The Triumph of Resilience
The first of many to come ?
If I had to sum up this final table in one word : swift.
We left things with five players still in contention, but they clearly had no intention of dragging it out, as the tournament has already come to an end, crowning American Corel Theuma. But let’s rewind a bit first.
Starting the day as chip leader, a position he held down to 11 players remaining, Benny Glaser eventually bowed out in 5th place in this Mystery Bounty. Arguably the most experienced player left in the field, the Brit fell short of adding a ninth bracelet to his collection. Down to 4,150,000 chips (7 BB), he was forced to take a stand, shoving from the small blind after a raise from Janis Kulikauskis in the cutoff. Kulikauskis called and tabled J♣ T♠. He was behind Glaser’s A♠ 7♠, but the gamble paid off when a T♣ hit right on the flop, sending the most decorated player at the table to the rail.
A few hands later, still within the same level, Mihai-Christian Tabac also saw his run come to an end in a hand against Russia’s Maksim Paniak. Tabac opened to 1,500,000 (2.5 BB) from UTG and called a raise to 4,500,000 (7.5 BB). On a J♠ 7♦ J♣ flop, he called Paniak’s continuation bet of 4,500,000. The Q♠ turn slowed things down with both players checking. But the river, a seemingly harmless 5♠, sparked the action again. Tabac led out for a small 2,000,000 (3.3 BB), only for Paniak to shove, covering him. After a long tank, using all his time banks and even standing up from his chair, the Romanian finally called. Paniak revealed A♠ 4♠ for a stunning rivered nut flush, eliminating Tabac, who had called with T♠ T♣. A cruel ending, as he settled for 4th place and €47,100.
That left us with the final three, a trio soon reduced to two when Janis Kulikauskis fell to the eventual winner, Corel Theuma. This came despite Kulikauskis having just won a massive pot against him. In that earlier hand, the Lithuanian had shoved preflop with A♥ A♦ against Theuma’s K♠ J♣. The flop K♦ 9♠ T♥ gave the American hope, and the 8♣ turn added even more outs. “One time, one time,” he pleaded, but the river 6♠ sealed the pot for Kulikauskis. Still, Theuma got his revenge less than thirty minutes later.
Kulikauskis shoved preflop for 10,500,000 (13.5 BB) on the button and was called by Theuma in the big blind. The American didn’t like what he saw: A♣ 6♦ against A♥ Q♠. But this time, the cards went his way, with some help from the river, completing a flush. A bit of luck is always needed to go all the way in a tournament like this.
That momentum carried into the heads-up battle against Maksim Paniak. Perhaps “luck” isn’t quite the right word, especially considering what may have been the key hand of the duel. It started with Theuma raising to 2,000,000 (2.5 BB) on the button. Paniak responded with a 3-bet to 7,000,000 (8.8 BB), which was called. The flop came 7♣ 6♥ 9♦. Paniak checked and called Theuma’s 8,000,000 bet. The real action came on the K♣ turn, when Paniak suddenly moved all-in, covering his opponent. Theuma faced a crucial decision. After a long tank, he made the call with 8♠ 6♠, and it was the right one against A♦ T♠. Paniak still had outs, but the 2♥ river wasn’t one of them. The momentum had shifted, with Theuma now holding 85% of the chips in play.
The final hand of the tournament mirrored the drama of the day. Paniak shoved preflop with A♦ 8♣, but fate had chosen its side. Theuma’s K♣ 9♥ was behind at showdown, and still was on the 7♠ 8♦ 5♣ flop. The 5♥ turn changed nothing. But the 6♠ river completed a straight for the American, crowning him champion and earning him his first bracelet, along with the €150,000 top prize.
“I’m shaking so much, it’s incredible, this is my first one. I’ve been waiting for this for six straight years, so it feels amazing,” he said moments after his victory, drink in hand. “This one’s for my kids,” he added during the winner’s photo, pointing to his cap labeled “Dad.”
A victory that clearly means a little more, and a trophy he’ll no doubt be eager to bring home. But not just yet, there are still more titles to chase.
Photo Credit : WSOP
Paul Koessler