After the victory of a rookie in Event 1 and another unprecedented title in Event 2, the PokerGO Cup saw a familiar face crowned champion. This Thursday (5), Justin Saliba won Event 3 (US$ 5.100 NLH), earning his second trophy in series editions and his third in PGT circuit festivals.
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In the single-day competition, Justin Saliba managed to overcome the star-studded field of 86 entries, pocketing US$ 96.400 for the win. There was a heads-up deal with James Carroll, and at the end of the final duel, the runner-up walked away with US$ 94.950. Sam Laskowitz completed the FT podium composed entirely of players from the USA.
Check out the final standings of Event 3:
- Justin Saliba – US$ 96.400*
- James Carroll – US$ 94.950*
- Sam Laskowitz – US$ 53.750
- Timothy Capretta – US$ 38.700
- Chino Rheem – US$ 30.100
- Jeremy Ausmus – US$ 21.500
- Eric Blair – US$ 17.200
With more than US$ 11 million earned in live tournaments in his career, Justin Saliba proves he is already used to decisions like this. This was evident in his trajectory throughout the final table, where he started as chip leader, but even after seeing Carroll take the lead, he didn’t let the game slip away.
Saliba and Carroll were responsible for all the FT eliminations, and when they reached heads-up, Carroll led in chips. They struck an ICM-based deal, reserving a larger figure for Carroll but leaving US$ 10 thousand still up for grabs. Right on the first hand, Saliba turned the chip count around by doubling up with AJ against QJ.
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From then on, Carroll’s stack withered until only 5 bbs remained, and upon receiving K5, he tried to double up. He saw an extremely favorable showdown after Justin Saliba called and showed Q5, but a Q appeared on the board, putting an end to the tournament.
Event 3 of the PokerGO Cup distributed US$ 430 thousand among the top 13 finishers. And in the ITM, the Brazilian flag appeared, thanks to João Simão. The national poker star was able to reach ninth place in the tournament, pocketing US$ 12.900 as a prize.
Read more Rookie victory and comeback against Jesse Lonis mark the start of the PokerGO Cup
