GGPoker.com Event #66: $800 Pot Limit Omaha

The fifth tournament of the Asia Time Zone during the 2020 GGPoker World Series of Poker Online Bracelet Events has determined a champion and it was Frank "Sbma2016" Crivello that came out top in Event #53: $800 Double Stack Pot Limit Omaha. The event attracted a total of 831 entries and generated a prize pool of $631,560, which was split among the top 116 finishers.

Crivello defeated the UK's Craig Timmis and claimed his first WSOP gold bracelet along with the top prize of $94,253, and he also receives a package for the WSOP Europe. The American had six WSOP and WSOP Circuit cashes to his name with a 40th place in the 2017 WSOP Main Event for $176,399 as best result. Timmis recorded his second top three result in a PLO event during the festival so far and walked away $77,883 richer, both the winner and the runner-up fired the maximum of three entries.

It was a final table filled with more turns and twists than the world's most legendary serpentine roads in the mountains which culminated in the duel between the arguably most-aggressive players in the late stages. Among those to reach the final and come up short of victory were Ajay "Ross_Geller" Chabra, Markus "Phil Kessel" Cara, Yonathan "ninoboys80" Journo and Julijan "Grgur" Rados.

Final Result Event #53: $800 Double Stack Pot Limit Omaha

*the winner also receives a package for the WSOP Europe

Notables in the money included Kahle Burns, GGPoker ambassador Daniel Negreanu, Aku Joentausta, Dzmitry Urbanovich, Mike Watson, Ami Barer, Erik Seidel, Connor Drinan, Manig Loeser, Juha Helppi and Mohsin Charania.

The Race to the Money and Post Bubble Carnage

Despite starting the day with 200 big blinds and the event featuring a Pot Limit format, it only took a few minutes for the first players to bust. The following three hours were filled with double ups, bustouts, re-entries and late registrations as the initial field size quadrupled in extraordinary fashion.

Big names such as Joao Vieira, Brandon Adams, Martin Zamani, Yuri Dzivielevski, Roberto Romanello, Ryan Riess, Pete Chen, Mike McDonald, Mike Leah and Alex Foxen all left without anything to show for. For some, the end came in spectacular fashion as Chen got it in set over set only to lose to quads. Craig Varnell was also among those to get involved in most of the action and his roller coaster ride ended in runner-runner fashion when aces were cracked.

Daniel Negreanu went on a roller coaster ride not far away from the money bubble and it was Alex "GMcrafter" Manzano that was the last to leave without any money. Negreanu bowed out soon after in 105th place when he failed to crack aces with flopped top pair and a gutshot.

Big Names Fall Short of the Final Table

There were still plenty of big names left in contention but almost all of them bowed out sooner or later. Erik Seidel ran with kings into the aces of Aaron van Blarcum and missed a flushdraw. Jan Suchanek suffered the same fate when his flushdraw came up short against top set.

One player that dominated the action at the top of the leaderboard was Anton Morgenstern, who even busted an opponent with a royal flush and seemed untouchable for more than an hour. Connor Drinan fell on the last five tables and Morgenstern then went from chip leader to out in 19th place.

Manig Loeser was a cat with many lives as he doubled his short stack several times but eventually ran out of fortune in 16th place. Soon after, it was two-time WSOP bracelet winner Juha Helppi that suffered the same fate and had to settle for 14th place. Mohsin Charania would fall in 12th place and the final table was set shortly after.

Roller Coaster Final Table

To list all double ups of the final nine contenders during the mad dash from start to finish would be a time-extensive task, as the virtual chips were flying left and right. Crivello was the chip leader when play resumed, followed by Yonathan "ninoboys80" Journo while Timmis was in the middle of the pack. That trio was responsible for most of the showdowns as one short stack after the other fell.

Journo doubled Tszfai "WinEasy" Tong no fewer than three times in two levels and both ultimately fell in 5th and 4th place respectively. Julijan "Grgur" Rados doubled twice through Timmis who then somehow soared back into the lead. It was not the end of the all-in showdowns by any means, however.

Timmis got back into contention and even doubled into the lead in heads-up but he ultimately fell short when more than 30 blinds went in preflop and Timmis as well as Crivello flopped a set.

That wraps up the PokerNews live updates for this event but the next WSOP gold bracelets will be awarded one day from now on the next Super Sunday.

Only a few hands into the heads-up duel, Craig Timmis has given this final table yet another twist as he doubled into a narrow lead over Frank ""Sbma2016" Crivello.

The chips went in after the     flop and Timmis had the best of it this time.

Craig Timmis:     
Frank "Sbma2016" Crivello:     

The flush draw of Crivello was no good as he needed a jack and a jack only. The   turn came as a blank and so did the   river.

Craig Timmis	22,486,496	12,143,248
Frank "Sbma2016" Crivello	19,063,504	-12,143,248

There were six minutes without any action as the final three players had been sent into a scheduled six minute break.

Prior to that, there was no all-in and call but Craig Timmis gained the lead when he won a 13.5 million pot by betting the       river for 4.5 million. Frank "Sbma2016" Crivello called with      for a straight but Timmis had      for a full house.

Craig Timmis	17,838,320	6,450,000
Frank "Sbma2016" Crivello	16,303,376	-3,000,000
Julijan "Grgur" Rados	7,408,304	-3,500,000

One of the biggest pots of the tournament so far emerged and Craig Timmis was on the brink of losing a big chunk of his stack again as he faced Yonathan "ninoboys80" Journo for more than 14.2 million in the middle.

Yonathan "ninoboys80" Journo:     
Craig Timmis:     

Th       board gave Timmis a set of queens and Journo's wild ride ended in 4th place for $41,485.08.

Craig Timmis	18,196,008	7,395,632
Yonathan "ninoboys80" Journo	0	-6,895,632

One dozen hands in the last level passed without any post flop action and then it exploded again in quick succession.

Yonathan "ninoboys80" Journo was all-in with the      for top set on     as Julijan "Grgur" Rados looked him up with the      for a wrap. The   turn and   river were both bricks.

Journo barely kept the chips for a hot minute as he got it in with     . Craig Timmis was at risk with      and the       board improved the Brit to two pair.

Frank "Sbma2016" Crivello	15,367,200	1,700,000
Craig Timmis	10,800,376	6,900,188
Yonathan "ninoboys80" Journo	6,895,632	2,522,722
Julijan "Grgur" Rados	4,300,616	-7,822,910
Tszfai "WinEasy" Tong	4,186,176	-3,300,000

Within quick succession, Craig Timmis and Tszfai "WinEasy" Tong doubled to remain in contention.

Timmis was at risk with the      against chip leader Frank "Sbma2016" Crivello who turned over     .

Thanks to a board of      , Timmis doubled with a flush.

In the very next hand, Tong clashed once more with Yonathan "ninoboys80" Journo as he three-bet jammed and was called.

Tszfai "WinEasy" Tong:     
Yonathan "ninoboys80" Journo:     

The board brought       and Tong doubled with fives over jacks.

Frank "Sbma2016" Crivello	13,667,200	-2,250,094
Julijan "Grgur" Rados	12,123,526	1,000,000
Tszfai "WinEasy" Tong	7,486,176	1,843,088
Yonathan "ninoboys80" Journo	4,372,910	-2,243,088
Craig Timmis	3,900,188	1,700,094

Markus "Phil Kessel" Cara raised the pot to 1.4 million from the under-the-gun position and was called by Frank "Sbma2016" Crivello on the button. Cara got the last 49,968 in after the     flop and Crivello called.

Markus "Phil Kessel" Cara:     
Frank "Sbma2016" Crivello:     

The   turn and   river failed to improve Cara and he exited in 7th place for $16,479.80.

Frank "Sbma2016" Crivello	15,917,294	-50,032
Markus "Phil Kessel" Cara	0	-3,099,968

Yonathan "ninoboys80" Journo opened the action with a raise to 900,000 and h was called by Frank "Sbma2016" Crivello in the big blind. They checked the     flop and Crivello bet the   turn for 1.05 million to force a fold.

It was then Crivello who raised to 900,000 and Journo called from his big blind. They checked the     flop and   turn. Journo bet the   river or 643,500 and was called to table      for the nut flush while Crivello only had     .

Frank "Sbma2016" Crivello	15,967,326	856,500
Yonathan "ninoboys80" Journo	9,323,361	1,123,500