€1,100 High Roller
Day 3 Completed
2019 PokerNews Cup Casino Finix
€1,100 High Roller
Day: 3
Dimitrios Michailidis Wins the 2019 PokerNews Cup High Roller (€23,025)
Level 26
: 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
The 2019 PokerNews Cup €1,100 High Roller has crowned its champion here in Finix Casino, and it was Dimitrios Michailidis that was victorious in an 89-player field. Michailidis defeated Marios Tzakos in the heads-up, after a long battle that lasted more than three hours.
This wasn't the biggest cash in Michailidis' career, since the Greek player had success in many live tournaments around Europe. His biggest cash came in August 2018 where he won a side event during 2018 European Poker Tour Barcelona for €55,400. His win in the High Roller ranks as 4th in the list with his lifetime cashes, based on the Hendon Mob database.
Marios Tzakos on the other side is mostly a cash games player, and this is his biggest live tournament cash.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (EUR) | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dimitrios Michailidis | Greece | €23,025 | $25,724* |
| 2 | Marios Tzakos | Greece | €21,525 | $24,048* |
| 3 | Marcel Galustov | Bulgaria | €9,990 | $11,175 |
| 4 | Polykarpos Stryvakis | Greece | €7,970 | $8,915 |
| 5 | Loukas Kioutsoukis | Greece | €6,120 | $6,846 |
| 6 | Dimitrios Dimitros | Greece | €4,410 | $4,933 |
*Denotes heads-up deal
Action of the Final Day
The last day started with six players, and Dimitrios Dimitros had to work his way with just 6 big blinds. It wasn't as quick as many thought, since Dimitros managed to double up and was up to 15 blinds after a couple of hands during the final day. He finally got his chips in the middle with ace-six in a two-three-four flop and Marcel Galustov called him with king-four, holding until the river. Dimitros earned €4,410 for his efforts.
Next to depart was Loukas Kioutsoukis who made the low straight in a four-card straight board, against Tzakos who held the higher straight, and he paid an all in bet in the river. Kioutsoukis run was good enough to earn him €6,120.
Polykarpos Stryvakis is the player who busted in fourth place, losing a big chunk of his stack when he made a call on the river and mucked versus Galustov's trips. He was left with three blinds and put them in the middle in the next hand, with Michailidis and Tzakos calling him and checking down up to the river. Michailidis made a pair which was enough to send Stryvakis to the rail, but with a payout of €7,970.
The three-handed play started with the three players almost even in chips, but Galustov is the one who busted first. Galustov played some pots and lost a part of his stack, left with 14 big blinds before his final hand. Tzakos shoved from the small blind with ace-seven, Galustov called with jack-eight and the board kept the advantage of the ace-high.
Michailidis and Tzakos tried at first to play the heads-up, with Tzakos having a big advantage over his opponent. Michailidis managed to get back and even the two stacks, and this is when the two players decided to see the numbers. They had similar stacks and they split in half the prize pool, leaving €1,500 and the trophy for the winner.
The two players wanted to include all the money, plus the trophy into the deal, but the tournament director informed them that this is not possible, and they must play until a real winner emerges. They agreed to this, and at first they started playing normally the heads-up, but after some time they got really tired so they were shoving most of their hands. For the game to end it needed eleven all ins, with Dimitrios Michailidis winning the 11th, as the chip leader at the moment.
This is the end of the €1,100 High Roller, the first big event for the 2019 PokerNews Cup in Finix Casino, located in Kulata, Bulgaria. The action continues with the Main Event, which currently is running its Day 1b. Stay tuned to PokerNews for all the updates!
Marios Tzakos Eliminated in 2nd Place (€21,525)
Level 26
: 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
The battle was long during the normal heads-up play, but things got even worse when they reached a deal. Not because they weren't willing to play, the opposite we would say.
Dimitrios Michailidis and Marios Tzakos started going almost every hand all in but it looks like the shorter was always getting the board he needed. To be exact, we counted 11 all ins before the game is over!
8 of them went to the shortest stack, 2 of them ended up with a split and only the 11th all in went to the chip leader. The leader at the moment of this all in was Dimitrios Michailidis who was holding 
while Marios Tzakos was holding 
. At first it looked like we will have another split but the board came 
with the turn sending Tzakos to the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
8,900,000 | 4,800,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 26
Blinds: 100,000/200,000
Ante: 200,000
Off the Felt...
Level 25
: 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
There is plenty to see nearby. Sarah Herring headed to Thessalonaki, Greece for a short day tour.
We Have a Deal!
Level 25
: 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
After almost three hours in the heads-up the players decided to make a deal. Marios Tzakos had slghtly more chips than Dimitrios Michailidis with 4.8 and 4.1 million chips, respectively.
The two players realized that this might take long, so they decided to split the remaining prize pool, with Michailidis asking for the trophy and Tzakos agreeing to give it to his opponent.
Thomas Lamatsch was called to the table, but he informed the players that they can't make a deal for the trophy. Based on the rules, the tournament has to have a real winner, so the best thing they can do is split the prize pool and leave €1.500 for the winner plus the trophy.
The players finally agreed and the new payouts are as follows:
Marios Tzakos: €21,525
Dimitrios Michailidis: €21,525
€1,500 plus the trophy are left for the winner of the High Roller!
Close to Even Again
Level 25
: 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
We are already two hours into heads-up play and the players keep changing leads. It looks like they both are really aggressive, but when one of them shows more aggression then the other backs down.
In the latest big bot, the board was showing 
and Michailidis bet on the turn 500,000 and on the river he announced all in.
Tzakos called the turn but on the river he folded with Michailidis showning 
for a successful bluff.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,000,000 | -1,200,000 |
|
|
3,900,000 | 1,200,000 |
Level: 25
Blinds: 50,000/100,000
Ante: 100,000
Tzakos Gets the Lead Back
Level 24
: 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Another big pot heads-up, and the lead changes hands again.
The board was reading 
and Tzakos bet three barrels, for 175,000, 375,000 and 850,000 respectively in each street.
Michailidis called three times, although he had a really tough time calling the river. He asked Tzakos many times if he has any eight, while he claimed that he has a jack.
When he made the call, Tzakos opened 
and it was good enough to give him the lead again.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,200,000 | 2,200,000 |
|
|
2,700,000 | -2,200,000 |
Four-Bet Gives the Chip Lead to Michailidis
Level 24
: 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Michailidis raised to 200,000 from the button and Marios Tzakos three-bet to 675,000.
Michailidis continued with a four-bet at 2,000,000 putting half his stack in the middle. Tzakos went into tank but finally released his hand with the Michailidis getting the chip lead for the first time in the heads-up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,900,000 | 900,000 |
|
|
4,000,000 | -900,000 |