Two key moments on the ultimate desk of the PokerStars North American Poker Tour Las Vegas $550 Thriller Bounty had been all it took for Gregor Sverko to start out off his competition with a bang.
Sverko was all in for two,575,000 in opposition to Daniel Samson and a card away from elimination as Samson turned journeys, however Sverko caught a miracle straight on the river to double up. Then, in what proved to be his shining second, Sverko flopped a full home to place an finish to Samson and earn the trophy and $46,800 first prize.
NAPT $550 Thriller Bounty Closing Desk Outcomes
“It feels good. This yr hasn’t been superb for me, on-line or stay. And it’s my first trophy, my first stay trophy, so I’m fairly completely happy about it,” the Croatian professional mentioned after securing the title that pushed him previous $400,000 in profession earnings.
Sverko, who additionally earned $19,500 in bounties, was humble in victory and acknowledged the function that some luck performed in his win. “I simply ran good. Performed fairly good, I feel. Simply received flips. That’s it,” he mentioned. “I feel I principally had it. When the pot was large I simply had it, in order that’s the key.”
Massive Names Fall Forward of the Closing Desk
The 5 beginning flights of this occasion had been all performed within the Resorts World Las Vegas poker site. Day 2 noticed the opening of the primary match space, and 179 gamers returned to motion out of a large discipline of 1,201 entries.
David Jackson (173rd), Rep Porter (164th), Adam Walton (one hundred and fifty fifth), PokerNews Podcast co-host Michael Holtz (152th), Michael Wang (144th), and Irish Open champion David Docherty (131st) had been among the many first to fall in a flurry of eliminations to start out the day as gamers tried to get their arms on the thriller bounty tokens.
Rhett van Leeuwen started the day as chip chief however may solely handle to make it to 59th place, whereas Nicholas Seward (57th), Justin Younger (forty eighth), Shawn Buchanan (forty seventh), and Joshua Remitio (forty fifth) had been additionally despatched off to gather their payday.
PokerStars Crew Professional Barny Boatman misplaced most of his chips in a pre-flop race in opposition to Chris Johnston and fell in thirty fourth place shortly after, whereas Maria Konnikova was eradicated in thirty third by Sverko.
David Dongwoo Ko was coasting together with 2,600,000 and in rivalry for the chip lead when he appeared poised to develop his stack much more. Ko picked up queens and had Chanelle Morimatsu all in for her final 950,000 with king-jack. Ko flopped a set to take a giant lead within the pot, however Morimatsu turned a straight to double up. Only a few arms later, Ko was all in with ace-king in opposition to Morimatsu’s ace-queen and was about to get his chips again when a merciless queen fell on the river to ship him crashing out in twenty eighth place.
Terrance Reid picked up two kings and had Victor Paredes all in for 935,000 with ace-nine, however Paredes turned an ace to double up. Reid then bumped into Jim Paulus’ aces to complete in seventeenth. Quang Vu was eradicated in thirteenth when he ran his tens into the jacks of Alexandro Tricarico, whereas Paulus fell in twelfth in a three-way all in that noticed Johnston scoop the pot with a pair of eights.
Colton Blomberg busted in tenth place when he couldn’t overcome Tricarico’s pocket sixes, setting the nine-handed ultimate desk. Tricarico led with 8,500,000, adopted by Samson (6,700,000), and Sverko (5,900,000).
Closing Desk Motion
Chinchia Hsu, who started the ultimate desk with simply 4 large blinds, was the primary casualty as Shyamsundar Challa claimed his bounty. Eric Siegel then bought his final 1,800,000 in with ace-jack as Johnston known as with ace-nine, however Johnston flopped journeys to take the lead and bust Siegel in eighth place.
Sverko picked up aces to remove Paredes in seventh, whereas Morimatsu climbed into the chip lead when she doubled up off Johnston for 3,675,000 with two pair. Johnston lastly fell in sixth when he shoved for two,000,000 with nine-eight and Challa known as with an ace.
Samson picked off a giant bluff from Morimatsu as he moved into the chip lead earlier than tangling with Tricarico in what proved to be a large cooler. Heads-up on the flip, Samson moved all in for six,500,000 and Tricarico known as with journey queens. Samson had ace-queen and took the pot together with his ace-kicker to ship the previous chip chief to the rail in fifth place.
After Sverko’s miracle double up in opposition to Samson, he confirmed a full home holding two jacks to beat Morimatsu’s journey eights and remove her in fourth place. Sverko additionally despatched out Challa in third place with ace-ten in opposition to ace-six as he took a 22,000,000 to 14,100,000 chip lead into heads-up.
Samson took the chip lead with a giant flip shove for 9,000,000, however Sverko moved again in entrance after betting 5,000,000 on the river with two pair as Samson paid him off. Samson then moved all in for 16,000,000 with ace-seven and Sverko known as with ace-jack. A ultimate desk full of dangerous beats and fortunate rivers ended with little suspense, nonetheless, as Sverko flopped a full home to depart Samson drawing lifeless.
The thriller bounty part of the match performed a giant half in Sverko’s technique firstly of the day, however by the ultimate desk, his focus was firmly on grabbing maintain of the trophy.
“Originally, I used to be playing somewhat bit extra. After which, as the ultimate desk approached, I form of, not tightened up, however the bounties aren’t price as a lot. Just like Progressive KOs on-line,” he mentioned.
Sverko was the primary to confess that he wanted somewhat luck to be the final man standing on this huge discipline, however within the fast-paced motion introduced on by the ever-looming presence of the thriller bounties, it was simply what he wanted.
