WSOP Europe €25,000 Super High Roller (non bracelet event)
Day 1 Completed
2017 World Series of Poker Europe
WSOP Europe €25,000 Super High Roller (non bracelet event)
Day: 1
Level 17
: 12,000/24,000, 4,000 ante
It was a small field filled with big names in the 2017 World Series of Poker Europe €25,000 Super High Roller and albeit there was no bracelet up for grabs, the pride and plenty of money up top were motivation enough. A field of 21 entries including five re-entries emerged and it was Dan Shak who defeated Mikita Badziakouski heads-up to claim the victory and a payday of €210,112.
The top four spots were guaranteed a share of the €492,765 prize pool and Ivan "Negriin" Luca ended up as the bubble boy, while Steffen Sontheimer took home the min cash of €67,555. The seemingly unbeatable Bryn Kenney survived several all-in showdowns and eventually bowed out in third place for €85,238. Shak entered heads-up with a commanding lead and it only took three hands to determine a champion.
"It was a small but stacked field, I was probably the only non pro. Me and Jean-Noel (Thorel)," he said after the final hand. "We enjoy the game," a delighted Shak added and left the tournament area with a big smile on the face. The American plays in some of the highest buy-ins on the international poker circuit all over the world and has crossed $9 million in cashes already with his win at the King's Casino in Rozvadov.
Badziakouski, who has two tournament wins in 2017 and plenty of second and third-place finished on his poker resume, added another €129,860 to his bankroll and has now recorded cashes of more than $5.6 million on the live poker circuit with his third place in Event #11: €111,111 High Roller for One Drop as his best score to date.
Final Result €25,000 Super High Roller
| Place | Winner | Country | Prize (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dan Shak | United States | €210,112 |
| 2 | Mikita Badziakouski | Belarus | €129,860 |
| 3 | Bryn Kenney | United States | €85,238 |
| 4 | Steffen Sontheimer | Germany | €67,555 |
Action of the Day
The day started with an alteration of the tournament structure to ensure the event would be finished in just one day and among those very vocal about the changes was Martin Kabrhel. The Czech master of speech play took part right from the start and was also the first player to re-enter and get eliminated for the second time. His first bullet went to Max Altergott and attempt number two saw Kabrhel miss out on a straight and flush draw against the bottom two pair of Jean-Noel Thorel.
Among the early casualties were Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier and Ali Reza Fatehi while four-time WSOP bracelet winner and 888poker ambassador Dominik Nitsche also headed to the rail empty-handed. He shoved with ace-nine suited and Timothy Adams reshoved with pocket aces. Martin Jacobson called for less with pocket kings in the big blind and busted in the same hand.
The rise and fall of Thorel, as well as Adams, took place before the unofficial final table was set and the all-in showdowns continued to take place minutes apart from each other. Adrian Mateos lost a flip with ace-ten against the pocket eights of Mikita Badziakouski while Felipe Ramos was left drawing dead on the turn with ace-queen against the pocket tens of Dan Shak.
Right after, Bryn Kenney doubled through Ole Schemion and also took the chips of Max Altergott a few hands later. Schemion himself was aiming for back-to-back double ups but fell short when his jack-nine suited failed to beat Badziakouski's ace-king. That left the event on the money bubble and Ivan Luca's aces were cracked by the pocket sevens of Kenney to reduce the field to the last four.
Shak doubled right away with kings versus sixes, and cracked the pocket aces and top set of Steffen Sontheimer with five-seven suited when another spade hit on the turn. Down to the last three, Shak held a dominating chip lead and Kenney doubled through Badziakouski once before his ace-three stood no chance against Shak's sevens. Heads-up play itself lasted all but three hands and Shak got it in with king-jack suited against the king-queen of Badziakouski, spiking a jack in the window to seal the victory.
The PokerNews live reporting continues with Day 4 of the Main Event as of November 8, 2017 until a winner is crowned, so make sure to tune back in regularly.
Level 17
: 12,000/24,000, 4,000 ante
Dan Shak raised to 55,000 and Mikita Badziakouski called from the big blind. The flop fell 
and Badziakouski checked, Shak bet 85,000 and forced a fold.
Two hands later, Badziakouski was in the big blind again with a stack of around 360,000. Shak moved all in from the button and Badziakouski counted his stack before calling all in.
Mikita Badziakouski: 
Dan Shak: 
"You are ahead," Shak nodded when turning over his cards. That all but changed on the 
flop as Shak spiked a jack. A blank 
turn was followed by the blank 
river and Badziakouski was eliminated in 2nd place for €129,860. Shak takes €210,112 for his efforts and a recap of today's action is to follow.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,100,000
460,000
|
460,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 17
: 12,000/24,000, 4,000 ante
Mikita Badziakouski shoved from the small blind and Bryn Kenney forfeited his big blind. One hand later, Kenney shoved for 390,000 from the small blind and Dan Shak quickly called in the big blind.
Bryn Kenney: 
Dan Shak: 
The board came 
and Kenney was left drawing dead on the turn to bow out in 3rd place for €85,238.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,640,000
290,000
|
290,000 |
|
|
460,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 17
: 12,000/24,000, 4,000 ante
Mikita Badziakouski received a walk and Dan Shak moved all in from the button the next hand to steal the blinds and antes.
Badziakouski raised the button to 60,000 and Shak called from the big blind. On the 
flop, Shak checked and folded to a bet of 45,000 by Badziakouski.
Bryn Kenney shoved for 199,000 on the button and Badziakouski eventually called from the big blind.
Bryn Kenney: 
Mikita Badziakouski: 
The flip went to Kenney on a board of 
and he remained in contention.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,350,000
-14,000
|
-14,000 |
|
|
440,000
189,000
|
189,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
380,000
-55,000
|
-55,000 |
|
|
||
Level: 17
Blinds: 12,000/24,000
Ante: 4,000
Level 16
: 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante
The remaining three players were sent on a 15-minute break and Dan Shak holds a commanding lead when play resumes.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,364,000
-36,000
|
-36,000 |
|
|
435,000
-45,000
|
-45,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
251,000
-39,000
|
-39,000 |
|
|
||
Level 16
: 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante
Steffen Sontheimer raised to 45,000 on the button and Dan Shak called out of the big blind. The flop fell 
and Shak checked. Sontheimer bet 25,000 and snap-called the shove of Shak.
Steffen Sontheimer:
Dan Shak:
Shak immediately got there with the turn and Sontheimer sighed, then said "yep, didn't feel good." The 
followed on the river and Sontheimer was eliminated in fourth place for €67,555.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,400,000
450,000
|
450,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 16
: 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante
Mikita Badziakouski limped the small blind and folded to the shove of Steffen Sontheimer.
Badziakouski raised to 40,000 on the button and Bryn Kenney shoved from the big blind, forcing a fold.
Kenney raised to 45,000 in the small blind and Dan Shak called in the big blind. The flop fell 
and Kenney bet 48,000, Shak moved all in and Kenney folded. "I had a shoving hand pre," Shak said. "Ole would shove," the American added and flashed .
Shak limped from the small blind right after. Badziakouski shoved out of the big blind and Shak snap-called.
Dan Shak: 
Mikita Badziakouski: 
The board came 
and Shak doubled for 468,000 to take the lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
950,000
630,000
|
630,000 |
|
|
480,000
-510,000
|
-510,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
400,000
55,000
|
55,000 |
|
|
290,000
-95,000
|
-95,000 |
|
|
||
Level 16
: 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante
Mikita Badziakouski was all in for 477,000 from the cutoff and Steffen Sontheimer on the button looked him up. Badziakouski had a flip with 
against the and said "the queen is coming" while Dan Shak in the big blind shot out of his chair on the flop. "I had pocket threes and would have shoved."
The turn was a blank, but Badziakouski spiked the river to double.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
990,000
440,000
|
440,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
345,000
-475,000
|
-475,000 |