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Level: 27
Blinds: 200,000/400,000
Ante: 400,000
Santhosh Suvarna raised to 900,000 on the button and Joao Simao called with 7♠7♣5♣4♥.
The flop came 9♣5♦5♠ and Suvarna bet 650,000. Simao then raised to 1,400,000 with his trips, and Suvarna called.
The turn was the J♦ and Simao announced pot for 4,900,000. Suvarna quickly folded A♣K♦3♠2♣.
Santhosh Suvarna on the button with A♥K♥9♥6♠ opened to 900,000 and Joao Simao defended from the big blind with K♠Q♥J♥7♥.
Suvarna made a continuation bet of 850,000 on the A♦J♣K♣. Simao check-called but check-folded after Suvarna fired a second barrel to 3,800,000 on the 4♥ turn.
Santhosh Suvarna raised to 900,000 on the button and Joao Simao called.
Both players checked to the river on a board of Q♠J♠3♦J♥8♦. Simao then led out for 300,000, and Suvarna called.
Simao showed K♣9♦8♠2♣, while Suvarna had Q♣9♠5♠5♣ for queens and jacks to win the pot.
Santhosh Suvarna and Joao Simao have retaken their seats, and the heads-up match has begun.
Shaun Deeb came up one spot short yet again for a 2026 World Series of Poker bracelet, falling to Joey Couden in Event #52: $3,000 Nine Game Mix after a grueling three-and-a-half-hour heads-up battle. The defeat was Deeb's ninth in a bracelet match and dropped his all-time heads-up record to 8-9.
The latest near miss added to a frustrating run of runner-up finishes for the eight-time bracelet winner. Deeb had already finished second twice at WSOP Europe earlier this year to take an early lead in the Player of the Year race, but after arriving in Las Vegas with just one cash through the opening weeks of the series, another silver medal may prove crucial as he chases back-to-back POY titles.
As painful as Deeb's 8-9 record may be, it doesn't rank among the unluckiest in WSOP history. Several poker crushers have reached heads-up for a bracelet time and again, only to walk away empty-handed. Here are the players with the most WSOP runner-up finishes without ever sealing the deal.
Joao Simao and Santhosh Suvarna will now battle for the bracelet and the $1,368,700 top prize.
Before heads-up play gets underway, the remaining two players are taking a 15-minute break.
Santhosh Suvarna limped in from the button and Robert Cowen raised to 1,200,000 in the small blind. Suvarna called to the 9♠8♥6♥ flop, where Cowen moved all in for 2,900,000. Suvarna snap-called.
Robert Cowen: A♦Q♥9♥4♦ 
Santhosh Suvarna: 7♦5♦5♣3♣
Cowen showed top pair and a flush draw, while Suvarna had flopped a straight. "I'll just take a f**king heart," Cowen said as he went over to his rail. The J♣ turn also gave him a straight draw, but Cowen missed the 6♣ river and was eliminated in third place.
Suvarna and Joao Simao are taking a short break before beginning heads-up action.
Santhosh Suvarna in the small blind raised to 900,000, Robert Cowen in the big blind moved all-in for 1,900,000 and Suvarna snap-called.
Robert Cowen: Q♠J♥10♦10♣
Santhosh Suvarna: Q♦6♦4♠2♠
The board ran out K♣7♦3♥7♥4♣ and Cowen doubled up.
Santhosh Suvarna limped in from the small blind with J♠9♦5♠2♠ and Robert Cowen checked back A♠J♣7♣3♥.
Suvarna checked the Q♠10♠8♣ flop, Cowen bet 350,000, and Suvarna called. They then checked the 5♣ turn.
The river was the 4♦ and Suvarna bet 1,600,000. Cowen then raised to 3,250,000, but Suvarna came back with a reraise to 6,650,000. Cowen folded.
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