Vousden's Turn to Deny Astedt Record Breaking Super MILLION$ Title
Online crusher Niklas Astedt was denied yet again a record sixth GGPoker Super MILLION$ title, just two weeks after he finished as the runner-up to "GoProWarrior" in the same event.
This time it was Samuel Vousden who would defeat the Swedish poker player at heads-up play and collect the $295,535 up top. Astedt would have to settle for the $230,800 second-place prize.
GGPoker Super MILLION$ Final Table Results
| PLACE | PLAYER | COUNTRY | PRIZE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samuel Vousden | Finland | $295,535 |
| 2 | Niklas Astedt | Sweden | $230,800 |
| 3 | Andrey Novak | Ukraine | $180,245 |
| 4 | Artur Martirosian | Russia | $140,764 |
| 5 | "Topgrek" | Russia | $109,931 |
| 6 | Justin Bonomo | United States | $85,851 |
| 7 | Mark Radoja | Canada | $67,047 |
| 8 | Arsenii Malinov | Russia | $52,361 |
| 9 | Lucio "WizardOfAz" Lima | Brazil | $40,891 |
It took just over 90 minutes of play for the first final table elimination to occur. Artur Matirosian jammed in his chip-leading stack from the cutoff with king-jack offsuit and saw both Astedt and Lucio "WizardOfAz" Lima call for their tournament lives from the button and big blind respectively. An ace on the river gave Astedt the best hand as he held ace-queen offsuit while Lima was denied a triple-up with his pocket queens. The Brazilian departed the tournament and Astedt took the chip lead.
It would just take two minutes for the next final table casualty. Arsenii Malinov moved all in from under the gun as the table short stack before Mark Radoja jammed from the next seat over. Action folded around to set up the all-in showdown. Malinov's jack-ten was behind his opponent's ace-queen. An ace came on the flop and that was it for Malinov, who was awarded with $52,361 for his efforts.
Radoja then opened the action shortly after, raising with pocket kings from the cutoff. The Ukraine's Andrey Novak defended his big blind with nine-six suited. Novak flopped a huge combo draw, and had outs to a straight and a flush. The pair then got the rest of their stacks in the middle on the flop with Radoja at risk of elimination. The turn kept Radoja in front but Novak made his flush on the river to bring the tournament to six-handed play.
Start of day chip leader Justin Bonomo was next to fall. He put in his last 915,458 with a pair of sevens and was called by Vousden's pocket nines. The All-Time Money List leader was unable to leapfrog his opponent and would have to settle for a $85,851 payday as he exited in sixth-place.
Matirosian then retook the chip lead from Astedt after both players committed their stacks preflop in a blind versus blind confrontation. Matirosian was at risk and was dominated as his pocket fours were behind Astedt's pair of eights. A four on the river gave the Russian a crucial double-up.
"Topgrek" then opened ace-nine from middle position before calling off the rest of his chips after Astedt jammed as the covering stack with pocket jacks from the big blind. "Topgrek" made a pair on the river, but it was his nine that paired up rather than his ace and they were ousted from the event.
Four soon became three after Vousden raised in the small blind with ace-eight and was called the ace-six offsuit of Matirosian in the big blind. Both players hit their ace but Vousden also flopped the nut flush draw to go along with his pair. Vousden, who had Matirosian narrowly covered, continued for 220,000 and was called. Matirosian then called another bet on the turn which brought in the river. Unfortunately for Matirosian, the river completed Vousden's flush. The latter then moved all in and Matirosian quickly called only to see that he was beat and was ejected from the final table.
The next elimination came from another blind versus blind battle, Novak shipped in his eight big blind stack with ace-five offsuit and Vousden called from the big blind with king-jack. Vousden flopped another flush draw but was still behind. The turn gave Novak a pair to keep him in front but history would repeat itself and Vousden rivered the flush again to set up heads up play.
Astedt and Vousden would the duel for the next 15 minutes before the last hand of the final table played out. The final two committed their stacks preflop with Astedt at risk. The online poker legend was in front with pocket nines but would have to hold against Vousden's ace-ten offsuit. Vousden paired up on the flop and Astedt was unable to find a nine to survive.
Astedt collected $230,800 for his runner-up finish, leaving Vousden to reel in the $295,535 top prize and the title of champion.
