‘Broke Living’ No More: JRB Takes Down Onyx High Roller for $1.5 Million

Jean-Robert Bellande, the poker growth period star with the “BrokeLivingJRB” moniker on X, arrived on the Benefit Royal Diamond On line casino & Spa for the Onyx Excessive Curler Collection this week anticipating to play some money video games. He was enjoyable in his room yesterday afternoon when he obtained a telephone name that modified all of his plans.

On the opposite line was event founder Rob Yong. Yong was delayed attending to North Cyprus and had a suggestion for Bellande: a seat within the $100,000 No-Restrict Maintain’em Excessive Curler Championship. It was too good to go up, and Bellande rapidly made his option to the event room to register.

Only a day later, and “JRB” ended up atop the 50-player discipline and champion of the opening occasion of the collection, defeating none aside from Yong heads-up to win the $1,500,000 first prize. After twenty years as one of many greatest names in poker, it was almost double Bellande’s earlier excessive rating.

Remaining Desk outcomes

“Oh, that is my greatest one?” Bellande requested, shocked on the information of his new profession milestone.

“I wasn’t going to play. By the way in which, zero likelihood I’m taking part in any excessive rollers. These guys are all superstars. However Rob’s aircraft obtained delayed and he felt dangerous. So he advised the fellows, I’m placing in a fish. I’m placing JRB in to signify me in there. I obtained the telephone name. I’m chilling in my room watching Netflix, and he stated, ‘Hey, you wish to play? I’m like, nice, when’s the event? ‘It’s proper now.” I’m like, what? Okay, let me recover from there,” he stated following his victory.

Along with a number of deep runs within the WSOP Fundamental Occasion, a runner-up end in a WSOP occasion in 2008 the place he misplaced a 19-to-one heads-up chip lead, a bracelet within the $5,000 No-Restrict Maintain’em 6-Handed occasion in 2018, and a stint as a contestant on Survivor, Bellande had by no means recorded a seven-figure rating earlier than in the present day. He in contrast this trophy to the bracelet he received eight years in the past, explaining that, whereas the cash is particular, the bracelet continues to be his most significant accomplishment.

“You already know, it’s fascinating. Despite the fact that it is a larger money win, it’s nonetheless, for me, successful that bracelet was extra of the granddaddy occasion. I imply, that is thrilling and enjoyable. It sounds insane. A bracelet and $500,000, or this occasion and $1.5 million. So, wow, that is my greatest by double,” he stated.

Bellande’s path to the title was filled with pitfalls. He constructed up an enormous chip lead in the course of the last two tables and commenced the ultimate desk with greater than double his closest challenger. However then he misplaced an enormous pot when Pieter Aerts hit a one-outer and tumbled down the leaderboard. His objective modified: from having hopes of the title, he was then simply making an attempt to get into the highest 4.

“It was loopy, dude. You might see it in my face that I used to be devastated, making a gift of that chip stack. And it’s like, whereas my name to his river elevate is comprehensible, as a result of it’s actually laborious to present him any type of hand. You already know, that 3.5 million in chips would have made all of the distinction in me with the ability to maneuver round that last desk,” he stated.

“Clearly, I obtained very fortunate to have the ability to keep alive in there. I might have simply gone out in sixth place. And, you realize, whenever you go into the ultimate desk chip chief, virtually double chip chief, sixth place would’ve been a disappointing end. As soon as I misplaced that stack, I advised myself, if I get fourth place, that can nonetheless be successful. Man, I’m actually, actually, actually simply dumbfounded with the emotional curler coaster I went by way of in the present day.”

What made the victory even sweeter was that it got here at Yong’s expense. Yong spent a lot of the day playfully needling Bellande, the 2 gamers’ acquainted opponents from many high-stakes money video games world wide. Their colourful banter served as an entertaining reprieve from what might’ve been a tension-filled last desk. Bellande acknowledges that, beneath all of the jabs Yong landed on him in the present day, it was all in good enjoyable and Yong has all the time been a giant supporter of his.

“That was a pleasant little further bonus. However, you realize, it’s humorous, as a result of Rob is all the time busting balls and needling, however folks don’t know what a tremendous, wonderful particular person he’s,” Bellande stated. “He has been decided to see me profitable despite my very own flaws and weaknesses. I promise you, although he’s a bit butthurt that I made these calls on him, he’s as glad for me as I’m for me.”

The JRB vs. Yong heads-up duel might even have a profit to future Onyx collection: a excessive curler growth. “That is like when Chris Moneymaker received the Fundamental Occasion,” Bellande joked afterward.

“I imply, if I’m a gifted poker participant and I hear that Rob Yong and JRB are high two within the Onyx occasion, I wish to play each Onyx occasion for the remainder of my life,” he added.

Day 2 Motion

A complete of 11 gamers returned for Day 2 at 1 p.m. native time, and a flurry of late arrivals and reentries boosted the sector as much as 50 gamers by the point late registration closed, hitting the $5 million assured prize pool.

Solely the highest eight gamers would end within the cash, and Matthias Eibinger, Mikita Badziakouski, and start-of-day chip chief Johan Guilbert had been amongst these despatched to the rail as the ultimate 14 gamers moved upstairs to the luxurious Onyx Membership.

Bellande was the chip chief with greater than 8,000,000 on the last two tables and rapidly prolonged his lead, choosing up aces in opposition to Jessica Teusl’s ace-king to ship her to the rail. Daniel Rezaei busted when his kings had been cracked on the river by Emilien Pitavy’s tens, whereas Adrian Mateos fell in tenth after his pocket nines couldn’t survive a flip in opposition to Aerts’ ace-king.

The ultimate 9 gamers then took their seats round the principle function desk, with Bellande an enormous chip chief with 13,590,000. Aerts was far behind in second with 6,830,000. It didn’t keep that manner for lengthy, nevertheless, as Aerts coolered Bellande with a full home in opposition to journeys on one of many first palms of the ultimate desk. Bellande then flopped two pair with queen-jack in opposition to Aerts’ jacks, however Aerts hit the final jack within the deck on the flip to make a full home and doubled as much as greater than 17,000,000, sending Bellande all the way in which down to three,680,000.

The motion was nonetheless on the cash bubble when gamers went on a 60-minute dinner break, Aerts holding greater than thrice the chips of some other participant. As soon as motion resumed, Artur Martirosian shoved for two,970,000 with ace-queen, however Yong awakened with aces within the large blind and busted the Russian celebrity on the bubble.

A flurry of eliminations adopted the bursting of the cash bubble. Gha Iakobishvili misplaced his final 2,140,000 with king-six in opposition to Thomas Eychenne’s nines, whereas Biao Ding couldn’t full a straight draw in opposition to Yong’s set as he was eradicated in seventh place.

Bellande obtained some chips again from Aerts when he doubled up for two,565,000 with two nines in opposition to pocket sixes. He had fallen again all the way down to 1,550,000, good for under 5 large blinds, when he was all in with deuces in opposition to Eychenne’s ten-eight. Eychenne picked up a flush draw going to the river on a paired board that threatened to counterfeit Bellande’s pair, however Bellande dodged the river to remain alive.

Aerts and Pitavy then went to the river when Pitavy wager 800,000. Aerts shoved for 1,890,000, and Pitavy went deep into the tank earlier than calling for his final 1,890,000 with aces and queens. Aerts, although, confirmed journey aces to win the pot and bust the Frenchman in sixth place.

Yong had overtaken Aerts for the chip lead when he fired a bluff of 4,000,000 on the river, getting Aerts to fold a set as Yong climbed up previous 20,000,000. He stayed energetic, getting paid with a pair of sixes as Aerts referred to as a wager of 1,300,000 on the river with simply king-high, dropping to 4,895,000 whereas Yong approached 30,000,000.

Markkos Ladev picked up two kings to double up for 3,445,000 and go away Eychenne with simply three large blinds. Eychenne was all in a couple of palms later, however this time Ladev had aces to bust him in fifth. Aerts then shoved for his final 2,195,000 on the flop with a flush draw and Bellande snap-called with a pair of kings. Aerts made his flush on the flip, however Bellande spiked the next flush on the river and Aerts, the previous overwhelming chip chief, needed to accept fourth place.

The long-anticipated Yong vs. Bellande heads-up match was set when Ladev shoved the flop with high pair, however Bellande had aces to win the pot and bust Ladev in third. Yong nonetheless led with 31,935,000 in the beginning of heads-up, whereas Bellande had climbed all the way in which as much as 17,865,000.

Early within the heads-up duel, Bellande raised to 1,000,000 on the button and Yong referred to as. Each gamers checked the flop, and Yong wager 1,000,000 on the flip. Bellande referred to as, and Yong then moved all in on the river. Bellande referred to as for 10,265,000 with a pair of kings, whereas Yong might solely present a bluff as Bellande took over the chip lead. Just a few palms later, Yong fired three bullets at an ace-high board earlier than Bellande lastly snap-called all in when Yong shoved for 14,270,000 on the river. Yong had a pair of fives, however Bellande turned over a pair of jacks to win the pot, the trophy, and bragging rights over his nemesis.

With the trophy in hand and $1.5 million, Bellande’s plans for the remainder of the collection have modified. He’s not going to stay to money video games and can as a substitute look to trip his event rush a short time longer.

“To be sincere with you, I haven’t appeared on the schedule as a result of I used to be simply planning on taking part in all of the money video games, however now that we had this end result, I’ll should,” he stated. “I really feel like when folks go on event runs, they have a tendency to place two or three collectively. So I undoubtedly wish to take some stabs at some tournaments.”

A single telephone name modified all the pieces for JRB. It led to a profession spotlight, a brand new trophy, and a victory to carry over Yong each time they play collectively at a high-stakes desk.