Lithuanian poker star Gytis Lazauninkas isn’t any stranger to taking part in five-figure buy-ins world wide. It was thus no shock when he confirmed up at Advantage Royal Diamond Lodge On line casino & Spa to play the $10,400 Onyx Excessive Curler on the 2025 Mediterranean Poker Occasion.
Lazauninkas was one of many 149 entries within the occasion, however ended up as the one one remaining after a four-way deal and subsequent flip, which topped him the champion. Lazauninkas was chipleader when the deal was made, granting him the biggest portion of the $1,430,400 prize pool as he took house $227,085. Alessio Isaia, Yiannis Liperis, and Nichan Khorchidian had been the opposite three gamers concerned within the deal, and, because the stacks had been comparatively shut, they had been awarded hefty six-figure sums of their very own.
$10,400 Onyx Excessive Curler Closing Desk Outcomes
* = Denotes four-way ICM deal
Day 2 Motion
The sector of 35 gamers who returned for the ultimate day of the Excessive Curler wanted to be thinned earlier than the cash could possibly be distributed. The 23 paid spots had been quickly reached, nonetheless, as after just one hour after the restart, Canadian grinder Ami Barer turned the bubble boy after an unfortunate ace got here on the flop.
On the ultimate three tables, the eventual prime 4 finishers had been all in the course of the pack, however quickly sufficient, they began selecting up steam. Lazauninkas was accountable for the elimination of Ravil Khamatgareev (twenty first – $17,500), whereas Isaia took care of Natan Chauskin (18th – $20,000).
Not a lot later, Khorchidian was the primary participant to succeed in an eight-figure stack when Mikalai Vaskaboinikau jammed his prime pair into Khorchidian’s flush, knocking the Belarusian out just a few arms after.
In the meantime, Isaia stored scoring bust-outs, eliminating Aren Bezhanyan in twelfth ($27,000) earlier than dooming final yr’s fifth-place finisher Nikita Kalinin to the destiny of ultimate desk bubble (ninth – $32,900).
Closing Desk
Khorchidian had maintained his chip lead up till the ultimate desk, and scored some early pots because the finale received underway. Nonetheless, an important hand noticed Khorchidian four-bet jam ace-six into the nines of Lazauninkas. The eventual champion doubled up and took over the chip lead, and Khorchidian would criticise his personal transfer a number of occasions all through the remainder of the event.
Lazauninkis put his newly acquired chips to good use, busting Vedat Yilmaz in eighth, and Oshri Lahmani in sixth.
5-handed, Liperis and start-of-day chipleader Konstantin Voronin, who was on his second main ultimate desk of the pageant, went all in in opposition to one another at least 5 occasions. Ultimately, Liperis received the very best of Voronin,eliminating the ultimate Russian participant in fifth.
A deal was briefly mentioned after Voronin’s bust-out, however when Lazauninkas, who nonetheless had a giant lead at the moment, requested for $30,000 greater than ICM, it was shortly struck down. It solely took a couple of minutes to restart the discussions; Lazauninkas doubled up Alessio, and the stacks evened out a bit.
Lazauninkas shortly modified his tune and agreed to an ICM chop with none further cash, and the gamers then flipped for the trophy. Lazauninkas nonetheless had a small lead, so it solely appeared acceptable that he gained the flip and was declared the victor. He picked up his first-ever victory at a Advantage institution and took a stupendous trophy again house to Lithuania.
