Ali Imsirovic is the most popular participant on the reside match circuit in 2021. The 26-year-old Bosnian-born poker professional from Vancouver, Washington leads the sphere in all three of crucial classes for match success up to now in 2021: cash earned ($2,553,960), last tables made (16 so far) and titles gained (seven). Imsirovic’s most up-to-date conquest noticed him emerge victorious from a area of 61 entries within the newest 2021 PokerGO Cup $10,000 no-limit maintain’em match. For the win, he secured the highest prize of $183,000. The rating elevated his profession match earnings to greater than $12 million.
In addition to the title and the cash, Imsirovic was additionally awarded 360 Card Player Player of the Year factors because the champion of this occasion. Thanks to his unimaginable efficiency up to now this yr, Imsirovic already sat in first place within the 2021 POY race standings, that are sponsored by Global Poker. With this rating he took a 450 level lead over second-ranked Chad Eveslage, who surged up the standings only a day earlier than Imsirovic’s newest win by taking down the World Poker Tour Venetian major occasion for his third title of the yr.
Imsirovic’s 2021 success has virtually completely are available in high-stakes occasions. As a outcome, he’s additionally the clear chief atop the (*2*) He earned 183 factors in the direction of that rankings race, giving him a 527 level lead over second-ranked Sean Perry in these standings. He additionally surpassed PokerGO Cup occasion no. 1 winner Alex Foxen to take the lead within the participant of the sequence race by a handful of rankings factors.
Event no. 2 on the inaugural PokerGO Cup was a $10,000 buy-in no-limit maintain’ match. The 61-entry turnout created a $610,000 prize pool, with the highest 9 finishers making the cash. Spanish poker professional Sergio Aido was eradicated on the cash bubble late on day 1 of the match, with Marius Gierse (ninth – $18,300), Daniel Weinand (eighth – $24,400), and Sam Soverel (seventh – $30,500) all busting earlier than day 1 got here to a conclusion.
The second and last day of this occasion started with Imsirovic within the lead and World Poker Tour major occasion winner Matas Cimbolas sizzling on his heels. Two of the shorter stacks on the desk began off with double-ups earlier than Cimbloas obtained concerned in a preflop showdown that resulted in catastrophe for the Lithuanian poker professional. Cimbolas shoved for simply shy of 23 large blinds with A5 from the small blind, solely to have Imsirovic get up with A5. Cimbolas flopped a 5 to show the tables, however the Okay on the river despatched him to the rail in sixth place ($36,600). The 120 POY factors he earned for his fifth final-table end of the yr have been sufficient to see him climb into sixth place within the rankings, with one title and $1,101,205 in certified earnings.
Frank Funaro was the subsequent to fall when his A9 did not beat out the Okay6 of Imsirovic, who had put him all-in preflop. Imsirovic spiked a king on the flip to take the lead, and a board pairing three on the river despatched Funaro packing in fifth place ($48,800). Imsirovic chipped as much as over 5.5 million after the hand, whereas the opposite three gamers on the desk had simply over 2.1 million mixed between them.
Mo Rahim’s run on this occasion got here to an finish after he misplaced the bulk of his chips in a three-way all-in. Rahim had held A10 dealing with the AQ of fellow quick stack Jason Koon and Q9 of Imsirovic. Koon’s hand was the most effective for the primary pot, whereas Rahim gained a small aspect pot with a worse ace excessive to remain alive within the match with one large blind. He was eradicated shortly after, incomes $61,000 for his fourth-place displaying on this occasion.
Koon had begun the ultimate day with lower than 4 large blinds, however managed to rebuild to over 33 large blinds by the beginning of three-handed play. He misplaced a couple of pots to fall to the underside of the leaderboard once more, however managed to outlive to heads-up play thanks partly to a preflop cooler. WPT major occasion winner Dylan Linde picked up pocket queens on the button and min-raised to 200,000. Imsirovic regarded down at pocket kings and three-bet to 600,000. Linde shoved for 2,650,000 and Imsirovic snap-called. The superior pocket pair held up and Linde was eradicated in third place ($85,400).
Imsirovic took simply over a 3:1 chip lead into heads-up play with Koon. The last battle didn’t final lengthy. Koon limped in from the button with A9 and Imsirovic shoved all-in with Okay2. Koon known as off 4 round 18 large blinds and was in danger however forward. Imsirovic leaped out in entrance on a ten32 flop. The J on the flip left Koon needing an ace or a 9 on the river. The 6 on the tip was of no assist and Koon was knocked out in second place, incomes $122,000. Koon stays in ninth place on poker’s all-time cash listing after this newest deep run in a excessive curler occasion, with greater than $32.6 million in cashes to his identify.
Here is a take a look at the payouts and rankings factors awarded on the ultimate day of this occasion:
Place | Player | Earnings | POY Points | PokerGO |
1 | Ali Imsirovic | $183,000 | 360 | 183 |
2 | Jason Koon | $122,000 | 300 | 122 |
3 | Dylan Linde | $85,400 | 240 | 85 |
4 | Muhammad Abdel Rahim | $61,000 | 180 | 61 |
5 | Frank Funaro | $48,800 | 150 | 49 |
6 | Matas Cimbolas | $36,600 | 120 | 37 |
Winner picture credit score: PokerGO / Antonio Abrego.