Siamak Tooran Wins Maiden Bracelet in €25,500 Short Deck for €740,996
Another champion has been crowned in Europe's biggest poker arena at the King's Casino in Rozvadov as the sixth event of the 2019 World Series of Poker Europe has concluded. Out of 111 entries in Event #6: €25,500 Short Deck High Roller No-Limit Hold'em, it was Germany's Siamak Tooran that took home the lion's share of the €2,636,250 prize pool.
Event #6: €25,500 Short Deck High Roller No-Limit Hold'em Final Table Results
| Place | Winner | Country | Prize in € | Prize in $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Siamak Tooran | Germany | €740,996 | $822,506 |
| 2 | Thai Ha | United States | €457,964 | $508,340 |
| 3 | Orpen Kisacikoglu | Turkey | €323,553 | $359,144 |
| 4 | Netanel Amedi | Israel | €230,807 | $256,196 |
| 5 | Besim Hot | Switzerland | €166,258 | $184,546 |
| 6 | Rob Yong | United Kingdom | €120,946 | $134,250 |
| 7 | Jonathan Depa | United States | €88,861 | $98,636 |
Tooran defeated Thai Ha in heads-up as he claimed his first gold bracelet and a career-best score to become the second player in WSOP history to win a Short Deck tournament. The first edition had taken place earlier this year in Las Vegas, and Ha will have bittersweet memories as he finished second to Alex Epstein back then as well.
Heading into the final day, there were four big stacks, including Tooran, while Ha was the second-shortest stack. The American and fellow countryman Jonathan Depa were still considered the odds-on favorite due to their cash game experience in Short Deck while most of the other finalists were taking a shot at the new highly popular poker format for the first time.
"I learn very quickly and play a lot of tournaments, so it was no problem at all. There was just one specific hand with Phil Ivey, but apart from that, all went smoothly."
The background story of Tooran sounds very familiar to the one of 2019 WSOP Main Event champion Hossein Ensan as he was born in Iran and moved to Germany when he was eleven years old. Ensan had arrived at King's Casino the previous day and was among the first to embrace Tooran after his victory. The now 43-year-old currently lives in Goettingen, Germany, and is buying and selling gold. There is one more special item of that available now, but it will undoubtedly find a dedicated spot back home with his family and not on his counter.
Ha, who lists “Usually finish 2nd.” in his Twitter profile, had to settle for a consolation prize of €457,964. High Roller and Super High Roller regular Orpen Kisacikoglu finished third. The final day also featured Netanel Amedi, Besim Hot, Dusk Till Dawn's Rob Yong, and Jonathan Depa.
Tooran has been playing poker for fifteen years and used to play a particular pub game with four open and one hidden card. It was the first time for him with the Short Deck, which didn't seem to be a problem at all. He admitted that he didn't take any particular advice before the event started or when before the final table itself got underway.
"I learn very quickly and play a lot of tournaments, so it was no problem at all. There was just one specific hand with Phil Ivey, but apart from that, all went smoothly."
It was also a rare opportunity for Tooran to showcase his talents on the feature table of the King's Casino, which he regularly visits for festivals.
"At the beginning, it is somewhat strange, but you get used to it quickly. I just blended everything out and simply focused on my game only," he added when asked about the live stream experience. Especially in heads-up against Thai Ha, Tooran seemed very relaxed despite a two-to-one chip disadvantage.
He will now take a short break and celebrate with friends before returning to the poker action, and he also plans to take part in the upcoming €10,350 Main Event as well.
"I don't think [the big score] will change much, but I might buy a new car."
"I don't think [the big score] will change much, but I might buy a new car. I will probably also play a few bigger events with a buy-in between 2-5k, and I will definitely also give the Main Event a shot. But for now, I will just drive back home to see my family. When I called them earlier, the kids were screaming in excitement, and I can't wait to see them again."
Tooran began the final day as one of the big stacks and carefully picked his spots to boost his stack. He was even bluffed off trips by Netanel Amedi, who showed a lot of creativity on the feature table. Rob Yong, who entered the final day as far shortest stack, managed to ladder up one spot as Jonathan Depa found no help with jack-ten suited against the kings of Amedi.
Once Yong was gone in sixth place, the chip lead changed several times. Eventually, Besim Hot had to settle for fifth place, a bluff cost him most of the stack, and he never recovered from that.
The final four all held the lead at some point, but Amedi would end up on the rail next when his jack-ten was no good against the queen-ten of eventual champion Tooran.
Orpen Kisacikoglu went from chip leader to third-place finisher. His final hand provided a cruel run out when his pocket kings faced the ace-king suited of Thai Ha. There was no threat on the flop and turn, but the ace on the river sent Kisacikoglu into a world of pain.
Ha held a 2-1 lead at the start of heads-up, but Tooran was running hot and connected with most boards to quickly pull into a commanding lead. Ultimately, the fate of Ha was sealed when he shoved with ace-seven, and Tooran held up with ace-king to crown a champion.
That wraps up the Short Deck live reporting by PokerNews at the 2019 WSOPE, but more bracelet winners will be crowned in the days to come.Check the WSOPE Live Reporting hub for more updates.
