One $50,000 Bounty Among The Prizes At The PokerNews Cup Final Table
The $1,100 PokerNews Cup Mystery Bounty saw the largest tournament turnout in Golden Nugget, Las Vegas history. A field size of 2,331 saw the initial guarantee smashed with a final prize pool of $2,261,070. From that starting field, to the 292 that returned to play yesterday, to just nine players all of whom are looking for the PokerNews Cup title, the first place prize of $218,605, and the $50,000 bounty that is still in play waiting to be claimed by one of the nine.
Leading the way with nearly half of the chips in play is Argentina’s Felipe Olivieri, who sits with 30,825,000. Olivieri has been a dominant force in the latter half of play in the tournament, knocking out player after player and amassing more chips than any other player. Olivieri’s best live cash prior to today was $69,100 from the 2019 PSPC, but today he has the opportunity to top that score.
Sitting behind him in the counts is Slovenia’s Vid Zagar who sits with 12,275,000. Zagar has already collected one $100,000 bounty, so his profit at the end of the tournament is already guaranteed higher than most of his competitors. Zagar has a number of cashes to his name already, with his biggest lifetime score sitting at $52,105, which came last December. A deep run here today could change that and give him his first PokerNews Cup victory.
Third is Forrest Raleigh who starts the day with 7,800,000. The WSOP Circuit regular holds a number of cashes to his name, with a career best score for a runner up finish in a WSOPC Main Event for $167,637. A major title has eluded him thus far and he looks to change that today. The well-dressed player sits in third and eliminated the final player of last night to bring the field to the final table.
Final Table Seat Draw
| Table | Seat | Name | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Forrest Raleigh | United States | 7,800,000 | 26 |
| 1 | 2 | Vid Zagar | Slovenia | 12,275,000 | 41 |
| 1 | 3 | Johnny Kelly | United Kingdom | 4,075,000 | 14 |
| 1 | 4 | Humberto Lopes Galindo | Portugal | 5,000,000 | 17 |
| 1 | 5 | Eduardo Amaral Silva | Brazil | 3,100,000 | 10 |
| 1 | 6 | Kyle Gross | United States | 1,750,000 | 6 |
| 1 | 7 | Tim Garles | United States | 2,925,000 | 10 |
| 1 | 8 | Felipe Olivieri | Argentina | 30,825,000 | 103 |
| 1 | 9 | Kunal Patni | India | 2,675,000 | 9 |
Winning one mystery bounty tournament is hard enough, winning two would be almost unheard of in its short lifespan in the poker world. Humberto Lopes Galindo looks to try to win two after his career best win for $259,789 in the EPT Paris Mystery Bounty. Sitting with 5,000,000, Galindo’s experience in this particular format could prove useful as he continues to make a name for himself on the poker tournament circuit.
Johnny Kelly sits as the last remaining player out of the U.K., sitting with 4,075,000. Kelly has already secured his biggest lifetime cash with the final table today, bounties notwithstanding. With a couple of cashes secured at the WSOP this summer, Kelly looks to continue having success on this side of the pond in this event.
Online crusher Eduardo Amaral Silva follows in the counts with 3,100,000. The Brazilian boasted the loudest and most active rail late into the night and his online prowess is known far and wide, with his best recorded online cash sitting at $330,433. He has recently seen some success in the live field with a deep run at EPT Paris for his best live cash of $19,930 and he looks to carry that success on into the summer.
Midwestern poker legend Tim Garles enters the final table with 2,925,000. The Iowa resident has a WSOPC ring to his name as well as many cashes around the United States to spice up his resume. A win here would add nicely to his career and he holds more unclaimed bounties than the rest of the field, giving him a shot for the $50,000 bounty.
India’s Kunal Patni has the most lifetime earnings on Hendon Mob at this final table. With $766,531 on record, he brings a wealth of experience to the final table, having recently final tabled the $3,000 Freezeout at the WSOP for $73,225. He currently sits with 2,675,000, but a double up could put him into contention for the top three spots.
Finally there is Kyle Gross who sits with 1,750,000. Gross spent much of the previous day grinding out the shorter stack, but was able to secure many pay jumps through careful maneuvering and patience. Gross has now doubled his lifetime Hendon Mob earnings and will be looking to secure his first major live win.
Play will begin at 2 p.m. on the livestream with players returning to 150,000/300,000 blinds and a 300,000 big blind ante. Play will continue until a new PokerNews Cup champion has risen. Stay tuned to PokerNews for all updates regarding this tournament.