Event #14: $2,200 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller

Ali Imsirovic - Rio High Roller Winner - Celebrates with Friends

Ali Imsirovic fired his way to victory at the World Series of Poker Circuit Rio Las Vegas. The 24-year-old, originally from Bosnia, emerged a champion in Event #14: $2,200 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller, which took two days to complete.

The Rio High Roller implemented a big blind ante structure, as well as a 30 second shot clock. Players were provided with 30,000 in chips to start and four time bank chips worth an extra 30 seconds a piece.

However, the most prominent feature of the tournament for Imsirovic was the unlimited re-entry and late registration, which remained open till the start of Day 2.

“I fired six [bullets] yesterday, and then busted on the stone last hand,” mentioned Imsirovic. “Then, I fired one more today and this one worked out… The heart of commitment, you know?” he added with a smile.

Imsirovic went all out on Day 1, and narrowly missed out on making it through. There were 164 entrants on stemming from Day 1 and 46 found a bag at the end of the night. Beginning Day 2, 15 players jumped in the mix with a last ditch buy-in, including Imsirovic.

When the prizepool was finally complete, it was revealed that Imsirovic had to finish in at least 6^th place to turn a profit. It turned out that he was up for the challenge. Imsirovic caught fire at the beginning of Day 2, quickly climbing up the counts.

Later on, when play was down to two tables, Imsirovic secured a couple big knockouts in a row. First, he eliminated three-time gold ring winner Dylan Wilkerson in 14^th place. Next, Imsirovic took out Hernan Crespin in 13^th place. The two knockouts pushed him to nearly one million in chips.

Going into the unofficial final table of nine, Imsirovic held a solid chip lead over his opponents with just over a million in chips. The final table proved to be more fun and less serious than most, and an experience Imsirovic enjoyed.

“It was pretty up there. Generally, final tables are very serious. But, most of the guys new each other at the final table, so we were all having drinks, having a great time. Yeah, it was a lot of fun,” Imsirovic stated.

The lightheartedness even went as far as an agreement to show at least one [card] after every hand. All the players abided by the pact throughout the final table.

Imsirovic held the chip lead throughout nearly the entire final stretch.

“Most of the time there was at least one or two short stacks, so everybody was kind of handcuffed. So, I got to just like raise a bunch and win a lot of small pots and that just allowed me to kind of maintain building the whole time.

Eventually he found himself heads up against 30-year-old Poke Pro Asher Conniff. The two did battle for a while, both striving for their first Circuit title. Although Conniff did overtake the lead for a spell, Imsirovic doubled back and then took down the final pot of the tournament, claiming $96,659 and a debut WSOP gold ring.

Results

Ali Imsirovic and Asher Conniff get it all in on the     flop.

Conniff is ahead with   . Imsirovic has middle pair with   .

The turn is the  . Imsirovic improves to trips. The river is the   and Imsirovic secures a bit double up. Conniff has to pay up 1,865,000.

Ali Imsirovic - 3,730,000 (46 bb)
Asher Conniff - 1,640,000 (20 bb)

Asher Conniff limps in on the button. Ali Imsirovic makes it 300,000 in the big blind. Conniff decides to call.

The flop comes    . Both players check, bringing the   turn.

Imsirovic checks it to Conniff who bets 350,000. Imsirovic comes back with a raise to 800,000. Conniff shoves and Imsirovic instantly folds.

Asher Conniff - 2,470,000 (41 bb)
Ali Imsirovic - 2,900,000 (48 bb)

Ali Imsirovic raises to 210,000 on the button. Asher Conniff calls in the big blind.

Conniff checks the     flop. Imsirovic continues for 160,000. Conniff drops in a check-raise equalling 450,000. Imsirovic shoves on Conniff and Conniff folds.

Ali Imsirovic - 4,220,000 (70 bb)
Asher Conniff - 1,150,000 (19 bb)

Michael Youngman

Asher Conniff folds on the button. Michael Youngman moves all in for around 700,000 in the small blind. Ali Imsirovic looks at his cards, flips them over, showing Youngman   , and calls.

Youngman is semi live with   . However, the board completes with      . Youngman goes out in 3rd place and collects his winnings.

Ali Imsirovic - 3,870,000 (77 bb)
Michael Youngman - Eliminated in 3rd Place ($42,602)

With Youngman's elimination, the Rio High Roller has reached heads-up action between Imsirovic and Conniff.

Upeshka De Silva

On a flop reading    , Ali Imsirovic checks from the small blind. Asher Conniff, in the big blind, checks as well. Upeshka De Silva bets 65,000 from the cutoff.

Action is back to Imsirovic who competes a check-raise to 165,000. Conniff gets out of the way. De Silva does not back down, instead, he drops in a re-raise to 265,000.

Imsirovic enters the tank. He uses one time bank chip. Nearing the end of his extra 30 seconds, Imsirovic announces "all in." De Silva calls for 470,000 more, his remaining stack behind the re-raise.

Imsirovic shows   . De Silva has   .

The turn is the   and the   lands on the river. De Silva goes bust and Imsirovic adds to his towers.

Ali Imsirovic - 3,375,000 (84 bb)
Upeshka De Silva - Eliminated in 4th Place ($30,931)