Motion has concluded within the $25,000 Tremendous Excessive Curler right here on the PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) hosted by Resorts World Las Vegas. Stephen Music emerged victorious, dominating his manner atop the rostrum to earn a powerful $439,400 payday.
Music continues to excel at PokerStars occasions this yr, as this victory comes on the heels of a fair greater one simply a few months in the past when he took down the 2024 EPT Barcelona €5,300 Fundamental Occasion for €1,290,386. In between, Music added a money within the 2024 EPT Cyprus $5,300 Fundamental Occasion final month.
The star-studded area in Las Vegas attracted 60 entries, with solely eight gamers capturing a chunk of the $1,440,600 prize pool. Music entered the ultimate desk because the overwhelming chip chief and was capable of shut it out, defeating Sean Winter in a back-and-forth heads-up battle to assert the coveted PokerStars trophy. Winter earned a good $288,100 for his runner-up end.
$25,000 Tremendous Excessive Curler Closing Desk Outcomes
Winner’s Response
PokerNews caught up with Music after the win to ask him how he was feeling after topping such a troublesome area of rivals. “I imply, it feels actually good to win a match. It is a powerful area, too. I needed to battle a number of the finest gamers within the nation and even the world, so yeah, it felt actually good.”
When requested if there have been any turning level palms or key moments, Music defined “Sean’s tremendous powerful and that heads-up was grueling, it swung back-and-forth. It actually all got here right down to that king-eight ballsy name I made. It is a match, so something can occur, I am simply grateful that it labored out completely.”
Day 3 Motion
Music entered the ultimate day of motion with an enormous chip lead over his three opponents, holding greater than half of the chips in play. He started his ascent to the highest of the leaderboard on Day 2 when he discovered himself within the dream spot with pocket aces proper earlier than the ultimate desk. He then went on to knock out Paul Jager in eighth and Thomas Eychenne in sixth earlier than the night time’s finish to propel himself even additional.
The primary casualty of Day 3 was James Collopy, who was in an incredible place to double up when he acquired all of it in preflop with ace-queen versus Music’s ace-four. Music discovered a 4 on the flip and confirmed no indicators of slowing down early within the day.
As soon as three-handed play started, Winter turned the clear brief stack, dwindling to only two massive blinds at one level. He began his comeback with two back-to-back double ups, and for over a full stage, it was Winter making use of the strain and profitable pot after pot. Winter then discovered one other well timed double up in opposition to Music and in doing so, overtook Edward Sebesta for second place within the counts.
Music’s subsequent sufferer was Sebesta, who acquired all of it in preflop with ace-king in opposition to Music’s pocket tens, in a basic coin flip state of affairs. Music’s pair proved finest, as Sebesta could not discover an ace or a king to remain alive. Sebesta’s spectacular match run earned him a third-place end and the respect of veteran gamers alike.
Heads-Up Play
Music started heads-up play with a two-to-one chip lead, however his benefit did not imply clean crusing as Winter continued his comeback story. Winter started making use of the strain, profitable a number of small and medium-sized pots to chip up and shut the hole. He went on to take the lead in a hand the place Music overbet the river, and Winter picked off the bluff, tabling journey aces to finest Music’s nine-high.
As soon as Winter pulled forward, it virtually appeared destined that his “chip and a chair” second would come to fruition, having been left on fumes just some ranges prior. Winter even turned the tables at one level the place he was the one holding the two-to-one lead after transferring all in on the river in a large pot the place Music ended up surrendering his hand.
Over the following couple of ranges, Music and Winter exchanged jabs, with the chip lead altering palms quite a few instances in back-and-forth motion. The important thing turning level within the match befell in a hand the place Music made an enormous hero name on the river holding prime pair with 4 playing cards to a straight on the board.
Though Music held over 12 million of the 15 million chips in play, Winter confirmed he wasn’t going out with out a combat. He received a number of palms in a row and even discovered a double up with ace-three in opposition to Music’s queen-jack to remain alive. Not lengthy after, Winter discovered himself brief as soon as once more and in the end acquired all of it in preflop with queen-five suited in opposition to Music’s ace-nine. Music’s ace-nine held in what proved to be the ultimate hand of play, incomes him the distinguished win.
When requested if he had any plans to have fun and what’s subsequent for the longer term, Music talked about, “Not likely, most likely simply hop in the primary in some unspecified time in the future. After this NAPT sequence, I’ll take a while off till Florida WPT, after which, most likely, since I am proper there, I am going to simply shoot over to The Bahamas. My household is in Florida, too, after which I am going to see them for Christmas proper after. It sort of works out completely.”