The Event #5 WSOPE €550 No-Limit Hold’em COLOSSUS tournament wasn’t quite as colossus as originally expected. The tournament’s scheduled seven opening flights were cut down to just four in the midst of a state of emergency announcement in the Czech Republic due to COVID-19. Despite the cancellations, the tournament still drew 2,478 players across the four opening flights that did run. An unlikely winner emerged from the pack as Edmond Jahjaga picked up his first World Series of Poker gold bracelet and the tournament’s first-place prize of €147,775.
This wasn’t only Jahjaga’s first WSOP bracelet and his first poker tournament win. It was the 43-year-old’s first documented poker cash ever. Jahjaga is a self-proclaimed recreational player who just started playing poker five years ago. He can usually be found at the King’s Resort playing in low-stakes cash games, only occasionally hopping into a tournament. Perhaps Jahjaga will find more time to play moving forward after this big score.
The 2,478 entries in this tournament generated a total prize pool of €1,177,050. A total of 308 players returned for Day 2 and were all in the money. Pete Chen, who won the Wynn Classic $2,200 Mystery Bounty tournament, was among the more well-known players who advanced to Day 2. Chen was eliminated in 277th place for €1,120. Two-time bracelet winner Martin Kabrhel also made it to Day 2 and finished 12 spots shy of the unofficial final table in 22nd place for €4,673.
Fast and furious action at the final table
Day 3 resumed on Monday with only 10 players remaining in the tournament. It took less than 15 minutes for the field to reach the official final table of nine as Jahjaga’s pocket nines held up against Merijn van Rooij’s ace-six offsuit. The final table was broadcast live on YouTube and took less than three hours to wrap up from start to finish.
Jahjaga’s ace-king knocked out Matteo Calzoni’s jack-ten to send Jahjaga to heads-up against Riadh Farhat with a substantial 48,800,000 to 13,100,000 chip advantage. Heads-up play lasted for exactly one hand as Farhat raised on the button with king-queen and was met with an all-in raise from Jahjaga. Farhat called and found himself behind Jahjaga’s ace-nine. A four-four-deuce flop brought no help to Farhat, and the ace of hearts on the river sealed the win for Jahjaga.
Final Table Payouts
1. Edmond Jahjaga: €147,775
2. Riadh Farhat: €91,318
3. Matteo Calzoni: €67,596
4. Andrea Ricci: €50,506
5. Roman Krahula: €38,095
6. Zlatin Penev: €29,008
7. Aurelio Reggi: €22,302
8. Fotios Ntamaris: €17,314
9. Gabriele Re: €13,574
Featured Image Credit: Danny Maxwell, Twitter - KingsResort
