Dmitry Chop Wins partypoker Million Sochi, $225,000
After five days of poker in the Russian resort town of Sochi, Dmitry Chop outlasted 1,169 other players to win the partypoker Live Million Sochi event and $225,000 US.
The $1,100 buy-in tournament, the first partypoker Live event ever held in Russia, attracted 1,170 players to push the total prize pool to $1,170,000, well past the $1,000,000 guarantee.
Monday’s final day began with 10 players remaining, but after Rinat Shakirov and Alexander Kuznetsov busted in ninth and tenth respectively, the final table was set with Chop well ahead of the rest of the field.
It took 90 minutes to lose the first player. Action folded to Roman Korenev in early position and he raised to 1,400,000. Mikhail Korotkikh moved all in from the hijack for 2,060,000. Korenev called and tabled 
while Korotkikh turned over 
. The board ran out 
to eliminate Korotkikh in eighth.
Almost one hour later, Chop picked up his first elimination of the final table. Pavel Kovalenko raised to 1,700,000, Chop call from the button before Boris Yanpolsky moved all in from the small blind for 9,925,000. Kovalenko folded but Chop called and turned over 
and had Yanpolsky’s 
dominated. Chop stayed ahead through the 
flop, 
turn and 
river to send
Yanpolsky to the rail.
Arkadij Oganisyan moved all in fro 7,00,000 from the hijack and Korenev called from the small blind and showed 
. Oganisyan had two suited overcards with 
. The 
flop was no help though, and neither were the 
turn or river.
Asker Aleov moved all in for 16,550,000 from UTG, Lev Mnatskanyan called all in from the small blind for 14,150,000 and Chop called from the big blind. Aleov tabled 
, Mnatskanyan showed 
and Chop flipped over . The board ran out 
to eliminate Aleov in fifth, while dropping Chop’s stack to just 44,825,000, barely ahead of Mnatskanyan’s 42,950,000.
It didn’t take long to send the next player home. Just ten minutes later action folded to Korenev in the small blind and he moved all in for 6,075,000 and Kovalenko called from the big blind. Korenev held 
while Kovalenko was ahead with 
. The 
flop paired Kovalenko and neither the turn or 
river were able to save Korenev from a fourth place finish.
The fast structure claimed Kovalenko just 25 minutes later. Chop raised to 3,200,000, Kovalenko moved all in for 14,825,000 and Mnatskanyan called. Chop folded, Kovalenko showed 
and Mnatskanyan was ahead with 
.The board ran out 
to give Kovalenko a sweat before he was eliminated in third place.
Heads up play began with Mnatskanyan holding a slight chip lead over Chop but it took just one hand for Chop to regain the lead, just a few more hands for him to eliminate Mnatskanyan. On the final hand Mnatskanyan raised to 3,200,000 and Chop called. The flop came 
, Chop checked, Mnatskanyan bet 6,500,000 and Chop replied with a re-raise to 16,700,000. Mnatskanyan tanked for 30 seconds before moving all in and Chop called. Mnatskanyan happily turned over but got the bad news when Chop showed for trips. Neither the turn or river were any help for Mnatskanyan, leaving Chop as the champion.
Final Table Payouts
- Dmitriy Chop $225,000
- Lev Mnatskanyan $150,000
- Pavel Kovalenko $95,000
- Roman Korenev $60,000
- Asker Aleov $40,000
- Arkadij Oganisyan $30,000
- Boris Yanpolsky $22,500
- Mikhail Korotkikh $15,000