Ali Imsirovic Wins 2018 Poker Masters $50,000 Buy-In High Roller

Ali Imsirovic is on a roll at the 2018 Poker Masters. On Wednesday, September 12 he took down the $25,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em event for the largest payday for the largest payday of his young career ($462,000). It only took a single day for Imsirovic to find himself in the winner’s circle yet again, this time in an even larger event. The 23-year-old from Vancouver, Washington defeated a field of 47 entries to win the $50,000 no-limit hold’em event on Thursday, Sept. 13. For the win, he was awarded $799,000 and 300 points in the race for the Poker Masters Purple Jacket. This was his third cash and second title of the series, and with 660 points and $1,288,600 in earnings, he now is the leader in the overall standings for the series.

“I don’t know how to put this into words, this is surreal,” said Imsirovic after coming out on top. “I’ve dreamt about winning the Poker Masters Purple Jacket, but I never thought this would be possible. Right now I don’t want to think about it, because I don’t want to be let down too much if I don’t end up winning it.”

There is one event remaining in the series, the $100,000 no-limit hold’em main event that kicked off on Thursday, Sept. 13. In addition to the money and the purple jacket race points, Imsirovic also earned 510 Card Player Player of the Year points for the win. This was his fourth title and ninth final table of the year, and it was enough to see him move into 24th place on the 2018 POY leaderboard.

Imsirovic came into the final day in this event as the runaway chip leader with six players remaining. He began the day with roughly three times as many chips as his nearest competitor and was able to keep his foot on the gas peddle throughout the final table. He knocked out each of his five opponents on the road to the title, starting by finishing off a short-stacked Justin Bonomo (6th – $141,000). Imsirovic picked up pocket queens against the AK of Sam Soverel not long after and won the coin flip to further his lead. Soverel took home $188,000 as the fifth-place finisher.

Current Card Player Player of Year race leader Jake Schindler was at his 26th final table of the year, but had his latest run cut short when his pocket fours could not hold up against the 75 that Imsirovic shoved from the small blind. As the fourth-place finisher, Schindler was awarded $235,000.

Imsirovic flopped two pair with the 65 against the pocket tens of Seth Davies. The chips got in on the flop and Imsirovic’s hand held up from there to send Davies to the rail in third place ($352,500).

Heads-up play began with Imsirovic holding roughly a 2.5-to-1 lead over Koray Aldemir. The Austrian was able to fight his way into the lead, only to have Imsirovic storm back to regain control. By the time the final hand arose Aldemir was down to just ten big blinds. He got all-in with the 98 and found himself at risk against Imsirovic’s KQ. The flop brought the A63. The Q on the turn left Aldemir drawing dead, securing the pot and the title for Imsirovic. Aldemir earned $517,000 as the runner-up.

Here is a look at the payouts and Card Player POY points awarded at the final table:

Here is a look at the Poker Masters Purple Jacket race standings heading into the final event of the series:

Winner photo credit: Drew Amato / Poker Central.

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