Sami Kelopuro sat down at the final table of this week’s GGPoker Super MILLION$ seventh from nine in chips but stages an epic comeback that saw him crowned the tournament’s champion and scoop $408,406.
Kelopuro’s recent GGPoker results have been nothing short of phenomenal. He recently won three events in a single day, but this latest victory takes the biscuit. Let’s see how Kelopuro got the job done in the 36th Super MILLION$ event.
Super MILLION$ Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sami Kelopuro | Finland | $408,406 |
| 2 | Damian Salas | Argentina | $314,924 |
| 3 | Darren Elias | Canada | $242,839 |
| 4 | dimiasg | Cyprus | $187,255 |
| 5 | Arsenii Malinov | Russia | $144,393 |
| 6 | Adrian Mateos | Mexico | $111,342 |
| 7 | Bert Stevens | Mexico | $85,856 |
| 8 | Aleksei Barkov | Russia | $66,204 |
| 9 | Guillaume Nolet | Canada | $51,050 |
Very little went right for Guillaume Nolet at the final table; he couldn’t get out of second gear. Nolet was the first player out of the door, busting during the 30,000/60,000/7,500a level. He raised to 132,000 with ace-queen from early position, Bert Stevens three-bet to 384,000 on the button with suited ace-nine, and Nolet jammed for 986,837 in total. Stevens put in calling chips and won the hand courtesy of nine on the river.
Aleksei Barkov was the next player to bust, doing so shortly after Nolet’s demise. Barkov was down to only 4.5 big blinds and that short stack went into the middle from the button with king-seven of clubs. Damian Salas, from the small hand, called with ace-queen of clubs. Neither player improved their holding, but Salas didn’t need to. Good game, Barkov.
Former Champion Bows Out
Former Super MILLION$ champion Stevens crashed out in seventh. He lost almost all his chips when his king-queen ran into the pocket queens of “dimiasg”. Stevens was all-in from the big blind on the next hand with queen-ten and it lost to the ace-jack of Kelopuro.
Sixth-place and the first six-figure score of the evening went to three-time WSOP bracelet winner Adrian Mateos. Again, it was Kelopuro that did the damage. Kelopuro min-raised to 200,000 with ace-king in the late position and quickly called when Mateos three-bet all-in for 770,790 in total with the dominated ace-ten. A jack-high board failed to come to Mateos’ rescue and he busted out.
Russia’s Arsenii Malinov’s impressive run ended in a fifth-place finish worth $144,393. Malinov’s exit hand started with a limp in the small blind from Kelopuro with pocket sixes and check from Malinov with ace-five in the big blind. Kelopuro flopped a full house and fired out a 120,000 bet that Malinov raised to 360,000. Kelopuro, obviously, called. The turn brought the seven of spades into play, putting three spades out there and a potential straight draw. Both players checked its arrival.
The river was the five of spades and Kelopuro greeted it with a 683,100 bet. Malinov responded with an all-in shove worth 2,032,280 chips, but Kelopuro didn’t believe his opponent held the eight of spades for a straight flush and called.
That hand left only four players in contention for the top prize and Kelopuro with a stack of 12.4 million with his nearest rival having a 3.9 million stack.
The final four became three with the elimination of dimiasg. They open-shoved for 8.5 big blinds on the button with ace-queen and ultimately lost to the ace-ten of Salas when Salas improved to a heart flush.
Two-Time Champion Falls By The Wayside
Darren Elias is one of only three players to win this tournament twice but the hat-trick must wait because he fell in third-place. Elias pinned his hopes, and his last 13 big blinds, on pocket fours from the button. Salas called with ace-nine, turned an ace, and Elias was gone.
Salas went into heads-up against Kelopuro holding an 11,153,280 to 9,046,720 chip advantage but one-on-one is Kelopuro’s specialty.
Kelopuro won a huge pot when his ten-nine turned a straight at the same time Salas turned a set of eights. Salas’ last hand saw Kelopuro min-raise to 320,000 with king-jack and Salas call with king-eight. Both players flopped a king, but Kelopuro also flopped a jack to go with his. Salas checked, Kelopuro bet 160,000, Salas clicked it back to 320,000 and was called.
A ten on the turn saw Salas bet 275,600 and Kelopuro jam all-in. Salas called off the 1,520,460 chips he had behind only to discover he was drawing dead.
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