WSOP Circuit NLH Main Event
Day 4 Completed
WSOP Circuit NLH Main Event
Day 4 Completed
The 2021 World Series of Poker International Circuit at the King's Resort in Rozvadov has come to a thrilling conclusion. Out of a field of 912 entries, nine players battled for the gold circuit ring and biggest slice of the €1,342,920 prize pool. After a roller coaster heads-up duel, Andrea Ricci defeated fellow countryman Simone Lombardo to claim his first gold ring and top prize of €236,489.
Ricci already came close to earn his maiden victory on the WSOP Circuit in Europe's biggest poker arena a few weeks ago. In a field of 320 entries, the Italian finished as the runner-up in Event #7 €660 No Limit Hold'em - Fiftystack for €22,934. His opponent back then, Karol Bogusz from Poland, also made the money in the €1,700 Main Event as well and finished in 36th place.
On top of that, Ricci comes fresh off a triumph in the IPO888poker San Marino, where he came out on top of a1,497 entry strong field to claim the top prize of €125,535. His biggest cash until now came back in 2018 when the Italian emerged victorious in the €560 Premiere Million Main Event in Nova Gorica, Slovenia, for €230,000. Ricci has now topped that by a few thousand Euros.
Runner-up Lombardo put up a fierce fight in heads-up and all but sealed the victory only to see his hopes crushed in dramatic fashion. Aliaksandr Shylko repeated his fourth place finish in this very event in 2019 and the final table also featured the 2019 EPT Sochi Main Event winner Uri Gilboa, who finished in sixth place.
Position | Winner | Country | Prize in Euros) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Andrea Ricci | Italy | €236,489 |
2 | Simone Lombardo | Italy | €146,004 |
3 | Vincent De Neve | Germany | €104,359 |
4 | Aliaksandr Shylko | Belarus | €79,943 |
5 | Mourad Tounnouti | Netherlands | €63,334 |
6 | Uri Gilboa | Israel | €49,329 |
7 | Mr. Bond | Germany | €35,943 |
8 | Ahmad Achegsei | Germany | €24,565 |
9 | Sami Karli | Germany | €19,459 |
The nine finalists and tenth-place finisher Mihai Stinca also received an entry to the 2021 WSOP Europe €10,300 Main Event as well, which is currently scheduled to take place early in December. Through various live poker events, the King's Resort has now already awarded 172 entries for the pinnacle event of the upcoming festival.
The nine-handed final table started with a bang as Sami Karli was eliminated by Andrea Ricci during the first few hands. He had started the final day second in chips and flopped trips nines while Ricci had already nailed a full house with pocket deuces. The turn and river bricked and the Italian soared into a commanding lead.
Ahmad Achegsei was then eliminated by Simone Lombardo when a dominated pair found no help before Ricci flopped best to knock out King's regular "Mr. Bond". The short stacks were fighting for their survival and Uri Gilboa as well as Mourad Tounnouti were the next to depart, leaving Ricci and Lombardo at the top of the leaderboard with four contenders remaining.
Ricci also sent Aliaksandr Shylko to the rail when the Belorussian was caught with a triple barrel bluff. Three-handed play lasted for a while but Vincent De Neve then jammed at the wrong time into Lombardo to set up an all-Italian heads-up battle for the gold ring.
For most of the final table, Ricci dominated at the top of the leaderboard. There were some setbacks along the way but he never really surrendered the top spot until the heads-up stage, which started nearly even in chips. Ricci fell behind and then doubled to pull well ahead of Lombardo with the chance to wrap it up twice only for his fellow countryman to survive, too.
Lombardo got there with ace-trey suited versus pocket eights to claim back the lead and both then clashed in a typical coin flip with pocket eights versus ace-queen. An eight on the flop all but sealed the victory for Lombardo but Ricci found a miracle escape thanks to running diamonds.
In the very next hand, Ricci jammed jack-six suited into queen-ten and Lombardo nailed the nut straight and gutshot straight flush draw. With just the blank middle pair by then, Ricci needed more magic and indeed spiked perfect-perfect for an unlikely full house to seal the triumph in extraordinary fashion.
That wraps up the PokerNews coverage for this event but the next live poker event is just around the corner with the partypoker MILLIONS North Cyprus from September 16 to 27.
Simone Lombardo raised to 1.2 million and Andrea Ricci three-bet to 4 million with 16 million behind. Lombardo carefully counted his remaining stack and then moved all-in for Ricci to call with the inferior stack size.
Andrea Ricci: A♦Q♠
Simone Lombardo: 8♠8♦
It seemed all but over on the J♦8♣2♦ flop as Ricci needed running cards to a straight or flush. He got one of them on the 3♦ turn and the rail shouted for the four of diamonds. Sure enough, the 4♦ fell on the river and Ricci's rail exploded. Both Italian contenders hugged while the chips were counted and Lombardo was left with around 5 million.
Lombardo was still all smiles when he sat back down and Ricci then jammed the button, Lombardo called it off.
Simone Lombardo: Q♣10♦
Andrea Ricci: J♣6♣
The K♦J♦9♦ flop gave Lombardo the nut straight and gutshot straight flush draw. Suddenly, Ricci picked up outs on the 6♥ turn and the magical J♠ river completed a miracle runout to eliminate Lombardo in back-to-back hands. He takes home €146,004 while Ricci has earned the WSOP Circuit gold ring and top prize of €236,489.
A recap of today's action is to follow.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Andrea Ricci |
45,600,000
26,600,000
|
26,600,000 |
|
||
Simone Lombardo | Busted |
Simone Lombardo min-raised to 1.2 million on the button with the and was called by Andrea Ricci in the big blind, who had the . They checked it down on the board and and Lombardo scooped another pot.
A few hands later, Lombardo min-raised the and Ricci defended the . They checked the flop and Ricci check-folded the turn to a bet.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Simone Lombardo |
26,600,000
2,600,000
|
2,600,000 |
Andrea Ricci |
19,000,000
-2,600,000
|
-2,600,000 |
|
After a few hands without any major action, Simone Lombardo three-bet jammed for 12 million and Andrea Ricci made the call.
Simone Lombardo:
Andrea Ricci:
The flop improved Lombardo and he made two pair with the turn, as Ricci sat back down. Nothing changed on the river and Lombardo doubled into a narrow lead.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Simone Lombardo |
24,000,000
10,400,000
|
10,400,000 |
Andrea Ricci |
21,600,000
-10,400,000
|
-10,400,000 |
|
Level: 35
Blinds: 300,000/600,000
Ante: 600,000
No further major action took place in the last couple hands of the level and the players then headed into a scheduled 15-minute break.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Andrea Ricci |
32,000,000
-600,000
|
-600,000 |
|
||
Simone Lombardo |
13,600,000
600,000
|
600,000 |
In a limped pot to the flop, Simone Lombardo and Andrea Ricci invested 500,000 each. The turn brought the check by Lombardo and Ricci pushed for an effective 5.4 million, earning a call from Lombardo.
Simone Lombardo:
Andrea Ricci:
The river was a brick and Lombardo doubled but remains at a chip disadvantage.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Andrea Ricci |
32,600,000
-2,600,000
|
-2,600,000 |
|
||
Simone Lombardo |
13,000,000
2,600,000
|
2,600,000 |
Andrea Ricci opened to 1.5 million with the and Simone Lombardo then jammed for 8.4 million with the . Ricci asked for a count and then opted to fold.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Andrea Ricci |
35,200,000
600,000
|
600,000 |
|
||
Simone Lombardo |
10,400,000
-600,000
|
-600,000 |