WCOOP-04-H: $5,200 NLHE [8-Max, High Roller], $1M Gtd Day 1 | PokerStars WCOOP 2021

08-22-2021 15:55 UTC

WCOOP-04-H: $5,200 NLHE High Roller Kicks Off at 5:05 p.m. GMT

Jaxon

The first day of a coveted series is set to kick-off as the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) begins today at PokerStars.

The festival guarantees a mind-blowing $100 million across 102 events broken with each event broken out into Low, Medium, and High tournaments from Aug. 22 to Sept. 15.

Many of the biggest names in poker will be battling it out in the WCOOP-04-H: $5,200 NLHE [8-Max, High Roller] as it is the largest event of the day both in terms of the $5,200 buy-in and its generous $1 million guarantee.

All players will begin with 250,000 in chips and will be playing with four 15-minute blind levels before the action becomes deeper with 20-minute blind levels the rest of the way. Any player can re-enter two times during the late registration period which last is available for the first 280 minutes of play.

PokerStars Ambassador Sam "SamSquid" Grafton, Christian "WATnlos" Rudolph, Daniel "SmilleThHero" Smiljkovic, Bert "girafganger7" Stevens, and Francisco "Tomatee" Benitez were among the players to register at least an hour before the action began.

Day 1 of this event will play down until the action is down to just a final table of nine players. Those advancing to the final table will then resume their battle until a winner is declared on Monday, Aug 23 at 5:05 GMT.

The PokerNews live reporting team will be bringing all of the updates throughout this event so stay tuned.

Tags: Christian Rudolph Daniel Smiljkovic PokerStars WCOOP

08-22-2021 17:12 UTC

Talbot Takes One Off Grafton

Jaxon

Level 1 : 1,200/2,400, 300 ante

Early on, the two PokerStars Ambassadors in Sam "SamSquid" Grafton and Parker "tonkaaaa" Talbot were battling it out.

The hand began with Martin "M.nosbocaj" Jacobson opening for 5,760 from under the gun. Grafton called from the button before Talbot three-bet to 28,800 from the small blind. Jacobson folded and Grafton called.

Talbot fired out for 22,800 on the flop and 37,200 on the turn and was called by Grafton both times. The completed the board on the river and Talbot bet 151,200 with just 3,820 behind. Grafton folded to give Talbot an early chip lead.

Player	Chips	Progress
Parker "tonkaaaa" Talbot	342,580 92,580	92,580

Martin "M.nosbocaJ" Jacobson	243,340 -6,660	-6,660

Sam "SamSquid" Grafton	156,700 -93,300	-93,300

08-22-2021 17:27 UTC

Beresford Doubles Stevens

Jaxon

Level 2 : 1,400/2,800, 350 ante

Just before the blinds increased, Bert "girafganger7" Stevens opened for 6,000 from under the gun. Conor "1_conor_b_1" Beresford three-bet to 19,600 from the hijack and Stevens called.

Both players checked the flop. Stevens bet 34,124 on the turn and Beresford called. The river put a straight on the board and Stevens checked. Beresford jammed for 217,039 and Stevens called off for 202,906. Beresford held and doubled up Stevens into the lead as he showed up with for a better straight than what was on the board.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bert "girafganger7" Stevens	518,960 268,960	268,960

Conor "1_conor_b_1" Beresford	14,133 -235,867	-235,867

08-22-2021 21:21 UTC

Talbot Wins a Flip with Jacks

Jaxon

Level 13 : 7,000/14,000, 1,750 ante

Job "DeadNylan" Greben opened for 28,000 from the hijack before Parker "tonkaaaa" Talbot three-bet to 84,000 from the cutoff. Greben four-bet jammed for 512,098 and Talbot called.

Job "DeadNylan" Greben:
Parker "tonkaaaa" Talbot:

Talbot won the flip to eliminate Greben after his opponent didn't connect with the board.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dejan "dejanlc357" Kaladjurdjevic	2,430,697 619,767	619,767
Michel "FreeLancerZZ" Dattani	1,862,477 -207,047	-207,047

Parker "tonkaaaa" Talbot	1,265,345 792,066	792,066

Job "DeadNylan" Greben	Busted

08-22-2021 21:47 UTC

Late Registration Closed; $196K to the Winner

Jaxon

Level 14 : 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante

Late registration has just closed and the tournament just made its guarantee with 200 entries meeting the $1 million guaranteed prize pool slapped onto this event.

There were 73 players remaining when late registration closes with the top 23 players slated to be rewarded at least $12,457.

Tomorrow's winner will go home with a huge payout of $195,690 with the entire nine-player final table guaranteed at least a $26,402 payday.

Place	Prize
1	$195,690
2	$152,344
3	$118,600
4	$92,330
5	$71,879
6	$55,958
7	$43,563
8	$33,914
9	$26,402
10-12	$20,554
13-15	$16,001
16-23	$12,457

08-22-2021 22:28 UTC

Vieira Eliminates Grafton

Jaxon

Level 16 : 12,500/25,000, 3,250 ante

Sam "SamSquid" Grafton become the first of the four PokerStars Ambassadors to be officially eliminated from the tournament as follows.

Grafton limped from the small blind before Joao "Naza114" Vieira raised to 67,500 from the big blind. Grafton jammed for 333,594 and Vieira called.

Sam "SamSquid" Grafton:
Joao "Naza114" Vieira:

Both players improved to top pair on the board. However, Grafton's eight kicker came into play to end his run.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michel "FreeLancerZZ" Dattani	3,578,333 1,253,884	1,253,884

Adrian "Amadi_017" Mateos	2,627,600 -75,174	-75,174
Dejan "dejanlc357" Kaladjurdjevic	2,565,555 -628,381	-628,381
Joao "Naza114" Vieira	2,234,952 632,994	632,994
Dzmitry "Colisea" Urbanovich	2,143,893

Remi Lebo_10	1,391,701 362,120	362,120
Mario "MB TREMENDO" Bonanata	1,342,721 647,689	647,689
Jordan "bigbluffzinc" Drummond	983,471 530,426	530,426
Eelis "EEE27" Parssinen	815,692 505,565	505,565
Patrick "pads1161" Leonard	626,818 221,040	221,040

Alexandros "Pwndidi" Theologis	521,201 -47,382	-47,382
Justin "ZeeJustin" Bonomo	338,200 73,177	73,177
Sam "SamSquid" Grafton	Busted
DingeBrinker	Busted
Pedro "PaDiLhA SP" Padilha	Busted
Tom "Daenarys T" Vogelsang	Busted
Simon "C. Darwin2" Mattsson	Busted
Juan "Malaka$tyle" Pardo	Busted

08-22-2021 22:39 UTC

Veldhuis Loses With Kings; Busts Out Shortly After

Connor Richards

Level 16 : 12,500/25,000, 3,250 ante

Jon "apestyles" Van Fleet raised to 50,000 from the lojack and Alexandros "Pwndidi" Theologis three-bet jammed from the hijack. It folded to Lex "L. Veldhuis" Veldhuis in the big blind who went all-in for 811,500. Van Fleet called off with 666,932.

Alexandros "Pwndidi" Theologis:
Lex "L. Veldhuis" Veldhuis:
Jon "apestyles" Van Fleet:

The kings of Veldhuis were well ahead on the flop and turn, but the on the river gave Theologis the nut flush.

Veldhuis busted out a few hands later when he moved all-in preflop with from the big blind with two big blinds behind and did not improve against the of Theologis.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alexandros "Pwndidi" Theologis	631,269 110,068	110,068
Lex "L. Veldhuis" Veldhuis	Busted

Jon "apestyles" Van Fleet	Busted

08-22-2021 23:54 UTC

Van Fleet Busts On Money Bubble with Kings

Connor Richards

Level 20 : 30,000/60,000, 7,500 ante

Fabiano "Kovalski1" Kovalski opened to 120,000 under the gun and Pascal "Päffchen" Hartmann flat called the button. Samuel "€urop€an" Vousden three-bet to 2,040,000 from the small blind and Jon "apestyles" Van Fleet moved all-in from the big blind for 1,231,888. Kovalski and Hartmann folded.

Samuel "€urop€an" Vousden:
Jon "apestyles" Van Fleet:

Van Fleet was drawing just about dead on the flop as it came , giving Vousden trip aces. Van Fleet's hand did not improve on the turn and river.

Player	Chips	Progress
Samuel "€urop€an" Vousden	3,651,244 2,589,153	2,589,153
Jon "apestyles" Van Fleet	Busted

08-23-2021 00:05 UTC

Alt Ousts Stevens

Jaxon

Level 20 : 30,000/60,000, 7,500 ante

Bert "girafganger7" Stevens limped from the small blind Just before the break. Dinesh "NastyMinder" Alt raised to 210,000 from the big blind before he called a shove to 1,645,629 by Stevens.

Bert "girafganger7" Stevens:
Dinesh "NastyMinder" Alt:

Alt's jacks held strong throughout the runout on the board to eliminate Stevens in 22nd place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dinesh "NastyMinder" Alt	4,784,442 2,987,264	2,987,264
zerodeda	846,046
Bert "girafganger7" Stevens	Busted

08-23-2021 00:31 UTC

Parker "tonkaaaa" Talbot Eliminated in 14th Place ($16,001)

Jaxon

Level 21 : 35,000/70,000, 8,500 ante

PokerStars Ambassador Parker "tonkaaaa" Talbot was the only of the four sponsored players to make it into the money. Talbot's demise just happened on a bad beat as follows.

Talbot jammed for 610,389 from the cutoff and was called by Georgi "milennial" Sandev from the big blind.

Parker "tonkaaaa" Talbot:
Georgi "milennial" Sandev: