Team PokerStars Pro Igor Kurganov has ascended to the top, defeating an 86-entry field in the PokerStars Championship Barcelona €50,000 Super High Roller. Kurganov pickd up €1,084,100 after cutting a heads-up deal with Barlomiej Machon.
While 29-year-old Kurganov has been a tough force in the highest buy-in events for years, today marked the first time he scooped the title in a PokerStars Super High Roller.
Today's payday was the second-biggest in Kurganov's astonishing career, just shy of his €1,128,300 reward for a third place in the EPT10 Grand Final €100k Super High Roller.
"It's incredible! I'm so happy!" Kurganov said, pleased with his brilliant result that strengthened his already dominating position on the Russian all-time money list. Kurganov's live tournament winnings now exceed $14 million. He moves to the 23rd place in the worldwide all-time leader board.
"It was relatively simple today. I won the first three, four hands in a row and immediately became the chip leader. Then it was only an uphill. I think I was leading all the way except for about 20 minutes," the newly crowned champion described his journey through the final table.
"Additionally, it was really funny and emotional to play near the National Championship final table where people who paid only one thousand could win pretty much the same amount as me," he added.
Kurganov beat Polish player Batlomiej Machon heads-up. While Kurganov is an established firm in the Super High Roller, Machon is brand new to the heavyweight competition.
"It's a fantastic result for me. This was the tournament with the highest buy-in I've ever played and I got the second place," Machon said.
The 26-year-old runner-up collected €858,700 for his impressive performance. Machon has first come to attention a few months ago when he made two deep runs at the partypoker Millions Nottingham back in April 2017. He was second in the £10k Event for £220,790 and added another £67,900 only a few days later, finishing third in the £25k Event.
The start-of-day chip leader, German rising star Koray Aldemir took the €528,500 third-place prize.
"When you start the day as the chip leader, your goal is obviously the victory. But I don't have any regrets, I'm satisfied with the decisions I've made today so the third place is okay," Aldemir said.
Aldemir's fellow countryman Dietrich Fast walked away in fourth place, banking €406,790.
Argentinian superstar Ivan Luca has notched his second six-figure payday at PokerStars Championship Barcelona. He earned €322,100 for a fifth place in the €50k Super High Roller, improving his €169,000 payday for third in the €10k Single Re-Entry.
The final table also featured Chris Kruk (sixth for €251,900), Bryn Kenney (seventh for €198,200) and Stanley Choi (eighth for €154,900).
Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu was today's first casualty falling to Igor Kurganov in ninth place worth €117,700. Negreanu stated it was the third time he and Kurganov met on a final table. Kurganov eliminated Negreanu in each of the three tournaments.
PokerStars Championship Barcelona €50k Super High Roller final table results:
1st - Igor Kurganov, Russia, Team PokerStars Pro, €1,084,100 *
2nd - Bartlomiej Machon, Poland, €858,700 *
3rd - Koray Aldemir, Germany, €528,500
4th - Dietrich Fast, Germany, €406,790
5th - Ivan Luca, Argentina, €322,100
6th - Chris Kruk, Canada, €251,900
7th - Bryn Kenney, USA, €198,200
8th - Stanley Choi, China, €154,900
9th - Daniel Negreanu, Canada, Team PokerStars Pro, €117,700
The PokerStars Championship Barcelona €50,000 Super High Roller drew 86 entries (67 unique players plus 19 re-entries). The top 11 finishers were paid, sharing the €4,129,290 prize pool.
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