$2,620 No-Limit Hold'em Marathon (Event #26)

There is a reason why they call it "a marathon" and on Day 6 of the 2019 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Event #26: $2,620 No-Limit Hold'em Marathon the 1,083-entry tournament lived up to its name. An epic heads-up battle resulted in Russian online poker pro Roman Korenev capturing his first WSOP gold bracelet and a payday of $477,401.

Korenev defeated Minnesota's Jared Koppel, who came into the day as the overwhelming chip leader but the heads-up battle was nothing short of exciting. The pendulum swung back and forth multiple times and both players had their opponent on the brink of elimination. Korenev got things started when he got all of his chips in the middle with pocket sevens against the pocket queens of Koppel. A seven on the flop gave Korenev a double up and the match was on.

In total, there were 12 double-ups once the heads-up match got underway. Five of the first eight were a result of the short-stack getting it in behind but finding a way to catch up. On the 13th all-in of the match, Korenev finally had Koppel on the ropes. Koppel flopped top pair with a straight draw but Korenev turned a higher pair when all of the chips got in the middle. The river improved Korenev to two pair and his Russian rail exploded into cheers and chants.

"I feel great! It was a long way to this result. I have nothing to say, no words," an overjoyed Kovenev said. "Dreams come true."

As for Koppel, he walked away with a prize of $295,008 but will have to wait for another day to get his chance at a coveted bracelet. For Korenev, it seems fitting that he captured his largest career prize at the WSOP in Las Vegas given how much success he's had in the past. Back in 2016, Korenev cashed in eight different events and followed that up with four cashes in 2017 and 2018 each. This is his second cash so far this summer and it surely will be one he will never forget.

When asked about the back and forth heads-up match, Korenev did not want to relive it.

"I don't want to talk about this," he grinned. But as for the Marathon-themed event, he said he felt comfortable in that environment. "With the longer levels you have the option to make more mistakes, and let people make more mistakes. It also helps for periods when you're card dead. It's better for professional players, for sure."

What's next for the Russian player that plans on staying in Las Vegas all summer?

"Next bracelet!" he said with a loud chuckle.

Final Table Results

Only six players returned to the felt for the live-streamed final table on Saturday and the action got off to a bit of an awkward start with Dong Sheng Peng not arriving til around the 10th hand of the day. That didn't seem to slow any of the action down though, as there were many all-ins in the opening hour.

Joseph Liberta came into the day as one of the shorter stacks and he got all of his chips in the middle in a dominated position blind vs blind against Korenev. Despite seeing his live card in the window, Liberta was quickly disappointed to see that Korenev flopped a bigger pair. Liberta was unable to find any help on the turn or river and became the day's first casualty.

It was only moments later when short-stacked Joe Curcio got the last of his seven big blinds in the middle with pocket aces. He was called by Francis Anderson's queen-ten who flopped a pair of queens. The turn card was a ten to give Anderson two pair and Curcio was sent to the payout desk in fifth place. As for Anderson, he didn't last much longer. He wound up getting 30 big blinds in the middle with pocket nines against Korenev's pocket sixes. Unfortunately for Anderson, Korenev was running too pure as he spiked a six on the flop to send Anderson home in fourth place.

For the man who didn't get much time at the feature table, Peng also didn't have much luck go his way. He quickly became one of the short stacks and he shoved all in for around 17 big blinds from the small blind. Korenev woke up with pocket kings in the big blind and Peng was drawing extremely slim. While he picked up a straight and flush draw on the turn, the river bricked off and Peng was eliminated in third place. So within 90 minutes, the field was quickly whittled from six players to just two.

Lots of people thought this could be a quick final table, but as stated above, they couldn't have been farther from the truth. It took well over five hours for the heads-up battle between Korenev and Koppel to come to an end but at least there was no shortage of excitement.

That wraps up PokerNews' coverage for another event here at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino but stay tuned as there is still plenty of more events on the go for the 2019 World Series of Poker.

Hand #414: Roman Korenev raised to 625,000 and won the hand.

Hand #415: Jared Koppel opened with a raise to 625,000, Korenev three-bet to 2,130,000, Koppel four-bet shoved all in and Korenev called directly for 12,500,000 total.

Roman Korenev:   
Jared Koppel:   

Flop     kept Korenev miles ahead but the   added straight outs for Koppel. The   wasn't one of the outs he needed, though, making Korenev the winner of the eleventh double-up of the heads-up. Koppel was left with just twelve big blinds after the hand.

Hand #416: Korenev shoved all in on the button and Koppel called directly.

Jared Koppel:   
Roman Korenev:   

It was the twelfth all in of the heads-up and the American and Russian would continue onwards to number thirteen after the board fell       to keep Koppel's fours ahead.

Hand #417: Jared Koppel shoved all in for 5,900,000 on the button and Roman Korenev folded his big blind.

Hand #418: Korenev raised to 625,000 on the button and Koppel quickly folded.

Roman Korenev	22,500,000	10,200,000
Jared Koppel	5,900,000	-10,200,000

Hand #406: Roman Korenev limped and Jared Koppel checked. Koppel checked the     flop to Korenev, who bet 300,000. Call from the American.

The turn brought the   and Koppel checked. Korenev's second barrel was for 800,000 and Koppel once again called. The   on the river prompted a check from Koppel. Korenev emptied the clip with a bet of 2,100,000.

Koppel slumped back in his chair, took a sip of his drink, double-checked his hole cards, and pondered for possibly the longest time thus far in their epic heads-up clash. After about two minutes, he decided against the call and threw his hand away.

Hand #407: Koppel made it 625,000 and Korenev called. The flop was     and Koppel continued for 500,000. Korenev check-raised to 1,500,000 and Koppel folded.

Hand #408: Korenev came in with the limp and Koppel checked. The     flop saw Koppel check-called 250,000 from the Russian. The   turn got checked twice. On the   river, Koppel bet 700,000 and Korenev folded.

Jared Koppel	16,800,000	-2,300,000
Roman Korenev	11,600,000	2,300,000

Hand #396: Roman Korenev limped and Jared Koppel checked his option. The board of     saw two checks. Koppel bet 500,000 on the   turn and Korenev called.

The river was the   and Koppel checked this time. Korenev checked behind and won it with   .

Hand #397: Koppel made it 625,000 to go and Korenev wanted to see a flop. The dealer put out     this time and Korenev check-called 500,000 from Koppel.

The   on the turn completed the rainbow and Korenev checked a second time. Koppel kept up the aggression with a bet of 1,300,000 but Korenev stuck around for another street. Koppel waved the white flag after checking the   river behind, allowing Korenev to take it with   .

Hand #398: Korenev once again came in with a limp and Koppel checked. They checked       to the river where Koppel's bet of 500,000 did the trick.

Hand #399: Koppel made it 625.000, Korenev three-bet to 2,130,000, Kopped four-bet all in and Korenev folded.

Hand #400 Korenev raised to 625,000 and Koppel bought a flop. It came     and Korenev's one million chip bet was enough to win it.

Jared Koppel	17,400,000	-1,700,000
Roman Korenev	11,000,000	1,700,000

Hand #386: Roman Korenev limped the button and Jared Koppel checked. The flop     was followed by two rapid checks. Koppel checked the   turn to Korenev, who bet 400,000. Koppel check-raised all in and Korenev snap-called.

Roman Korenev:   
Jared Koppel:   

Korenev was ahead but Koppel had plenty of outs to win the bracelet on the spot. He needed a ten, five or heart to win but the river was the   instead for the tenth double-up during heads-up battle. Korenev moved up to 9,100,000.

Hand #387: Koppel raised to 625,000, received a call and won it with a 500,000 bet on the     flop.

Hand #388: Korenev mirrored his opponent in the previous hand. He raised to 625,000 and won it with a 500,000-bet on the     flop.

Hand #389: Koppel with a raise to 625,000 and a fold from Korenev.

Hand #390: In a limped pot, it was Korenev who bet 300,000 on an     flop and Koppel who called. After the   turn went check/check, Koppel checked the   river as well. Korenev bet 800,000 and picked up the pot.

Jared Koppel	19,000,000	-5,000,000
Roman Korenev	9,400,000	5,000,000

Hand #374: Roman Korenev limped the button, Jared Koppel raised to 1,000,000 and Korenev folded.

Hand #375: Koppel raised to 625,000 and Korenev called. The flop was     and Korenev checked, Koppel bet 500,000 and Korenev called.

The turn brought the   and Korenev check-folded to a shove from Koppel to leave himself with just eleven big blinds.

Hand #376: Korenev shoved all in for 2,900,000 and Koppel called right away.

Roman Korenev:   
Jared Koppel:   

The flop came down     to pair Koppel's jack and put him up ahead by a landslide. Korenev was down to just three outs and caught one of them when the   fell on the turn. The river was the   and Korenev doubled up, making it the ninth time the short stack doubled up during this instant classic heads-up battle.

Hand #377: Koppel raised to 625,000 and Korenev folded.

Hand #378: Korenev limped, Koppel checked and Korenev won it with 400,000 on the     flop.

Jared Koppel	22,600,000	-1,300,000
Roman Korenev	5,800,000	1,300,000

Hand #364: A limped pot between Jared Koppel and Roman Korenev saw no action until the river on a       board, where Koppel took it with a bet of 400,000.

Hand #365: A raise to 625,000 from Koppel and a defend from Korenev. The     flop saw Korenev check-call 500,000 before the   turn got checked both ways. Korenev checked the   river and called a bet of 1,300,000, but saw that Koppel got there with    for an improbable straight.

Hand #366: Walk for Koppel.

Hand #367: Walk for Korenev.

Hand #368: A raise from Korenev to 625,000 this time and Koppel called. Korenev's 500,000-bet on the     flop was enough to take it.

Jared Koppel	20,500,000	2,100,000
Roman Korenev	7,900,000	-2,100,000

Hand #354: Roman Korenev just called the big blind, Jared Koppel raised to 950,000 and got rid of the Russian.

Hand #355: Koppel raised to 625,000 and Korenev called. The flop got spread     and Korenev checked, Koppel bet 450,000, and Korenev called. Two quick checks followed on the   turn.

The river   saw a check from Korenev. Koppel bet 800,000 this time and Korenev opted to lay it down.

Hand #356: The flop came     in a limped pot, where Koppel check-called 300,000 on the flop. Another   rolled off on the turn and two checks followed., as well as on the   river. Koppel had a pair with    to win it.

Hand #357: Walk for Korenev.

Hand #358: Korenev limped and Koppel checked. A low flop of     and   turn saw nothing but checks. The river   brought 300,000 from Koppel and Korenev quickly called. Koppel showed    for aces up, Korenev tabled    for a straight to win.

Jared Koppel	16,000,000	1,200,000
Roman Korenev	12,400,000	-1,200,000

Hand #344: Roman Korenev limped and Jared Koppel checked. The flop was     and Korenev bet 300,000, called by Koppel. The   turn brought a third club and Koppel checked. Korenev settled on a bet of 500,000 and Koppel peeled one more street.

The   river was the fourth club and both players rapidly checked. No one had a club in their hand, but Koppel's    was still ahead of the    of Korenev.

Hand #345: Action opened with a raise from Koppel to 750,000 and a call from Korenev. The     flop got checked both ways. On the   turn Korenev bet 1,100,000 and got a fold.

Hand #346: In a limped pot, the       board was checked down to the river where Koppel bet 350,000. Korenev folded.

Hand #347: It was Koppel with a raise to 625,000 this time and Korenev called. The flop came down     and once again, no flop action. Korenev bet a million straight on the   turn and Koppel called.

The   river completed a possible backdoor hearts and Korenev went for 1,600,000. Koppel called but Korenev had him crushed with the    to inch to nearly equal stacks.

Hand #348: Korenev limped and Koppel checked. Flop     went check/check as well. Turn   brought 600,000 from Koppel and a call from Korenev. Koppel slowed down on the   river and checked, Korenev checked behind.

Koppel showed a counterfeited    and was second best to Korenev's   , who took the lead after the hand.

Roman Korenev	15,300,000	3,325,000
Jared Koppel	13,100,000	-3,300,000

The classic USA vs Russia heads-up match will continue after another 15-minute break when the blinds increase to 125,000/250,000 with a 250,000 big blind ante. An official count was made during the break.

Jared Koppel	16,400,000	200,000
Roman Korenev	11,975,000	-225,000