Addamo having quite the September
Michael Addamo really likes PokerGO’s live tournaments this year. There is just something about them that puts the Aussie in a comfort zone. Earlier this month, he won back-to-back tournaments during the Poker Masters to take home the Purple Jacket as the player of the series. And now, going into Wednesday’s five-handed final table of the Super High Roller Bowl VI (SHRB), Addamo is the chip leader, looking to nail down one of the most impressive two-week stretches in recent poker memory.
As one would expect, the field for the Super High Roller Bowl is quite small – just 21 players – something not at all unusual for a tournament with a buy-in of $300,000. The Poker Masters fields were small for the same reason (though significantly larger than the SHRB because even with high buy-ins, they didn’t come close to $300,000). But whereas winning a tournament against a massive field like players will have to do during the World Series of Poker is extremely difficult because of the sheer numbers of potholes, beating a SHRB or Poker Masters field is challenging because every or nearly every player is excellent. It’s like trying to pitch a shutout in an All-Star Game.
Still needs to make the money, though
And so here Michael Addamo sits, holding 2.9 million chips, almost has many as the other four players combined (3.4 million). But those four players are not the kind that are about to give in. Behind Addamo is Justin Bonomo (1.11 million chips), Sean Winter (1.070 million), Alex Foxen (840,000), and Chris Brewer (380,000). Of those four, only Bonomo is not in the top ten on the PokerGO Tour leaderboard.
Despite the fact that they are at the final table, none of the remaining five players are guaranteed a payday yet. Because of the size of the field, just the top three finishers will make the money. The prize pool is $6.3 milllion, with the winner taking home more than half of that, $3.402 million. Second place gets $1.890 million, and third place will receive $1.008 million.
Addamo accumulated his sizeable lead thanks largely to the final hand of Tuesday’s action. Bill Klein limped pre-flop for 80,000 chips, Addamo raised to 220,000, and Klein called to bring on a flop of 7-T-J rainbow. Klein led out with a 200,000-chip bet and Addamo called. Another 7 came on the turn and Klein bet 350,000 after some deep thought, followed by another Addamo call. With an 8 on the river (no flush available), Klein shoved for 615,000 and after five (FIVE!) time extensions, Addamo called with pocket Queens for two pair. Klein also had two pair, but his A-J was beaten and he was out of the tournament on the next hand.
The Super High Roller Bowl will be settled on Wednesday, with play beginning at noon PT. PokerGO will stream the proceedings starting an hour later.
Image credit: PokerGO.com
