Can anyone stand between Jake Schindler and the $6m first-place prize in the 2017 Super High Roller Bowl?
Schindler has been downright dominant in the tournament over the last two days and holds a commanding chip lead with just three players left.
The Bryn Mawr, Pa. native has already locked up at least $2.4 million but will be looking to parlay his 10 million chips into even more tomorrow.
A pair of German high rollers trail Schindler with Christoph Vogelsang holding 5.2 million chips while Stefan Schillhabel will have his work cut out for him with 885,000.
The first half of the final table saw Justin Bonomo, Pratyush Buddiga, Byron Kaverman and Leon Tsoukernik bust but that was after the biggest bubble of the year.
Koon Endures Brutal $600k Bubble
The SHRB final table began with a massive elephant in the room. Eight players started the day but only seven spots paid. That meant a $600k bubble.
Jason Koon was on the hot seat as he entered the day as the short stack with 685,000 chips.
Koon successfully fought back and even moved into sixth place in chips at one point but then started to slide again.
After five grueling hours of play without an elimination Koon had once again sunk down to last in chips.
Finally Koon flopped an open-ended straight draw against Schindler and moved all-in for 470,000.
Schindler snap-called with a set of eights. The set ended up holding and that sent Koon to the rail in eighth place, making him the final player in the 2017 SHRB to lose his $300,000 buy-in.
It's not the first time that Koon has had to deal with some bad luck in the SHRB. PokerListings produced a short video documentary of his experiences in the event in 2015.
The affable Koon took the bustout in stride and later Tweeted the following:
Thanks for all the love. Bubbling hurts but let's be real; I'm an over-privileged, white American who lost money in a poker tournament.
— Jason Koon (@JasonKoon) June 1, 2017Bonomo, Buddiga, Kaverman, Tsoukernik Make the Money
New REG ambassador Justin Bonomo was the very next player to bust after Koon when his trip deuces got cracked by Vogelsang’s straight.
Bonomo got a serious consolation prize in the form of $600,000, however.
Next up it was Pratyush Buddiga falling to Leon Tsoukernik. Buddiga finished in sixth place for $1m, which is the biggest score of his career.
By this point Schindler has firm control of the chip lead and knocked Byron Kaverman out in fifth place with pocket aces over pocket eights. Kaverman locked up $1.4m for his efforts.
The final amateur in the tournament, Tsoukernik, was the last elimination of the night falling in fourth place to earn a staggering $1.8 million.
It’s the biggest payout of Tsoukernik’s career but he said several times that he was playing for the title, not the money.
The final three players will play to a winner tomorrow starting at 1 p.m. All the action will be streamed live on PokerGO.
Here’s a look at all the payouts from today and the three unclaimed prizes that will be doled out tomorrow.
1. — $6,000,000
2. — $3,600,000
3. — $2,400,000
4. Leon Tsoukernik — $1,800,000
5. Byron Kaverman — $1,400,000
6. Pratyush Buddiga — $1,000,000
7. Justin Bonomo — $600,000
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