Congratulations to Dominykas Karmazinas, Winner of the $25,000 NLH Semi-Shootout (A$200,000)
On Saturday, Event #23 $25,000 NLH—Semi Shootout began with 20 players and played down to a final table of six; however, only four of those men were slated to get paid. Given the hefty price tag, the field was filled with experienced pros, which was reflected in a final table that included Tony G, Dan Kelly, Daniel Alaei, JC Tran, Elliot Smith, and Dominykas Karmazinas, the latter beginning the day as nearly a 2-1 chip leader over his next closest opponent.
It only took one orbit into play for the first elimination to occur. It happened when Karmazinas raised to 3,200 and received calls from Smith in the cut-off, Alaei on the button, and both Tran and Tony G in the blinds. When the flop came 
, action checked to Smith and he bet 6,500. Alaei then raised to 18,000, both blinds folded, Karmazinas called, and Smith gave it up.
The 
appeared on the turn and Karmazinas checked to Alaei, who counted out a big bet and fired 47,000 into the pot. Karmazinas didn't flinch and made the call. On the river the 
hit and without hesitation Karmazinas moved all-in, putting Alaei to the test. The American pro was far from happy and he had a decent 135,000 chips left behind; nonetheless, he announced a call. Karmazinas turned over 
and Alaei mucked his cards and stood up from the table. He whispered something into Tran's ear and quickly left the tournament area, bringing about the money bubble.
It took awhile for the bubble to burst, but it finally happened when Karmazinas raised from the cut-off to 4,800 and Smith called from the button. Tony G called from the big blind, and when the flop came down 
, he checked to Karmazinas, who bet 5,900. Smith folded and Tony G check-raised all in, and just a couple of seconds later Karmazinas made the call.
| Dominykas Karmazinas |   |
| Tony G |   |
The turn was the 
, followed by the 
on the river, delivering the final blow to Tony G who got up from his seat, shook some hands, and left the tournament area with the unfortunate distinction of being the bubble boy.
Not long after, a short-stacked Kelly opened for 6,000 on the button only to have Karmazinas three-bet to 16,500. When action came back around to Kelly, he moved all in for around 55,000 and Karmazinas snap-called.
Showdown
| Dan Kelly |  |
| Dominykas Karmazinas |  |
It was a classic flip, but Kelly needed to improve to keep his tournament hopes alive. Unfortunately for him, the board ran out an uneventful 
and he was eliminated in fourth place, earning A$65,000.
After being chipped down to around 40,000, Tran moved all in from the button and was called by Karmazinas in the small blind. Smith then moved all in over the top for 208,900 total, and after contemplating it for about a minute, Karmazinas released his hand.
Showdown
| JC Tran |  |
| Elliot Smith | |
Tran pointed to his ace in reference to his over card, which was his best hope. While the 
flop did not deliver an ace, it did pair Tran's eight and give him some extra outs. The turn was not one of them, and neither was the 
river. Tran made his exit in third place and left Smith (265,000) to face Karmazinas (735,000) in heads-up play.
The heads-up battle was a prolonged affair, lasting over two and a half hours, though the chip stacks never really fluctuated much during that time. In what would be the last hand, Smith raised to 16,000 from the button, Karmazinas three-bet to 41,000, Smith made it 76,000 to go, and Karmazinas moved all in. Smith made the call and was in good shape to double.
Showdown
| Karmazinas |  |
| Smith |  |
The flop was interesting as it gave Karmazinas a flush draw, while the turn made it seem a chop was inevitable. However, the spiked on the river to give Karmazinas a flush and the win!
Event #23 $25,000 NLH—Semi Shootout Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize (AUD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Dominykas Karmazinas | $200,000 |
| 2nd | Elliot Smith | $140,000 |
| 3rd | JC Tran | $95,000 |
| 4th | Dan Kelly | $65,000 |
| 5th | Tony G | None |
| 6th | Daniel Alaei | None |