a million bucks competing at the inaugural Poker Masters in Las Vegas.
Another half a million came his way finishing sixth in the Asia Championship of Poker (ACOP) High Roller in Macau.
Top 10 Earners (Last 12 Months)
1. Bryn Kenney – $8,551,978
2. Scott Blumstein – $8,174,347
3. Christoph Vogelsang – $8,090,392
4. Steffen Sontheimer – $7,052,322
5. Fedor Holz – $6,380,187
6. Jake Schindler – $6,303,608
7. Adrian Mateos – $5,893.393
8. Stefan Schillhabel- $5,492,972
9. Justin Bonomo – $5,183,478
10. John Juanda – $5,058,482
