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It’s been over a year since our last 3-bet feature, but most of it can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic that halted all live poker stops globally. Now that the live-action is back on track, we are back with an update from three different stops.
First up is news from GGPoker’s WSOP Winter Online Circuit, where Australia’s Michael Addamo navigated his way across an 8,725-strong field in the $2.021M GTD WSOPC #15: $400 New Year Colossus to win his career-first WSOPC ring and $374,604.
Moving over to the live poker action, two-time WPT champion James Carroll championed a congregation of 1,009 runners in the 2021 Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) Venetian Main Event to win $180,850.
We wrap up the report with an update from the Bally’s Main Event Mania – $1500 Main Event, where Chicago’s Ben Craig decimated a field of 57 players to win $25,834.
Michael Addamo Wins Career-First WSOPC Ring in Event #15 for $374,604
The 2020 GGPoker WSOP Winter Online Circuit has been underway since December 13, and it will run all the way through January 10.
One of the headline events at the series, the $2.021M GTD WSOPC #15: $400 New Year Colossus, logged in 8,725 entries to collect a jaw-dropping $3,280,600. Day 2 began with 1,356 players, of which 900 were slated ITM.
Australian Pro Michael Addamo maneuvered his way through the fierce competition to win his first-ever WSOPC ring and $374,604 in prize money.
Ranked #3 on Australia’s all-time money list, Addamo has over $8.3 Million in lifetime recorded scores with two WSOP bracelets to his name. His career-best score was recorded in 2018 when he won the WSOP Europe High Roller in Rozvadov for $973,360.
Addamo entered the final table with the second-biggest stack and eliminated five players on the final table en route to winning the title. His heads-up opponent was Hungary’s Tudor ‘hotsince93’ Lazar, who was short-stacked at the start of the heads-up. On the final hand of the tourney, Lazar moved all-in with . Addamo limp-called with . The board saw Addamo flopping a pair for the victory!
Final Table Results (USD)
James Carroll Wins 2021 Mid-States Poker Tour Venetian Main Event For $180,850
The 12th season of the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) flagged off with the $1,100 entry buy-in MSPT Venetian Main Event, logging in 1,009 runners (Day 1A – 463 and Day1B – 546). The massive turnout helped generate a guarantee-smashing $978,730, almost four times the $250,000 advertised guarantee.
Shipping this tourney was two-time WPT champion James Carroll, who won $180,850 – his six-best recorded finish to date.
In 2019, Carroll had chopped this same event for $184,707. According to Hendon Mob, this is his ninth recorded tourney title, and the score has helped boost his lifetime record to $4,53 Million. His career-best scores have come from the two WPT Main Event titles he has won – the 2014 Bay 101 Shooting Star for $1,256,550 and the 2019 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown for $715,175.
Before taking down the tourney, Carroll had entered a ‘$10K saver’ deal with his heads-up opponent William Chao to tighten the payouts a little.
On the final hand, Carroll four-bet shoved all-in with . Chao called off with at the risk of his tournament life. The board ran , giving both players a pair of Aces, but Caroll’s better kicker won him the title.
A visibly elated Caroll was later quoted as saying, “It’s nice to stop that online grind.”
“Probably the best I’ve ran in a tournament in a single day in my life. Just had a lot of big hands and got paid a lot.”
The top 104 placed were assured a min-cash of $2,251.
Some notable that cashed the tourney included 2020 MSPT Venetian champion Landon Tice (20th for $7,047), William Firebaugh (68th for $3,034), Ricardo Eyzaguirre (74th for $2,838), bracelet winner Benjamin Keeline (91st for $2,447), Lexi Gavin (93rd for $2,447), and Michael Rocco (103rd for $2,251).
Final Table Results (USD)
Ben Craig Champions Bally’s Main Event Mania for $25,834
The Bally’s Main Event Mania – $1500 Main Event attracted 57 hopefuls (including re-entries) to generate a prize pool worth $76,950. Chicago’s Ben Craig outlasted the completion to lap up his second-best career score of $25,834. The winning score boosted Craig’s live earnings to $144,264. Pete Dailey finished runner-up for $15,964.
After winning the tourney, the 32-year-old software engineer said, “I’ve tried a couple of times going pro,” and added, “I love coming to Vegas for tournaments.”
Craig started the eight-handed final table as the shortest-stack and hung around before climbing up in contention after a couple of double-ups. Craig single-handedly eliminated the last three players on the FT to win the tourney.
The deciding hand saw Craig leading out with on a flop . Dailey check-raised all-in with with top pair. Craig called with a flush draw. The turn added chop outs, but the river completed Craig’s flush, getting him the title!
Final Table Results (USD)