WSOPE 2018: Asi Moshe Wins 2nd WSOP Bracelet in €1,650 NLHE 6-Handed Deepstack

There has been high-octane action at display at the 2018 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) where yet another event reached its finale, with Asi Moshe (cover image) claiming the title in the €1,650 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed Deepstack. Moshe took down the event to claim his career-second gold bracelet and a cool €82,280. He is the second Israeli to win the top honors at the ongoing series, after Tamir Segal won the €550 Colossus NLHE two days ago.

“The secret of Israel? I have no idea, but two for two is pretty sick. Sick is an overused word in poker but it is sick!” Moshe said, after his win.

Moshe had won his first gold bracelet at the 2014 WSOP when he took down the $1,500 NLHE for $582,321. With the second bracelet win, he joins the ranks of fellow countryman Rafi Amit as a two-time bracelet winner from Israel.

Meanwhile, the second starting flight of the €550 PLO kicked off and while the event had already crushed the €100,000 guaranteed prize pool on the first flight itself with 230 runners entering Day 1A, Day 1B registered another 342 entries, taking the total prize pool to €283,052. Canadian player Christopher Back (885,000) bagged the largest stack among the 25 players who managed to advance to Day 2 from the flight. In all, along with the 21 survivors from Day 1A, a total of 46 players will return to the felts on Day 2.

Manish Goenka (98,000), who entered the event on Day 1A, is the lone Indian to have made the cut for Day 2, while Rakesh Lalwani failed to carry a bag further despite firing two bullets, one each on Day 1A and Day 1B.

€1,650 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed Deepstack

The €1,650 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed Deepstack saw 221 entries in the field, with big names in contention for the title. For Asi Moshe, who kept a tight command on the lead right from Day 1 and entered the final day at the top of the chip counts, victory couldn’t have been sweeter.

“I can’t even describe how much this means to me. There are a lot of bracelet winners, but the two-time bracelet winners club is much more exclusive. It’s a validation. I’ve been waiting for this one quite a while,”Moshe added.

The event attracted 221 entries generating a prize pool of €318,074. Day 2 began with 39 survivors returning to the felts and the field narrowed down to six finalists towards the end. Moshe entered Day 3 with the largest stack of 2,095,000 and kept himself in pole position without giving up the chip lead in a single hand. The heads-up match between him and Robert Schulz lasted nearly 90 minutes before Moshe had all the chips in play.

The top 34 spots crossed the money line and among the notables to score in the event were Milad Oghabian (7^th for €7,927), Maria Lampropulos’s (8^th for €7,927), Shaun Deeb (11^th for €4,640),Sterling Savill (13^th for €3,726), Michael Soyza (14^th for €3,726), Manig Loeser (15^th for €3,726), six-time WSOP bracelet winner Chris Ferguson (17^th for €3,726), Jaroslav Peter (18^th for €3,726), Allen Kessler (28^th for €859), Cord Garcia (29^th for €859) and Dario Alioto (30^th for €859).

Final Table Recap

The six finalists returned on the final day to play down to the winner. In the first big hand, cash game specialist Viktor Katzenberger raised with his eight-seven of clubs and called a 3-bet from Moshe who held pocket jacks. Though Moshe was leading, he was out-flopped on the eight-seven-six flop with two hearts. Moshe decided to check and Katzenberger moved all in for two times the size of the pot, sending Moshe into the tank. Moshe then announced a call. Katzenberger had the better hand but a jack on the turn gave Moshe three-of-a-kind jacks that sent Katzenberger to the rail in sixth place.

Van Tiep Nguyen was then eliminated in fifth place, when he moved all in for 420,000 from under the gun with and Moshe who held on the button asked for a count. Moshe moved all in over the top and the rest of the table folded. The flop came and Moshe was still ahead with his pocket sevens. For Nguyen, the on the turn brought some hope but the river bricked his chances at survival.

Giuliano Bendinelliwas shown the door next in a hand where James Bullimore raised to 65,000 on the button and Bendinelli 3-bet shoved for 360,000 from the small blind. Robert Schulz folded the big blind but Bullimore snap-called. Bendinelli tabled against Bullimore’s and needed a six to survive but the board ran ending the Italian`s run in fourth place.

Moshe then scored a crucial knockout on his way to the heads-up stage. As he raised to 140,000 from the small blind with , James Bullimore defended his big blind with . The flop fell and Moshe, who had paired his nine with a pair of tens on the board, bet another 120,000. Bullimore, who had flopped an open-ended straight draw, raised to 305,000, on which Moshe quickly called and the hit the turn. Moshe checked and Bullimore who had completed his straight fired another bet of 525,000. Moshe called and hit the flush on the on the river to scoop the pot and eliminated Bullimore in third place.

Over the next one-and-half hours, Robert Schulz and Moshe kept trading chips in a bid to win the title. While Moshe had entered the heads-up with a five-to-one chip lead, he had a formidable opponent in Schulz who didn’t give up in his attempts to step out of Moshe’s dominance. On the final hand, Moshe moved all in on the button with and Schulz called off his stack of 600,000 with . Schulz had two live cards but Moshe kept the lead on the flop. The on the turn paired the board and Schulz was at risk. The on the river crowned Moshe the champion!

Final Table Results (EURO)

1. Asi Moshe – €82,280

2. Robert Schulz – €50,842

3. James Bullimore – €33,149

4. Giuliano Bendinelli – €22,210

5. Van Tiep Nguyen – €15,303

6. Viktor Katzenberger – €10,852

€550 Pot-Limit Omaha

The second and final starting flight of the €550 Pot-Limit Omaha saw more encouraging participation. While the Day 1A flight attracted 230 entries, Day 1B brought in a massive field of 342 entries, more than doubling the €100,000 prize pool to €283,052.

End of day, Canada’s Christopher Back (885,000) has taken the top seat among the 25 players who progressed further from Day 1B, while WSOP bracelet winners Shaun Deeb (667,000) and Hanh Tran (626,000) rounded off the top three stacks.

Back was seen rising to prominence towards the fag end of the day when he sent Daniel Rezaei to the rail after rivering the nut flush against Rezaei’s turned two pair and inferior flush.

From the Indian contingent, Rakesh Lalwani was seen firing another bullet in the event but he failed in his second attempt as well, and busted empty-handed.

Early in the day, Lalwani knocked out Evangelos Tsairis from the tournament in a hand where the flop fell . Tsairis moved all in for only 325 and Lalwani raised the pot. Tsairis tabled while Lalwani was drawing to a straight and flush with his and got there on the turn. The river was a blank for Tsairis, who was eliminated.

Lalwani then got involved in another big pot with Jean Noel Said who opted to check the river on the rundown . Said tabled for tens and nines but Lalwani held the superior hand with for kings and nines. Lalwani chipped up well in the hand, taking his count to 42,000. However, he couldn’t make it past Level 10 and was relegated to the rail empty-handed.

Meanwhile, Manish Goenka (98,000) had made it among the 21 players who survived the Day 1A flight and will be seen in action on Day 2 today.

Aleksandar Denishev bubbled the event when his top two pair was cracked by Max Pescatori’s flopped set of sixes. The top 52 finishers were to be paid and 27 of them secured a payday while failing to advance further. These included the likes of Ivaylo Sivinov (26^th for €994), Sebastian Langrock (33^rd for €896), Jess Madsen (36^th for€896), Yehuda Cohen (38^th for €896) and Roman Cieslik (50^th for €796).

Among the 25 survivors who will be returning on Day 2 feature WSOP bracelet winner Max Pescatori (565,000), Oleg Pavlyuchuk (478,000), Viliyan Petleshkov (219,000), Roland Israelashvili (196,000), Netanel Amedi (151,000), Michal Mrakes (141,000), David Boyaciyan (108,000) and WSOP bracelet winner Dario Alioto (82,000).

Top 10 Chip Counts At The End of Day 1B

1. Christopher Back – 885,000

2. Shaun Deeb – 667,000

3. Hanh Tran – 626,000

4. Max Pescatori – 565,000

5. Oleg Pavlyuchuk – 478,000

6. Christian Teubner – 432,000

7. Ondrej Franta – 221,000

8. Viliyan Petleshkov – 219,000

9. Vasile Strugari – 214,000

10. Luchezar Pumpalov – 208,000

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Image/Content Courtesy: wsop.com