Jason Koon Moves to Third on All-Time Money List w/ WSOP $50,000 High Roller Win

It was the biggest prize to be given out to this point of the summer season within the type of $1,968,927 hard-earned cash, and it was given to fairly probably the hardest-working participant within the recreation. Jason Koon topped a area of 171 entries in Occasion #32: $50,000 Excessive Curler to say his second World Sequence of Poker bracelet.

Getting into the ultimate day as an amazing chip chief, Koon had loads of expectations on himself to reign victorious on the finish of the day. However he knew it was going to be a battle with a lot of his gifted and actually shut pals nonetheless within the combine, together with his heads-up opponent Andrew Lichtenberger and third-place finisher Ben Tollerene.

“The challenges of enjoying in opposition to them is that they’re one of the best gamers on the earth. It is scorching, it is vivid, the strain is excessive, the stakes are excessive. However Ben and I’ve simply been soaking it in.”

Along with his victory right now, Koon will surpass Justin Bonomo for third on the all-time cash record with a whopping $66 million in profession earnings on the reside felt. Koon has made it clear on a number of events how privileged he feels to have the ability to compete on this recreation for a dwelling, particularly on the highest stakes and on the highest degree.

“I’ve devoted my whole life to being excellent at this recreation. Each particular person in right here is making an attempt to win. It is not like these guys have been round for two or 3 years. You are speaking to guys who’ve a number of many years of resumes and in some way we’re nonetheless right here and we’re enjoying the largest recreation and successful. It is wonderful.”

There isn’t a scarcity of help for Koon who continues to steadiness private life and staying on prime of his recreation to convey residence title after title. Koon gave a shoutout to his spouse, who is ready to make his life simpler when he has huge days in his workplace on the horizon.

“It is all attainable due to her. Stumbling residence at 1 a.m. after bagging to get up and assist me prepare and never anticipate a lot from me. On days when poker is gradual for me, I’m all in as being a dad and attempt to decide up the slack one of the best that I can. However with out her, I could not do any of this.”

Last Desk Payouts

Last Day Break up Into Two Halves

There have been ten gamers who returned to felt for the third and last day with hopes of getting their fingers on the elusive WSOP jewellery. Solely two gamers had ever accomplished it earlier than, and it simply so occurred that it was the 2 left standing when all of it mattered.

A few gamers entered the day with lower than 10 huge blinds, certainly one of whom was Dominykas Mikolaitis. The Lithuanian was first to hit the rail in a blind versus blind encounter with Viktor Blom that noticed the web phenom spike a pair on the river. Chongxian Yang was one other brief stack to begin the day and an try to triple up went bitter when Lichtenberger turned over pocket queens. Yang was unable to beat the uphill battle, which began the ascent of Lichtenberger up the leaderboard.

Aliaksei Boika hoped to enhance on his runner-up end from earlier this summer season within the $25,000 Heads-Up Championship, however his run fell brief in an epic cooler that noticed one of many largest pots of the match awarded. Lichtenberger turned a straight on the similar time Boika hit a set of aces, organising for the entire chips to go within the center on the river.

Reagan Silber was pleased to take a seat again and watch the fireworks round him whereas he laddered up the pay desk. Nevertheless, he lastly picked up a premium hand within the type of ace-king suited however was outdone by the inferior king-queen of Sergey Lebedev to hit a flush. A pair extra important pots went the best way of the massive three (Koon, Lichtenberger, and Tollerene) earlier than Blom pushed his brief stack within the center. As soon as once more, Koon awoke with the products within the blinds and had Blom drawing useless by the flip.

The ultimate 5 gamers took a two-hour break in lieu of the PokerGO stream that might resume later within the afternoon. When the motion resumed, it was the identical music and dance with Lichtenberger choosing up the place he left off. A dominating ace in opposition to Lebedev, and a pair on the flop as nicely, was sufficient to convey the sector down to only 4 gamers, all People.

Brock Wilson had been comparatively quiet all through the ultimate day regardless of holding a large chip lead at one level late on Day 2. Wilson did handle to earn a number of further {dollars} with the entire surrounding chaos. Nevertheless, he’ll look again on one key fold in opposition to Koon the place he may have chopped the pot, however as a substitute left himself in desperation mode. Wilson additionally discovered himself in a dominated place in opposition to Lichtenberger and was unable to search out any assistance on the runout.

That left the three most skilled gamers and shut pals to battle out for the title and the largest share of the prizepool. Tollerene had a problem in entrance of him because the shortest of the three stacks, however there have been nonetheless loads of huge blinds in play to maneuver a stack. Tollerene began to realize some traction when a large pot broke out between Koon and Lichtenberger. An insane setup noticed Koon roll over pocket aces whereas Lichtenberger held pocket kings. Koon staved off elimination and doubled himself into a large lead.

Lichtenberger managed to battle again with a double-up of his personal, which left Tollerene scrambling as soon as once more. All of it got here to a head when Lichtenberger jammed from the small blind with a suited gapper and Tollerene referred to as off with a powerful ace. ‘Fortunate Chewy’ flopped prime pair and Tollerene was unable to get better, leaving the ultimate two to battle it out.

It was a back-and-forth affair that noticed each gamers maintain the chip lead on a number of events. Nevertheless, issues closed out with Koon successful pot after pot within the latter phases which led to the primary all-in and name. Lichtenberger was finest preflop with ace-high however Koon had two reside playing cards to hit. He wasted no time turning the tables with a pair of kings on the flop. Lichtenberger picked up a straight draw as nicely however the runout bricked and Lichtenberger was compelled to accept a second-place end for the second time on this occasion.

That wraps up the PokerNews protection for this occasion however there are numerous others presently on the go, together with the $100,000 Excessive Curler that kicked off earlier right now.