One of the most anticipated tournaments of Triton Poker Montenegro is the 200K Invitational. This type of format became renowned in the poker scene for one reason: recreational players and professionals are separated on the initial day, with the survivors meeting only in the next phase. Brazil was represented by João Simão and Rafael Mota.
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Thus, the Brazilian who went the furthest was indeed the professional from Minas Gerais. Simão made a direct re-entry on Day 2 and got good hands to enter the payout. First, he was responsible for the elimination of the Spaniard Steve Enríquez. The Brazilian won a coin-flip with 44 against the European’s A5s.
Moreover, this was not the only victim of the Brazilian. Simão also knocked out the Malaysian Wai Leong Chan by holding 99 against the opponent’s AKs. Our representative also sent the Azerbaijani Ilkin Garibli home. This time, the foreigner found no fold on the Q48J5 board and called all-in with J9o, while Simão showed KK.
However, after the payout bubble burst, the game flowed faster. The Brazilian managed to escape elimination with AJs against AKo on the TT233 board. But, in a blind war against Kristen Foxen, elimination came. Simão’s Q4s lost to the Canadian’s AJ, and he said goodbye in 18th place, taking a prize of US$ 345,000.
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Rafael Mota eliminated near the bubble
Born in São Caetano, Rafael Mota was the only Brazilian recreational player in the competition. Right in the first levels of Day 1, the Paulista lost all his chips and had to re-enter. After that, things went very well. He advanced to Day 2 with the eighth largest stack, bagging 112 big blinds.
However, as the tournament continued, when recreational players and professionals joined, Mota lost two pre-flop all-ins to the Chinese Biao Ding. In the first, he opened raise with JTs, the Asian went all-in for nine big blinds with AQo, and the Brazilian called. The board came TQ3Q7, favoring the foreigner, who found an important double.
Finally, Mota found A5s and made a 3-bet all-in from the small blind. In the big blind, the same Biao Ding woke up with 99 and called, while the Norwegian Eelis Parssinen opted to fold. The board was T26Q9, without the saving outs for the Brazilian. At the moment of the Paulista player’s elimination, there were few drops left before the bubble burst.
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