Norbert Szecsi Wins 2018 WSOP Europe €1,650 Mixed PLO/NLHHungarian Defeats Shaun Deeb Heads-Up To Secure His Second Bracelet |
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A total of 241 players turned out for the 2018 World Series of Poker Europe €1,650 mixed pot-limit Omaha and no-limit hold’em event, building a final prize pool of €343,425. In the end the lion’s share of that money was awarded to eventual champion Norbert Szecsi, who emerged victorious with his second bracelet and the top prize of €86,596 ($99,585 USD).
Szecsi had won his first WSOP title back in 2013, topping a field of 2,100 entries in a $1,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em event at the summer series in Las Vegas. He took home $345,037 for that win. With his run to the title this week at the WSOPE he has brought his lifetime live tournament earnings to $2,355,426.
In addition to the title and the money, the Hungarian poker pro also earned 408 Card Player Player of the Year points as the champion of this event. This was his second final table finish of the year, having placed second in the 2018 European Poker Tour Barcelona €10,300 high roller event for $732,838 USD and 1,500 points. With 1,908 total POY points, Szecsi has climbed to 99th place in the overall 2018 Card Player Player of the Year race standings.
Szecsi was not the only player to make a big move in the POY race as a result of this event. Runner-up Shaun Deeb earned $73,291 USD and 340 points for his latest deep run. This was his seventh POY-qualified final table finish of the year, with two huge titles won along the way. Those two titles saw Deeb earn his third and fourth WSOP bracelets, taking down the $25,000 pot-limit Omaha championship and the $10,000 no-limit hold’em six-max event with big blind antes. All told, Deeb has cashed for $2,936,292 so far this year, accumulating 4,610 POY points as he went. As a result of this latest strong showing, he has moved into to ninth place on the POY leaderboard.
The final day of this tournament began with Netanel Amedi in the lead and Szecsi not far behind. The eventual champ got off to a strong start early on at the final table, picking up the AA109 and getting all-in against Vittorio Castro’s KK105. Szecsi flopped top set and held from there, earning the pot and sending Castro home in seventh place ($11,446 USD). His next knockout saw him eliminate Amedi in third place ($42,211 USD) to take roughly a 4-to-3 chip lead into heads-up play with Shaun Deeb.
Deeb was able to gain the lead for a while, but eventually, Szecsi regained the advantage. The final hand came down in pot-limit Omaha. Deeb raised to 100,000 from the button. Szecsi called and the flop brought the A106. Szecsi checked to Deeb, who bet 100,000. Szecsi called and the 4 hit the turn. Szecsi checked to Deeb, who bet 275,000. Szecsi announced a pot-sized re-raise, only to have Deeb re-pot all-in. Szecsi quickly called and revealed his AA63. Deeb was drawing dead with the AQQ10 for aces and tens. The river was the 2, securing the pot and the title for Szecsi and sending Deeb to the rail as the runner-up.
Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the final table:
Place | Player | Earnings (USD) | POY Points |
1 | Norbert Szecsi | $99,585 | 408 |
2 | Shaun Deeb | $73,291 | 340 |
3 | Netanel Amedi | $42,211 | 272 |
4 | Julien Sitbon | $29,461 | 204 |
5 | Samuel Albeck | $21,017 | 170 |
6 | Jaroslav Peter | $15,334 | 136 |
7 | Vittorio Castro | $11,446 | 102 |
8 | Van Nguyen | $8,747 | 68 |
9 | Richard Toth | $6,847 | 34 |
Winner photo provided by WSOP.