The second event of the 2024 Poker Masters was won last night in Las Vegas by Jeremy Becker, also known as ‘JBex’. The poker prodigy, who won the battle against ‘Child of the Sim’ Landon Tice in the WSOP under the tutelage of Daniel Negreanu, got the better of Michael Moncek heads-up to take the title and a top prize of $255,000 at the PokerGO Studio on the Las Vegas Strip.

Schulman Falls Short

A prizepool of exactly $1 million was created in Event #2 of this year’s Poker Masters series, with the buy-in doubling to $10,000 from the opening event. This time, there were exactly 100 entrants, and with just 15 places being paid, the action was red hot from the first card. It was Jesse Lonis who was ‘bubble boy’ in 16^th place, as the multiple WSOP bracelet winner shoved pre-flop with and was called by the initial aggressor in the hand, Michael Moncek, with . A board of gave Moncek  the nut straight on the flop and the pair Lonis hit on the turn only confirmed chop outs were all gone too.

Once inside the money, PokerStake player Vladas Tamasauskas min-cashed for $20,000 in 15^th place, Dan Smith busted in 10^th for $30,000 and Event #1 winner Spencer Champlin was eliminated in ninth for the same amount when his was beaten by Sean Winter’s after a jack landed on the turn.

Out in eighth was Nick Schulman, whose tournament ended when his ace-eight was dominated and defeated by Becker’s ace-king, and when Dylan Linde, who made the podium places in the opening event, crashed out in seventh for $40,000 after losing a coinflip to Sean Winter, the pieces were in place for a dramatic final day at the felt.

Sepiol Close to Glory

With six players coming back for the second and final day of the event, all the action was live-streamed on PokerGO with Jeff Platt and Brent Hanks on comms. Becker was the leader heading into the last day of action in the event, holding 2,845,000 chips but Daniel Sepiol was close behind on 2.69 million, with Sean Winter (2.4m) and Michael Moncek (2.32m) very close too. Nicholas Seward (1,765,000) still had a little catching up to do but had a very playable stack.

The only player who looked out of contention as it stood was Chinese player Ren Lin and so it proved as his stack of just 475,000 soon went into the middle once Day 2 began, and it didn’t come back. Shoving for seven big blinds early on in proceedings with , Lin was looked up by Sepiol with and a clean board of saw the American take the overall lead in the event with five players remaining, as Lin departed with $50,000 in sixth place.

Play rumbled on for a long time without any eliminations, during which time Moncek doubled through Sepiol, who saw his lead disappear when the former’s survived against his . Nick Seward was short too and got all his chips in with against Moncek’s superior . A flop of looked golden for a Seward double-up but a on the turn was followed by a on the river to add insult to injury and send Seward to the rail with $65,000.

Sepiol was now one of the shortest and knowing he as at risk, made a move with only to lose a flip to Moncek’s . The flop of put Sepiol into the lead but a gave Moncek a straight and Sepiol missed his jack or chop outs on the river to leave with $90,000 in fourth place instead.

You Becker Believe It

Down to three players, Moncek had the lead, but it took some time for him to eliminate Sean Winter in third. Each of the remaining men had their moments but when Winter shoved for 1m chips with , Moncek had more than enough chips to make the call with . A gin flop of catapulted Moncek into the lead with a straight and although he had four ace outs across turn and river, Winter missed them both when a then an came to doom him to third place for $115,000.

Heads-up, Michael Moncek enjoyed a 5:1 chip lead but not for long. Jeremy Becker’s got him a priceless double through Moncek’s and then did the same against as Moncek missed his second ‘match point’. Calling a bluff in the next big hand, Becker took a 3:1 chip lead and when Moncek moved all-in with , Becker had the chips to make the call with . A board of rewarded Becker’s bravery on the turn and he took the title, and with it a massive $255,000 up top.