Get ready for two weeks of thrilling poker action as the prestigious World Poker Tour (WPT) heads to the picturesque land of Lichtenstein from August 30 to September 11.

The stage is set for an impressive turnout as the Grand Casino Liechtenstein hosts the highly-anticipated WPT Prime Lichtenstein series, featuring a massive 1,000,000 CHF guaranteed Main Event.

A Variety of Events to Keep You on Your Toes

The WPT Prime Lichtenstein schedule is jam-packed with an array of events, sure to captivate poker enthusiasts of all levels. Among the highlights are the Mystery Bounty event, where players can hunt for rewards, and the pulse-pounding Supersonic NLHE/Liar’s Dice event. But that’s not all – there are also plenty of satellite tournaments to give players the opportunity to advance to even bigger and more lucrative tournaments.

The Showstopper: 1,000,000 CHF Guaranteed Main Event

As the centerpiece of the poker extravaganza, the Main Event promises non-stop action and fierce competition. With a buy-in of 1,100 CHF, the WPT Prime Lichtenstein Main Event comes with a jaw-dropping 1,000,000 CHF guaranteed prize pool. The Main Event kicks off on September 6, featuring six starting flights to accommodate players’ schedules and ensure a fair playing field. Survivors from each flight will unite for Day 2 on September 10, and the final showdown will take place on September 11 when the ultimate champion will be crowned.

Whether you’re a seasoned poker pro or an aspiring player looking to make your mark on the poker scene, the WPT Prime Lichtenstein series offers something for everyone. Don’t miss the chance to be a part of this poker spectacle, set amidst the beautiful landscapes of Lichtenstein and the exhilarating atmosphere of the Grand Casino. Mark your calendars from August 30 to September 11 and prepare for an unforgettable poker experience!

PokerNews Freerolls Every Weekend on WPT Global

WPT Prime Lichteinstein Full Schedule

Win a WPT Prime Passport on WPT Global

Online Poker Room WPT Global gives players the chance to secure their seats to various events around the world with the $1,500 WPT Prime Passport, which allows them to play at a live event of their choice.

The Passport Qualifiers have a $110 buy-in and run every Saturday at 2 p.m. ET and Sunday and 6 p.m. ET., while you can even satellite your way into a qualifier for as low as $5.

The next WPT Prime stops include:

• Liechtenstein – September 8-11
• Madrid, Spain – September 28-October 1
• Las Vegas, USA – December 7-12
• And watch for many more WPT live events

Check out the WPT Hub on PokerNews here!

Join WPT Global Today

The launch of WPT Global means that poker players around the world now have the chance to win their way to WPT events, win prizes and enjoy exciting games such as Poker Flips. As one of the world’s largest cash game poker networks, WPT Global is available in over 50 countries and territories worldwide.

WPT Global also offers new players matched deposit bonus of 100% up to a maximum of $1,200. Any new player who deposits $20 or more will automatically receive this deposit bonus.

The playthrough requirements for this bonus is fairly straightforward, with each $2.50 increment of the bonus being unlocked every time you generate $10 of rake. This rake can come from either tournaments or cash games. The bonus expires after 90 days starting from the date of your first deposit.

To further sweeten the deal, WPT Global will also award you some tournament tickets. The exact reward depends on whether you are a new player and how big your deposit was.

Monday night’s High Stakes Poker show — the second episode of Season 11 — featured a $1 million pot and was dominated by the overly aggressive play of Eric Persson.

Persson, however, wasn’t seated at the table when the show began but would enter shortly after. When the cameras began rolling, the table included the same cast of characters as last week — Andrew Robl, Rick Salomon, Rob Yong, Ferdinand Putra, Jean-Robert Bellande, Charles Yu (initial chip counts below).

$1 Million Pot to Get the Party Started

Moments into the show, one of the largest pots in High Stakes Poker history transpired. With a $8,000 double straddle on, Bellande began the action by raising to $20,000 with Q♠Q♥. Yu, on the button, then made it $60,000 with A♦K♥. Bellande then made it $500,000, essentially putting his opponent all in, and was followed by a shove and then call, creating a pot of $1,032,000.

“Didn’t really wanna get called,” Bellande told the table as both players awaited the dealing of the community cards.

With such a massive pot at stake, the high rollers agreed to run it twice to minimize the risk. The first board showed 8♠10♥8♥10♠5♠, clean for the queens. But a flush was made on the second run-out for the ace-king hand and they chopped the pot.

Persson, who seems to appear on all the high stakes poker shows these days, mostly Hustler Casino Live and Bally’s Big Bet Poker LIVE, joined the High Stakes Poker action late with $500,000 worth of chips. He would quickly make his presence felt.

With no straddle on in one hand, Persson limped for $2,000 in early position with Q♥Q♣, clearly looking to set the trap. Bellande, in late position, called with 9♦7♣ before Yong followed suit on the button with 6♥5♥. as did Putra, holding Q♦2♥ in the small blind. Salomon then checked his option with Q♠8♠.

The flop came out 5♦5♣3♠, trips for Yong, who bet $12,000 after everyone checked it around to him, receiving a call only from Persson. When the J♠ appeared on the turn, Persson checked and his lone remaining opponent did as well, surprisingly.

But following the 6♣ river, the hand went off the rails starting with the $45,000 over-bet from Persson. Yong, whose already superior hand improved to a full house on the river, raised to $200,000 and received an instant call before taking down the $436,000 pot.

Moments later, Bellande was able to semi-bluff Persson off two pair on the turn with an open-ended straight draw. Persson would then try to bully Robl with jack-high, but eventually gave up on the river and lost to pocket jacks in a $249,000 pot.

Things got even worse for the Maverick Casinos owner when he made a $90,000 raise with 4♠3♠ on a flop of 10♦J♠A♦ but was up against Yu’s A♣K♣. Later in the show, with 10♠10♦, Persson would fold to a massive four-bet preflop from Yong, who had A♣K♥.

Persson Hits Quads During High Stakes Poker Season 10

Robl Takes All of Persson’s Chips

On the final hand of the episode, Persson punted off his stack, which he’d added on to. The future owner of a poker room at Tropicana in Las Vegas put on the triple straddle ($16,000) and looked down at Q♥9♠ facing a raise to $45,000 from Robl (small blind) who held A♣K♦.

Persson called to see a flop of A♥9♣5♥, a pair for each player. Robl led for $45,000 and received a call. The turn was the 4♠ and Robl would bet out $102,000, continuing to tell the story that he had a big hand, which he did. But Persson wasn’t a believer and moved all in for $238,000. Robl took no time in making the call and the two competitors decided to run it just once. The 5♠ on the river changed nothing.

Robl, who scooped that monster final pot, finished the episode with nearly $2.2 million in his stack, while Persson got stacked. Episode 3 of High Stakes Poker Season 11 will air next Monday (August 21) at 5 p.m. PT on PokerGO.

_{*Images courtesy of PokerGO}

Pot-Limit Omaha is a poker game that has soared in popularity as of late for all the right reasons. Many see it as a more fun game than regular Texas Hold’em with its very swingy nature.

For those uninitiated, here’s a brief explanation of “the great game”:

Now if you’re new to PLO, you’ll want to know which hands to play when you’re at the table. Thankfully, 888poker Ambassador Vivian Saliba has shared these five top tips on PLO starting hand selection.

Focus on Nut Hand Possibilities

When you’re selecting which starting hands to play in PLO, remember that holding high cards is extremely important as being dominated and out-kicked could cause you to lose a lot of chips.

With four cards, you will connect with the board more frequently but so will your important. What that means is that weak flushes, full houses and straights won’t have much value, especially when playing in multi-way pots. Focus on hands that beat the nuts on the board. Remember that a good hand in No Limit Hold’em may not be good in PLO.

Choose Starting Hands that are Connected

Connectivity is another important factor when deciding which hands to play in PLO. The cards you hold should relate to one another.

If you flop two pair, for example, you may have an open-ended or gutshot straight draw to accompany it. Having more outs and the possibility of improving your made hand increases the value of your hand and protects it.

It’s Important to be Suited

Having suited cards is important. They are much more valuable than holding rainbow hands (each suit is different). The goldmine is double-suited hands, and you will want to play these. Being able to hit two flushes elevates the strength of your hand.

Be aware that holding three or four of the same suit will reduce your flush outs, so it’s probably best not to play those types of hands.

Don’t Overvalue High Pairs

Pairs like aces and kings aren’t as strong in PLO as you might imagine. The other two cards are actually really important in determining the true strength of your starting hand.

A♥A♣J♥10♣ is a much superior hand to A♠A♦9♣2♥, for example.

If you have K♣K♥7♣5♥ in late position and action has folded to you, its perfectly okay to raise this hand. However, if there was a raise and three-bet ahead of you, you probably want to fold your hand as you could be dominated.

Position is Important

Not every hand you play from the button is a hand that you would want to play from under the gun, and so on. Opening the action from early positions will often see you play post-flop out of position. This puts you at a disadvantage.

Also, you’re less likely to run into super strong starting hands by raising in late positions when action has folded to you.

You need to play tight from early position while taking in all the tips discussed above.

Keep Track Of All The Action With The PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar

You should give the PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar a try. This free-to-use tool keeps track of the poker tournaments on major online poker sites like 888poker.

You can filter and search the tournaments to find what you’re looking for quickly and easily, including the PokerNews exclusive freerolls held on 888poker.

Sign up for 888poker today, and you can register for poker tournaments without ever leaving the calendar!

The next leg of the 2023 PokerStars United Kingdom & Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) sees the popular mid-stakes live tour head to the seaside resort of Brighton in the United Kingdom.

UKIPT Brighton runs from September 5 through to September 10 at the Rendezvous Casino. Sixteen events, including satellites, are scheduled between those dates, including a £1,100 buy-in Main Event, which the PokerNews Live Reporting team will be providing coverage from start to finish.

The UKIPT Brighton Main Event features a trio of flights, two with 40-minute blinds and a third with a 20-minute turbo structure. Regardless of which Day 1 you play, you sit down behind a generous starting stack of 30,000 chips and play to a structure where the blinds start at 100/100 with a 100 big blind ante.

Late registration remains open until the end of the tenth level, at which point there is a 75-minute dinner break, and play concludes on each flight once only 15% of the field remains. Should you dust off your stack while late registration is open, up to three re-entries are permitted per flight.

2023 UKIPT Brighton Full Schedule

Win Your Way to UKIPT Brighton

Main Event and High Roller satellites are available at the venue during the festival, but you can win your way into the UKIPT Brighton Main Event for pennies online at PokerStars.

You should also check out the amazing Power Path promotion that recently launched. Starting at only $0.50, the four-step program opens doors to every PokerStars player being able to have a chance to play in a prestigious tournament.

For example, one of the prizes for capturing a Silver pass is a UKIPT Brighton package, consisting of a £1,100 Main Event buy-in, a £330 UKIPT Cup entry, plus £580 in cash for expenses.

Get your hands on a Power Path Gold pass, and one of the prizes is a UKIPT passport, giving you entries to the Brighton, London, Edinburgh, and Nottingham UKIPT Main Events, plus £2,800 for expenses!

Find PokerStars on the PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar

The PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar is a free tool that shows all of the upcoming and in-play tournaments you can enter at PokerStars, and do so from the comforts of thePokerNews site. Several filters are available to help you narrow down the perfect online tournament for you and your bankroll. Why not give it a shot today?

Damir Zhugralin had less than 20% of the chips when he reached heads-up play in the 2023 Merit Poker Retro Series $10,500 High Roller, but that didn’t stop him pulling off a stunning comeback to capture the title and $350,000.

The chip leader for much of the final table, Uri Reichenstein, finished as the runner-up for $246,300.

The tournament, which took place at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino, saw 153 entrants where the 20 players were in the money and shared a slice of the $1,407,600 prize pool.

2023 Merit Poker Retro Series $10,500 High Roller Results

Final Day Highlights

Just 22 players came back on the final day on the soft bubble. All of them shared the same goal with the aim of finishing inside the paid places. Tinay Aksoy started the session with two big blinds but he was unable to produce any magic and was the first player eliminated.

Adi Rajkovic tried to be patient to secure a minimum cash prize of $16,500. However, as the bubble dragged on, his stack dwindled. He had no choice but to go all in with pocket sevens. Eventual winner Damir Zhugralin called his shove and made a pair of kings, to confirm Rajkovic as the bubble boy.

After the bubble burst, the field quickly narrowed down to two tables, with short stacks like Jovan Kenjic (17th, $18,700) getting eliminated. It didn’t take much longer to reach the final table, as only three and a half hours passed between the “shuffle up and deal” and the elimination of Aleksandr Chernikov. The Russian player finished 10th ($26,300), despite being the chipleader after the bubble. Once again, it was Zhugralin who sent him to the rail.

The final table started with the aforementioned Reichenstein as the chip leader. He utilized his big stack to apply pressure on his opponents. Day 1 chipleader Daniel Kyosev was the first to fall to him (9th, $35,700), followed by Hassan Barakat (8th, $47,500) and Sonny Franco (7th, $59,100). After these eliminations, the remaining six players took a dinner break.

However, Day 2 chip leader Maxime Chilaud (6th, $70,900) didn’t stay at the table for long after the break. Reichenstein eliminated him, further increasing his stack. He went on to eliminate all the other players, from Denis Kapustin (5th, $88,500) to Mustafa Biz (3rd, $158,600).

Only Milos Petakovic managed to avoid Reichenstein’s grasp. But his tournament still came to an end in fourth place for $117,600.

Reichenstein began the heads-up with 12,500,000 chips thanks to his onslaught, while Zhugralin had only 3,000,000 chips. However, Zhugralin managed to double up on the very first hand, and secured consecutive doubles soon after.

Thanks to his last double up, he took the lead, which he maintained until the end.

The Daily Mail captured video of a horrifying fire on Saturday of an 88-foot luxury yacht reportedly owned by Spanish poker pro Diego Gomez Gonzalez.

It’s unclear if Gonzalez, who has nearly $500,000 in live tournament cashes according to The Hendon Mob, was onboard at the time of the incident, but reports have indicated that all 17 individuals — five crew members and 12 passengers — who were on the boat survived. Only one crew member required medical attention due to minor burns.

Video of Poker Pro’s Boat Catching Fire

Footage obtained by MailOnline shows the yacht engulfed in a massive fire, although the cause hasn’t yet been discovered or disclosed publicly. The scary situation took place at around 6 p.m. Saturday in the Mediterranean off the island of Formentera.

Nearby boaters immediately rushed to the aid of the passengers. The video also shows patrons inside a seaside restaurant watching and taking photos of the boat fire from what appears to be a couple hundred feet away from the flames.

Gonzalez’s yacht, built in 1995, can sleep 20 people comfortably and features a deck jacuzzi, luxury cabin, and provides access for various water sports. The boat is based in the island of Ibiza off the southeastern coast of Spain. The yacht is often chartered, which makes it probable that the poker player wasn’t aboard during the fiery incident. It costs over £45,000 to charter the luxury yacht during summer peak season.

Gonzalez, who hails from Madrid, is a long-time poker pro whose top live score was for $256,000 after a fifth-place finish at the 2012 European Poker Tour (EPT) Prague Main Event. He’s also racked up five World Series of Poker (WSOP) online bracelet event cashes on GGPoker in 2020 and 2021.

The poker pro earned the nickname “The Lion” upon dressing up in a lion costume during the aforementioned EPT Main Event in Prague.

_{*Lead image courtesy of the Daily Mail.}

The 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) may be in the rearview mirror, but that just means it’s a good time to take a look back at some of the highlights from the record-breaking seven-week festival. For PokerNews, some of those highlights came in twice a week with new episodes of the new The Chad & Jesse Poker Show, which was produced in conjunction with Level 9 Studios.

Chad Holloway and Jesse Fullen discussed the biggest stories of the summer and debated others in the popular “Calling the Clock” segment that allotted them just two minutes to offer their thoughts on some of the most interesting, controversial, and entertaining WSOP happenings.

What’s more, they welcomed 18 guests throughout the summer including the likes of Poker Hall of Famers, several former WSOP POYs, a Main Event champion, and a plethora of poker vloggers and personalities.

Here’s a look at all 14 episodes of The Chad & Jesse Poker Show from the 2023 WSOP along with some highlights from each.

Click here to watch all The Chad & Jesse Poker Show Episodes on YouTube!

WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart the First Guest

The first-ever episode was on the first day of the 2023 WSOP, so who better to have on the show than WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart, who talked about summer plans and preparation, the status of Vince Vaughn as WSOP Master of Ceremonies, and any potential plans to honor the late Doyle Brunson. He also offers his thoughts on the WSOP Main Event field size, the Mystery Millions, and who he thought would win a bracelet first — Phil Hellmuth or Daniel Negreanu.

Lon McEachern’s Unforgettable WSOP Moments

The second guest was legendary WSOP commentator Lon McEachern, who talked about his career, winning a WSOP Circuit gold ring, and playing in the Tournament of Champions. He also shared some fond memories of the late Doyle Brunson.

Steve “Cuz” Buckner Sheds Some Tears

Steve “Cuz” Buckner, who last year was a breakout player on the World Poker Tour (WPT), ultimately finishing as runner-up in the WPT Player of the Year race. The boisterous player originally from Brooklyn has established himself as a true character of the game, and you just might be surprised by his story. Plus, find out if he’d rather win a WSOP gold bracelet or a WPT title.

Poker Hall of Famer Jack McClelland

The fourth guest was Poker Hall of Famer Jack McClelland, who served as the Tournament Director of the WSOP from 1984-98. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2014 alongside Daniel Negreanu, and he talks about that honor as well as memories of Stu Ungar and Doyle Brunson, and what it was like to work for the legendary Benny Binion.

Aceholes Guests Nikki Limo & Caitlin Comeskey

The first episode with two guests, and the first females to appear on the show, Chad and Jesse were joined by Acesholes Podcast hosts Caitlin Comeskey and Nikki Limo, who discuss their respective backgrounds in both entertainment and poker. The competitive duo, who are only separated by a few thousand in career earnings, then played a fun game of “Who Said It – Phil Hellmuth or Kanye West?”

Jason Koon on Perkins Prop Bet, $250K SHR

GGPoker Ambassador Jason Koon took some time before jumping into the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) $250,000 Super High Roller to join the show.

Koon talked about expecting his second child, and as fate would have it, the day after recording his wife went into labor and he had to pull out of the aforementioned tournament. In addition to sharing what it’s like being a family man, Koon discussed integrity in poker, his personal goals, and a never-before-shared prop bet he has with Bill Perkins.

Koon, who sat fifth on the all-time poker money list according to The Hendon Mob with nearly $48 million, also discussed his love of poker history, shared a Doyle Brunson story, and just opened up about poker and life. Don’t miss your chance to hear from one of the best.

The Complete Overview of the 2023 World Series of Poker

WPT Ambassadors Andrew Neeme & Brad Owen

It was another two-for-one episode when World Poker Tour (WPT) Ambassadors Andrew Neeme and Brad Owen joined the show and opened up about how their respective vlogs helped them build their poker careers. They also discussed upcoming WPT initiatives and play a little game where we quiz them on “who said it?” regarding quotes from their first-ever vlogs.

Joey Ingram on the Future of Poker

Joey Ingram, AKA Papi, a lover of four-card poker, joined the show. A prolific poker podcaster, Ingram is known for his marathon emergency investigations into such controversial matters as the Mike Postle and Robbi Jade Lew cheating allegations. Ingram, who was in L.A. for the Hustler Casino Live $1,000,000 Cash Game, recently returned to Las Vegas and was at the 2023 WSOP for the first time when he sat down with the guys. Hear what Ingram thinks the future holds for poker, which just might surprise you.

Vlogging Sensation Masato Yokosawa

Japanese vlogger Masato Yokosawa, AKA “World Wide Yokosawa,” joined the show. While players in the United States might think folks like Brad Owen and Andrew Neeme has the biggest vlog followings in the world, that distinction actually belongs to Masato, who regularly clears 600K views on each of his vlogs!

The Japanese vlogging sensation opened up about his start in poker, what inspired him to start a vlog, and how he’s managed to turn it into a smashing success with the help of a creative team. He also talks about his desire to win a WSOP gold bracelet, how Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth are perceived in his home country, and what the future looks like for poker in Japan.

GGPoker Ambassador Daniel Negreanu Talks 2023 WSOP & Poker Hall of Fame

The No. 1 guest they wanted on the show was Daniel Negreanu, who took a break from his busy summer schedule to talk about a plethora of topics including what it’s been like running deep in the lower buy-in, big field events, interacting with fans, and how he feels about his performance thus far.

The GGPoker Ambassador also offered his thoughts on the Poker Hall of Fame, including who he thinks will get in and the changes he’d like to see moving forward. Finally, “Kid Poker” offered his prediction for the 2023 WSOP Main Event, which is also the first big topic discussed by the hosts.

GGPoker Ambassador Kevin Martin at WSOP

GGPoker Ambassador Kevin Martin was happy to be a guest on the show. The Big Brother Canada winner talked about meeting his wife on the show, how he found his way into poker and the streaming game, and busting the record-breaking 2023 WSOP Main Event. He also offered up three names when it comes to who he admires most in the poker content space.

Ryan Depaulo a Withered Pro?

Poker vlogger Ryan Depaulo, the Whole Foods parking lot bracelet winner, discussed his biggest score to date (third place in the Colossus), what his father told him (“Don’t punt”), and Joey the Mush. Plus, he’s asked if he was banned from Borgata for vlogging, his main poker influence, and whether or not he’s a withered pro.

Josh Arieh Talks Hot 2023 WSOP; David Williams on Bracelet Stolen in Home Robbery

In the penultimate show of the summer, Chad & Jesse welcomed two guests to the show starting with Josh Arieh, who won two bracelets this summer and was nominated for the Poker Hall of Fame. Arieh talked about the WSOP back in the late 1990s, his career resurgence, Poker Stake, and shares a fun story involving Ted Forrest and the late Layne Flack.

The other guest was 2004 WSOP Main Event runner-up David Williams, who was fresh off winning a Flip & Go. He talked about his history in that event, how his WSOP gold bracelet and diamond toothpick were stolen in a home robbery, and why he wouldn’t do Master Chef again.

Final Guests — Phil Hellmuth & Brian Rast

In the final show of the summer, Chad & Jesse welcomed two guests to the show starting with the legendary Phil Hellmuth! The “Poker Brat” captured his record-extending 17th WSOP gold bracelet earlier in the series, and he sat down with the boys to talk all about it.

The other guest was this year’s Poker Hall of Fame inductee Brian Rast, who also won the $50,000 Poker Players Championship for a record-tying third time. Rast shared his thoughts on being inducted, who he’d like to see join him, and much more.

Listen to Episodes of the PokerNews Podcast Here!

What’s Next?

While The Chad & Jesse Poker Show was designed solely for the 2023 WSOP, plans are in the works to continue a rebranded weekly show starting in September. Stay tuned for more information on that as PokerNews aims to bring you all the latest and greatest from the world of poker!

Executive Editor U.S.

Executive Editor US, PokerNews Podcast co-host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.

The final day of the 2023 Merit Poker Retro Series $2,200 Warm-Up has come to an end at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino and Hadi Khadra is the champion after a deal was made during three-handed play.

Khadra takes the top prize while Turkey’s Murat Cakir finishes second and Greece’s Orestis Kanakopoulos finishes third. Nicolas Chouity and Huseyin Kaba rounded out the top five after a day that started with the final 25 players.

The tournament drew 809 entries and the final 25 returned for their piece of the $1,488,560 prize pool.

2023 Merit Retro Poker Series $2,200 Warmup

Winner’s Reaction

“It feels great honestly,” Khadra said in a post-win interview with Merit Poker. “After four days of endless playing, mental instability, and all these days it feels good to win it. I played well and made very good decisions. I am glad to where I got to where I am now.”

The turning point of the endgame came when Khadra bluffed Cakir with a big river bet.

“In the late stages, a big hand came between myself and Cakir and I bluffed him with king-jack offsuit. It got me a lot of big blinds and gave me the confidence and momentum to get me through it.”

Khadra will go home with the top prize and take a well-deserved break.

“The first thing I’m going to do is not play poker. Go spend time with my girlfriend and my mother. Go on vacation and do everything and relax. Take my head above the clouds for a month or two and get back at it.”

Day 4 Highlights

Day 4 started with 25 players and and Nicolas Chouity came in as the chip leader after Day 3. The live-streamed final table of nine was reached after about six hours of play when Or Nezer hit the rail in tenth place for $19,500.

Afshin Taheri was the first to go in final table play when his suited ace-king was out-flopped by Cakir’s suited queen-nine. The suited ace-king was also trouble for Alain Hajj, who got it all in against the suited ace-eight of Kaba and the pocket threes of Khadra. The board ran out for three hearts and Kaba had the right suit to make a flush for a double, while Khadra’s pocket threes has both players covered and they were good enough to eliminate Hajj in eighth place.

Shortly after Hajj hit the payout window it was Abulmuhsin Aydin that followed with the seventh place finish. Aydin went in with ace-ten on a board with two sevens, but Giorgiy Skhulukhiya had the seven and Aydin couldn’t catch up.

While other players were busting out, Cakir was making his move to the top of the chip counts. He picked up pocket aces and made quads against Chouity, but Chouity had very little with which he could offer value. Kaba also stayed alive when he made his move with pocket jacks against the ace-king of Skhulukhiya. The flop brought a king but the river was a jack to keep Kaba in contention.

Skhulukhiya was next to go in sixth place when he got it in with king-queen against the ace-ten of Cakir. The board ran out with no help and the final five turned towards the home stretch.

Moments later, Kaba bowed out in fifth with jack-ten after Kanakopoulos held him off with king-nine. The final four players battled through a break but the short stack Chouity couldn’t spin it up before he hit the rail in fourth. Chouity’s elimination was another pot for Khadra in a late push that saw him take a big lead.

Moments into three-handed play, Cakir suggested a deal and the players stopped the clock to talk about it. After a short discussion, the tournament ended and Khadra was declared the champion.

Be sure to keep it with the PokerNews team as coverage of the $10,500 High Roller has already kicked off.

Photos courtesy of Merit Poker.

Live Reporting Executive

Las Vegas-based PokerNews Live Reporting Executive, originally from Chicago, IL