The break got here at simply the precise time for Elias Gutierrez.
The Crew PokerStars Professional might really feel the match slipping from his grasp. Gutierrez started his heads-up match with Russia’s Alexander Zubov with an enormous chip lead, however Zubov steadily wore him down till he moved atop the leaderboard. Then got here a 15-minute break, an opportunity for Gutierrez to regroup and refocus on capturing the most important title of his poker title. No matter he did in these minutes labored, as Gutierrez stormed again to the highest and ended up defeating Zubov to win the European Poker Tour Cyprus $25,000 Tremendous Excessive Curler Heat Up and $417,570.
“It means rather a lot as a result of I at all times really feel the stress of successful, particularly creating content material. So when the heads-up was not going my approach I used to be feeling very intense,” Gutierrez stated after securing the trophy. “The break was nice for me. I might loosen up a bit and rethink what I used to be doing. And ultimately, I find yourself successful, which is wonderful so I’m very pleased.”
EPT Cyprus $25,000 Tremendous Excessive Curler Heat Up Last Desk outcomes
Gutierrez has primarily been a web based participant all through his profession, together with successful a SCOOP title in 2021. Whereas he has reside cashes relationship again to 2010, the primary prize from this occasion practically equals all of his earlier outcomes. It’s his first reside match win in 14 years and first-ever on the EPT. And it got here towards an elite discipline of 57 of the most important and finest names within the recreation, an accomplishment that may make Gutierrez focus extra on enjoying reside sooner or later.
“I might not say that that is validation. On the finish of the day I’ve been enjoying poker for 14 years, 15 perhaps, so it’s been some time. It’s true that I’ve been enjoying on-line more often than not, however notably now sooner or later I see myself enjoying reside poker primarily,” he stated.
Gutierrez was adopted all through the match by a group of videographers chronicling each hand he performed for his followers. Gutierrez has greater than 200,000 subscribers on YouTube and 120,000 on Twitch. He enjoys sharing his journey along with his followers and letting them expertise his poker triumphs. That is the most important one but, and it’ll enable Gutierrez to relive this second over and over.
“It’s my different ardour, to create content material,” he stated. “It means double if you win a match. That is particular as we speak, however it is going to even be particular the day I can add this video and folks can relive this expertise from a distinct angle. Each issues, creating content material and enjoying poker professionally, are my two passions and I’m very fortunate that I can combine each of them and do what I do.”
Event Recap
The $25,000 Tremendous Excessive Curler Heat Up attracted a complete discipline of 57 entries, constructing a prize pool of $1,368,570. Kayhan Mokri, Juan Pardo, Roman Hrabec, Patrick Leonard, and $20,000 occasion champion Ognyan Dimov have been amongst those that have been eradicated as the sector whittled down to 2 tables.
Gutierrez received a giant pot off Enrico Camosci when he rivered a set of jacks and Camosci referred to as his 850,000 increase on the river as Gutierrez crossed 2,000,000 and took the chip lead. Lewis Spencer, Artur Martirosian, and Ren Lin fell simply in need of the ultimate desk, as did Mikalai Vaskaboinikau in gorgeous style. Vaskaboinikau was as much as 2,000,000 and in second place on the ultimate two tables till Adrian Mateos rivered a flush to crack his queens and double up. Artsiom Lasouski then doubled up with ace-jack to knock Vaskaboinikau all the best way right down to 180,000 as he was eradicated shortly after.
Camosci began to run away from the sector after busting Leonard Maue in eleventh place. He then picked up aces towards Manuel Fritz’s kings to set the nine-handed ultimate desk as Camosci took an enormous chip lead with 4,500,000, greater than 2,000,000 forward of his closest challenger.
The ultimate 9 gamers have been additionally on the cash bubble as solely the highest eight could be assured a min-cash of $54,700. Camosci took down practically each pot uncontested as he constructed up his stack to 7,000,000, controlling practically half the chips in play at one level. After greater than an hour of play on the bubble, Aliaksei Boika picked up two queens towards Gutierrez and was all in for 550,000, however Gutierrez spiked a set of tens on the river to ship Boika out because the bubble boy.
The tempo of eliminations rapidly picked up. Zhendong Li was out in eighth place when he ran king-nine into Camosci’s king-queen. Camosci additionally took out Aleksejs Ponakovs in seventh by hitting a king on the flip to beat Ponakovs’ flopped pair of queens.
Zubov lastly proved Camosci was beatable when he received a flip with nines towards ace-jack to double for 730,000. Gutierrez received two pots off Camosci as he started to slim the hole between them, then struck the ultimate desk’s largest blow. Camosci moved all in on the river and Gutierrez snap-called for 3,150,000 with a set of jacks. Camosci solely had missed straight and flush attracts as he tumbled all the best way right down to 1,800,000 whereas Gutierrez took an enormous lead.
Camosci’s downfall was full when he moved all in for two,200,000 with ace-queen and Gutierrez referred to as with nines. Gutierrez received the flip to ship Camosci crashing to the rail in sixth place as Gutierrez moved up previous 10,000,000, practically 9,000,000 greater than another participant on the time.
The quick stacks on the desk have been left to battle for survival. Zubov survived an all in with a chop towards Gutierrez, then doubled up for 430,000 when he flopped a pair of aces. Lasouski was right down to 280,000 as he referred to as with jack-six towards Dimitar Danchev’s king-seven. Danchev completed with two pair to ship Lasouski to the rail in fifth. Zubov then made a flush to double off Mateos and go away the EPT champion with lower than three massive blinds.
Mateos doubled up as soon as, then picked up two tens to knock out Danchev in fourth place. Mateos’ run quickly resulted in third when he ran king-nine into Gutierrez’s ace-nine.
Gutierrez had a 10-1 chip lead at first of heads-up with 12,150,000 to 2,135,000, however Zubov discovered an early double with a flopped pair of queens and took down a lot of the pots to chip away at Gutierrez’s benefit. Zubov finally took the chip lead and led 9,900,000 to 4,300,000 when the 2 gamers took the fateful 15-minute break. “I would like some contemporary air,” Gutierrez stated.
Gutierrez returned from break and promptly doubled up for 3,875,000 when his ace-six held on towards Zubov’s king-ten, placing Gutierrez again within the lead. Zubov fell down to three,500,000 when he limped in, Gutierrez shoved from the large blind, and Zubov referred to as with jack-ten suited. Gutierrez had ace-five because the board gave Zubov straight and flush attracts going to the river, however he missed all his outs and the trophy belonged to Gutierrez.
Regardless of his win as we speak, Gutierrez received’t press his luck and play the $50,000 Tremendous Excessive Curler tomorrow. “No, I’m going to relaxation,” he stated. After enjoying till previous 4 a.m. right here in Cyprus and battling again to win the title, he deserves a while to mirror on what he simply completed.
