WSOPE Event #3: Mini Main Event

 
Event #3 winner Ilija Savevski

The 2022 World Series of Poker Europe has determined the fourth of 15 champions and a new country has entered the winner's circle. Out of a field of 1,431 entries in Event #3: €1,350 Mini Main Event, Macedonia's Ilija Savevski defeated Stefan Schoss in heads-up to claim the biggest portion of the €1,631,340 prize pool. 

Savevski collected a cash prize worth €245,319, which surpassed his previous biggest score of €125,052 nearly two-fold. The result came in the 2021 WSOP Europe Main Event in which he finished in 8th place and he has won an entry to the 2022 edition thanks to finishing in the top of this tournament.

The final day also included the highly-rated Frenchmen Dorian Melchers and Clement Cure, Denmark's Jakob Madsen and Hungary's Peter Kamaras, among others. Madsen reached the final table in Event #2: €550 Pot-Limit Omaha just a few days ago while Kamaras won a WSOP Circuit ring here at the King's Resort in Rozvadov only a few weeks ago.

Neither of them were able to add a WSOP gold bracelet to their collection, however, as Savevski prevailed to win the first title for his home country of Macedonia.

Final Results - Event #3: €1,350 Mini Main Event

*the top 12 finishers also received an entry to the 2022 WSOP Europe €10,350 Main Event 

"It means a lot. A bracelet is every player's dream and I wanted it ever since I learned about the WSOP and finally to win one after many years feels amazing," an emotional Savevski said in the winner interview.

He mentioned to have lost a few important heads-up battles in his career already but that didn't cross his mind. "It kind of felt I won't lose the heads-up for a bracelet, there is no chance. Anything will be better than second and finally making that big heads-up play means a lot to me."

Savevski works as a software developer but intends to become a poker pro soon and winning his first WSOP title may very well be a key moment to do so. The 34-year old has been playing poker for 12 years and more seriously for the last three. Coincidentally his two biggest scores have also come from this period as well.

He has been taking things one tournament at a time and wasn't sad last year to miss out on the victory and seven-figure score because he had been nursing a short stack during the late stages of the 2021 WSOP Europe Main Event.

"But now it was a bit different and it would have been a bit disappointing if I didn't win it."

Savevski was neck-in-neck in chips with runner-up Schoss on the final table before a dry run. "It was part of my strategy because he was playing kind of loose and I also three-bet him loose, he was of course playing back. And I knew I had the image to just wait for a hand after that so I was calm all the time even when I was short."

Savevski will likely go pro the next year and ultimately thanked his family, friends, his girlfriend, as well as his countrymen from Macedonia before heading out to enjoy the evening after his victory.

Action of the Final Day

The Macedonian started the final day in the middle of the pack with 23 blinds and it was eventual runner-up Schoss who dominated the early action. Schoss was responsible for the elimination of Dorian Melchers, who flopped top pair with king-jack only to run into the overpair of the German. Patrik Zidek was the next to fall when his jacks ran into the queens of Savevski, which was the start of an early rush for the Macedonian who took over the lead and entered the final table with the most chips after busting Jakob Madsen with quad sevens.

Clement Cure became the first casualty when the field combined, three-bet jamming pocket treys into the aces of Peter Kamaras. Emanuele De Lemmi followed suit soon after as Schoss notched up the next elimination and Kamaras struck next by dispatching Portugal's Braz Borges Fagundes Junior.

Yunho Choi and Jochen Kaiser secured the pay jumps and bowed out thereafter as the field was suddenly down to the final four. It was then Savevski who came out on top of a three-way all-in with king-queen suited to eliminate Kamaras and Dennis Magro as he entered heads-up play with a narrow lead.

This turned out to be a pivotal moment en route to victory and more important than the final hand itself, according to Savevski.

"That was probably the most important hand after I ever had. I think my rejam was a bit loose, a bit gambling. But when the big blind called I was happy to see tens and ace-four. I was just hoping for the best after that."

It was one-way traffic from there on as Savevski claimed most pots and eventually had the best of it with flopped two pair to win his first WSOP gold bracelet and the first for his home country of Macedonia.

Ilija Savevski called from the small blind and Stefan Schoss checked his option.

The flop came     and Savevski put out a bet of 1,200,000. Schoss raised to 3,000,000 and Savevski called.

The turn brought the   and Schoss continued for 5,500,000. Savevski called once more.

On the   river, Schoss put out a bet of 6,800,000 and Savevski snap-called.

Schoss turned over    but it was no good as Savevski showed    for the full house.

Ilija Savevski - 112,450,000
Stefan Schoss - 30,500,000

Hand 1: Ilija Savevski opened to 2,500,000 and Stefan Schoss called.

The flop came     and Schoss lead out for 2,700,000. Savevski called.

On the   turn, Schoss kept betting, putting out 3,800,000. Savevski quickly folded.

Hand 2: Schoss called from the small blind and Savevski checked.

The pair would check down to the river on the       runout and Schoss would bet 2,500,000 on the river. Savevski folded.

Hand 3: Savevski opened for 2,500,000 and Schoss folded.

Ilija Savevski - 73,675,000
Stefan Schoss - 69,275,000

 
Dennis Magro

Peter Kamaras pushed all-in for 13,250,000 in the cutoff and Ilija Savevski moved all-in out of the small blind. Dennis Magro then committed his last 20,575,000 in the big blind and Savevski had two players at risk.

Peter Kamaras:   
Dennis Magro:   
Ilija Savevski:   

The     flop gave Kamaras a superior pair and the   turn kept both shorter stacks in contention while Savevski had two live cards to score a potential knockout. He did get there with the   river to knock out Kamaras in fourth place, while Magro finished in third place.

Ilija Savevski - 78,875,000
Stefan Schoss - 64,075,000
Dennis Magro - Eliminated in 3rd Place (€110,686 + 2022 WSOPE Main Event entry)
Peter Kamaras - Eliminated in 4th Place (€81,716 + 2022 WSOPE Main Event entry)

Peter Kamaras

Ilija Savevski opened to 2,00,000 from the cutoff and Stefan Schoss defended his big blind.

The flop came     and Savevski continued for 1,500,000. Schoss made the call.

Both players would tap the table on the   turn but on the   river, Schoss put out a bet of 3,700,000. Savevski wouldn't need long before calling.

Schoss turned over    and Savevski would begin counting off his chips.

Stefan Schoss - 76,700,000
Ilija Savevski - 22,525,000

Ilija Savevski raised to 2,000,000 and Peter Kamaras called out of the big blind. On a     flop, both players checked. Kamaras also checked the   turn and then folded when Savevski bet 2,700,000.

Kamaras then limped the small blind and Stefan Schoss joked "a lot of players have been hurt by me this during the tournament". Kamaras grinned back with a "now I am really intimidated" albeit with a big smile on the face. Schoss checked it back and Kamaras bet the     flop for the minimum, which Schoss called.

Kamaras then check-called the   turn for 2,200,000 and the   river for 4,300,000. Schoss tabled the    for the bottom pair and Kamaras mucked while shaking his head to the Hungarian rail.

Stefan Schoss - 66,500,000
Ilija Savevski - 24,500,000
Dennis Magro - 24,000,000
Peter Kamaras - 18,000,000

Peter Kamaras opened to 2,100,000 from the button and Stefan Schoss three-bet to 5,300,000 from the small blind. After some consideration, Kamaras relinquished his hand.

Stefan Schoss - 50,400,000
Peter Kamaras - 27,100,000

Ilija Savevski raised to 2,000,000 from under the gun and Stefan Schoss let go in the big blind with the words "I am not Doyle Brunson," flashing the   .

Schoss then opened to 2,100,000 on the button for Dennis Magro to call in the big blind. Magro check-folded the     flop when facing a bet of 2,100,000 and was shown the    for the flopped straight. "I had ace-high and was thinking about it," Magro mentioned in table chat.

Schoss earned the blinds and big blind ante with another raise and showed kings.

Stefan Schoss - 52,000,000
Ilija Savevski - 37,000,000
Peter Kamaras - 30,000,000
Dennis Magro - 20,100,000