Daniel Smyth Turns $33 Satellite Win Into $413,391 In World Poker Tour World Online Championships $3,200 Knockout Event

Ireland’s Daniel Smyth has accomplished the dream shared by many low-stakes poker players, turning an affordable buy-in into a satellite event into a massive six-figure payday and a title on one of the most prestigious poker tours in the world. Smith entered a $33 buy-in satellite event and won his way into a larger $320 buy-in satellite entry, which he ultimately parlayed into an entry in the 2020 WPT World Online Championships $3,200 buy-in no-limit hold’em bounty championship event. Smyth outlasted a field of 1,035 total entries to secure the title and the top prize of $413,391, which included both prize money and bounties earned.

Smyth was also awarded a $15,000 seat in the WPT Tournament of Champions. This was by far the largest recorded tournament score of his career, blowing away the $11,079 he earned as the 11th-place finisher in the 2012 WPT Ireland main event.

The final table of this event began with João Maureli in the chip lead, with German poker pro Manig Loeser and Russian high-stakes regular Artur Martirosian sitting on the next-largest stacks. Maureli extended his lead by winning a flip with A-K up against the pocket queens of fellow Brazialian Matheus Resende. Maureli spiked a king on the flop and held from there to send Resende to the rail in ninth place ($32,725).

Kazakhstan’s Shyngis Satubayev was the next to fall. He got his last few big blinds in with K8 and received a call from the A6 of Pedro Marques. Satubayev failed to improve and was eliminated in eighth place, earning $24,254 for his deep run in this event.

2013 World Series of Poker main event champion and 2017 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown winner Ryan Riess experienced a wild ride at this final table, running A-K into pocket aces to fall to the bottom of the chip counts before double up twice to get right back in the mix. By the time the next key hand arose, Riess was down to less than ten big blinds. It folded to Smyth on the button and he shoved with the J10. Riess picked up 77 in the big blind and made the call. Smyth flopped a flush with Q65 and then held from there, with the 6 turn and 2 river making Riess’ bustout official. He cashed for $48,261 as the seventh-place finisher.

Artur Martirosian got all-in with A10 and found himself up against the 88 of Marques. Neither player improved and Marques’ pocket eights took down the pot, sending Martirosian home with $63,875 for his sixth-place showing. Marques doubled up Mani Loeser to fall toward the bottom of the leaderboard. The two clashed again, with Marques ultimately getting all-in with AJ against Loeser’s AQ. Loeser made a pir of queens to lock up the pot and eliminate Marques in fifth place ($89,070).

Loeser also scored the next knockout, with his A10 besting the A7 of Pim Gieles. The board brought an ace and four other cards below a ten, and Loeser’s superior kicked sent Gieles to the rail as the fourth-place finisher ($118,980).

João Maureli began the final table as the chip leader, but he was the shortest stack during three-handed play. He eventually went all-in with A4 and received a call from Smyth’s QQ. The board brought no help and Maureli busted in third place ($174,510). Like Smyth, Maureli was apparently able to qualify for this event through a low buy-in satellite, reportedly winning his way into the tournament for just a $22 initial investment.

With that Loeser took 65.6 million into heads-up play against Smyth’s 37.3 million. The two swapped the lead several times before Smyth was able to build a 4:1 lead that proved decisive. In the final hand Loeser shoved with 87 for around 14 big blinds and Smyth called holding K9. Smyth made a pair of nines on the turn that left Loeser drawing dead. The German earned $279,359 for his runner-up finish.

Here is a look at the payouts awarded at the final table:

Smyth photo credit: partypoker blog.

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