WSOP Europe €25,000 Super High Roller

It was a small field filled with big names in the 2017 World Series of Poker Europe €25,000 Super High Roller and albeit there was no bracelet up for grabs, the pride and plenty of money up top were motivation enough. A field of 21 entries including five re-entries emerged and it was Dan Shak who defeated Mikita Badziakouski heads-up to claim the victory and a payday of €210,112.

The top four spots were guaranteed a share of the €492,765 prize pool and Ivan "Negriin" Luca ended up as the bubble boy, while Steffen Sontheimer took home the min cash of €67,555. The seemingly unbeatable Bryn Kenney survived several all-in showdowns and eventually bowed out in third place for €85,238. Shak entered heads-up with a commanding lead and it only took three hands to determine a champion.

"It was a small but stacked field, I was probably the only non pro. Me and Jean-Noel (Thorel)," he said after the final hand. "We enjoy the game," a delighted Shak added and left the tournament area with a big smile on the face. The American plays in some of the highest buy-ins on the international poker circuit all over the world and has crossed $9 million in cashes already with his win at the King's Casino in Rozvadov.

Badziakouski, who has two tournament wins in 2017 and plenty of second and third-place finished on his poker resume, added another €129,860 to his bankroll and has now recorded cashes of more than $5.6 million on the live poker circuit with his third place in Event #11: €111,111 High Roller for One Drop as his best score to date.

Final Result €25,000 Super High Roller

Action of the Day

The day started with an alteration of the tournament structure to ensure the event would be finished in just one day and among those very vocal about the changes was Martin Kabrhel. The Czech master of speech play took part right from the start and was also the first player to re-enter and get eliminated for the second time. His first bullet went to Max Altergott and attempt number two saw Kabrhel miss out on a straight and flush draw against the bottom two pair of Jean-Noel Thorel.

Among the early casualties were Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier and Ali Reza Fatehi while four-time WSOP bracelet winner and 888poker ambassador Dominik Nitsche also headed to the rail empty-handed. He shoved with ace-nine suited and Timothy Adams reshoved with pocket aces. Martin Jacobson called for less with pocket kings in the big blind and busted in the same hand.

The rise and fall of Thorel, as well as Adams, took place before the unofficial final table was set and the all-in showdowns continued to take place minutes apart from each other. Adrian Mateos lost a flip with ace-ten against the pocket eights of Mikita Badziakouski while Felipe Ramos was left drawing dead on the turn with ace-queen against the pocket tens of Dan Shak.

Right after, Bryn Kenney doubled through Ole Schemion and also took the chips of Max Altergott a few hands later. Schemion himself was aiming for back-to-back double ups but fell short when his jack-nine suited failed to beat Badziakouski's ace-king. That left the event on the money bubble and Ivan Luca's aces were cracked by the pocket sevens of Kenney to reduce the field to the last four.

Shak doubled right away with kings versus sixes, and cracked the pocket aces and top set of Steffen Sontheimer with five-seven suited when another spade hit on the turn. Down to the last three, Shak held a dominating chip lead and Kenney doubled through Badziakouski once before his ace-three stood no chance against Shak's sevens. Heads-up play itself lasted all but three hands and Shak got it in with king-jack suited against the king-queen of Badziakouski, spiking a jack in the window to seal the victory.

The PokerNews live reporting continues with Day 4 of the Main Event as of November 8, 2017 until a winner is crowned, so make sure to tune back in regularly.

Mikita Badziakouski shoved from the small blind and Bryn Kenney forfeited his big blind. One hand later, Kenney shoved for 390,000 from the small blind and Dan Shak quickly called in the big blind.

Bryn Kenney:   
Dan Shak:   

The board came       and Kenney was left drawing dead on the turn to bow out in 3rd place for €85,238.

Dan Shak	1,640,000	290,000
Mikita Badziakouski	460,000	80,000
Bryn Kenney	0	-440,000

Steffen Sontheimer raised to 45,000 on the button and Dan Shak called out of the big blind. The flop fell     and Shak checked. Sontheimer bet 25,000 and snap-called the shove of Shak.

Steffen Sontheimer:   
Dan Shak:   

Shak immediately got there with the   turn and Sontheimer sighed, then said "yep, didn't feel good." The   followed on the river and Sontheimer was eliminated in fourth place for €67,555.

Dan Shak	1,400,000	450,000
Steffen Sontheimer	0	-400,000

Mikita Badziakouski was all in for 477,000 from the cutoff and Steffen Sontheimer on the button looked him up. Badziakouski had a flip with    against the    and said "the queen is coming" while Dan Shak in the big blind shot out of his chair on the     flop. "I had pocket threes and would have shoved."

The   turn was a blank, but Badziakouski spiked the   river to double.

Mikita Badziakouski	990,000	440,000
Steffen Sontheimer	345,000	-475,000

After a min-raise preflop and a check on the     flop, Steffen Sontheimer bet the   turn for 70,000 and Dan Shak folded.

Mikita Badziakouski limped the button and Bryn Kenney checked in the biog blind. The     flop was checked before Kenney bet the   turn for 37,000, Badziakouski called. The   river saw a bet of 138,000 by Kenney and that won the pot without showdown.

Bryn Kenney	850,000	60,000
Mikita Badziakouski	550,000	15,000
Steffen Sontheimer	395,000	65,000
Dan Shak	320,000	-100,000

Ivan Luca announced a raise and first tossed in 30,000, then added another T-5,000 chip. The raise was confirmed to be foir 32,000 and Bryn Kenney moved all in from the small blind. Luca snap-called all in for around 240,000 and the cards were turned over.

Ivan Luca:   
Bryn Kenney:   

The     flop changed nothing much yet, but Kenney picked up quite some outs on the   turn. It was not a ten or a five, but the   that fell on the river and let the money bubble burst in cruel fashion. All four remaining players now have €67,555 guaranteed for their efforts.

Bryn Kenney	790,000	225,000
Ivan Luca	0	-240,000

Ole Schemion pushed all in for his last 90,000 with the    and was called by Ivan Luca in the big blind with   . The board came       and Schemion turned a straight to double.

Schemion then pushed the next hand for 200,000 and Mikita Badziakouski called out of the big blind.

Ole Schemion:   
Mikita Badziakouski:   

On the     flop, Badziakouski hit top pair while Schemion needed a ten for the straight to stay in contention. Neither the   turn nor the   river were of help and Schemion was gone in 6th place.

Mikita Badziakouski	535,000	190,000
Ivan Luca	240,000	-105,000
Ole Schemion	0	-118,000

Ivan Luca raised to 50,000 and Ole Schemion moved all in from the big blind, Luca called all in for 164,000.

Ivan Luca:   
Ole Schemion:   

The board of       was not without sweat, but Luca held up to double two spots away from the money.

Ivan Luca	345,000	139,000
Ole Schemion	118,000	-152,000