Colorado-based poker pro Steve O’Dwyer topped the field of yet another prestigious event, thus bringing his live tournament earnings to more than $10 million. Last night, the player emerged victorious in the EPT Season 12 Malta €10,200 Single-Day High Roller and collected the amount of €327,030 in prize money.
The event attracted a field of 134 entries, of whom 99 unique ones and 35 reentries. Some of the most popular regulars on the international poker scene were seen at the tables of the high roller tournament but not all of them were lucky enough to collect a portion of the prize pool. It amounted to €1,299,800 and the top 17 finishers were paid, with payouts starting from €20,405.
Popular poker pros Mukul Pahuja, Dario Sammartino, Jason Mercier, and Byron Kaverman were among those who received their share of the money but could not make it to the eight-handed final table.
Eight-handed play started in Level 22. And German Julian Stuer was the first to leave the final table. The player was eliminated in 8th place by Jean-Noel Thorel from France. His portion of the prize pool amounted to €43,540.
Vlado Banicevic from Montenegro was the next to go. He, too, fell victim to Thorel to take 7th place in the single-day event and the amount of €57,840. Thorel himself hit the rail next. He could not stand a chance against American Jason Wheeler, who finished 4th in the €25,750 High Roller 8-Handed event. Thorel was paid €75,650 for his 6th place in the €10,200 Single-Day High Roller.
Niko Soininen from Finland took 5th place in the event. He was eliminated by the eventual champion to scoop the amount of €95,925 of the entire prize pool. American poker pro Isaac Haxton, who has been residing in Malta for several years now, was the next to leave. The player was busted by Ilari Sahamies from Finland to take 4th place and to collect €118,930.
Wheeler was next eliminated by O’Dwyer. His 3rd place in the event secured him with the amount of €143,630. Thus, the heads-up match between O’Dwyer and Sahamies was set and it took only four hands for the champion to be determined, with the Irishman, now residing in the US, winning all four.
On what turned out to be the last hand in play, O’Dwyer held a 5-1 chip lead. The player moved all in pre-flop, tabling [8s][9s]. His opponent called with [Qs][Js]. The [Kd][8d][4c][2c][3s] appeared on the board securing O’Dwyer with pocket eights and the title. Sahamies, on the other hand, had to settle for €220,970 for his runner-up finish.
