Steffen Sontheimer came into the $100,000 Poker Masters final event as the leading money earner through the first four $50,000 events. Sontheimer finished fourth in Event #1, won Event #2 and then finished fifth in Event #4. His total earnings were $1,221,000 and he was the front-runner to win the Purple Jacket, awarded to the player with most earnings.

Then he won Event #5, beating a final table that included three of his German countrymen, to win $1,512,000 and easily claim the Purple Jacket.

When the final six players began play on Wednesday, Sontheimer was third in chips behind Christian Christner and chip leader Fedor Holz. Through the next eight hours, the Germans each took a turn with the chip lead before Sontheimer ended up on top.

It took a little over four hours before the first player was eliminated. Justin Bonomo raised 60,000 from UTG and a short-stacked Stefan Schillhabel moved all in for 285,000 and Bonomo called. Schillhabel tabled while Bonomo was behind with . The flop gave Bonomo a flush draw and the turn added a straight draw. Bonomo missed both of those draws, but the river was enough to give him the pot and send Schillhabel out in sixth.

Five-handed play went on for another 29 hands and another hour and fifteen minutes before the next elimination. From the hijack, Bonomo moved his last 365,000 into the middle and Sontheimer called from the cutoff and Christner called from the big blind. Christner and Sontheimer checked through the runout. Bonomo got bad news after he tabled , Sontheimer flipped up and Christner showed to take the pot.

That left Seth Davies as the last non-German in the field. He started the day with the shortest stack and while he was able to outlast two of his opponents, his shot at the seven-figure score ended short. Christner opened from the button to 85,000 before Davies moved all in for 535,000 from the big blind and Christner called. Davies got good news when he showed and found he had Christner’s dominated. The changed that though and after the turn and river, Davies was out in fourth.

It took just two hands to go from three-handed play to heads-up. Sontheimer raised to 90,000 from the button, Holz moved all in from the small blind for 645,000 and Christner re-jammed from the big blind. Sontheimer folded and Holz needed some helpe after showing and finding he was up against . The board ran out to send Holz to the rail in third place.

Heads-up play began with Christner holding a better than 2-1 lead over Sontheimer. That lead changed just once and after 41 hands, Sontheimer eventually put Christner away for good. Sontheimer raised to 115,000, Christner moved all in for 1,890,000. Sontheimer called instantly and flipped up while Christner showed . The flop was safe for Sontheimer and neither the turn or river produced a save for Christner and he was out in second place.

With the win, Sontheimer raised his Poker Masters earnings to $2,733,000. The next highest total belonged to Event #3 winner Bryn Kenney with $1,085,000.

Payouts

1. Steffen Sontheimer – $1,512,000
2. Christian Christner – $864,000
3. Fedor Holz – $504,000
4. Seth Davies – $324,000
5. Justin Bonomo – $216,000
6. Stefan Schillhabel – $180,000