WPT Prime Cambodia: Shardul Parthasarathi Lifts Career-First WPT Trophy in Super High Roller (₹54.88 Lakhs); Team India Bags 5 Titles in the Opening Week    

Team India’s rampage at the 2022 World Poker Tour (WPT) Prime Cambodia continues with Young Gun Shardul Parthasarathi taking down the $5,300 buy-in Super High Roller for $68,922 (~₹54.88 Lakhs), his second live title. He struck a heads-up deal with the 2019 APT Philippines Main Event winner Christopher Mateo, who walked away with the bigger payout of $73,778 in second place.

The Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) alumn has been on a roll since June. Parthasarathi had won his first-ever live title in the 2022 APT Vietnam Hanoi VND 5 Billion GTD Main Event for VND 1,929,250,000 (₹64.84 Lakhs) and has now added another title to his tally along with the WPT trophy!

The Mumbai resident has been quite active on the South-Asian circuit picking up a plethora of deep runs, including FT finishes at WPT Prime Vietnam, APT Vietnam Hanoi Loyal, and APT Summer Festival Hanoi – VSOP.

Parthasarathi started his WPT Prime Cambodia campaign with a bang, posting FT finishes in the NLH Mini High Roller (8th for ₹3.32 Lakhs) and the Deepstack NLH Freezeout (8th for ₹70,239) on Monday. After the two close finishes, he finally clinched the Super High Roller title on Wednesday, getting Team India her fifth WPT trophy in the opening week of the series.

Incidentally, Parthasarathi had come close to shipping the WPT Super Highroller on Adda52 last August. While he had fallen four places short online, he went the distance on the live felts yesterday, netting $68,922 (~₹54.88 Lakhs), which is also the highest score by an Indian in the series so far.

While the men dominated most of the action, the Ladies NLH tourney was a time for the ‘sheroes’ of poker to shine. And shine, they did! Indonesia’s Ms. Asmiati got her country its very first WPT title of the series and a winner’s paycheque of $1,700. India’s Gunisha Sinha, the better half of Young Gun Gaurav Sood, wasn’t far behind as she picked up her career-first live cash, placing runner-up for $1,020 (~₹81,229).

Fresh off winning the NLH Single Day the day before, poker commentator Akshay Kapoor grabbed his third score of the series, finishing ninth in the Short Deck for $421 (~₹33,526). UK’s Richard Mari took down the event to win the WPT trophy and $4,214, while Thailand’s Phachara Wongwichit came second for $2,416.

Young Gun Shardul Parthasarathi Wins Super High Roller For $68,922 (~₹54.88 Lakhs)

The $5,300 buy-in Super High Roller commenced on August 16, but at the request of several players, late registration for the event was extended to the start of Day 2. Indian pro Shardul Parathasarathi claimed India’s fifth WPT trophy of the series – his first – for a whopping $68,922 (~₹54.88 Lakhs) payday, following a heads-up chop with Filipino pro Christopher Mateo (2nd for $73,778).

Day 1 locked in 45 entries, with 23 progressing to Day 2. Sweden’s Matt Douhan (1,295,500) bagged the day-end chip lead, with Denmark’s Michael Kim Falcon (965,000) hot on his coattails.

WSOP bracelet winners Abinav Iyer and Mike Takayama, along with Punnat Punsri, Phachara Wongwichit, Florencio Campomanes, Vincent Huang, and Florent Remi, were some notables advancing to Day 2.

Nine players registered at the start of Day 2, taking the player pool to 54 entries, creating a $261,900 prize pool.

Before the nine-handed final table was formed, Young Gun Shardul Parthasarathi eliminated Michael Kim Falcon. The start-of-day chip leader, Matt Douhan, did not survive long enough to make it on the FT.

Philippines Florencio Campomanes started as the final table chip leader, with Mystery Bounty winner Trong Hieu Ngo second in chips.

With only the top eight players assured payouts, Florent Remi money bubbled the event in ninth place.

China‘s Jiazhi Zhong was the first player to finish in the money in eighth place. Christopher Mateo eliminated Vincent Huang, who was struggling with a short stack, in seventh place.

Around this time, while Mateo was building his chip lead, Parthasarathi survived a showdown against Filipino pro David Erquiaga. The latter was drained by compatriots Mateo and Florencio Campomanes and eventually fell out in sixth place.

Down to five-handed play, Parthasarathi scored another big double-up through Mateo. The latter made up for the loss by eliminating Malaysia’s Victor Chong in fifth place.

Mateo had dominated much of the action up to this point, but one down to four players, Parthasarathi, went on a rampage. He knocked out Florencio Campomanes in fourth place and followed it up by dismissing Trong Hieu Ngo in third.

The two finalists, Shardul Parthasarathi and Christopher Mateo struck an ICM deal that ended the tournament. Parthasarathi was awarded the WPT trophy and $68,922 (~₹54.88 Lakhs), while Mateo received $73,778 for his runner-up finish.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Shardul Parthasarathi – $68,922*
2. Christopher Mateo – $73,778*
3. Trong Hieu Ngo – $38,050
4. Florencio Campomanes – $26,450
5. Victor Chong – $19,150
6. David Erquiaga – $14,500
7. Vincent Huang – $11,500
8. Jiazhi Zhong – $9,550

*denotes a heads-up deal

Indonesia’s Asmiati Wins Ladies NLH For $1,700; India’s Gunisha Sinha Came Second (~₹81,229)

The $200 buy-in Ladies NLH dragged in 20 entries creating a $3,395 prize pool. Ms. Asmiati not only clinched her first-ever poker win and a $1,700 payday, but also got Indonesia her first trophy in the series.

India’s Gunisha Sinha, the wife of Young Gun Gaurav Sood, finished second for $1,020 (~₹81,229), which was also her career-first live score.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Ms Asmiati – $1,700
2. Gunisha Sinha – $1,020
3. Mei San Ang – $675

UK’s Richard Mari Wins Short Deck For $4,214; India’s Akshay Kapoor Finishes 9th (~₹33,526)

The fast-paced Short Deck recruited 73 entrants who paid up the $200 buy-in, generating a $12,392 prize pool. UK’s Richard Mari took down the event for $4,214, while Thailand’s Phachara Wongwichit finished runner-up for $2,416.

The top 10 spots were paid, and India’s Akshay Kapoor was one of the shortest stacks when the money bubble was looming overhead. He pulled his way across the money line, finishing ninth for $421 (~₹33,526).

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Richard Mari – $4,214
2. Phachara Wongwichit – $2,416
3. Chen Zhen Liu – $1,512
4. Hye Min Choi – $1,022
5. Michael Lindstrom – $774
6. Huaxin Wang – $620
7. Marc Joseph – $545

Content & Images Courtesy: SoMuchPoker.com

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