The Poker Masters has seen some dramatic action over the weekend create the tightest race yet for the Purple Jacket.
After five incredible event son PokerGO, there’s no clear leader in the clubhouse, stark contrast to the British Poker Open two months ago when Sam Soverel had it sewn up with an event to spare.
Back in Vegas, however, the fight for the Purple Jacket is so close that the Poker Central tailor will be mentally measuring up all the combatants as each final table seems to bring a new winner. That’s certainly the case after three more events concluded across the first weekend.
Event #3 sees Depa prove his Short Deck chops
Jonathan Depa edged out Alex Foxen in Event #3 as he bagged another Short Deck crown to lead some in the industry – Foxen included – to claim that Depa is the best at the format. With Sam Soverel at the forefront of some attacking moves, WSOP final table player Jorryt van Hoof was also in the reckoning, but on the final day, a clash between the two men saw Soverel ousted early.
Soverel moved all-in with a suited queen-ten, but he was called by van Hoof’s king-queen, and could not catch up, leaving five to fight for the event win.
Ben Yu was next to bust when his all-in move with jack-ten saw Depa call with ace-king. While not the favourite he would have been in hold’em, Depa was still ahead, and Yu needed help. He got just that on the flop, pairing his jack and adding a straight draw, but a king on the turn paired Depa’s hand and Yu couldn’t one of the outs he needed on the river.
Erik Seidel looked likely to join Yu on the rail, but a nicely-timed deal of aces against kings saw him vault over van Hoof – who had held the kings – and the Dutchman was out just a few hands later, running ace-queen into pocket kings.
Seidel would not last longer, another victim to Foxen, who was gaining traction at the final table to match his GPI dominance. Seidel’s king-nine shove saw Foxen make the call with ace-queen, and although a nine on the flop briefly put the WSOP Main Event runner-up ahead, Foxen found runner-runner to make a club flush and go into heads-up.
While Depa had the experience, Foxen certainly had the momentum, but that was switched across a few smaller hands before the younger man went into the all-in and call behind with jack-nine against Depa’s queen-jack. A queen on the flop sealed the deal for Depa, but Foxen could console himself with another deep run and narrow defeat to a master of the format.
Event #3 $10,000-Entry Short Deck final table results:
Place | Player | Prize |
1st | Jonathan Depa | $133,200 |
2nd | Alex Foxen | $88,800 |
3rd | Erik Seidel | $59,200 |
4th | Jorryt van Hoof | $37,000 |
5th | Ben Yu | $29,600 |
6th | Sam Soverel | $22,200 |
Event #4’s 8-game finalists bulldozed by Bleznick
Jared Bleznick got the better of Cary Katz heads-up to win the Event #4 title after an entertaining final table. With British Poker Open PLO champ George Wolff first to fall, other players such as Brandon Adams and Mike Gorodinsky also achieved a final table finish but missed the heads-up battle.
Nick Schulman looked likely to make it to heads-up at many points, having pulled out his mixed game wizardry, but held split kings in Stud 8 and saw Bleznick make a low as well as hitting two pair to render his efforts in vain.
Cary Katz was the recent Super High Roller London winner, but couldn’t grab another event win – yet – as he saw two pair outdone by Bleznick’s own two pair, with aces and tens the winning hand in PLO.
Event #4 $10,000 8-Game Mix final table results:
Place | Player | Prize |
1st | Jared Bleznick | $153,000 |
2nd | Cary Katz | $99,000 |
3rd | Nick Schulman | $67,500 |
4th | Mike Gorodinsky | $45,000 |
5th | Jake Abdalla | $36,000 |
6th | Brandon Adams | $27,000 |
7th | George Wolff | $22,500 |
Event #5 shaken and stirred by Martini
Players were back in action on another final table as the $10,000-entry Big Bet Mix action had reached its six-man final table. At the start of play, WSOP event and British Poker Open event winner Stephen Chidwick looked set up to add another British name to the ranks of 2019 Poker Masters winners, but it was not to be.
With 65% of the chips in play, Chidwick would take some stopping, but the wheels feel off his bandwagon almost from the first hand in terms of luck. Every time he had chips in the middle to bust an opponent, they seemed to survive, and while Chidwick wasn’t the first man to bust, he went soon afterwards.
Pedro Bromfman was eliminated in 6th place when he was drawing to a 10-7 low hand in No Limit 2-7 Single Draw, but couldn’t hit and saw the two-time WSOP bracelet winner in Rozvadov, Aussie Kahle Burns draw to an 8-6 and make his hand.
Chidwick lasted almost no longer, and NHLE did for him. Chidwick moved all-in with jack-nine suited but Sam Soverel turned over ace-queen and held with ease to grab a share of the chip lead with Burns. Soverel was looking for his first heads-up berth, but couldn’t get there, unable to find his draw back in 2-7 Single Draw against Burns.
With play already reduced to three-handed, Jorryt van Hoof got WSOP final table flashbacks when he busted next, this time to the eventual winner. Julien Martini had been quiet and looked like going out of the event when he was reduced to one big blind, but tripled up in a three-way drawing hand that propelled him back up the chart while leading to van Hoof’s departure.
Martini and Burns both swapped the leader’s jersey a few times heads-up over a long, drawn-out battle, but it was Martini who delivered the final blow when he made a stunning call with just ace-high on the river to leave Burns but a mere pile of ashes, and it was cocktails all round for Martini who had been ice cold throughout, earning the cheers in the room.
Event #5 $10,000 Big Bet Mix final table results:
Place | Player | Prize |
1st | Julien Martini | $166,400 |
2nd | Kahle Burns | $109,200 |
3rd | Jorryt van Hoof | $72,800 |
4th | Sam Soverel | $52,000 |
5th | Stephen Chidwick | $41,600 |
6th | Pedro Bromfman | $31,200 |
With five Poker Masters 2019 events in the can, there have been five different winners so far, yet none of them lead the way. Chance Kornuth has two runner-up berths to his name, and those two cashes are currently enough to see the popular pro atop the leaderboard. Here are the current Top 10:
Overall 2019 Poker Masters standings:
Position | Name | Points | Winnings |
1st | Chance Kornuth | 420 | $288,900 |
2nd | Isaac Baron | 300 | $223,100 |
3rd | Ryan Laplante | 300 | $186,000 |
4th | Julien Martini | 300 | $166,400 |
5th | Jared Bleznick | 300 | $153,000 |
6th | Jonathan Depa | 300 | $133,200 |
7th | Sam Soverel | 270 | $151,800 |
8th | Jorryt van Hoof | 270 | $109,800 |
9th | Alex Foxen | 270 | $108,200 |
10th | Thai Ha | 210 | $124,800 |