Anthony Spinella Wins WSOPC Harrah’s Las Vegas Main Event, Nipun Java Finishes Runner-Up

WSOPC Harrah’s Las Vegas - Anthony Spinella and Nipun Java
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  • Arpit Jain December 23, 2019
  • 3 Minutes Read

The 2019/2020 World Series of Poker Circuit Harrah’s Las Vegas $1,700 Main Event brought with it a massive title sweat for two-time WSOP bracelet winner Nipun Java. The Kolkata born NRI reached the heads-up play but missed out on the chance to win his second WSOPC ring to Anthony Spinella, eventually finishing runner-up for $118,764 (~₹84.51 Lakhs). Spinella collected the winner’s paycheck worth $192,199, and his first WSOPC gold ring, along with a seat into the 2020 Global Casino Championship.

Java, who is an engineer turned poker pro, has years of world-class poker experience behind him. Having shifted his base to Los Angeles from India after graduation, he has gone ahead to become one of the top Indians in the game today with over $2.7 Million (₹19 Crores) in recorded live winnings. He had won his first WSOPC gold ring in the WSOPC Bicycle Casino Main Event in 2014 but it was the 2017 WSOP that brought him international stardom. It was at that series where Java teamed up with Aditya in the $1,000 Tag Team Event, created history by becoming the first Indians to win the gold bracelet. Java went on to claim his second bracelet in the very same series in the $1,000 WSOP.com ONLINE Championship for $237,668.

Nipun Java
Nipun Java

The WSOPC Harrah’s Las Vegas Main Event attracted a massive field of 665 entries that generated a prize pool of $1,007,475 prize pool and paid out 100 places.

The field was replete with poker superstars. Among those who crossed the money line were Matt Affleck (13th for $11,509), Allen Kessler (16th for $9,450), Eric Salazar (20th for $7,862), Robert Mizrachi (24th for $6,627), Indian origin player Lokesh Garg (35th for $3,833), Jared Jaffee (39th for $3,461), Joe McKeehen (49th for $3,170), Vinny Pahuja (50th for $3,170), Chris Ferguson (57th for $2,947), Jim Collopy (74th for $2,662), Brian Altman (79th for $2,662), and Ben Yu (93rd for $2,555).

Rene Lazaro bubbled the 10 handed final table, finishing 11th for $14,197.

 

Final Table Chip Counts

  1. Anthony Spinella – 4,075,000
  2. Raul Martinez – 3,450,000
  3. Kfir Nahum – 3,335,000
  4. Adam Owen – 2,525,000
  5. Stephen Graner – 2,100,000
  6. Benjamin Craig – 1,250,000
  7. Nipun Java – 1,035,000
  8. Jimmy Lee – 895,000
  9. Tim Reilly – 630,000
  10. Stan Jablonski – 440,000

 

Final Table Recap

First, the shortest stack of the table, Stan Jablonski, moved all-in holding , but unfortunately for him, Raul Martinez woke up with pocket queens behind him. With no help on the board for Jablonski, he exited in 10th place.

Starting out as one of the shorter stacks on the final table, Nipun Java eliminated Benjamin Craig in ninth place to climb up in chips. Java open-jammed pocket fours and Craig snap-called showing . The board ran , and Java scooped the pot eliminating Craig.

Next up, short-stacked Stephen Graner announced all-in with from the small blind, and Raul Martinez called from the big blind tabling . Martinez rivered a flush on the board , eliminating Graner in eighth place.

After five minutes, Kfir Nahum busted. The hand in question saw Nahum opening the pot, and Anthony Spinella put in a 3-bet. Nahum called to see the flop open . Spinella continued the aggression and Nahum check-jammed with for a flopped flush. Spinella called up with for a nut flush draw and saw the dealer burn and turn the . Nahum needed to dodge a club on the river, but unfortunately for him, the landed on the board, ending his deep run in seventh place.

Another 12 minutes later, Spinella picked up all of Adam Owen`s chips. The action saw Owen opening the pot, and Spinella put in a 3-bet. The action folded back to Owen, who 4-bet jammed with . Spinella snap-called showing pocket aces and took down the pot on the rundown.

After almost half an hour of small ball poker, Tim Reilly moved all-in with , and Java quickly called showing . The board ran eliminating Reilly in fifth place.

Raul Martinez had fallen down the ladder to become one of the short stacks and found the perfect spot to shove pocket deuces. The move backfired as Spinella called and showed pocket sevens. No deuce on the board sent Martinez packing in fourth place.

Three-way, Jimmy Lee jammed with pocket fives, and Spinella moved all-in over the top holding . Java quickly folded, and Spinella spiked an ace on the turn to eliminate Lee in third place.

With Lee’s elimination, the heads-up match between Spinella (13,200,000) and Java (6,700,000) commenced. With a dominating 2:1 chip lead, Spinnela immediately got down to work and delivered the first blow when he raised, and Java called to see the flop open . Java check-called a bet, and the turn got checked around. The river completed the board, and Spinella fired a bet of 1,000,000. Java tank called and mucked his hand after seeing Spinella`s .

Java went on to win a pot with a straight flush on an all diamond board to recover some chips, but by then, Spinella had pulled too far ahead.

On the final hand of the event, Java moved all-in with , and Spinella looked him up with . The board ran , relegating Java to a runner up finish while Spinella was declared the champion!

Anthony Spinella
Anthony Spinella

Final Table Results

  1. Anthony Spinella – $192,199
  2. Nipun Java – $118,764
  3. Jimmy Lee – $87,339
  4. Raul Martinez – $64,983
  5. Tim Reilly – $48,923
  6. Adam Owen – $37,275
  7. Kfir Nahum – $28,746
  8. Stephen Graner – $22,442
  9. Benjamin Craig – $17,738

 

Images and Content Courtesy: WSOP and Poker News

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