Bryn Kenney wins his second major title of the year following up on his Aussie Millions Main Event victory with a win in the US Poker Open.
Bryn Kenney had his first losing year in 2018.
I don’t think déjà vu is on the cards.
The Aussie Millions Main Event winner secured his second high profile title and chunky payday of 2019 after beating the 60-entrants who took a punt in Event #7: $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em.
The victory puts Kenney in contention to win the US Poker Open, lying fourth behind Cary Katz, Sean Winter and the defending champion Stephen Chidwick, none of whom gathered any points in this one.
The only other change in the US Poker Open Top 5 Standings is the appearance of Lauren Roberts in fifth after cashing in ninth place following her win in Event #3.
Here’s how Kenney took it down.
It took him less than 60-minutes.
Final Table Seat Draw
Seat 1: Jake Schindler – 1,215,000
Seat 2: Nick Schulman – 515,000
Seat 3: Keith Tilston – 1,055,000
Seat 4: Ben Yu – 3,055,000
Seat 5: Nick Petrangelo – 620,000
Seat 6: Bryn Kenney – 1,045,000
The final table was only three-hands old when the action folded to Nick Petrangelo in the small blind, he moved all-in for 13 bigs holding Jc6c, and Kenney looked him up from the big blind holding Kc8h. Petrangelo flopped a gutshot but it never materialised, and Kenney eliminated the bearded wonder after turning a second king.
The action folded to Nick Schulman on the button, and he piled in 13 big blinds holding QhTd, and Keith Tilston moved all-in from the small blind to isolate holding Ac8d. Both players flopped their respective top pairs, but a pair of aces beats a pair of queens in this game, and the coolest commentator in the business was out in fifth place.
Tilston left the party in fourth place after he called a Bryn Kenney button shove from the small blind. Kenney held pocket treys, Tilston held AsJc, and the baby pair made it through the five trapdoors to see Kenney enter three-handed play with the chip lead.
Then it was all over bar the shouting.
PokerNews caught up with the action with 500,000 in the middle of the table, and Qd8c3s on the flop. Ben Yu checked from the small blind holding Qh6h for top pair, and Kenney bet 185,000 with 8d3c for bottom two pair; Yu called. The Kc arrived on the turn, and Yu check-called a 545,000 Kenney bet. When the 9h came on the river, Yu checked once again, Kenney bet 1.15m, and Yu used all three of his remaining time extension chips before making the call, leaving him with only 150,000 chips remaining.
Yu doubled through Jake Schindler when Jd9h beat 6d4s, but Kenney took him out when Yu moved all-in holding Td6d, and the former Aussie Millions Main Event champion called and won with AsJs.
Kenney’s elimination of Yu saw him take a 10:1 chip lead into heads-up against Schindler. The ARIA superstar did win the first five hands of heads-up to chip up to 785,000, but Kenney ended it in the sixth hand when his KdJc beat Ac7d after flopping a second king.
Kenney has now won 18 live tournaments, and collected more than $27m in prize money, replacing Steve O’Dwyer in the #8 spot on the All-Time Money List.
Here are the final table results:
Final Table Results
1. Bryn Kenney – $450,000 (200 pts)
2. Jake Schindler – $300,000 (140 pts)
3. Ben Yu – $210,000 (100 pts)
4. Keith Tilston – $150,000 (80 pts)
5. Nick Schulman – $120,000 (60 pts)
6. Nick Petrangelo – $90,000 (40 pts)
The other players to cash in this one were Dan Shak (7th), Martin Zamani (8th) and Lauren Roberts (9th)
2019 US Poker Open Leaderboard
1. Stephen Chidwick – 540 points
2. Sean Winter – 440 points
3. Cary Katz – 340 points
4. Bryn Kenney – 240 points
5. Lauren Roberts – 240 points
