The first annual (let’s be optimistic and assume that it will be an annual occurrence) Poker Masters continued on Sunday, as Brandon Adams won the fourth event at ARIA, $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em. The $819,000 first prize for besting the 39-entry field is the largest of Adams’ career.
Going into Sunday’s Day 2 action, Adams was second of the remaining seven players with 1.187 million chips, trailing only Doug Polk, who had 1.357 million. Also at the final table were Chip Reese’s nephew Zach Clark, Justin Bonomo, David Peters, Jake Schindler, and Steffen Sontheimer, who made it four-for-four in Poker Masters final tables (he won Event #2).
Clark was the first to be eliminated on Sunday and as the seventh place finisher, he was also unfortunately out of the money. Down to his last 79,000 chips, Clark moved all-in pre-flop with K-6. Polk re-raised to get rid of the competition with A-3. Both flopped their best card, but of course that meant Polk still had the better hand. The turn and river were nothing for either player and Clark was out in seventh place.
Shortly thereafter, David Peters raised pre-flop with Aces and Jake Schindler re-raised with A-7 (uh-oh). Peters flat called and flop was dealt A-7-4, all spades (double uh-oh). Peters checked his set and then Schindler shoved for 334,000. Peters called instantly, apparently not at all afraid of a flush (likely because he figured Schindler would slow play it). Again, neither player improved and that was all she wrote for Schindler, the first player to be eliminated in the money.
It took a while, but Sontheimer was next to go, his A-5 losing to Adams’ pocket Fives.
Justin Bonomo was knocked out in fourth place. After Adams raised to 75,000 pre-flop, Bonomo went all-in for 770,000 with A-3 suited. Adams called with pocket Sevens and though Bonomo was able to pair his 3 on the turn, that wasn’t good enough to overcome Adams’ better pair.
Heads-up was determined when Adams raised to 90,000 pre-flop with A-K, Polk re-raised to 260,000 with Aces, and then Peters moved all-in for 545,000 with pocket Eights. Adams thought about it for some time and then decided to also go all-in. Polk made the auto-call.
The board came down Q-J-7-7-Q, knocking out Peters and allowing Polk to double through Adams. Polk went into heads-up play with a 2.955 million to 1.920 million chip lead.
Adams quickly took over the lead – basically reversing the chip counts – when he picked up a boatload of chips when his 5-2 was golden on a J-5-5 board. Polk had J-8 and was unable to get away from the hand until the river.
It didn’t take long after that, as Adams extended his lead. On the final hand, Polk raised pre-flop to 80,000 with 5-4 of diamonds and Adams called with 9-7 of diamonds. The flop was very interesting – K-8-6, the latter two diamonds, giving both players flush and straight draws. The two men got into a raising war at that point, with Adams ending up calling Polk’s all-in. The 2 of diamonds was dealt on the turn, giving both a flush, but Adams’ flush was better. Polk’s one-outer straight flush did not materialize on the river and Brandon Adams emerged triumphant.
Steffen Sontheimer is still the Poker Masters money leader after four events with $1.221 million in winnings, followed by Bryn Kenney with $1.085 million, Nick Schulman with $918,000, and Brandon Adams with $819,000.
