The lure of live tournaments lies not only in the winnings but also in the nail biting action that these events unfold, bringing the best and the most seasoned pros on the same table as newcomers. Seasoned pro Maria Ho took down the 2018 World Poker Tour (WPT) DeepStacks Johannesburg R13,500 Main Event recently. Ho earned the winner’s payday of R1,000,000 ($70,000).

Meanwhile, the RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) Council Bluffs Main Event was taken down by Drew Woodke for $25,197, and the Moneymaker Stop At Live! Baltimore saw Nitis Udornpin picking up a Platinum Pass, while Othniel Joseph took down the event for $12,804.

Maria Ho Wins 2018 WPT DeepStacks Johannesburg Main Event

The 2018 World Poker Tour (WPT) DeepStacks Johannesburg Main Event that played out at the Emperors Palace Hotel Casino in South Africa featured a buy-in of R13,500 ($950) and attracted a total of 387 entries, making for a prize pool of R4,649,800 ($323,787). Maria Ho emerged victorious in the event, and snagged the top prize of R1,000,000 ($70,000).

This was Ho’s third live tournament title and has catapulted her live career earnings to over $2.7 Million.

Ho entered the final day of the tournament along with 28 others as the chip leader. She navigated her way to the final table with a firm grip over the lead.

On the final table, Ho scored three knockouts before reaching the heads-up stage alongside Riyad Khan. The two traded blows by digging into each others’ stacks over the first few hands before Ho won a key pot that earned her the strategic advantage. On the final hand, Ho moved all in from the button with and was called off by Khan who was holding . The board ran and Ho made queens and fives to secure the pot and the tournament title!

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Maria Ho – $70,000

2. Riyad Khan – $49,840

3. Justin Uys – $32,060

4. Joe Abreu – $20,300

5. Rob Fenner – $15,610

6. George Levine – $12,950

7. Shadley Abrahams – $10,850

8. Steven Radloff – $8,890

9. Jarred Solomon – $7,126

Drew Woodke Wins RGPS Horseshoe Council Bluffs Main Event For $25,197

The RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) opened to its Council Bluffs stop at Iowa and fielding through 330 entries, Drew Woodke won the Main Event after a five-way chop at the final table. Woodke banked $25,197 and also won a pair of custom-made boots and the RGPS Championship belt buckle.

“It feels good,” Woodke said, after the win. He added that he didn’t have any real plans for the cash. “I’m probably just going to put it in the bank in savings. I’ve got a family and two young kids at home.”

A prize pool of $168,300 was generated in the event, overshooting the $100,000 guarantee.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Drew Woodke – $25,197

2. Charles Reed – $24,063

3. James Mullin – $22,749

4. Henry Gingerich – $16,713

5. Seth Cam – $16,015

6. Blair Hinkle – $7,511

7. Charles Hanson – $5,818

8. Tim Dorzweiler – $4,574

9. Tim Black – $3,650

10. Josh Pitstick – $2,957

In the side events that ran in the series’ stop at Horseshoe Council Bluff, Kelly VandeMheen took down the RG Pro Bounty event for $4,803, Ted Forshey won the RG NLH One-day Event for $4,373, and Victor Ordonec scooped the top prize of $1,470 in the RG Turbo.

Nitis Udornpin Wins Platinum Pass in Moneymaker Tour Stop At Live!

The PokerStars $86 Moneymaker PSPC Tour being hosted across different stops in the US to award Platinum Passes through the $86 buy-in NLHE events is fast gearing towards its culmination at Seminole Hard Rock Poker, scheduled to be hosted from November 5-11. Before that however, it was the tour’s stop at Live! Casino Hotel in Baltimore that grabbed headlines.

The event saw a total of 1,462 entries, building a prize pool of $105,264. The top 75 places earned a minimum assured $242 and Michael Goddard ended up bubbling the event, while 19 players returned to the felts on Day 2.

As the field narrowed down to the final table, a five-way chop saw final table chip leader Othniel Joseph emerging as the victor. Joseph left the final table with $12,804 in first place prize while the remaining six resumed play and negotiated over the coveted Platinum Pass.

Eventually, it was third place finisher Nitis Udornpin who bagged the Platinum Pass along with $5,792. Udornpin ended up with 85% of the chips in play that helped him stake his claim on the Platinum Pass.

Interestingly, the final table players also jokingly made side deals with each other. Sixth place finisher Hristo Zlatkov ended up winning a free beer along with $7,200!

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Othniel Joseph – $12,804

2. Jeremy Bittan – $8,096

3. Nitis Udornpin – $5,792

4. Carlton Tarter – $5,641

5. Donald Dombach – $5,361

6. Hristo Zlatkov – $7,200

Udornpin later explained the various deals on the final table that ultimately landed the Platinum Pass in his hands, in a video.