Kassouf spins a €109 satellite into a €215,163 payday
It’s been awhile since Will Kassouf made headlines in the poker community, but the controversial UK player got back on the poker world’s radar with a six-figure win on Dec. 17.
Kassouf emerged with the win in the €1,100 Irish Poker Masters Main Event, topping a field of €1,341 entries to come away with a €215,163 payday.
The 2020 Irish Poker Masters took place on partypoker throughout December, moving online for the first time as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the live tournament poker scene. Kassouf qualified for the €1,100 buy-in event via a €109 satellite and turned that €109 into one of the biggest paydays of his career.
Kassouf took to Twitter to keep his followers updated throughout his Main Event run. His tweet after the victory celebrated the win in vintage Kassouf style.
“Absolutely buzzing to get through such a stacked field of 1,341 players to win it outright! In for the min €109 and won the max €215,163 like a boss! Booyah! Thank you all for the love & support,” Kassouf tweeted after the win.
2020 Irish Poker Masters Main Event final table finishers
| Place | Player Name | Playing From | Prize |
| 1 | Will Kassouf | United Kingdom | €215,163 |
| 2 | Manuel Ruivo | Netherlands | €148,042 |
| 3 | Samuel Voudsen | Finland | €101,620 |
| 4 | Anton Siden | Sweden | €66,267 |
| 5 | Julien Perouse | Canada | €45,290 |
| 6 | Luc Van Der Beek | Netherlands | €34,894 |
| 7 | Michael Deinlein | Germany | €27,433 |
| 8 | Dante Fernandes | Brazil | €21,661 |
| 9 | Jessica Teusl | Austria | €17,025 |
First major win since 2016 for Kassouf
Kassouf vaulted to fame as an unmistakable presence in ESPN’s broadcasts of the 2016 World Series of Poker. Kassouf’s trademark “speech play” antics drew the ire of many opponents throughout the 2016 WSOP Main Event.
Kassouf might best be known for a hand in which he bluffed Stacy Matuson off of a pair of queens with just nine-high on Day 5 of the 2016 Main Event. He showed Matuson the bluff and put the phrase “nine-high like a boss” into the poker lexicon.
Kassouf finished 17th in the Main Event that year, earning a $338,288 payday. He exceeded that finish later in 2016, taking down the championship in the EPT Prague High Roller for a €532,500 payout.
It took Kassouf another four years to produce his next six-figure cash, with that coming in the Irish Poker Masters Main Event.
Other top finishers
Kassouf topped the Netherlands’ Manuel Ruivo (2nd - €148,042) in heads-up play. Finnish player Samuel Voudsen (3rd - €101,620) finished third, with the top three spots on the payout ladder awarding six-figure paydays.
Kassouf went into three-handed play against Ruivo and Voudsen at a big chip disadvantage but managed to overcome that deficit and clinch the win. Play among the final three began with Kassouf at 14 big blinds, with both opponents over the 50 big blind mark.
Other final table finishers included Sweden’s Anton Siden (4th - €66,267), Canada’s Julien Perouse (5th - €45,290), and Luc Van Der Beek (6th - €34,894) of the Netherlands.
Rounding out the Irish Poker Masters Main Event final table were Germany’s Michael Deinlein (7th - €27,433), Brazil’s Dante Fernandes (8th- €21,661), and Austrian Jessica Teusl (9th - €17,025).
Featured image source: Twitch
