Philipp Gruissem Wins Yet Another Alpha8 High Roller Event
At the end of October we brought you the news that German Professional Philipp Gruissem had just won the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Alpha8 High Roller Event in London, and we said that if he continued his current run of form he would be the player to beat in St Kitts at the next event. Well that is exactly what he has gone and done beating Tom McDonald heads-up to take down his second major title in the space of three weeks.
A total of 23 players rocked up to the casino in St Kitts, with a total of 28 entries creating a prize pool of $2,716,000. The final day started with 16 players, but they were soon whittled down to the final table of eight with Fabian Quoss being the first to leave when his pocket tens came up against the pocket jacks of Isaac Haxton. Haxton was then next to leave the action in seventh place, when again he held pocket jacks, but this time he ran into Mike McDonald who was holding trip sixes.
Just 20 more hands were played until the sixth player was eliminated, with the unfortunate player being Timothy Adams, and just two hands later Scott Seiver exited the event in fifth place when eventual winner Gruissem defeated him with a full house of sevens over eights. Jason Koon soon followed Seiver to leave in fourth place, then the action tailed off as it took three hours for the final two players to be decided.
The heads-up battle between Gruissem and Tom McDonald lasted a mere 25 hands when Gruissem shoved with A 5 only for McDonald to show A 6. The flop of J 5 4 was perfect for Gruissem and only a six or two runners would save McDonald. Neither came and it is was Philipp Gruissem who took home the first prize of $1,086,000 and with it his second Alpha8 title in the space of just 18 days.
The next event does not take place until February of next year, when the Emperors Palace Casino in South Africa will play host to the worlds top high rollers, where one in particular, Philipp Gruissem, will be looking to complete an unprecedented treble of wins.
WPT Alpha8 St Kitts Payouts
1. Philipp Gruissem – $1,086,400
2. Tom McDonald – $679,000
3. Mike McDonald – $434,560
4. Jason Koon – $298,760
5. Scott Seiver – $217,280