2017 PokerStars Championship presented by Monte-Carlo Casino®

€25,500 Single-Day High Roller
Day: 1
Event Info

2017 PokerStars Championship presented by Monte-Carlo Casino®

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
69
Prize
€485,135
Event Info
Buy-in
€25,500
Prize Pool
€2,082,500
Entries
81
Level Info
Level
19
Blinds
30,000 / 60,000
Ante
10,000

€25,500 Single-Day High Roller

Day 1 Completed

Philipp Gruissem Wins the €25,500 Single-Day High Roller (€485,135)

Level 19 : 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante
Philipp Gruissem
Philipp Gruissem

Another day at the 2017 PokerStars Championship presented by Monte-Carlo Casino®, another high roller event. This time it was a €25,500 buy-in tournament that was to finish in a single day. A total of 58 players entered, together with the 27 reentries that made for a field of 85 playing for a €2,082,500 prize pool.

Philipp Gruissem beasted through the field, applying all the pressure on the bubble and never relinquishing the chips he gathered there. While Gruissem was the official winner, he wasn't the one walking away with the most money. The trophy went to Gruissem but Steve O'Dwyer walked away the biggest paycheck as he had more chips when the deal was made.

Gruissem, however, was the one getting the richest from the tournament because he was in for a single bullet while O'Dwyer had fired 4.

PositionPlayerCountryEntriesPrize
1Philipp GruissemGermany1€485,135
2Steve O'DwyerIreland4€494,665
3John JuandaIndonesia1€266,550
4Justin BonomoUnited States1€205,100
5Oliver WeisGermany1€162,450
6Mikita BadziakouskiBelarus2€127,030
7Daniel DvoressCanada1€100,000
8Jason MercierUnited States2€78,100
9Nick PetrangeloUnited States2€59,350
     
10David PetersUS1€52,060
11Joao SimaoBrazil1€52,060

With just 30 minutes per level and the option to buy back in when busted, the action was fierce from the get-go. Play got underway on a short delay, but as soon as cards were in the air, the chips were flying. When registration closed after 8 levels, the clock mentioned 27 reentries. Dan Colman, Mike Watson, [Removed:17] and Erik Seidel all entered 3 times, but Steve O'Dwyer was record holder with 4 entries.

While he was in for the most money, he also had the most chips in front of him when the tournament went on dinner break with 12 players remaining and 11 getting paid. Shortly after the players had returned, Rafael Moraes bubbled as his queen-jack failed to improve to a straight. Moraes had pushed his draw against the two-pair of Gruissem who had checked back the flop.

The bubble was a Brazilian, and his countryman Joao Simao was next to go. Simao lost with ace-seven suited to John Juanda's pocket eights. As David Peters lost with pocket sixes to Gruissem's ace-king, the final table was formed. Gruissem had the lead, having gained a lot of chips on the bubble and with the busting of two players.

What followed was a rapid execution of several players. They just about followed each other out the door on their way to the payout desk. Nick Petrangelo (queen-jack lost to ace-three) and Jason Mercier (ace-jack lost suited to sevens) both felt victim to Gruissem while Oliver Weis took care of Daniel Dvoress (ace-three lost to ace-ten) and Mikita Badziakouski (deuces lost to ace-king).

Oliver Weis had been short on the bubble but was suddenly a force to be reckoned. In a sudden change of events, however, he was still the next to go. Juanda pushed with ace-king from the button, Weis reshoved with eights from the small blind and O'Dwyer called from the big blind with jacks to put them both at risk. Juanda made a straight and tripled up, O'Dwyer won the side pot with a set to Weis' unimproved pair of eights.

Justin Bonomo lost to Gruissem with king-queen suited to pocket fours and John Juanda was sent to the rail as his king-queen failed to improve against the pocket eights of Steve O'Dwyer.

Philipp Gruissem and Steve O'Dwyer agreed to a deal right away. O'Dwyer was to receive €494,665 while Gruissem guaranteed himself €465,135. They left €20,000 in the middle and decided to flip for it. Two hands of blind all in later and it was all done. Gruissem made a full house on the first blind push, the nut straight on the second. O'Dwyer, apparently not very talented at going blind all in, failed to make hand both times.

Next up is the 3-day €25,750 High Roller to close the week. On top of that, the Main Event is still ongoing with some huge names still left in the field. Both events you can follow on PokerNews.com, you're one-stop-shop for anything and everything PokerStars Championship Monte Carlo.

Philipp Gruissem

Tags: Daniel ColmanDaniel DvoressDavid PetersErik SeidelJason MercierJoao SimaoJohn JuandaJustin BonomoMichael WatsonMike WatsonMikita BadziakouskiNick PetrangeloOliver WeisPhilipp GruissemPokerStars ChampionshipRafael MoraesSteve O'Dwyer

Steve O'Dwyer Eliminated in 2nd Place (€494,665)

Level 19 : 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante
Steve O'Dwyer
Steve O'Dwyer

Instead of playing heads up for the €20,000 left in the middle, the two high rollers decided to flip for it. They had the dealer deal the board first, and revealed their cards after.

"Oh this is exciting!" Gruissem said.

In the first blind all in, the board came {K-Diamonds}{3-Clubs}{5-Hearts}{K-Hearts}{7-Hearts} and O'Dwyer revealed the {8-Spades} for nothing much just yet. Gruissem flipped over the {5-Clubs} and had a pair already. O'Dwyer turned over his second card; the {6-Clubs} left him drawing dead. Gruissem revealed the {5-Spades} as his second card and celebrated the full house.

The next hand the board came {5-Hearts}{4-Clubs}{3-Spades}{8-Hearts}{7-Hearts} and O'Dwyer tabled the {K-Diamonds}. Gruissem showed the {6-Spades} and already had an unbeatable hand, he could only chop if O'Dwyer had a six as well. O'Dwyer tabled the {9-Spades} and had to leave the pot and title to Gruissem. The German high roller smashed his second card on the table; the {9-Hearts}!

"The master straight!" Gruissem said before the two players hugged.

O'Dwyer runner-up for €494,665, Gruissem the official winner for €485,135.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Philipp Gruissem de
Philipp Gruissem
8,500,000
4,510,000
4,510,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Profile photo of Steve O'Dwyer ie
Steve O'Dwyer
Busted
EPT 1X Winner

Tags: Philipp GruissemSteve O'Dwyer

John Juanda Eliminated in 3rd Place (€266,550)

Level 19 : 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante
John Juanda (photo from an earlier event)
John Juanda (photo from an earlier event)

John Juanda opened the button for 170,000 before small blind Steve O'Dwyer three-bet to 540,000. Philipp Gruissem folded his big blind and Juanda moved all in. O'Dwyer snap called.

Steve O'Dwyer: {8-Spades}{8-Hearts}
John Juanda: {K-Spades}{Q-Diamonds}

The board came {A-Hearts}{J-Clubs}{4-Clubs}{5-Clubs}{6-Hearts} and Juanda exited in 3rd place. Gruissem and O'Dwyer are guaranteed €407,100.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Steve O'Dwyer ie
Steve O'Dwyer
5,115,000
1,770,000
1,770,000
EPT 1X Winner
Profile photo of Philipp Gruissem de
Philipp Gruissem
3,990,000
510,000
510,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Profile photo of John Juanda id
John Juanda
Busted
WSOP 5X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
EPT 1X Winner

Tags: John JuandaPhilipp GruissemSteve O'Dwyer

Value Betting

Level 19 : 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante

Philipp Gruissem opened the button for 135,000 and big blind Steve O'Dwyer called. O'Dwyer check-called a bet of 125,000 on {2-Hearts}{9-Spades}{3-Diamonds} before they both checked the {2-Diamonds} on the turn.

The {2-Clubs} hit the river and O'Dwyer bet 250,000. Gruissem tanked for 28 seconds and called.

O'Dwyer showed {Ad5c] and Gruissem said "What are you doing?" with a big smile on his face.

"Value betting," O'Dwyer replied seconds before Gruissem mucked.

Tags: Philipp GruissemSteve O'Dwyer