The Partypoker Live Millions Super High Roller Series Sochi is underway and big winners are already starting to emerge.
Running between March 6 and March 15, 2020, the festival is designed to break records.
At the lowest level, events cost $26,000,. At the top end, the Super High Roller Bowl Russia will become the most expensive tournament ever held in the country with a $250,000 buy-in.
Before the main spectacle gets underway, the world’s best players are warming up with a selection of side events.
Jiang Xia He Picks Up First Partypoker Live Millions Title
First to step upon the winner’s rostrum was Jiang Xia He. The Spanish national put in a commanding performance on Saturday to pick up a win at Casino Sochi.
Super high roller sensation Stephen Chidwick headlined the $260,000 short deck finale. With four high-roller final tables in January alone, the Englishman looked like the man to beat.
Chidwick left early, however, when his pocket queens failed to hold against Aaron Van Blarcum’s A-K. With the final table down to five, Wai Leong Chan took control, stealing chips from Van Blarcum before bullying those around him.
That tactic proved effective until Xia He made his move. A rivered full house for Xia He was enough to beat Chan’s straight. That pot was worth nine million chips and gave Xia He an almost insurmountable lead.
Super High Roller Series Sochi Event #1 Result
- Xia He Jiang – $378,000
- John Cynn – $252,000
- Aaron Van Blarcum – $168,000
- Cary Katz – $105,000
- Wai Leong Chan – $84,000
- Stephen Chidwick – $63,300
Now able to bet with impunity, the Spanish pro dispatched with Carey Katz and Van Blarcum within 30 minutes. That quick double-KO left Xia He and 2018 WSOP Main Event champion John Cynn battling for the title.
Despite Cynn having the better résumé, Xia He came through the final test in just one hand.
Cynn moved all-in with K♠9♠ but ran out of chips when Xia He made a royal flush with J♣Tx. With that, Xia He became the first Super High Roller Series Sochi winner.
Trickett Takes Out Top Pros on Route to Super Sochi Win
As Xia He was celebrating the biggest win of his career, Sam Trickett was getting back to his winning ways. The English pro is 25th on the all-time money list and added another $435,000 to his $21 million+ tally on Sunday.
Trickett’s latest win came in event #2 of the Super High Roller Sochi series. In total, 58 players entered the $26,000 No-Limit Hold’em showdown.
With Phil Ivey at the felt, everyone was on high alert. However, in the end, it was Trickett who proved the strongest. As the likes of Ivey, Paul Phua and Timothy Adams faded, the man from Nottingham rose up the ranks.
Super High Roller Series Sochi Event #2 Result
- Sam Trickett – $435,000
- Ivan Leow – $290,000
- Matthias Eibinger – $203,000
- Adrian Mateos – $145,000
- Timothy Adams – $116,000
- Artur Martirosyan – $87,000
- Phil Ivey – $72,500
- Paul Phua – $58,000
- Webster Lim – 43,500
In the end, a four-card flush was enough for Trickett to overcome Malaysia’s Ivan Leow.
With that, two events in the latest Partypoker Live Millions were over but the winners keep coming. On Monday, Wai Leong won $457,500 after beating Paul Phua in Event #3, the $26,000 short deck showdown.
