The electric pace in 2023 showed no sign of relenting this week online with multiple series running in parallel across GGPoker and PokerStars.
GGPoker, buoyed by its $25M GTD Super Million$ Week, and upcoming $10M GTD Main Event, has seen massive fields filling up its marquee tournaments - guarantees melting under an avalanche of players.
Respected high stakes crusher Artur Martirosyan has been making hay in this furnace of activity with some huge scores and final tables in what’s been a great weekend for the Russian.
Meanwhile at Stars, the $40M GTD New Year Series is approaching its finale, the three $1M+ guaranteed Main Events playing out later today - with some tasty rewards on offer for those who can tame the whims of the poker gods.
Here’s how the weekend went down.
The GGPoker Story
Super Million$ series has been packed with action all week.
The series’ biggest buy-in event – the $1M GTD Sunday Million $25,500 Super High Roller - was a fiercely-contested affair that saw the likes of Mikita Badziakouski (4th - $194,830.39) and Steven Chidwick (5th - $111,451.48) battling at the final table.
After a four way deal, it was AMartirosian who finished top of the pile, collecting $231,274.80 on his way to victory. This wouldn’t be the last we’d see of him this week…
Laslo Bujitas (2nd -$281,392.82) and Chris Brewer (3rd - $256,050.51) completed the final table payouts which finished up as below:
| #44: Sunday Million SHR $25,500, $1M GTD | ||
| Runners: | 43 | |
| Prize Pool: | $1,075,000 | |
| 1 | A Martirosian | $231,274.80 |
| 2 | Laslo Bujtas | $281,392.82 |
| 3 | Chris Brewer | $256,050.51 |
| 4 | M Badziakouski | $194,830.39 |
| 5 | S Chidwick | $111,451.48 |
Cocooo cut through the $1M GTD $525 Bounty Hunter High Roller’s 2,728 runners like a knife through butter, picking up an astonishing $77,628.94 in bounties on his way to winning the event for $133,109.97.
By way of comparison, Zaeba15, his vanquished heads-up foe, won $9,325.22 in bounties, and $64,657.51 in the runner-up spot. Merciless poker from Cocooo there.
Here’s how the top three finished up:
| #37: GGPoker $525 Bounty Hunters HR Main Event, $1M Gtd | ||
| Runners: | 1148 | |
| Prize Pool: | $1,148,000 | |
| 1 | Cocooo | $133,109.97 |
| 2 | Zaeba15 | $64,657.51 |
| 3 | Markkos Ladev | $53,218.90 |
GG’s $1K High Rollers have been pulling chunky fields all year so far, and that pattern remain locked in place with 1,148 attendees in Super Million$ Event #39:$1M GTD $1,050 High Roller. Ultimately IdontZinkSo secured victory for $157,086.31 - Benjamin Rolle finishing a creditable 2nd for $117,797.31.
The final three looked like this:
| #39: $1,050 GGMasters High Roller $1M GTD | ||
| Runners | 1148 | |
| Prize Pool | $1,148,000 | |
| 1 | IdontZinkSo | $157,086.31 |
| 2 | Benjamin Rolle | $117,797.31 |
| 3 | Libre | $88,335.50 |
The sister High Roller – event #42 – couldn’t quite match its elder sibling’s numbers but the 711 players who registered ensured the $500k guarantee was comfortably eclipsed.
Rossz az!!!(1st $99,002.18) and G Lauzauninkas(2nd - $97,617.05) were the last players standing and cut a deal that saw both of them walk off with near $100k scores.
Michael Addamo continued his rich vein of form this year, racking up another podium spot in 3rd($65,202.11).
Here’s how the podium stood:
| $1,050 GG Sunday HR ME $500k GTD | ||
| Runners: | 711 | |
| Prize pool: | $711,000 | |
| 1 | Rossz az!!! | $99,002.18 |
| 2 | G Lazauninkas | $97,617.05 |
| 3 | Michael Addamo | $65,202.11 |
There were also big results for Aleks Ponakovs, who collected $84,171.56 for winning Event #38: the $5,250 BH Super High Roller, Veaceslav Lotca ($114,340.50 in the #40 $10,300 Omaholic High Roller), Grindan17 ($48,855.46 in the GGMasters $320) and Waiwai888 ($63,213.99 in the GGMasters $150.)
Martirosian managed another big final table in Event 38, finishing up 8th for $14,216.63 to cap off a hugely profitable weekend that should see him with a spring in his step going into the new year.
PokerStars Lowdown
Meanwhile at Stars, the New Year Series is coming to a close but it should end with a flourish as the three $1M+ GTD Main Events will play out later this evening.
Sintoras is the current leader in the $1M GTD NLHE $109-L version, his 7.24M in chips putting him in prime position to make a run at the $153,000 1st prize.
The $1.25M GTD NLHE $1,050-M is also delicately-poised with FouEnculePL holding the pack at bay with 4.29M chips. He’ll likely face some testing times before he can call the trophy his though with players like Lex Veldhuis just behind him in the standings likely to put up quite a fight for the $252,000 destined for the winner.
Netstar11's 5.4M chips puts him top of the heap in the $1.5M GTD NLHE $5,250-H though he need only look at the calibre of players remaining – including the likes of Bencb, Sam Grafton, and Talal Shakerchi to realise there’s a long way to go yet.
Elsewhere in the New Year Series, there were great results for Gavz101 who picked up $55,882 for his win in the NYS 129-H$1,050 NLHE $350K GTD and bkmzee, who conquered all to win the 127-H $530 and pick up the welcome sum of $48,588 for his efforts.
Another strong week of poker numbers and with GGPoker’s $10M GTD final days coming up, as well as the conclusion of PokerStars $1M GTD NYS tournaments, next week should have plenty of fireworks also.
