Friday, October 23, 2015 12:12 PM Local Time
Jonathan Duhamel Crowned 2015 WSOPE High Roller champion, Wins 3rd Bracelet (EUR 554,395)
Jonathan Duhamel wins 2015 WSOPE High Roller title and third WSOP bracelet
The star-studded final table of the 2015 World Series of Poker Europe €25,600 High Roller saw six players out of a 64-entry strong field return to the feature table at the Spielbank Berlin. Mustapha Kanit was holding a commanding lead over his five rivals, but the Italian eventually had to settle for third place. In a brief heads-up of less than two dozen hands, 2010 WSOP Main Event champion Jonathan Duhamel defeated Triple Crown winner Davidi Kitai to even out both contenders at three coveted bracelets each.
Duhamel (5th) and Kitai (6th) started at the bottom of the chip counts when play resumed in level 21, with blinds at 12,000/24,000 and a running ante of 4,000. Yet it was Fedor "CrownUpGuy" Holz who was sent to the rail first. Duhamel and Kitai doubled up early on, and Holz's moves sent him back into last place before committing most of his remaining chips preflop with . Duhamel moved all in with and Holz called off to bust after a board of .
The second elimination was the only remaining player from Germany. Christoph Vogelsang min-raised with and Kanit defended his big blind to check-raise all in after the flop . Vogelsang called and was shown for a gutshot, which immediately completed on the turn to leave Vogelsang drawing dead and making the river a formality.
Kanit had regained the lead, only for Duhamel and Kitai to double up through him. Sam Chartier's ill-timed bluff against French-Canadian Duhamel with on the board was called and Duhamel's left his countryman on the short stack. Chartier then shoved with the last few big blinds and only for Kanit to wake up in the small blind with . The board ran out to give Kanit trips and Chartier was gone in fourth place.
Kanit then called three barrels by Kitai on the board and mucked after the final bet when he was shown for a pair of nines only. The Italian shoved for his last 1 million chips soon after out of the small blind with and Duhamel called in the big blind with . The board sent Kanit to the rail in third place and set up the duel for the High Roller title with a slight lead for Duhamel.
Fireworks started straight away and Duhamel quickly gained a more than 3-1 lead. Kitai doubled up once with versus before falling back again. The final hand saw Kitai shove the small blind and Duhamel called with the Belgian in bad shape.
Kitai:
Duhamel:
The flop was a nice sweat for yet another possible comeback story, however the turn and river were both blanks. It is the third career bracelet for Duhamel and the second in 2015 after taking down the $111,111 No Limit Hold'em High Roller for One-Drop (Event #58) in Las Vegas this summer as well. Kitai is denied his fourth bracelet and receives a payday of €342,620 as consolation, further cementing his first place in the all time money list of Belgium.
Final Result - 2015 WSOPE High Roller
1st place: Jonathan Duhamel (Germany) - €554,395
2nd place: Davidi Kitai (Belgium) - €342,620
3rd place: Mustapha Kanit (Italy) - €227,145
4th place: Sam Chartier (Canada) - €160,775
5th place: Christoph Vogelsang (Germany) - €121,020
6th place: Fedor Holz (Germany) - €96,625
7th place: Timothy Adams (Canada) - €81,420