SPT Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2025 SunBet Poker Tour Time Square
SPT Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2025 SunBet Poker Tour Time Square
Buy-in
15,000 ZAR
Prize Pool
4,000,000 ZAR
Entries
312
Level
27
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
100,000
Entries
58
Players Left
9
Level 23
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
The final table is set for the Nahum Lum Memorial Main Event at the Time Square Casino in Pretoria, South Africa. Out of a field of 312 entries, only nine players remain and eight of them will aim to keep the SunBet Poker Tour Main Event trophy on home soil. Technically, this also applies for Max Deveson as his partner is hailing from South Africa and he has become a regular in the close-knit South African poker community.
With a buy-in of ZAR15,000 ($820), the flagship tournament of the series held in cooperation with Sun International and the Monster Jam Poker Tour (MJPT) will be paying out the biggest slice of the ZAR 4 Million ($217,580) prize pool on the final day of the series. All nine finalists have locked up at least ZAR77,600 ($4,268) for their efforts, but all eyes are set on the top prize of ZAR912,400 ($50,182).
Harold Brooks knows very well how it feels like to pose for the winner shots with the SPT Main Event trophy, after all he took down this very tournament at the same venue in the second edition of 2024. He will be the chip leader for tomorrow's live-streamed conclusion with 2,290,000 and is best-positioned to repeat his victory in back-to-back years.
Second in chips is aforementioned Deveson (1,765,000), who won the ZAR50,000 High Roller during this series only a few days ago. Fewer than one big blind behind is Sean Bloom (1,735,000) and there is already a small gap to Stephen Courtney (1,470,000) thereafter.
Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Courtney | South Africa | 1,470,000 | 37 |
| 2 | Max Deveson | United Kingdom | 1,765,000 | 44 |
| 3 | Harold Brooks | South Africa | 2,290,000 | 57 |
| 4 | Keenan Pienaar | South Africa | 1,015,000 | 25 |
| 5 | Greg Tucker | South Africa | 910,000 | 23 |
| 6 | KM | South Africa | 1,185,000 | 30 |
| 7 | Jonathan Kalil | South Africa | 1,320,000 | 33 |
| 8 | Sean Bloom | South Africa | 1,735,000 | 43 |
| 9 | Taariq Jaftha | South Africa | 810,000 | 20 |
Day 1a chip leader Keenan Pienaar also made it through the mine fields of the bubble day and bagged up 1,015,000 in chips, former Main Event finalist KM is just ahead of that with 1,185,000. There are 18:20 minutes left in level 23 at blinds of 20,000-40,000 with a big blind ante of 40,000. The final day is scheduled to recommence at 11:30 a.m. local time and all updates will be published on a 30-minute delay according to the live stream action.
Remaining Payouts
| Rank | Winner | Country | Prize (in ZAR) | Prize (in USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ZAR912,400 | $50,182 | ||
| 2 | ZAR564,000 | $31,020 | ||
| 3 | ZAR402,000 | $22,110 | ||
| 4 | ZAR291,600 | $16,038 | ||
| 5 | ZAR215,200 | $11,836 | ||
| 6 | ZAR162,000 | $8,910 | ||
| 7 | ZAR124,400 | $6,842 | ||
| 8 | ZAR97,200 | $5,346 | ||
| 9 | ZAR77,600 | $4,268 |
Action of the Day
The penultimate tournament day saw 58 survivors of the four starting days return to their seats and 40 of them were secured a cash prize for their efforts. Among those to bow out before the money were Jarred Solomon, Moon Khan, last year's runner-up Patrice Ah-Nien, and Ahmed Karrim.
Two spots away from the money, Benjamin Lingenfelder Jr jammed at the wrong time with a dominated ace and Gavin Sardini brought the field to the bubble. It only lasted a few days until the money was reached when a short-stacked Cliton Taliwanth got it in with pocket fives but ended up second-best to the pocket jacks of Eben Lottering.
Ronit Chamani was among the first to fall in the money, running with pocket queens into pocket aces. Braam Van Huyssteen crashed out in a big pot to Brooks when the latter flopped a set of treys and remained near the top of the leaderboard for the remainder of the day. Sardini's fate was sealed in cruel fashion when KM cracked his pocket kings with seven-six suited, chasing a flush draw but instead hitting runner-runner two pair.
Former SPT Main Event champion Giovanni Zanette has had his run-good and run-bad periods throughout the entire day and ultimately bowed out on the final two tables after several tussles with Brooks. The action slowed down towards the end of the night and Day 2 wrapped up in the last scheduled level when three quick eliminations brought the field down to the final nine contenders.
SPT regular Rudolf Fourie went from shortest stack to the leaders in a matter of half an hour around the dinner break, only to then fall completely card dead when it mattered the most. Ultimately, he got it in with queen-jack suited against the ace-king of Jonathan Kalil and only took the lead on the flop to wrap up another long day of live poker here in South Africa.
Stay tuned for the exclusive PokerNews live updates on Sunday, March 9, 2025 when the latest stop of Africa's richest poker tour is determining the Main Event champion.
Level 23
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,290,000
135,000
|
135,000 |
|
||
|
1,765,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
|
1,735,000
35,000
|
35,000 |
|
1,470,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
1,320,000 | |
|
1,185,000 | |
|
1,015,000
85,000
|
85,000 |
|
||
|
910,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
810,000
290,000
|
290,000 |
Level 23
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Rudolf Fourie open-jammed for the last 390,000 on the button and Jonathan Kalil called in the next seat, KM checked his cards and then said "I fold," flashing his A♥10♦.
Rudolf Fourie: Q♦J♦ 
Jonathan Kalil: A♦K♥
The J♥6♣4♥ flop vaulted Fourie into the lead but the preflop order was restored with the K♠ turn. Fourie needed a queen or jack to survive, however, the K♦ on the river only improved Kalil to trips kings. Fourie exited in 10th place for ZAR77,600 ($4,268) and that concludes the action for tonight near the end of the final level.
All chip counts of the nine finalists and a recap of today's action are to follow.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,320,000
490,000
|
490,000 |
|
|
1,185,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 23
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Sean Bloom limped in from the small blind with 10♥8♥ and Keenan Pienaar checked his option with the 10♣7♦ in the big blind.
They checked all the way to the K♥8♠8♣7♥2♣ river on which Bloom bet 185,000 and Pienaar paid it off to get shown trips eights.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,700,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
|
1,100,000 | |
|
|
||
Level 23
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Over on the outer tables, Jonathan Kalil was getting very frustrated and tossed cards with force towards the dealer soon after he had lost a portion of his stack to Max Deveson.
On a paired ten-high board, Kalil had bet the river for 200,000 with Q♦9♦ for a bluff and Deveson called with the K♠Q♥ to win the pot.
Kalil then opened to 80,000 in the cutoff and KM flat-called on the button. The 7♠3♥2♠ flop was checked and Kalil bet the 8♠ turn for 100,000. KM folded the A♣J♥ and Kalil flashed his K♦9♠.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,750,000
280,000
|
280,000 |
|
|
1,160,000
35,000
|
35,000 |
|
|
830,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
Level 23
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Eben Lottering pushed all-in for 350,000 in the hijack and fellow shorter stack Greg Tucker looked him up in the small blind with the marginally covering stack.
Eben Lottering: 4♥4♦
Greg Tucker: K♠Q♣
The A♥K♦7♠ flop improved Tucker to the superior pair and Lottering had two outs at his disposal. Nothing changed with the A♣ turn, nor with the 2♥ river and Lottering had to settle for 11th place. He receives ZAR63,200 ($3,476) for his efforts and Day 2 is one elimination away from an earlier finish.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
915,000
260,000
|
260,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 23
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Over on the outer table, Nico Wiechers three-bet jammed out of the small blind for what appeared to be 650,000 and Harold Brooks instantly called.
Nico Wiechers: 9♣9♥
Harold Brooks: K♣K♠
"Bad timing," Max Deveson declared and then added "very bad timing" after the K♦Q♠Q♣ flop as Brooks made kings full of queens. The 5♣ on the turn ended the run of Wiechers and he already walked to nearby payout desk even before the meaningless A♦ river was dealt.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,425,000
775,000
|
775,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 22
: Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
KM defended against a preflop raise by Max Deveson and check-called one bet on the K♦10♣4♠ flop. He checked the 6♣ turn and folded when Deveson bet 210,000.
"I had a good one," Deveson said but didn't show the cards.
Shortly after that, Deveson raised the button and Rudolf Fourie got his tiny stack of 145,000 in from the small blind to get called.
Rudolf Fourie: A♣5♣
Max Deveson: K♦5♠
The A♥J♣10♦7♥6♦ board kept Fourie in contention.
"That was my best hand in ages," Fourie sighed.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,470,000
135,000
|
135,000 |
|
|
1,125,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
|
370,000
45,000
|
45,000 |
Level 23
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Eben Lottering jammed for only 145,000 in the cutoff with the J♣10♠ and he was called by Greg Tucker in the big blind, who revealed the 5♥5♠.
The A♦10♦3♥9♠Q♥ board paired up Lottering and he stayed in contention once again.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
655,000
185,000
|
185,000 |
|
|
350,000
90,000
|
90,000 |
