€2,500 PLO High Roller, €100K Gtd.
Day 2 Completed
2020 King's Resort PLO High Roller
€2,500 PLO High Roller, €100K Gtd.
Day: 2
Level 21
: 20,000/40,000, 0 ante
The first major live poker tournament on European soil after the COVID-19 outbreak has come to a conclusion at the King's Resort in Rozvadov, one of the biggest poker arenas of the continent and host of the World Series of Poker Europe throughout the last few years.
A total of 60 entries in the 2020 King's Resort €2,500 PLO High Roller boosted the prize pool to €128,250 and the top seven spots were paid. After a short-lived heads-up battle it was French poker veteran and two-time WSOP bracelet winner Roger Hairabedian that defeated Christian Stratmeyer in heads-up to claim the top prize of €40,401 whereas Stratmeyer walked away with a payday of €29,176.
Among those to cash were also Eric Lescot, Harry Casagrande, and Jonas Kronwitter whereas King's regular "The Talk" ended up as the bubble boy.
Final Result €2,500 PLO High Roller
| Place | Winner | Country | Payout (in EUR) | Payout (in USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roger Hairabedian | France | € 40,401 | $45,249 |
| 2 | Christian Stratmeyer | Germany | € 29,176 | $32,677 |
| 3 | Eric Lescot | Belgium | € 18,596 | $20,828 |
| 4 | Harry Casagrande | Austria | € 14,107 | $15,800 |
| 5 | Andreas Bremer | Germany | € 10,901 | $12,209 |
| 6 | Jonas Kronwitter | Austria | € 8,336 | $9,336 |
| 7 | Ossama Khamis | Germany | € 6,733 | $7,541 |
Frantic Early Stages
Since Day 1 only played six levels of 30 minutes each, the late registration was available for another four levels on the final day and the new entries and re-entries kept on coming at a steady pace. Sergej Barbarez was among the new additions to the field and lasted all but one hand when he got it in with aces versus aces and Matthias Kribben turned trips jacks.
As the players busted and bought back in, the chips went back and fourth in the first two hours of play. Barely any minute passed without an all-in showdown and the guarantee was surpassed easily. Ultimately, the attendance was nearly doubled and 22 players remained in contention when the registration had closed.
By then, Jan-Peter Jachtmann was still in the top spot but the former WSOP PLO bracelet winner dropped into the middle of the pack when his top pair ran smack dab into the top set of Roger Hairabedian.
The Race to the Final Table
In arguably the most remarkable hand of the day down to the final three tables, Harry Casagrande scored a triple knockout when his queens and jacks turned a king-high straight to dispatch Robert Wilke, Kristijan Maric and Andre Ellbracht. Franz Doblinger came up short of the final two tables and by then, new chip leaders had emerged in Christian Stratmeyer and Hairabedian.
Karol Konopka had most of his stack in with aces and Jonas Kronwitter flopped trips eights to sent Konopka to the rail. Shortly after, Jules Ayoub flopped two pair and turned a flush only for Christian Stratmeyer to flip over the turned nut flush and join the big stacks.
Tuncay Tutus and Uemit Guenduez fell next, and Jachtmann's horrid run ended in 12th place when he flopped top pair and top kicker. Stratmeyer also flopped top pair but turned two pair to deal the final blow. Hairabedian then knocked out Saeed Rehman and Pedjman Hamie to enter the final table as the chip leader ahead of Stratmeyer.
Hairabedian Runs Hot and Dominates the Final Table
Hassan Mattout was the shortest stack among the final nine and stood no chance. For The Talk the tournament and a lengthy massage ended on the money bubble when he defended out of the blinds and got it in holding a straight draw along with top two pair against Stratmeyer and Kronwitter, the latter had flopped a set and held up.
What followed was the Hairabedian show as he knocked out five of his final six contenders. Ossama Khamis ran with queens into his kings and Kronwitter could not find help with top and bottom pair against top two.
Andreas Bremer ran with top two into the top set of Stratmeyer and the rampage of Hairabedian continued when he rivered the nuts against Harry Casagrande and took the remaining chips of the Austrian shortly after. Lescot also fell victim to Hairabedian and the heads-up duel was almost over in the second hand. Stratmeyer scored a lucky double by cracking aces but it was only a short-lived hope.
Hairabedian rivered a full house against the trips of Stratmeyer to take a commanding lead once more and found kings a few hands later to flop a wrap and turn the nut straight in order to seal the victory.
That ends the PokerNews live updates from the King's Resort in Rozvadov and Europe's biggest poker arena prepares for bigger festivals in the weeks and months to come according to the current safety restrictions in the Czech Republic.
Level 21
: 20,000/40,000, 0 ante
Down to the last 250,000, Christian Stratmeyer was all-in and at risk with Roger Hairabedian quickly making the call.
Christian Stratmeyer: 
Roger Hairabedian: 
The 
flop sent Stratmeyer into even bigger trouble as the ace was dead. Sure enough the 
turn instantly sealed the victory for Hairabedian as a meaningless 
rolled off on the river.
Stratmeyer finished 2nd in a televised PLO tournament at King's Resort once more and takes home €29,176 for his efforts. Hairabedian takes home the top prize of €40,401 and that wraps up the PokerNews live coverage.
A recap of today's action is to follow.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
3,000,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 21
: 20,000/40,000, 0 ante
Christian Stratmeyer opened the action with a pot-sized bet of 120,000 with the 
and Roger Hairabedian defended the . Hairabedian check-called 50,000 on the 
flop and 75,000 on the 
turn.
Hairabedian hit the 
river and made it 225,000 to go. Stratmeyer immediately shrugged and some table chat ensued between the duo. Stratmeyer mulled over his decision for a while and tossed in calling chips to get very short.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,700,000
600,000
|
600,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
290,000
-570,000
|
-570,000 |
Level 21
: 20,000/40,000, 0 ante
Christian Stratmeyer raised the 
and Roger Hairabedian called with the 
. On the flop, Hairabedian check-called a bet of 50,000 and instantly hit the turn. Hairabedian check-called another 110,000 and the 
fell on the river.
A third check in a row by Hairabedian followed and Stratmeyer checked behind to concede some chips he had just won.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,100,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
860,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
Level 21
: 20,000/40,000, 0 ante
In the second hand of heads-up, Roger Hairabedian and Christian Stratmeyer got their chips in and the latter was at risk for 530,000.
Christian Stratmeyer: 
Roger Hairabedian: 
Stratmeyer failed to connect on the 
flop but made two pair on the turn. A blank 
fell on the river and Stratmeyer doubled. Hairabedian remains with a comfortable lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,900,000
-500,000
|
-500,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,060,000
470,000
|
470,000 |
Level 21
: 20,000/40,000, 0 ante
Eric Lescot raised the pot out of the small blind and said "Auf Wiedersehen" then announced all-in in the dark after Roger Hairabedian called in the big blind.
On the 
flop, Lescot pushed and Hairabedian called.
Eric lescot:
Roger Hairabedian:
The 
turn was a blank and the river improved Hairabedian to two pair as Lescot bowed out in 3rd place for €18,596.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,400,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
590,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
Busted | |
Level 21
: 20,000/40,000, 0 ante
On a flop of , Roger Hairabedian bet 50,000 with the and Christian Stratmeyer called with the 
. The fell on the turn and Hairabedian now check-folded to a bet of 75,000 by Stratmeyer.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,200,000
-100,000
|
-100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
550,000
-140,000
|
-140,000 |
|
|
260,000
-55,000
|
-55,000 |
Level: 21
Blinds: 20,000/40,000
Ante: 0
Level 20
: 15,000/30,000, 0 ante
Down to just 270,000, Harry Casagrande was at risk from the small blind as Roger Hairabedian had raised first to act.
Harry Casagrande:
Roger Hairabedian: 
The board came 
and Hairabedian struck gold with running diamonds for a flush, sending Casagrande to the rail in 4th place for €14,107.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,300,000
400,000
|
400,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |