WSOP Event #5: Relative Unknown Nick Jivkov Outlasts The Stars
Jivkov held a 2,100,000 to 760,000 chip advantage over Pellegrino, himself a heads-up specialist, but it still took two hours for the tournament to be brought to a conclusion.
Event #5 of the 2012 World Series of Poker has been completed and it is Nick Jivkov who is the man who is in receipt of a coveted gold WSOP bracelet and the $189,818 first place prize after he defeated a star-studded final table in the $1,500 Pot Limit Hold'em tournament.
From the moment the cards were in the air the action was fast and furious; most of it down to British pro John Eames and his attempt to build his short stack. Within half hour he got his stack in against Bryan Pellegrino - the overall chip leader. Pellegrino had opened to 40,000 and change and Eames decided his 9s-9h were good enough to three-bet to 101,000. The action folded back to Pellegrino who re-raised enough to set Eames in and the young Brit made the call for his tournament life and discovered he was up against Ad-Kh. Pellegrino flew into the lead on the Ac-6s-2h flop, then improved to an unnecessary two pair with the arrival of the Ks on the turn. But the river was the 9c sending the Eames already rowdy rail into a frenzy and sending Eames' stack towards the 350,000 mark.
Eames' rollercoaster continued as he then doubled up the now-short stack of Keanu Tabai when his queens could not find a third to best the kings of Tabali and then just after the start of Level 22 Eames took his chances against Daniel Negreanu with pocket deuces only to run into the Canadian's pair of sixes to put Eames right back to where he started.
Tabali could not put Eames' chips to good use but it was not for the lack of trying. He got his stack into the middle holding 10c-10h and it looked like he was going to double up again as Pellegrino showed 9s-8c. The double up was still on as the flop came down Ad-9c-6s and looked ever more likely as the 3h landed on the turn but the 8s on the river won the hand for Pellegrino and sent Tabali to the rail.
He was followed there by Eames soon after when he opened to 70,000, a pot-sized bet, and then called when Jivkov re-potted. Jivkov proudly turned over As-Ah and all Eames could muster was Ad-6c. The board ran out 4d-2d-Qh-9c-5c and with that Eames' tournament was over and the ears of the people in the Rio received a welcomed break!
Next to go was Brant Hale who decided to get his chips in despite not looking at his cards! Hale opened the button only for Tommy Vedes to three-bet from the small blind. Hale moved all-in and Vedes quickly called. "Well I didn't look so you have that going for you, " said Hale before turning over Js-5h. Vedes revealed As-10d and when the five community cards fell 6h-4c-2c-Ah-8d it was all over for Hale.
Six became five with the elimination of Mike Allis in sixth place. He made a crazy ill-timed bluff with 4s-3s on a 7d-9c-Ac board but Jivkov made the call with pocket kings. The 3s turn or Ah river could not save Allis and he headed to the cashier's cage to pick up his $31,452 winnings.
It was Negreanu who was the next player to bust out, despite getting his chips in a significant favourite. His Ad-Qs found itself up against the Ac-Jh of Jivkov and stay in front right up to the river. By the turn the board read 10s-Qc-9h-2h but the Kc on the fifth and final community card completed a straight for Jivkov and Negreanu was no more.
Jivkov's run-good continued as he sent Vedes to the rail in fourth place. The chips went flying into the pot on a board reading Jh-10h-4c, Vedes holding Jd-6d and Jivkov 10s-9d. The 5c failed to change anything but the 9s on the river catapulted Jivkov into the lead and resigned Vedes to a fourth place finish.
Three-handed play took around 90-minutes before the heads-up battle was set and it was that man Jivkov would continued to run well and win his flips. Jonathan Aguiar was all-in and at risk with As-Qh and Jivkov was the man who stood by to eliminate him with a pair of red nines. The 7h-Kc-6d flop kept the nines in front and the 9c on the turn locked up the hand for Jivkov. Ironically, the river was the Ah but it was too little too late and the one-on-one part f the tournament got underway.
Jivkov held a 2,100,000 to 760,000 chip advantage over Pellegrino, himself a heads-up specialist, but it still took two hours for the tournament to be brought to a conclusion. The final hand saw Pellegrino all-in with Jh-9s and Jivkov make the call with 10h-10c. By the river the board read Qh-Ks-8s-7c-2c and with that Jivkov had bested the star-studded final table and was announced as Event #5's champion.
WSOP Event #5 Final Table Results
1st: Nick Jivkov - $189,818
2nd: Bryan Pellegrino - $117,199
3rd: Jonathan Aguiar - $76,189
4th: Tommy Vedes - $55,960
5th: Daniel Negreanu - $41,683
6th: Mike Allis - $31,452
7th: Brant Hale - $24,007
8th: John Eames -$18,529
9th: Keanu Tabali -$14,449
*Photo courtesy of the PokerNews Live Reporting pages.
Prices quoted in copy are correct at time of publication but liable to change.
