The $10,300-entry Super High Roller at the returning North American Poker tour created a big stir. With 59 entries, a prizepool well in excess of half a million dollars saw some of the best No Limit Hold’em players in the world make the final eight places. At the final table, Jesse Lonis beat David Stamm heads-up for a top prize of $174,550 as superstars such as Sam Soverel and Sergio Aido fell.

Aido the Leader as Final Table Begins

With nine players reaching the last table of the tournament, the money bubble was a painful one. Not only would whoever busted miss out on the money, but they’d have to get up and leave as the official final eight remained at the felt. The final nine were led by Spanish player Sergio Aido with an incredible 213 big blinds. Behind him, Richard Green (175BB) and the eventual winner Lonis (135BB) were trailing in his wake, but there were several players who were short, with four of the nine below 25 big blinds.

The unlucky player to leave on the bubble, cashing for nothing, was French player Alex Milgrom. His had been ahead on the flop of , but fell behind on the turn as Jim Collopy’s leapt into the lead. A on the river saw Collopy claim the scalp of Milgrom as the final eight players were in the money.

After a 75-minute dinner break, the final table began in earnest, as Sam Soverel sent Shannon Shorr home. The latter, who claimed his first two WSOP bracelets in WSOP Online events last month, was all-in with , but that was no match for Soverel’s , which held easily on the eight-high board to send Shorr home with $22,890.

Soverel Slain, Collopy Crushed

John Morgan lost his stack in seventh place, winning $28,615 as he fell to Richard Green. All-in with , Morgan was dominated by Green’s and couldn’t hit on the jack-high board. That meant an overnight break for the remaining players, and as the third and final day dawned, it was David Stamm who led the final six with 852,000 chips, a little clear of Soverel in second place on 775,000.

Jim Collopy was unable to survive too long at the start of Day 3, his coffee still warm in his cup when his lost to Lonis’ as the board fell to present the latter with a flush. Collopy, out in sixth, cashed for a score of $37,200.

Despite beginning the day with a better stack than four of his opponents, Soverel – who lost some chips in that previous elimination hand too – slid out in fifth place. The American’s lost to Richard Green’s when the board came . Soverel earned $48,645 in fifth place as the final four were formed, Lonis now the chip leader, coming into power at exactly the right time.

Lonis Takes the Title ‘For the Kids’

With four remaining, Richard Green lost his way… and his chips. All-in with for just 12 big blinds, Green lost to Aido’s as all the chips went in pre-flop. The flop of was followed by a turn and river, as Green cashed for $62,955.

“And then there were three,” quipped Lonis, holding 1 million chips. With David Stamm (1.1m) and Sergio Aido (600,000) either side of him, Lonis had just two players to take out in order to become champion.

The Spanish player Aido was perhaps the most experienced player of the three remaining at the felt, so it was a bonus for Lonis when Aido went out next. All-in with pre-flop, Aido was dominated and defeated by Stamm’s as the board came . Aido’s cash of $82,985 left Stamm the leader going into the heads up with 2.1 million. Lonis was the underdog on 800,000 chips.

A rivered full house allowed Lonis the possibility of a comeback and when a pot that didn’t go to showdown gave him the lead, a pre-flop all-in set up a coinflip with Lonis in the lead. All-in and at risk with , Stamm needed to hold against Lonis’ . The flop of kept Stamm in the lead, as did the turn but a river card of saw Lonis strike gold and win the top prize of $174,550 and a momentous title.

Afterwards, Lonis confessed his delight at the result to PokerNews reporters at the felt.

“It feels like the Triple Crown,” he said. “I got the one in the Bahamas, the WSOP and now this one. I feel like I’m playing good and everything’s aligning pretty nice. It feels good to win this one.”

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