It took almost 20 years for the Brazilian Collection of Poker (BSOP) to achieve this level, and a sudden flash for Alen Fillipi to etch his title within the document books.
The BSOP promised to host the biggest poker match in Latin American historical past this week on the WTC Sheraton in São Paulo, with a large R$20,000,000 ($4,000,000 US) assured prize pool. The R$30,000 ($6,000) BSOP Championship lived as much as the billing, drawing 714 gamers from throughout the globe to Brazil’s metropolis, every making an attempt to make historical past.
Fillipi, the native Sao Paulo native, was the one left standing, defeating Matheus Grazziotin on the primary hand of heads-up play to take dwelling the R$3,418,000 ($683,600 US) prime prize and the trophy that ceaselessly cements his place in Brazilian poker lore.
BSOP Championship Remaining Desk Outcomes
*Denotes three-handed deal
“It’s a dream,. It doesn’t matter what match we play, we all the time need to win, however we all know how exhausting it’s, particularly in a excessive curler like this, the place solely the elite of poker are competing. You play as a result of it’s important to persist,” Fillipi mentioned via a translator after his victory.
“After I reached the ultimate desk, I used to be already very blissful, after which issues began occurring. I had a extremely good day. I received fortunate. I performed nicely. It gave me a sense that, actually, I nonetheless can’t consider. I feel I’ll solely actually course of it later, when my blood cools down a bit, as a result of my nerves are nonetheless operating excessive.”
Fillipi had been enjoying at BSOP stops all through the nation since 2017, however had by no means taken dwelling a title. He made the BSOP Predominant Occasion remaining desk in 2021. He additionally completed seventh within the $1,500 Millionaire Maker on the 2022 WSOP, his largest profession rating earlier than as we speak, and was 83rd within the WSOP Predominant Occasion this summer season. His win as we speak almost doubles his earlier profession earnings of $741,000.
Befitting the largest title awarded on Brazilian soil, Fillipi was joined by a boisterous, overjoyed rail of supporters who, in true Brazilian trend, erupted in celebration when he snapped off Grazziotin on the river throughout the remaining hand. “I’m additionally blissful as a result of (Eduardo Silva), a great good friend of mine, shipped a Excessive Curler, so it’s a double celebration. Simply pure pleasure. It’s the largest rating of my life, and now I can play a bit larger,” he mentioned with fun.
Remaining Desk Motion
The ultimate 9 returned to the primary characteristic stage contained in the WTC Sheraton at 2 p.m. native time, having navigated via the large subject to arrange an opportunity at historical past.
Diones Lopes started because the chip chief with 14,810,000, whereas Fillipi was in the midst of the pack with 7,155,000. But it surely was a small miracle that Fillipi had gotten up to now. He was the chip chief again on Day 1, however getting into play on Day 4, Fillipi was in final place amongst 24 gamers and wanted a sequence of double ups to climb again into rivalry.
Martin Kabrhel, the headline-grabbing, highlight-reel producing, controversial Czech celebrity, was the quick stack in the beginning of the day and shortly received in his final 3,300,000 with ace-ten. Lopes, although, picked up ace-king and held on to bust Kabrhel in ninth place.
After the ultimate desk received a lot quieter with Kabrhel’s departure, it quickly grew to become evident that the remaining eight gamers have been in for a protracted evening. Gregory Fabiao first doubled up off Fillipi in a basic flip with queens in opposition to ace-king, dropping Fillipi to the quick stack. Fillipi doubled proper again in opposition to Fabiao in an aces versus kings cooler.
Fabiao was all in once more for 3,700,000, this time in opposition to Bernardo Soares, however spiked a flush on the river to beat Soares’ pocket eights and earn one other double up. Soares then cracked Pedro Padilha’s kings with an ace on the river to remain alive, whereas Grazziotin’s flip to double up got here when his tens beat Ramiro Araujo’s threes. Padilha then picked up kings as soon as extra, and so they held up this time in opposition to Soares.
Lastly, 4 hours after Kabrhel’s elimination, Soares received in his final 875,000 with a straight draw however missed the flip and river as Fillipi scored the knockout with king-high. Giorgio Tonin then moved all in for two,000,000 with ace-three however was dominated by Padilha’s ace-queen as he busted in seventh.
Padilha pulled almost even with Lopes atop the leaderboard when he doubled up with prime pair in opposition to Lopes’ pair of eights. Fillipi then took the chip lead when he rivered a straight and received referred to as for 1,700,000 by Lopes. Because the remaining six gamers headed off on a 45-minute dinner break, Padilha had moved in entrance with 19,000,000, adopted by Fillipi with 17,000,000.
Fabiao was the subsequent to fall, operating his two eights into Fillipi’s kings as he was eradicated in sixth. Araujo then four-bet shoved for 7,900,000 with king-ten, however Grazziotin had ace-king and referred to as to place him in danger. Each gamers hit two pair, and Grazziotin’s ace-kicker performed to ship Araujo to the rail in fifth place.
Lopes moved up previous 30,000,000 when he pulled off a giant bluff with simply nine-high on the river in opposition to Padilha, proudly hoisting his playing cards into the air and flashing them to his rail earlier than taking within the pot. Shortly afterwards, Padilha dedicated most of his stack on the river with a guess of 5,200,000, leaving simply 125,000 behind, however Fillipi had made the nut straight and shoved all in, forcing Padilha to put down his hand. He was left with lower than a giant blind and was eradicated the subsequent hand when Grazziotin turned a flush.
The ultimate three gamers then paused the clock and agreed to a deal, Fillipi taking R$2,605,000 ($521,000 US), Lopes R$2,597,000 ($519,400 US), and Grazziotin R$2,115,000 ($423,000 US). That also left R$813,000 ($162,600 US), the trophy, and the title of BSOP champion to play for, and what had been a marathon remaining desk quickly grew to become a dash to the end.
On the primary hand of three-handed play, Lopes three-bet to 2,400,000 and Fillipi referred to as. The flop got here queen-high and Lopes continued for two,500,000. Fillipi referred to as, and Lopes guess one other 4,200,000 on the flip. Fillipi then moved all in, and Lopes referred to as for 23,000,000, making a pot with 80 p.c of the chips in play at stake. Lopes had prime pair, whereas Fillipi was on a flush draw. The river gave Fillipi his flush and the large pot, sending Lopes to the rail in third place.
Fillipi led Grazziotin 57,000,000 to 14,000,000 in the beginning of heads-up, and it took only one hand for them to get all of the chips within the center. In a limped pot, Grazziotin guess 2,800,000 on the flip and Fillipi referred to as. Grazziotin then shoved the river with two pair, fives and fours, however Fillipi snap-called with jacks and fours to win the pot and take dwelling the title.
Fillipi afterward mirrored on the hand in opposition to Lopes that propelled him to the win, acknowledging that he felt prefer it was going to be his day. “After we made the deal, it already took some weight off me, prefer it or not. Diones is a man who was placing quite a lot of stress. Anyway, I gained’t discuss in regards to the hand itself, however in that second, I’ll be sincere, I felt I used to be going to win it,” he mentioned.
“Typically we simply really feel issues. Identical to I felt unhealthy in that WSOP run, right here I felt good, as a result of the whole lot was going proper and I knew it was my day. But it surely takes some time to consider that. Deep down, we’re afraid one thing will go fallacious, however thank God the whole lot labored out, so I’m very blissful.”
The BSOP started in 2006, steadily rising right into a critically acclaimed tour and attracting consideration from throughout Latin America and the world. The BSOP Championship was the head of all that success, a large prize pool reflecting the expansion of the tour over the past 20 years. Fillipi ended up atop the summit, changing into the champion of a match the Brazilian poker group gained’t quickly neglect.
