Kenneth Smaron Wins the PokerStars Championship Panama Main Event ($293,860)
The PokerStars Championship Panama Main Event is in the books after 170 hands of play on the final table. Kenneth Smaron has won, taking home $293,860. Except for the first player out, all players at one point held the chiplead on the action-packed final table, but Smaron would be the one to lift the trophy.
| Position | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenneth Smaron | United States | $293,860 |
| 2 | Harpreet Gill | Canada | $217,860 |
| 3 | Denis Timofeev | Russia | $161,340 |
| 4 | Jonathan Abdellatif | Belgium | $119,480 |
| 5 | Robin Luca Wozniczek | Germany | $88,480 |
| 6 | Anthony Diotte | Canada | $65,520 |
The final day of the PokerStars Championship Panama Main Event started with six players remaining. In the third hand, that number was decreased by one as Anthony Diotte hit the rail. Diotte started out the shortest stack and wouldn't make a comeback. He got it in with ace-jack against the deuces of Robin Luca Wozniczek and the latter flopped a set. On the turn, it was all over and the tournament was down to five players remaining.
While Robin Luca Wozniczek took the lead not much later, he would still be the next to go. He lost a bit and got it in soon after with a pair and a flush draw up against the inferior flush draw and double gut shot of Jonathan Abdellatif. A four on the river spelled doom for the German qualifier as it gave Abdellatif the winning straight.
The chip lead changed hands multiple times, with everyone in charge at one point. Abdellatif had been responsible for Wozniczek's demise but lost to quads with the top full house only to see his stack get halved. That made him the short stack and he was next to go not much later as his check-raise with a flush draw got called by Smaron's flopped top pair. Blanks on the turn and river resulted in a trip to the payout desk for Abdelattif, who secured the first six-figure score of his career.
Again, the chip lead changed hands multiple times. The start of day chip leader, Denis Timofeev, had his ups and downs but soon found himself short stacked as lots of pots did not go his way and Gill kept doubling up. Timofeev found one last double with ace-six to queen-jack but went down the next hand anyway getting it in with pocket tens to Smaron's ace-king. The river gave Smaron a wheel and Timofeev said his goodbyes.
That result left Harpreet Gill and Kenneth Smaron heads up with a slight lead for the latter. The two went on dinner break first but soon after returning, they ended up all in. In the ninth hand of heads up play, Harpreet Gill limp-shoved all in with ten-eight off suit and Smaron called with king-jack of clubs. While Smaron flopped a royal flush draw, in the end, he took down the pot and tournament with king-high.
The $293,860 first place-prize is the second-biggest score of Smaron's career, right behind the $654,302 he won taking down the 2015 EPT Prague High Roller.
Next up is the PokerStars Championship Macau, held March 30th through April 9th. PokerNews will be on the floor for coverage of that event with updates, photos, and videos from the Main Event and high roller events.
. Kenneth Smaron wasn't settling for that and bumped it up to 350,000 with 
. 
, giving Smaron a royal flush draw while Gill picked up a gutshot but lost the tens as outs. 
on the river was inconsequential and so was the 
on the river. and just like that, after just 20 minutes or so of heads up play, a champion was crowned. Harpreet Gill had to settle for second place, banking $217,860.
and Jonathan Abdellatif defended his big blind with 
and Abdellatif checked. Smaron bet 100,000 and Abdellatif moved all in for his remaining 650,000. Smaron snap-called.
, sending Abdellatif home in fourth place for his first-ever six-figure cash for $119,480.
and Denis Timofeev came along with 
from the big blind.
, hitting all three in some sort of way. 
on the river, however, gave Abdellatif the winning straight and Wozniczek departed in 5th place.
under the gun and he made it 70,000 to go. Action folded around to big blind Anthony Diotte rather quickly and he shoved for 450,000 with 
