Japan’s Masashi Oya won an exciting poker match that enthralled spectators over Jeremy Ausmus in Northern Cyprus, pocketing $535,000. Event #4 of the PokerGo Tour (PGT) Super High Roller Series saw buy-ins climbing as players prepared for the forthcoming Super High Roller Bowl at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel & Spa in Kyrenia. With just thirty participants, only a few players progressed to the final table, generating intense competition with enormous stakes online.
An Elegant Event At The Merit Royal Diamond Hotel
Hosting the much-awaited Event #4, a $51,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em (7-Max) event, the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel & Spa in Kyrenia. Some of the top players in the world attended this special poker event since the buy-ins grew slowly, mirroring the lead-up to the widely awaited Super High Roller Bowl. Of thirty contestants, just seven made it through the fierce fight to go to the last round of the tournament, day two.
Still, the path to the last table did not ensure a prize. Despite their extraordinary talents and deep runs, only the top five players would walk away with a portion of the $1,142,500 prize pool. Knowing that anything less than fifth place would leave them empty-handed after a significant $51,500 buy-in, the anxiety was evident as the last seven geared up for a demanding fight.
Decisive Poker Actions And Early Eliminations
The competition was intense initially, and competitors jockeyed for a place at the final table under significant risk. Before the first player would be eliminated, it took an exhausting four-and-a-half hour of play, which prepared the audience for even more dramatic events.
First to strike was the gifted player Adrian Mateos, who sent Samuel Ju out of the tournament. Mateos kept his aggressive play going when he shattered Danilo Velasevic’s pocket kings; this hand seemed promising for Velasevic but finally brought him down. None other than Masashi Oya delivered the fatal blow; he gave the last shove that dashed Velasevic’s tournament dreams. Although the early eliminations were not without drama, the five surviving players could relax a little bit, knowing they at least guaranteed a $87,500 payoff. The emphasis turned to the top prizes, including the sought-after freeroll into the Super High Roller Bowl, worth $306,000, when the pressure somewhat eased.
Masashi Oya: Struggles Of Mizzi And Eibinger
Not all players can carry on their runs to the top despite their great play throughout the tournament. Experienced poker professional Sorel Mizzi discovered he was on the wrong end of a vital hand versus Masashi Oya. Mizzi was disadvantageous since he was up against Oya’s queen-jack by holding queen-ten. Oya’s better hand held up, wiping Mizzi off the competition and guaranteeing a more enormous chip stack for himself.
Having done brilliantly on day one, overnight chip leader Matthias Eibinger also found himself in a vulnerable situation against Oya. Oya’s king-queen of clubs was far more suited than Eibinger’s queen-jack of diamonds. The outcome was not much changed by the community cards when the board ran out:
- Flop: 5♦ 2♥ 3♥
- Turn: 10♣
- River: 4♣
Ausmus and Oya Fight for the TitleAfter Mateos Loses,
Fresh off a runner-up performance in Event #3, Adrian Mateos was driven to win Event #4. But his short stack made momentum difficult. Mateos entered a pivotal hand with a nine-trey, only to be outmatched by Oya’s ten-trey. Once more, Oya’s better hand won out, knocking Mateos out of the tournament in third place with a $166,000 payoff. Mateos missed his ultimate target, but his outstanding performance confirmed his ranking among the top poker players worldwide.
Mateos, out of the way, set the scene for an exciting heads-up fight between Jeremy Ausmus and Masashi Oya. With everything on the line, the two seasoned poker experts squared off, and Oya, who entered heads-up play with a dominating 5-1 chip lead, first seemed to have momentum. Ausmus rapidly doubled up, though, closing the difference and increasing the competitiveness of the match.
Oya’s Two Pair Wins the Deciding Hand
The tournament’s essential hand opened as the suspense grew, deciding both players’ destinies. When Jeremy Ausmus called Oya’s button 3-bet from the big blind, he was in a solid position carrying pocket kings. Oya picked a pair of aces when the flop dropped 8♠ 6♥ A♦. Still sure in his pocket kings, Ausmus check-called Oya’s bet. Oya two pair (aces and sixes), the turn gave the five♣; Ausmus kept playing his kings.
Sensing a chance, Ausmus checked the turn, endangering his tournament life. Carrying two pairs, Oya called, and the river card—a Q♦—did little to help Ausmus’s hand. Masashi Oya declared triumph, taking home the PGT Gold Cup in addition to the PGT title, $535,000 in prize money, and 321 PGT points.
Final Results and Future Prospects
| Place | Player | Country | Prize Money | PGT Points |
| 1st | Masashi Oya | Japan | $535,000 | 321 |
| 2nd | Jeremy Ausmus | United States | $231,000 | 224 |
| 3rd | Adrian Mateos | Spain | $166,000 | 157 |
| 4th | Matthias Eibinger | Austria | $122,000 | 108 |
| 5th | Sorel Mizzi | Canada | $87,500 | 72 |
