Justin Bonomo Wins Super High Roller Event
Thirty-eight of the world's best poker players paid the €100,000 buy-in (plus seven rebuys) creating a prize pool of €4,500,000 and that was shared out amongst the top six finishers.
The largest-ever buyin poker tournament held in Europe has been completed after American pro Justin Bonomo outlasted a star-studded field to get his hands on the massive €1,640,000 first place prize in Monaco.
Thirty-eight of the world's best poker players paid the €100,000 buy-in (plus seven rebought) creating a prize pool of €4,500,000 and that was shared out amongst the top six finishers. This meant that two of the final table had to go home empty handed, a far from ideal proposition when you have played poker for three days solid and have invested €100,000!
Super High Roller Final Table
Seat 1: Justin Bonomo - 4,393,000 chips
Seat 2: Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier - 1,265,000
Seat 3: Patrik Antonius - 338,000
Seat 4: Masa Kagawa - 1,076,000
Seat 5: Eugene Katchalov - 262,000
Seat 6: Jonathan Duhamel - 654,000
Seat 7: Daniel Negreanu - 1,581,000
Seat 8: Tobias Reinkemeier - 1,682,000
First to be eliminated was the short-stacked Eugene Katchalov who saw Masa Kagawa min-raise to 60,000 and decided to three-bet all-in with Ad6c for his last 220,000. Kagawa made the easy call with his QdQs and when the board ran out Jh-5h-5s-6d-Ks Katchalov's tournament had come to an abrupt end.
Seventh place was not one that anyone wanted to finish in because it would mean they had become the bubble boy. Of course every tournament needs the money bubble bursting and that dubious honour went to Jonathan Duhamel in this event. Bertrand 'ElkY' Grospellier opened in the hijack to 60,000, Duhamel shoved in the small blind with what turned out to be KsQs and ElkY snap-called with AdAc. The board ran out completely void of any sweats for the former World Series of Poker Main Event champion and his elimination meant everyone else was guaranteed to take home at least €310,000 for their efforts.
Just minutes after Duhamel's exit Daniel Negreanu followed. He got his chips in with AcKc against the seemingly invincible Bonomo's pocket tens and the latter flopped a set to send Negreanu to the cashier's cage earlier than he will have wished for.
The Halfway Point
Half hour later and Kagawa became the fifth place finisher in a three-way all-in hand. Tobias Reinkemeier opened the betting from under the gun with a min-raise to 80,000. To his immediate left was Bonomo and he three-bet to 190,000 only to see Kagawa move all-in from the big blind for 660,000. With the action back on Reinkemeier he tanked for over two minutes before five-betting all-in for 1,580,000 then Bonomo made the call! Both Bonomo and Reinkemeier turned over pocket jacks and were up against the KcQd of Kagawa. By the river the board read 9h-9c-7d-9s-Ac and the final table had lost half of its players.
Next to hit the rail was Finland's Patrik Antonius who became another of Bonomo's victims. Antonius opened to 80,000 from the button and Bonomo made the call in the big blind. Both players checked the Qc-Qd-8c flop but when the Kh landed on the turn Bonomo fired a bet of 140,000 at his opponent and was called. The river was the 9h and Bonomo bet again, making it 380,000 to play. Antonius pondered his options for a while before moving all in for 700,000 and Bonomo made the call. Antonius revealed ace-king for two pair but Bonomo had him crushed as he had hit a straight on the river with his jack-ten.
Three-handed play lasted an hour before ElkY's bust out set up the heads-up battle. Bonomo had raised to 115,000 from the small blind when the blinds were 25,000/50,000/5,000a and ElkY made the call. The flop came down jack-high with two spades, Bonomo bet 140,000 and was quickly called. The turn was a non-spade queen, Bonomo bet 375,000, ElkY shoved and Bonomo made the call, flipping over KxQs in the process. He was ahead but had to avoid a spade as ElkY held KsTs. He managed to do that as the river blanked off and Bonomo was just one opponent away from winning this record-breaking event.
Bonomo held a massive 9,580,000 to 1,675,000 chip lad over Reinkemeier and it took just half hour before he managed to huge his huge stack to his full advantage. In the final hand Reinkemeier opened to 125,000, Bonomo three-bet to 350,000 and Reinkemeier moved all-in for around 1,500,000. Bonomo instantly called and showed AdQc whilst his opponents revealed a pair of fours. The board ran out Ad-Kc-5d-Ts-7d and with that Bonomo had won all of the chips in play and the massive €1,640,000 first place prize.
EPT Grand Final Super High Roller Results
1st: Justin Bonomo - €1,640,000
2nd: Tobias Reinkemeier - €1,064,000
3rd: Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier - €621,000
4th: Patrik Antonius - €443,000
5th: Masa Kagawa - €354,500
6th: Daniel Negreanu - €310,000
Prices quoted in copy are correct at time of publication but liable to change.
