This Week's Big Winner: Martin Kabrhel Takes Down WSOP Europe Super High Roller

Martin Kabrhel has won the 2018 World Series of Poker Europe €100,000 no-limit hold’em super high roller, outlasting a field of 95 total entries in this nosebleed-stakes event to capture his second gold bracelet and the top prize of €2,624,340 ($3,017,991 USD). This title run came just one year and three days after winning his first bracelet in the 2017 WSOP Europe €1,100 no-limit hold’em turbo bounty event at the very same venue – the King’s Casino Rozvadov in his home country of the Czech Republic.

Kabrhel followed his earlier bracelet win with an eighth-place showing in this same super high roller event back in 2017 for what was, up until capturing this title, the largest score of his career: $429,112 USD. With the more than $3 million he won as the champion this year he has increased his career live tournament earnings to $6,487,483. As a result, he has surpassed 2011 WSOP main event runner-up finisher Martin Staszko to become the Czech Republic’s tournament earnings leader.

As you might expect from a tournament with such a massive buy-in, the final table featured a number of the most accomplished players in the game, with five players of the final eight being WSOP bracelet winners. Kabrhel came into the final table in third place, behind only four-time bracelet winner and last year’s WSOP Europe One Drop High Roller winner Dominik Nitsche, and super high roller regular Mikita Badziakouski.

Here are five key hands that propelled Kabrhel to victory.

Tournament: WSOP Europe Super High Roller
Buy-In: €100,000 ($116,852)
No. of Entries: 95
Prize Pool: €9,025,000 ($10,378,750)
1st Place Prize: €2,624,340 ($3,017,991)

The Action

As the shortest stack at the unofficial nine-handed final table, Adams moved all-in with pocket nines and ran right into Kabrhel’s pocket aces. The flop was no help to Adams, and the turn gave Kabrhel top set to leave him drawing dead and out in ninth place. Kabrhel then took the third biggest stack into the final table.

The Action

Peters raised to 1,600,000 from the cutoff and Kabrhel, who was the fourth-place stack of the six remaining players, opted to move all-in for 16,700,000. Peters called with A J, which was a favorite over Kabrhel’s K Q. The board ran out queen high, however, and Kabrhel scored a crucial double up.

The Action

Schwippert was down to his last ten big blinds and moved all in from the cutoff, only to run into Kabrhel on the button, who reshoved. Nitsche looked down at his cards in the big blind and opted to call all-in for less with pocket queens. Schwippert was in trouble with A 8, but Kabrhel had both of them covered and dominated with his pocket aces. The board ran out 9 6 4 K 10, and Kabrhel picked up a huge pot to jump back into contention. As the shortest stack, Schwippert was given credit for sixth place, while Nistche settled for fifth.

The Action

Kabrhel limped in from under-the-gun and Badziakouski three-bet to 7,700,000 from the small blind, nearly his entire stack. Peters called from the big blind, and Kabrhel called as well. The flop fell 4 2 2 and all three players checked. The turn was the 9, and it checked to Kabrhel, who spent two minutes in thought before betting 6,000,000. Badziakouski, who had just 500,000 behind, threw the rest in the middle. Peters folded, and Badziakouski showed A 3, drawing to a wheel or pair against Badziakouski’s A Q. The river was the 2, and Badziakouski was eliminated in fourth place, banking €789,612 ($908,054). The score was enough to move him past the $20 million in lifetime earnings mark, $14 million of which has come this year.

The Action

With the stacks evened out, Kabrhel raised on the button to 5,500,000 and Peters responded with a three-bet to 22,000,000. Kabrhel made the call, and the two players saw a flop of 6 5 3. Peters checked, and after three minutes in the tank, Kabrhel made a continuation bet of 14,900,000. Peters moved all in for 71,400,000, and Kabrhel immediately called with pocket sixes for top set. Peters could only reveal A K for ace high, needing runner-runner to chop with a straight. The turn was the 8, however, leaving Peters drawing dead. He picked up €1,621,960 ($1,865,254) for his runner-up finish, bringing his career tournament earnings to an incredible $26.6 million. Kabrhel pocketed €2,624,340 ($3,017,991), along with his second bracelet.

Final Table Results

1. Martin Kabrhel — €2,624,340 ($3,017,991)
2. David Peters — €1,621,960 ($1,865,254)
3. Julian Thomas — €1,116,308 ($1,283,754)
4. Mikita Badziakouski — €789,612 ($908,054)
5. Dominik Nitsche — €574,406 ($660,636)
6. Jan-Eric Schwippert — €430,218 ($494,751)
7. Adrian Mateos — €331,943 ($381,734)
8. Michael Addamo — €264,110 ($303,727)