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It was a four-day run through a competitive field of 105 participants bringing moments of high-octane action and several really quick eliminations, but Nick Petrangelo (cover image) overcame, and conquered the fifth event at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2018! Taking down a tough final table field that had several poker biggies gunning for the title, Petrangelo won the $100,00 No Limit Hold ‘em High Roller to bag the gold bracelet while also pocketing $2,910,227 as the first-place prize.
The bracelet win brings Petrangelo’s total WSOP title wins to two, his first being the $3,000 NLHE Shootout title he won in 2015. This win has also taken the high-stakes player’s career-total tournament earnings to $14,61,745. Just last week, Petrangelo finished sixth in the Super High Roller Bowl event for $900,000.
“After a super intense week, it feels like a relief to be done more than anything. There’s a lot of pressure playing against really tough players for huge buy-ins, especially with the stream. This kind of event is super tough, but they’re really fun, and it’s what I love to do”, Petrangelo said.
Speaking of the event itself, this is the first time in history of WSOP that an event with $100,000 buy-in was hosted without the ‘One Drop’ name. On Day 1 twenty players registered first and the numbers grew quickly to a whopping ninety-seven by the time Level 9 ended.
Forty-nine players survived and the play resumed again on Day 2 but the re-entries pushed the final tally to 105, creating a prize pool of $10,185,000. Sixteen players made the money and ten players survived to resume play on Day 3.
Petrangelo was leading in chip counts right from Day 2 and maintained his pole position on Day 3 as well. For a long time on the final table it looked like he wouldn’t give up on chip lead but he did face a few rough paths along the way and had a lot to say about the stress of playing on the final table, “If I had it my way, every final table would be in the back corner of the room! You’re trying to figure out what’s going on with the stream, trying to get hole cards [information], etc. You have to try and adjust your strategies. Every time you make a final table, there are different dynamics. I think everyone has it a bit tougher on feature tables with media stuff and hole cards and the stream. If I had it my way, every final table would be in the back corner of the room!”
Final Table Recap
Out of ten players, Chris Moore busted out first, setting up the nine-player, unofficial final table.
Over the next forty hands, Fedor Holz busted in ninth place, Adrian Mateos got eliminated in eighth place followed by Jason Koon, whobounced off in seventh place, leaving only six players to resume play on Day 4.
Day 4
Petrangelo held on to the chip lead while Bryn Kenneywas second in chips but after losing a few hands to Elio Fox, his stack dwindled. The players played cautiously going forward and the first elimination occurred only on the second level of the day.
Stephen Chidwick who had been losing chips slowly had to give up his tournament life to fellow Brit, Aymon Hata. Chidwick opened, leaving just 400,000 behind, Hata three-bet all in and Chidwick called off with . Hata was ahead with and stayed there on the rundown that sent Chidwick packing in sixth place.
About half a dozen hands later, Elio Fox raised to 500,000 from the cutoff with and Bryn Kenney moved all in from big blind for 2,160,000 with . To survive, Kenney needed to win the flip but the rundown didn’t help, forcing Kenney out in fifth place.
Over the next six hands, Andreas Eilerfrom Germany and the eventual champion locked horns, first, Eiler shoved on Petrangelo who folded his big blind, check-called in the second and raised the button in the third, giving Eiler a walk in the big blind. However, soon after Eiler called from the small blind, Petrangelo raised to 1,085,000 from the big blind on which Eiler shoved all in for 10,400,000 and Petrangelo folded again. In the next hand, Petrangelo raised to 500,000 and won the pot.
The next hand saw Eiler hitting the rail. Petrangelo raised to 500,000 with and Eiler defended his big blind with . Then, Eiler checked to Petrangelo who bet 400,00 when the flop came . Eiler check-raised to 1,300,00 and Petrangelo called. The turn came on which Eiler bet another 2,200,000 and Petrangelo called. With on river, Eiler checked, Petrangelo moved all-in and Eiler called. With the board bringing a full house and sixes full of jacks for Petrangelo and three-of-a-kind jacks for Eiler, the latter was eliminated in fourth place.
In the very next hand, it was doomsday for Hata, who raised for 550,000 on the button. Petrangelo called from big blind, and both players checked the flop . On the turn, Petrangelo bet another 1,900,000 and Hata called, bringing on the river. Betting again with 15 Million, Petrangelo cornered Hata who called. Petrangelo made a straight with and Hata who could only make top pair holding was eliminated in third place.
In the heads-up match between the two Americans, Elio Fox, who was steadily sliding in chips, now climbed back over the next few hands. He took the chip lead at one point before Petrangelo doubled up through him to regain the chip lead.
The final hand saw Petrangelo making a raise of 600,000 and Fox three-bet to 900,000. Petrangelo retaliated by four-betting to 1,800,00 and Fox called. On the flop , Petrangelo bet 1,200,000 and Fox check-raised on which Petrangelo called. The turn came and Fox called Petrangelo’s bet. The river was making a two pair, aces and deuces for Fox and higher two pairs of aces and queens for Petrangelo. Petrangelo won the bracelet while Fox was relegated to rail in second place.
Final Table Results (USD)
1. Nick Petrangelo – $2,910,227
2. Elio Fox – $1,798,658
3. Aymon Hata – $1,247,230
4. Andreas Eiler – $886,793
5. Bryan Kenney – $646,927
6. Stephen Chidwick – $484,551
7. Jason Koon – $372,894
8. Adrian Mateos – $295,066
Content and image courtesy: WSOP.com.
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