2018 Unibet Open Bucharest

€2,200 High Roller
Day: 2
Event Info

2018 Unibet Open Bucharest

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
q8
Prize
€38,630
Event Info
Buy-in
€2,000
Entries
63
Level Info
Level
21
Blinds
10,000 / 25,000
Ante
25,000

€2,200 High Roller

Day 2 Completed

Alexandru Gavrilut Wins Unibet Open Bucharest High Roller (€38,630)

Level 21 : 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Alexandru Gavrilut
Alexandru Gavrilut

Romania's Alexandru Gavrilut outlasted a field of 63 entrants to win the 2018 Unibet Open Bucharest €2,200 High Roller for €38,630.

The victory is not only by far the most significant live tournament cash by the Romanian, but also his first major victory to date according to The Hendon Mob.

The second and final day began with 39 hopefuls battling it out for the title. Nine more entrants popped into action before late-registration closed.

Andrei Nodea entered the day as the chip leader with Gavrilut kicking off the action in the middle of the pack in 22nd place. Three Unibet Poker ambassadors were also in the mix to start the day including Ian Simpson, Rauno "Estonian Jesus" Tahvonen, and Dara O'Kearney. None of them found success, and they were all eliminated short of the money.

Also in the mix was esports sensation Nathan "NBK" Schmitt but he was on the rail early in the day after his ace-queen couldn't outgun his opponent's ace-king.

The money bubble broke and the final table began after Romania's Narcis Gabriel Nedelcu was eliminated in tenth place. He limped from the small blind with pocket aces and faced off against Bulgaria's Simeon Spasov in the big blind with deuce-trey. Spasov nailed two pair on the flop and three-bet jammed. Nedelcu, who was more than covered, snap-called and hit the rail emptyhanded after he was unable to get a save on the turn or river.

2018 Unibet Open Bucharest €2,200 Main Event Final Table Results

PlacePlayerCountryPrize in €Prize in $
1Alexandru GavrilutRomania€38,630$44,717
2Simeon SpasovBulgaria€23,980$27,760
3Petre Laurentiu ChiriacRomania€16,540$19,148
4Andrei NodeaRomania€12,250$14,181
5Amir ShomronIsrael€9,420$10,905
6Paraskevas TsokaridisGreece€7,250$8,393
7Vladas TamasauskasLithuania€5,800$6,714
8Cosmin VoineaRomania€4,640$2,371
9Jack SinclairUnited Kingdom€3,710$4,295

Spasov began the final table with the chip lead, while Gavrilut started play with the shortest stack in action. A full blind level passed before any players were eliminated.

Jack Sinclair
Jack Sinclair

United Kingdom's Jack Sinclair was the first player eliminated. He collected the ninth-place prize of €3,710 after his pocket queens couldn't hold against the pocket jacks held by Nodea.

The very next hand, Romania's Cosmin Voinea joined Sinclair on the rail. Voinea was eliminated in eighth place for €4,640 after he jammed his short stack with ten-five and couldn't get there against the ace-queen held by Romania's Petre Laurentiu Chiriac.

Lithuania's Vladas Tamasauskas then three-bet jammed pocket nines and was eliminated in seventh place for €5,800 after he didn't improve against the aces held by Spasov.

Not too much later, Greece's Paraskevas Tsokaridis hit the showers in sixth place for €7,250 after his ace-eight couldn't hold against Spasov's king-queen.

After this elimination, Gavrilut eliminated the final four players singlehandedly.

Israel's Amir Shomron day was over in fifth place for €9,420 after his ace-king couldn't out flip Gavrilut's pocket jacks.

Gavrilut then eliminated Day 1 chip leader Nodea in fourth place for €12,250 after his pocket queens held strong against pocket sixes.

Romania's Petre Laurentiu Chiriac was Gavrilut's next victim. Chiriac jammed a short-stack with deuce-trey and was called by Gavrilut with ace-four. He was eliminated in third place for €16,540 after Gavrilut hand held.

Despite all the eliminations, Spasov kept the lead throughout the entire final table and held a 2:1 chip advantage against Gavrilut in heads-up play. Gavrilut snagged the lead for the first time before the chip lead was passed back and forth between the players several times during the almost two-hour heads-up battle.

Eventually, Gavrilut amassed a 7:1 chip advantage. Spasov chipped away and reduced Gavrilut's lead to a 3:1 chip advantage when the final hand of the tournament took place.

Spasov, holding jack-nine, jammed with top pair on the turn and got a call from Gavrilut with a lower pair holding queen-eight. Things looked good for Spasov until an eight spiked the river to give Gavrilut trips and the title.

Spasov didn't walk away emptyhanded as the €23,980 runner-up place represents his biggest cash to date.

Gavrilut was excited about the win and shared: "It is a nice feeling because winning helps you forget about all of the bad beats and bad hands."

Unibet Open Bucharest
Unibet Open Bucharest

Photos by Tambet Kask/Unibet Open

Tags: Alexandru GavrilutAmir ShomronAndrei NodeaCosmin VoineaDara O'KearneyIan SimpsonJack SinclairNarcis Gabriel NedelcuNathan SchmittParaskevas TsokaridisPetre Laurentiu ChiriacSimeon SpasovUnibet Open BucharestVladas Tamasauskas

Simeon Spasov Eliminated in 2nd Place (€23,980)

Level 21 : 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Simeon Spasov
Simeon Spasov

In the last hand of the tournament, Alexandru Gavrilut raised to 60,000 from the button and Simeon Spasov called.

Spasov check-raiseed the {8-Hearts}{9-Spades}{2-Hearts} flop from 50,000 to 165,000 and Gavrilut called. Spasov then jammed for about 280,000 after the {4-Spades} appeared on the turn and Gavrilut snap-called.

Simeon Spasov: {J-Clubs}{9-Clubs}
Alexandru Gavrilut: {Q-Spades}{8-Diamonds}

Spasov appeared to be in good shape with top pair to double up and regain the chip lead. However, the {8-Clubs} came on the river to give Gavrilut trips to win the trophy and the tournament's top prize of €38,630.

Meanwhile, Spasov collected a healthy €23,980 for second place, his biggest cash to date.

Stay tuned for the recap of the 2018 Unibet Open Bucharest €2,200 High Roller.

Player Chips Progress
Alexandru Gavrilut ro
Alexandru Gavrilut
1,890,000 475,000
Simeon Spasov bg
Simeon Spasov
WSOP 1X Winner
Busted

Tags: Alexandru GavrilutSimeon Spasov

Level: 21

Blinds: 10,000/25,000

Ante: 25,000

Few Small Pots for Spasov

Level 20 : 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Even the small pots add up. After Alexandru Gavrilut won a few spots, it was time for Simeon Spasov to do the same. He has chipped up to 475,000 without a showdown. Some of his chips came on jamming preflop and getting folds Gavrilut.

Player Chips Progress
Alexandru Gavrilut ro
Alexandru Gavrilut
1,415,000 -235,000
Simeon Spasov bg
Simeon Spasov
WSOP 1X Winner
475,000 235,000

Tags: Alexandru GavrilutSimeon Spasov

Lead Back to Gavrilut

Level 20 : 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Alexandru Gavrilut
Alexandru Gavrilut

The lead has been bouncing around back and forth. Gavrilut regained the lead after winning a few small pots before padding it further by winning a decent pot.

The action began with Alexandru Gavrilut opening the button to 45,000 before he called a three-bet from Simeon Spasov to 160,000.

Spasov fired out for 130,000 after the flop came {5-Diamonds}{k-Spades}{8-Spades} before Gavrilut raised to 350,000. Spasov wasted no time and snap folded his hand.

Player Chips Progress
Alexandru Gavrilut ro
Alexandru Gavrilut
1,390,000 460,000
Simeon Spasov bg
Simeon Spasov
WSOP 1X Winner
500,000 -460,000

Tags: Alexandru GavrilutSimeon Spasov

Spasov Takes a Narrow Lead

Level 20 : 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Simeon Spasov
Simeon Spasov

Simeon Spasov opened from the button to 35,000 and Alexandru Gavrilut called.

Gavrilut check-raised the {j-Hearts}{2-Clubs}{4-Diamonds} flop from 15,000 to 45,000 and Spasov called. Gavrilut then fired out for 40,000 after the {A-Hearts} appeared on the turn and got a call from Spasov.

The {A-Hearts} completed the board on the river and Gavrilut fired out for 130,000. Spasov tanked for two minutes before he called. Gavrilut turned over {4-Hearts}{2-Hearts} two pair jacks over fours. However, Spasov turned over {A-Diamonds}{K-Diamonds} and rivered a better two pair and the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Simeon Spasov bg
Simeon Spasov
WSOP 1X Winner
960,000 275,000
Alexandru Gavrilut ro
Alexandru Gavrilut
930,000 -275,000

Tags: Alexandru GavrilutSimeon Spasov

Level: 20

Blinds: 10,000/20,000

Ante: 20,000

Gavrilut Takes the Lead

Level 19 : 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante
Alexandru Gavrilut
Alexandru Gavrilut

Simeon Spasov opened from the button to 30,000 and Alexandru Gavrilut called.

Gavrilut check-raised the {7-Clubs}{8-Hearts}{k-Clubs} flop from 35,000 to 115,000 and Spasov called. Gavrilut then bet 220,000 after the {3-Hearts} came on the turn and Spasov called.

The {A-Hearts} completed the board on the river and Gavrilut jammed for approximately 450,000. Spasov went into the tank for more than two minutes before he folded.

After the hand, Gavrilut took the lead for the first time today and had an almost 2:1 chip advantage over Spasov.

Player Chips Progress
Alexandru Gavrilut ro
Alexandru Gavrilut
1,205,000 405,000
Simeon Spasov bg
Simeon Spasov
WSOP 1X Winner
685,000 -405,000

Tags: Alexandru GavrilutSimeon Spasov