The 2019 Poker Masters is winding down, with the $50,000 No Limit Hold’em Main Event reaching its final table. Six men will be in contention for the championship, with only five of them actually earning any money for their efforts. Something that isn’t up for grabs with this tournament is the overall champion of the series, with the Purple Jacket already being fitted for one man who is at the final table of Event #10.
Chris Hunichen Leads the Way
The centerpiece of the 2019 Poker Masters, the $50,000 No Limit Hold’em Main Event, kicked off on Wednesday with plenty of money flying around the Poker Central studios. The “High Roller” tournament schedule has been a pretty big success, with the tournaments broadcast on PokerGO and with fans around the world watching the proceedings over streaming feed. Even with the higher buy in, the Main Event was expected to keep pace with the previous action in the Poker Masters series.
For the Main Event, unlimited rebuys were in play for the Day 1 action and the players took two distinct paths in the tournament. The first choice for players was to get in early and, if necessary, take advantage of the rebuy option. The second choice was for players to jump in just before the late registration period concluded. Both would prove to be a valid path as the numbers were calculated.
Once late registration and re-entry concluded, the final numbers were decent for the event. There were 23 dedicated players for the event that generated 34 entries and a $1.7 million prize pool. Five players will divvy up that pie, with the min-cash of $136,000 for a fifth place finish and a $680,000 payday for the eventual champion.
The tournament tried its best, but it was unable to get to the money before the end of the night. After Chris Hunichen knocked out both Bryn Kenney and Kahle Burns in one hand, Hunichen’s Big Chick outrunning Burns’ pocket Jacks and Kenney’s K-Q on an A-K-8-7-4 board, he would take over the lead of the tournament and bring the table to seven players. Seth Davies would tease the fans watching the tournament by knocking out 2018 Poker Player of the Year Alex Foxen in seventh place, but there would not be another departure to pop the money bubble before play ended for the night.
1. Chris Hunichen, 1.795 million
2. Sam Soverel, 1.34 million
3. Seth Davies, 1.14 million
4. Stephen Chidwick, 945,000
5. Elio Fox, 825,000
6. Ali Imsirovic, 755,000
Only five of these players will receive anything for their efforts, which should make the opening salvos of the Day 2 action very exciting and/or tense. The tournament will conclude this afternoon, with the festivities being streamed over PokerGO on a 30-minute delay beginning at 4PM (Eastern Time).
Sam Soverel Captures the Purple Jacket
Other than the Main Event, the only other thing left to decide was the person who would pick up the Purple Jacket, the fashionable attire that signifies the overall champion of the Poker Masters series. Several men were still in contention for the award as the Main Event played down but, by the time the final table was determined, the issue of who would pick up a new jacket for their wardrobe would be decided. That person would be one of the stalwarts of the “High Roller” circuit and someone not unfamiliar to being in the lead at the end.
Defending High Roller of the Year Sam Soverel was trying to fight his way past Kahle Burns to take the overall championship, so he was quite interested in the hand that eventually decided who would get the Purple Jacket. Once Hunichen flopped an Ace against Burns’ pocket Jacks to eliminate him at the unofficial final table of the Main Event – and with Soverel cruising in those same standings – the champion of the Poker Masters was determined. At this moment, the final numbers are not available but, as the “last man standing” among the contenders for the award, Soverel will earn enough points to remain atop the leaderboard and capture the title.
