Ole Schemion takes down the World Poker Tour Baccarat Crystal Tournament of Champions at the HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas.
Season XVII of the World Poker Tour (WPT) has ground to a halt with Ole Schemion becoming the fourth player to have his name engraved wherever WPT Baccarat Crystal Tournament of Champions’ have their names engraved.
It’s the German’s 18th live tournament victory, including $100k events on the European Poker Tour (EPT) and the ARIA, the Master Classics of Poker Main Event and the now-defunct Partouche Poker Tour Main Event. In January he won the 812-entrant National at the PokerStars Carribean Poker Adventure (PCA) for $148,220. All told, Schemion has won more than $15.8m playing live tournaments.
The winner started the final day as the overwhelming chip leader, let’s see how it panned out.
The action
The first player to leave was a man whose first-ever ITM finish in a live poker tournament was $2.1m for winning a WPT event, Nick Schulman.
With blinds at 4k/8k/8k, Simon Lam opened to 17,000 from the hijack, and Schulman called in the cutoff. Ryan Tosoc moved all-in for 651,000 in the big blind, Lam folded, and Schulman made the call after burning through two-time extension chips.
When the cards turned over, it was a flip with Schulman’s AcJs ahead of Tosoc’s KcQh until a queen on the flop gave Tosoc the lead, and two cards later, Schulman was the first casualty.
Griffin Paul doubled through Tony Dunst when pocket sixes beat AsKc in a sprint, but Paul would leave in the fifth spot when with blinds at 5k/10k/10k, he opened to 25,000 from the first position, and Dunst called on the button. The flop of 9s8s5s induced the action as Paul c-bet for 18,000, Dunst moved all-in for 523,000, and Paul called with his tournament life on the line. Paul showed AhKs for the flush draw, but Dunst was ahead with pocket fives for the flopped set. Paul needed to see some spades, but they remained in the garden shed, and he was out.
Then Schemion’s monster stack took a few hits. First Dunst doubled through the German AsQc>AcJs, and then Tosoc did likewise after the pair got it in on AhQc4s with Tosoc way behind holding As6d versus the Ad4d of Schemion only for a six on the turn to give Tosoc a higher two-pair hand.
Then we lost Simon Lam.
With blinds at 8k/16k/16k, Schemion opened to 35,000 from under the gun, and Lam called in the big blind. The dealer planted Qd7c4c onto the table, Schemion bet 50,000, Lam moved all-in, and Schemion called. Lam was in the lead with Kc7d for a pair of sevens, but Schemion had flopped the world with 6c5c and scored a flush on the turn with the Tc to send Lam packing.
Schemion lost the chip lead for the first time, then regained it when he doubled through Tosoc when with blinds at 8k/16k/16k, Schemion opened to 35,000 on the button, Tosoc three-bet to 125,000, and Schemion called. The flop was Js4h3c, and Tosoc check-called a 65,000 Schemion bet. The turn card was the 8s, and this time Schemion moved all-in after Tosoc had checked, and the call came in. Tosoc showed AcKc for ace-high, and Schemion showed 7s6s for the drawing hand. The Qs was one of Schemion’s outs, and it duly arrived on the river.
Who knows, perhaps Tosoc would have gone on to have won had that Qs not hit the river. As it was, Schemion would go on to eliminate Tosoc after the pair got it on 6d5h3h with both players seeking a heart draw, with Schemion’s king out kicking the queen of Tosoc. The turn and river changed nothing, and Schemion moved into a heads-up encounter with the WPT’s Commentator, Tony Dunst.
Heads-up
Ole Schemion – 2,105,000
Tony Dunst – 1,695,000
The pair would scrap for 17-hands, and then finally, with blinds at 15k/25k/25k, Schemion opened to 60,000, Dunst three-bet to 250,000, and Schemion called. The flop was a soaking wet KhJhTs, and Dunst check-called a 200,000 Schemion bet. The 4s on the turn was the all-combat hand with the pair getting it in with Dunst the aggressor, holding Kc5d for top pair, but Schemion had flopped a straight with Qs9s, leaving his counterpart drawing dead.
The title, a seat in next year’s event, a special edition Hublot watch, a Baccarat Crystal Tornado Vase, a Baccarat Crystal champagne flute set, and custom made BBO Poker Table belonged to Ole Schemion.
Final table results
1. Ole Schemion – $440,395
2. Tony Dunst – $250,265
3. Ryan Tosoc – $166,845
4. Simon Lam – $115,945
5. Griffin Paul – $84,140
6. Nick Schulman – $63,890
The other albatrosses that flew far and wide in this one included Aaron Mermelstein (7th), Dominik Nitsche (8th), Jonathan Little (9th) and Noah Schwartz (10th).
WPT Tournament of Champions roll call
Season XIV – Farid Yachou (64-entrants)
Season XV – Daniel Weinman (66-entrants)
Season XVI – Matt Waxman (80-entrants)
Season XVII – Ole Schemion (76-entrants)
