Justin Zaki emerged victorious in occasion no. 3 on the 2024 Poker Masters excessive curler event pageant. The Floridian poker professional overcame a subject of 94 whole entries within the $10,100 buy-in no-limit maintain’em affair to earn $244,400 and his first title in a Poker Masters occasion.
This was Zaki’s second win at a PokerGO Tour main, having gained a $10,500 buy-in occasion at this 12 months’s PokerGO Cup. He now has almost $5.9 million in profession earnings on the circuit.
Along with the cash and the {hardware}, Zaki additionally earned 540 Card Participant Participant of the 12 months factors because the champion of this occasion. This was his second title and seventh final-table end of the 12 months. Consequently, he climbed to 147th place within the 2024 POY rankings introduced by International Poker. This victory additionally rewarded Zaki with 244 PokerGO Tour factors. His 706 whole factors have moved him inside the highest 50 in that high-stakes-centric leaderboard.
Zaki got here into the ultimate day because the chip chief amongst the seven who survived day 1 motion. Loads of massive names cashed however fell wanting making day 2, together with David Coleman(twelfth), four-time bracelet winner Kristen Foxen (eleventh), bracelet winner Aram Zobian (tenth), and seven-time bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu (ninth).
Quick stack Ren Lin was the primary to fall, shedding a flip with pocket sixes towards the Ok-Q of six-time bracelet winner Jeremy Ausmus. Lin earned $37,600 because the seventh-place finisher. This was his thirteenth final-table end of the 12 months. With 4,576 POY factors, he now sits in thirteenth place within the total standings.
Three-time bracelet winner Jim Collopy’s run got here to an finish in sixth place. He shoved from the button for 14 massive blind with J-10 suited and acquired a swift name from Michael Brinkenhoff, who held A-Ok. Collopy flopped a pair to take the lead, however an ace on the river despatched him packing with $47,000.
PokerGO founder Cary Katz obtained his final handful of huge blinds in with A
10
main the A
3 of Zaki. The flop of 642 left Katz in tough form. The 4 flip gave Katz some further outs, however the 9 on the top confirmed his elimination in fifth place ($65,800). He now has almost $40.4 million in lifetime earnings after this newest sturdy exhibiting on the excessive curler circuit.
Victoria Livschitz went out in fourth place. With 4 diamonds on board she wager 425,000 of her 925,000 chips with Ok
10. Zaki moved all-in with OkJ, which was the nuts with the ace of diamonds approaching the top. Livschitz referred to as and was proven the unhealthy information. She cashed for $84,600, the fifth-largest rating of her burgeoning event profession. She now has almost $2 million in recorded earnings to her identify.
Brinkenhoff additionally secured one in all his greatest event paydays but with a robust exhibiting on this occasion. The 75-year-old physician primarily based out of Ventura, CA cashed out for $112,800 because the third-place finisher. This was his fourth-largest money but, bringing his whole to almost $1.2 million. A traditional preflop race pitted his pocket threes towards the A-Ok of Zaki. There have been two kings on board by the river, giving Zaki journeys and sending Brinkenhoff house in third place.
Heads-up play started with Zaki holding 9,150,000 to Ausmus’ 2,600,000. Ausmus managed a double up with Ok-9 holding towards Ok-2 to shut the hole a bit within the early going. That progress was quickly undone when Ausmus’ high pair was overwhelmed by Zaki’s rivered flush. Ausmus check-called roughly a 3rd of his stack on the top to search out himself left with simply 12 massive blinds.
Ausmus prolonged the match, doubling once more with A-4 towards Zaki’s Ok-9. On the very subsequent deal, Zaki shoved from the button with 44 and Ausmus made the decision with AQ. The board ran out 642510 and Zaki made a set to win the pot and the title.
Ausmus earned $155,100 because the runner-up. This was his 18th final-table end of the 12 months, with one title gained alongside the best way. His 6,037 factors is nice for fifth place within the 2024 POY race. The 450 PGT factors he secured prolonged his benefit on that leaderboard. With 2,315 factors, he now sits 480 factors forward of second-ranked Michael Rocco.
Here’s a take a look at the payouts and rankings factors awarded on the ultimate desk:
Place
Participant
Earnings
POY Factors
PGT Factors
1
Justin Zaki
$244,400
540
244
2
Jeremy Ausmus
$155,100
450
155
3
Michael Brinkenhoff
$112,800
360
113
4
Victoria Livschitz
$84,600
270
85
5
Cary Katz
$65,800
225
66
6
Jim Collopy
$47,000
180
47
7
Ren Lin
$37,600
135
38
Photograph credit: PokerGO / Antonio Abrego.
