Sam Soverel Wins Poker Masters Main Event to Lock Up Purple Jacket
By the time the final day of the 2019 Poker Masters Main Event started, Sam Soverel had already done enough to have locked up the Purple Jacket as the Poker Masters Champion. Having accumulated 830 points through the first nine events, there was nobody at the Main Event final table that could catch him.
Then he added an emphatic exclamation point to an incredible 10-day run by winning the $50,000 buy-in Main Event.
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Thursday’s action began on the money bubble with six players remaining. The reigning and defending Purple Jacket champion, Ali Imsirovic was eliminated by Stephen Chidwick in sixth just 30 minutes into play to put all players in the money.
Just 20 mins later, Soverel found his first victim of the night. Seth Davies raised to 55,000 from the button with 
only to have Soverel re-raise to 175,000 from the small blind with 
. Davies responded by moving all-in for 545,000 and Soverel called. The board ran out 
to eliminate Davies in fifth place.
Just over an hour later, a nearly identical hand sent another player home. Chris Hunichen raised to 80,000 from the button wiht , Soverel folded his small blind and Chidwick made it 220,000 from the big blind with 
. Hunichen moved all-in and Chidwick called with his tournament on the line. The 
flop changed nothing for Chidwick and after the 
turn and 
river he was out in fourth place.
A battle of the blinds all but eliminated Elio Fox. Hunichen folded his button and Soverel raised to 205,000 from the small blind with 
and Fox defended the big blind with 
. The 
flop gave Fox middle pair but left him trailing Soverel. Soverel checked and Fox checked behind. The turn was the 
and Soverel lead out for 425,000 and Fox called. The river was the 
and Soverel bet 1,500,000 forcing Fox to a decision for his tournament life. After using two time banks, Fox called and was given the bad news. Left with just 40,000, Fox was eliminated by Soverel two hands later.
Soverel controlled 83% of the chips in play when heads-up play began. It took him just six hands and 12 minutes to pick up the rest. Soverel moved all-in from the button with 
and Hunichen called with 
. The flop gave Soverel top pair and a gutshot straight draw. Hunichen found no relief through the 
turn or river to give Soverel the Main Event title to go along with his Purple Jacket.
All told, Soverel cashed in seven of the 10 events, picking up two wins, three fourth-place finishes, as well as a fifth and sixth-place finish. He earned $1,396,800 for his efforts and now has lifetime cashes of $12,888,684.
Poker Masters $50K Payouts
- Sam Soverel – $680,000
- Chris Hunichen – $442,000
- Elio Fox – $272,000
- Stephen Chidwick – $170,000
- Seth Davies – $136,000
Purple Jacket Final Standings
- Sam Soverel – 1160
- Kahle Burns – 630
- Chance Kornuth – 630
- Sean Winter – 480
- Ali Imsirovic – 450