Another highlight performance
We were all unsure what to expect with the return of the World Series of Poker this year. One thing we did get was a ton of amazing performances. From Main Event champ Koray Aldemir to Player of the Year Josh Arieh to final table record breaker Phil Hellmuth, the 2021 WSOP featured individual feat after individual feat. Wrapping up the Series, Michael Addamo added his name to highlight list, continuing his scorching fall by nabbing his second bracelet of this year’s WSOP and the fourth of his career.
Addamo won the second-to-last event of the 2021 World Series of Poker, $100,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em for a fat $1,958,569 first prize. As is typically the case for such a high-dollar buy-in tournament, it was a very small field, with just 64 entries and ten places paid.
Addamo went into the final day with a huge lead, but lost it temporarily three-handed when Sam Soverel doubled through him. He regained the lead shortly thereafter, eventually eliminating Soverel. Addamo went into heads-up play against Kevin Rabichow with a massive lead, 28 million to 5 million.
On the final hand, Addamo raised, putting Rabichow all-in for 5.5 million. Rabichow called, flipping over A-6, ahead of Addamo’s K-2. A deuce showed up on the flop and everything else bricked, giving Addamo the hand and his second bracelet of the Series.
In his post-match interview, Addamo said he was thankful to win the tourney right then and there: “Kevin (Rabichow) is a heads-up player originally, so it would’ve been quite tough with double up there.”
He just keeps winning
The Aussie now has over $17.7 million in live tournament earnings, much of it coming in just the last few months. He has been on an insane tear since September. In the middle of the month, Addamo won back-to-back events at the Poker Masters, $50,000 and $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em. His wins not only totaled $1.84 million in earnings, but also got him the Purple Jacket as the Poker Masters’ overall champion.
Later that month, Addamo finished second in the $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em event at the Aria High Roller Series for $322,000 and then won the $300,000 buy-in Super High Roller Bowl, good for $3.402 million.
During the WSOP, Addamo also finished third and first in two other Aria High Roller tournaments. All told, he has won over $9.4 million this year in live tournaments.
After his latest World Series victory, Addamo said it was time for him to step away from the tables for a bit. “I’ve been playing non-stop for three and a half months straight so I am ready for a break,” he said.
Addamo added, however, that we should all expect him to get back to it next year, both at the WSOP and at plenty of other high roller events.
Image credit: PokerGO.com
