USPO #9 - $50,000 NLH
Day 2 Completed
2019 US Poker Open
USPO #9 - $50,000 NLH
Day: 2
Event Info
Level 24
: 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
One week ago, Koray Aldemir nearly won a 2019 U.S. Poker Open tournament but came up one spot short when he finished runner-up to Lauren Roberts in Event #3: $10,000 NLH for $159,250. He found some redemption in the penultimate event of the series by topping a 41-entry field to win Event #9: $50,000 NLH for $738,000.
It was also a bit of redemption from last September’s Poker Masters when he finished runner-up to Ali Imsirovic in Event #6: $50,000 NLH. Aldemir earned $517,000 in that event.
“This feels great, honestly. I had a lot of second and third finishes in the last year and winning one feels great," Aldemir said after his win. “Playing these high rollers is the best thing in poker for me. I have a lot of fun playing these things. Sometimes I take a break from poker, but when I do play I just love competing with the best.”
In other news, Sean Winter had 440 points on the 2019 USPO leaderboard entering the Event #9: $50,000 NLH final table. Thanks to a third-place finish, he earned 100 points to tie Stephen Chidwick on top with 540 points. However, Winter has cashed for more in the first nine events, which gives him the tiebreaker. Still, there’s one more event to go, so all signs point to it coming down to the wire.
Event #9: $50,000 NLH Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Koray Aldemir | Germany | $738,000 |
| 2 | Ryan Riess | United States | $492,000 |
| 3 | Sean Winter | United States | $328,000 |
| 4 | Alex Foxen | United States | $205,000 |
| 5 | David Peters | United States | $164,000 |
| 6 | Seth Davies | United States | $123,000 |
Final Table Action
Things got off to a quick start when Seth Davies jammed the hijack holding ace-queen of diamonds and Foxen woke up with the same hand in the big, albeit in clubs. The latter flopped a Royal Flush draw, and while he didn’t hit poker’s top hand, he did find another club on the river to send Davies out the door in sixth place for $123,000.
Soon after, Foxen dispatched David Peters in fifth place when his Big Slick won a flip against pocket eights, and then a marathon four-handed match ensued where a dozen straight all-in-and-a-call hands resulted in 11 short stack doubles and one chop.
Eventually, the blinds and antes got big and Foxen got his stack all in preflop with ace-eight suited only to run it smack dab into 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event champ Ryan Riess’ ace-nine suited. The better ace won and Foxen finished in fourth place for $205,000.
Winter, who was at his fifth final table of the 2019 USPO, missed out on his second win – he previously took down Event #4: $10,000 Short Deck for $151,200 – when his jack-nine failed to get there against Riess’ Big Slick.
While he didn’t notch any of the eliminations up to that point, Aldemir got the one that mattered. He began heads-up play with a lead over Riess and set about whittling him down. In what would be the final hand of the tournament, Riess jammed with king-seven and Aldemir woke up with king-queen. It held and Riess had to settle for second place and a $492,000 consolation prize.
Because of this win, Aldemir is in real contention for the U.S. Poker Open Championship as the $100,000 Main Event is now underway.
Here's how things look on the overall leaderboard after the conclusion of Event #9:
| Place | Player | Cashes | Points | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sean Winter | 5 | 540 | $747,900* |
| 2 | Stephen Chidwick | 4 | 540 | $705,950 |
| 3 | Nick Schulman | 2 | 410 | $390,000 |
| 4 | Brandon Adams | 3 | 365 | $314,750 |
| 5 | Koray Aldemir | 2 | 340 | $897,200 |
| 6 | Cary Katz | 3 | 340 | $580,200 |
| 7 | Bryn Kenney | 2 | 240 | $477,000 |
| 8 | Lauren Roberts | 2 | 240 | $263,400 |
| 9 | Jordan Cristos | 2 | 240 | $206,200 |
| 10 | Ali Imsirovic | 1 | 200 | $442,500 |
| 11 | David Peters | 2 | 200 | $264,800 |
| 12 | Ben Yu | 3 | 200 | $262,800 |
*Winter holds the tiebreaker by virtue of having won more money over the course of the series.
“The leader board is very exciting, I wish more tournament series and casinos would do that," said Aldemir. "I think that it brings out more players to participate and I think that it’s also just a lot of fun to play in it.”
PokerNews coverage of the 2019 USPO continues now with updates from Event #10: $100,000 Main, which you can follow by clicking here.
Remember, you can watch all USPO final tables exclusively on PokerGO. Subscribe to PokerGO for just $10 a month or $99 a year to watch nine straight days of U.S. Poker Open final table action plus PokerGO’s full catalog of programming.
Level 24
: 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
Ryan Riess moved all in for 1.17 million on the button and Koray Aldemir didn't waste any time in making the call.
Riess: 
Aldemir: 
Riess was dominated and failed to catch up as the board ran out 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
6,150,000
2,130,000
|
2,130,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 24
: 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
Koray Aldemir limped with the 
and Ryan Riess checked his option holding the 
. Both players checked the 
flop and then Riess check-called a bet of 180,000 on the turn with his open ender.
Riess checked after missing on the 
river and folded to a bet of 540,000 from Aldemir.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,020,000
420,000
|
420,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,130,000
-470,000
|
-470,000 |
|
|
||
Level 24
: 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
Stephen Chidwick is unbeatable at the U.S. Poker Open, especially when he flops the nuts. The British high roller breaks down this crucial $10K NLH final table hand on Run It Back with Remko!
Level: 24
Blinds: 60,000/120,000
Ante: 120,000
Level 23
: 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
The final two players are now on a short break while the tournament staff sets up for heads-up play.
Level 23
: 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Sean Winter raised the button to 430,000 and then called off for 860,000 total when Ryan Riess jammed from the button.
Winter: 
Riess: 
The 
flop gave both players a straight draw, but neither would hit as the turn came the 
followed by the 
on the river. Riess' ace-high was good and Winter was sent to the rail, albeit with the overall points lead in the 2019 USPO Player of the Series race with just one event to go.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,600,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,600,000
950,000
|
950,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 23
: 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Ryan Riess moved all in for 775,000 from the small blind and Sean Winter called from the big.
Riess: 
Winter: 
The board ran out 
and Riess locked up the double on the turn with a full house.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,650,000
875,000
|
875,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
910,000
-790,000
|
-790,000 |
Level 23
: 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
To celebrate the first High Roller Triple Crown series of the year, Remko Rinkema is running it back with some past champions! Rainer Kempe took down the Super High Roller Bowl in 2016, thanks to some big hands and expert folds.