PokerStars High Rollers Series Awards $13.4M: Vezhenkov Wins Huge
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The PokerStars High Rollers series is done and dusted after all 27 high stakes events crowned their champions. By the time the 27th champion was crowned, PokerStars had paid out $13,407,100 while an impressive 7,322-entries were processed in total.
Only one player managed to get their hands on two titles, that was the Netherlands’ “Pimmss”. The Dutch grinder triumphed in the High Rollers 02: $1,050 NLHE 8-Max PKO event and banked a cool $113,916. They then won the High Rollers 12: $530 NLHE 8-Max for an additional $36,328.
Some massive prizes were awarded along the way to the series’ conclusion, here is a trio of the biggest results from the PokerStars High Rollers series.
High Rollers 23: $5,200 NLHE 8-Max Main Event
Entrants: 515
Prize pool: $2,575,000
ITM: 63
Artem “veeea” Vezhenkov is no stranger to the winner’s circle having won the Sunday Million three times during his impressive career. Now he has a High Rollers title to add to his resume and the not-so-small matter of $457,344.
Finland’s “elmerixx” was the unfortunate soul who burst the money bubble, busting in 64th place. This paved the way for the likes of Talal “raidalot” Shakerchi, “Pimmss”, Luc “YRWTHMELTHR” Greenwood, “WATnlos”, and “huang33” to see a return on their $5,200 investment.
UK-based Spaniard “deivid29” was the first of the eight finalists to bust; they collected $55,641. Dutch player “TheKrawiec” fell in seventh and won $75,178, the last score not to be worth six-figures.
British pro Simon “simon1471” Higgins banked $101,574 for his sixth-place exit before Julien “L1VeYRdrEamS” Perouse exited in fifth for $137,238.
Fourth-place and $185,424 went to Finnish star Samuel “€urop€an” Vousden with Eduardo “edudrake1987” Pires running out of steam to bust in third-place for $250,529.
Vezhenkov defeated Swedish legend Simon “C. Darwin2” Mattsson heads-up for the title, resigning the Swede to a $338,494 consolation prize.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Artem “veeea” Vezhenkov | Russia | $457,344 |
| 2 | Simon “C. Darwin2” Mattsson | Sweden | $338,494 |
| 3 | Eduardo “edudrake1987” Pires | Brazil | $250,529 |
| 4 | Samuel “€urop€an” Vousden | Finland | $185,424 |
| 5 | Julien “L1VeYRdrEamS” Perouse | Canada | $137,238 |
| 6 | Simon “simon1471” Higgins | United Kingdom | $101,574 |
| 7 | TheKrawiec | Netherlands | $75,178 |
| 8 | deivid29 | United Kingdom | $55,641 |
High Rollers 14: $10,300 NLHE 8-Max PKO
Entrants: 86
Prize pool: $1,000,000
ITM: 11
The High Rollers 14: $10,300 NLHE 8-Max PKO had a $1 million guarantee but a field of only 86 meant an overlay for PokerStars. Nobody who cashed was bothered by the fact PokerStars had to make up the $140,000 difference, free cash is free cash after all.
British superstar Michael “mczhang” Zhang was the last player standing in this event and he padded his bankroll with a combined prize weighing in at $239,803. Zhang sent Jans “Graftekkel” Arends to the showers in second-place so Arends had to console himself with a $168,858 runner-up prize.
Earlier at the final table, Moldova’s “silentm0de” and Jonathan “Proudflop” Proudfoot were the first casualties and they walked away with $43,361 and $47,141 respectively.
High stakes cash game specialist Ignat “0Human0” Liviu won $40,047 for his sixth-place exit while “Radogoszcz” won $57,335 after busting one place deeper.
Rui “RuiNF” Ferreira’s fourth-place weighed in at $112,868 before Tuen “tinnoemulder” Mulder became the penultimate bust out, a finish worth $126,975 with bounty payments included.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize | Bounties | Total Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael “mczhang” Zhang | United Kingdom | $136,210 | $103,593 | $239,803 |
| 2 | Jans “Graftekkel” Arends | Austria | $105,265 | $63,593 | $168,858 |
| 3 | Tuen “tinnoemulder” Mulder | Netherlands | $81,350 | $45,625 | $126,975 |
| 4 | Rui “RuiNF” Ferreira | Netherlands | $62,868 | $50,000 | $112,868 |
| 5 | Radogoszcz | Poland | $48,585 | $8,750 | $57,335 |
| 6 | Ignat “0Human0” Liviu | Romania | $37,547 | $2,500 | $40,047 |
| 7 | Jonathan “Proudflop” Proudfoot | United Kingdom | $29,016 | $18,125 | $47,141 |
| 8 | silentm0de | Moldova | $22,424 | $20,937 | $43,361 |
High Rollers 11: $5,200 NLHE 6-Max
Entrants: 102
Prize pool: $510,000
ITM: 11
The High Rollers 11: $5,200 NLHE 6-Max saw 102 entries create a $510,000 prize pool that was shared among the top 11 finishers. Gianluca “Tankanza” Speranza was the bubble boy, paving the way for a $14,712 score for the remaining 11 players.
As you would expect from a $5,200 buy-in event, the in-the-money list read likes a who’s who of poker. Jans “Graftekkel” Arends, Niklas “Lena900” Astedt and Claas “SicK_OnE” Segebrecht were among those finishing in the money, the latter busting in seventh to set the final table.
Andras “probirs” Nemeth busted in sixth place for $32,510 while Luuk “pokerkluka” Gieles saw his $5,200 turn into $42,344. Next to fall was Samuel “€urop€an” Vousden, a finish worth $55,153, before Netherlands’ Tuen “tinnoemulder” Mulder scooped a $71,837 third-place prize.
This left “girafganger7” and the Ukraine’s “Remi Lebo_10” to lock horns heads-up. It was the former who emerged victoriously and banked $121,872, leaving the Ukrainian to secure a $93,568 payday.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | girafganger7 | United Kingdom | $121,872 |
| 2 | Remi Lebo_10 | Ukraine | $93,568 |
| 3 | Tuen “tinnoemulder” Mulder | Netherlands | $71,837 |
| 4 | Samuel “€urop€an” Vousden | Finland | $55,153 |
| 5Luuk “ | pokerkluka” Gieles | Netherlands | $42,344 |
| 6 | Andras “probirs” Nemeth | Hungary | $32,510 |
2019 High Rollers Festival Results
| Event | Champion | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| High Rollers 01: $10,300 NLHE 8-Max | Andreas “daskalos20” Christoforou | $244,261 |
| High Rollers 02: $1,050 NLHE 8-Max PKO | Pimmss | $113,916* |
| High Rollers 03: $530 NLHE 8-Max Turbo | Ognyan “cocojamb0” Dimov | $50,377 |
| High Rollers 04: $1,050 NLHE 6-Max Hyper | Manuel “fellatiado” Ruivo | $57,977 |
| High Rollers 05: $5,200 NLHE 8-Max PKO | NeedBeat | $164,560* |
| High Rollers 06: $530 NLHE 8-Max | Joao “Naza114” Vieira | $44,811 |
| High Rollers 07: $1,050 NLHE 6-Max | NEWFlat | $39,890 |
| High Rollers 08: $10,300 NLHE 8-Max | Alexandros “mexican222” Kolonias | $265,000 |
| High Rollers 09: $1,050 PLO 6-Max | MITS 304 | $35,702 |
| High Rollers 10: $530 NLHE 8-Max PKO | Alfred “Kzzon” Karlsson | $58,139* |
| High Rollers 11: $5,200 NLHE 6-Max | girafganger7 | $121,872 |
| High Rollers 12: $530 NLHE 8-Max | Pimmss | $36,328 |
| High Rollers 13: $1,050 NLHE 8-Max | Pablo “pabritz” brito Silva | $39,675 |
| High Rollers 14: $10,300 NLHE 8-Max PKO | Michael “mczhang” Zhang | $239,803* |
| High Rollers 15: $1,050 8-Game | Jens “Fresh_oO_D” Lakemeier | $27,250 |
| High Rollers 16: $530 NLHE 8-Max | Luc “YRWTHMELTHR” Greenwood | $33,087 |
| High Rollers 17: $5,200 NLHE 8-Max | Pwndidi | $33,087 |
| High Rollers 18: $1,050 NHLE 8-Max | Striker33333 | $39,675 |
| High Rollers 19: $530 NLHE 8-Max PKO | Rus_us8 | $37,143* |
| High Rollers 20: $5,200 6+ Hold’em 6-Max | Jordi “prot0” Urlings | $108,291 |
| High Rollers 21: $1,050 NLHE 6-Max PKO | Daris “DEX888” Pedes | $56,547* |
| High Rollers 22: $530 NLHE 8-Max | Martin “nizmo jiz” kozlov | $28,631 |
| High Rollers 23: $5,200 NLHE 8-Max Main Event | Artem “veeea” Vezhenkov | $457,344 |
| High Rollers 24: $10,300 PLO 6-Max | Pascal “Pass_72” Lefrancois | $186,237 |
| High Rollers 25: $2,100 NLHE 8-Max PKO | Mike “SirWatts” Watson | $116,930* |
| High Rollers 26: $530 NLHE 6-Max Hyper | Rhyzm-P | $51,746 |
| High Rollers 27: $5,200 NLHE 8-Max | Sergi “srxakgirona” Reixach | $135,895 |
*includes bounty payments
