This Week's Big Winner Rainer Kempe Wins 2016 Super High Roller Bowl

German poker pro Rainer Kempe only had $3,404 in tournament winnings back in 2014, but broke out in 2015 with more than $1.5 million in earnings, including a win in the high roller event at EPT Prague. Despite his stellar year on the circuit, not many predicted he would top the 49-player field in the $300,000 buy-in Super High Roller Bowl at Aria.

With one of the most talented poker tournament fields ever assembled in his way, Kempe dominated en route to the win and the $5 million first-place prize, defeating fellow German poker pro Fedor Holz heads-up for the title. Kempe now has $6.9 million in career tournament earnings, putting him in seventh place on the all-time German rankings, behind the aforementioned Holz, Ole Schemion, Tobias Reinkemeier, Philipp Gruissem, Fabian Quoss, and Pius Heinz.

Here are the five biggest hands that propelled Kempe to the win.

Tournament: Super High Roller Bowl
Buy-In: $300,000
No. of Entries: 49
Prize Pool: $15,000,000
1st Place Prize: $5,000,000

The Action

With eight players remaining and only seven making the money, Rainer Kempe raised from the cutoff and Dan Smith defended from the small blind. The flop came down 10 8 6 and Smith checked. Kempe bet 140,000 and Smith check-raised to 475,000. Kempe moved all in and Smith called with pocket sixes for bottom set. Kempe turned over pocket eights, however, for a bigger set. Smith only had a four percent chance of hitting his one-outer, but the turn and river were the A and Q, leaving him with just four big blinds. He was eliminated shortly afterwards on the money bubble.

The Action

Phil Hellmuth completed from the small blind and Rainer Kempe raised enough from the big blind to put him all in. Hellmuth instantly called off his last nine big blinds with Q J, but was in a lot of trouble against Kempe’s K J. According to the Card Player Poker Odds Calculator, Hellmuth was just 24 percent to double up. The board ran out 9 6 6 5 7 and Hellmuth was eliminated in fourth place, picking up $1.6 million.

The Action

Erik Seidel found himself short stacked three-handed and moved all in from the small blind for his last 1.2 million. Rainer Kempe woke up with A 10 in the big blind and made the call, putting Seidel’s A 7 in a terrible spot. The flop of 9 9 3 created some chop outs, but the A and 6 on the turn and river didn’t want to cooperate, busting Seidel in third place for $2.4 million.

The Action

Rainer Kempe raised to 300,000 on the button and Fedor Holz three-bet to 1,075,000. Kempe moved all in for his last 4.1 million and Holz asked for a count. After hearing the total, Holz called with K Q, only to be shown a dominating A Q by Kempe. According to the Card Player Poker Odds Calculator, Kempe was a 74 percent favorite to double up. The board fell 9 7 7 8 5 and Kempe took the chip lead.

The Action

Down more than 2-1 in chips, Fedor Holz raised to 400,000 on the button and Rainer Kempe reraised to 1.2 million. Holz opted to move all in for 4.38 million and Kempe immediately called with pocket eights. Holz could only show pocket deuces, making him a 20 percent underdog to win the hand. The board ran out 10 9 5 4 3 and Holz was eliminated in second place, earning $3.5 miillion. Kempe earned the title and the $5 million first-place prize.

Final Table Results

1. Rainer Kempe — $5,000,000
2. Fedor Holz — $3,500,000
3. Erik Seidel — $2,400,000
4. Phil Hellmuth — $1,600,000
5. Matt Berkey — $1,100,000
6. Bryn Kenney — $800,000
7. Dan Shak — $600,000