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Johan "YoH ViraL" Guilbert joined poker’s big time when he bagged the first $25k NLHE event at the Super High Roller Bowl Europe, a win worth a career-best $506,250.
After Phil Ivey had scored one for the poker fans with a takedown of the opening Short Deck event, it was time for some lesser-heralded players to get their share of the SHRB Europe pot.
There were 81 entries to event 2, which meant a prizepool of just over $2million and 12 players looking at a cash – although the likes of Erik Seidel, 2019 WSOP main Event champ Hossein Ensan, and Tony G would all miss out.
By the end of day one, only ten players remained, Guilbert joined by two of the biggest names in the highstakes tournament game, Ali Imsirovic and Christoph Vogelsang, among the leading chip counts.
♠♣ ♥ ♦
England’s Stephen Chidwick looked like he might get a timely triple-up as he looked to add to his runner-up spot to Ivey in event 1, but despite his two opponents holding almost the same hand, the flop was unkind to him and he would exit in 10th place.
Saman Nakhjavani: K♦ Qâ™
Stephen Chidwick: 5♥ 5♦
Vladi Chaoulov: K♣ Q♦
Flop: 7♥ 7s Kâ™
Turn: 9♥
River: 4â™
Chaoulov and Nakhjavani would both exit soon enough as well, sandwiching Pascal Lefrancois in 8th, and then it was Ali Imsirovic’s turn to bust out, again a bad beat to blame...
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Johan Guilbert: 6♠6♥
Ali Imsirovic: 7♠7♥
Flop: 6♣ 5♥ 3♣
Turn: 8♦
River: 2â™
David Stamm and Christoph Vogelsang followed Ali to the cash desk, $160k and $200k, respectively making it a very profitable couple of days at the tables.
Down to just three, and Seth Davies had his dreams of glory shattered when his pocket kings lost out to another nasty flop, leaving Guilbert and Selahaddin Bedir heads up for an SHRB Europe title.
The Frenchman and the Turkish player swapped chips in an entertaining heads-up battle, but eventually something had to give and the following hand sealed victory for Guilbert...
♠♣ ♥ ♦
Johan Guilbert: A♠7♥
Selahaddin Bedir: 10♣ 5♣
Flop: A♦ 7♣ 4♣
Turn: 6â™
Bedir had called pre-flop and check-called the flop, passing the question over to Guilbert by shoving against the French player’s bet when the turn gave him straight and flush draws.
Guilbert eventually called and the river...
River: 10â™
...handed him a historic win, both players bagging their biggest-ever live scores.
Final table results
| 1 | Johan Guilbert | $506,250 |
| 2 | Selahaddin Bedir | $364,500 |
| 3 | Seth Davies | $243,000 |
| 4 | Christoph Vogelsang | $202,500 |
| 5 | David Stamm | $162,000 |
| 6 | Ali Imsirovic | $121,500 |
| 7 | Saman Nakhjavani | $101,250 |
| 8 | Pascal Lefrancois | $81,000 |
Event 3 is already underway at the Merit Royal Hotel & Casino in Kyrenia, Cyprus, with Phil Ivey among 45 entries in the second of the $25k Short deck tournament on the 9-event schedule.
