Ankush Mandavia Wins 2021 Card Player Poker Tour Venetian $2,500 Buy-In Main Event

Ankush Mandavia has gained the 2021 Card Player Poker Tour Venetian $2,500 buy-in no-limit maintain’em predominant occasion. The 33-year-old poker professional from Kalamazoo, Michigan defeated a subject of 652 entries to earn the title and the highest payout of $260,000 after placing a heads-up take care of Anselmo Villarreal. This was the fifth-largest rating of Mandavia’s profession, and it introduced his lifetime earnings to only shy of $5.4 million.

In addition to the trophies and the cash, Mandavia was additionally awarded 1,260 Card Player Player of the Year factors because the champion of this occasion. This win alone was sufficient to catapult him into fourth place within the POY race standings.

“It’s amazing. This is actually my first tournament back,” mentioned Mandavia after popping out on high. “When I went to register and got a player’s card they told me it had been exactly one year since I last played here. That’s kinda crazy, but it feels good.”

The large turnout of 652 entries for this occasion noticed the $500,000 assure almost tripled, with a remaining prize pool of $1,467,000 paid out among the many high 72 finishers. Just 27 gamers made it to the ultimate day of the occasion, with Mandavia sitting in 18th place when motion resumed.

The motion was quick and livid in the course of the early ranges, with 17 eliminations within the first 4 hours of the day. Plenty of massive names hit the rail as the sphere was rapidly narrowed right down to a remaining desk, together with Justin Lapka (twenty fifth – $9,682), Scott Stewart (twenty fourth – $11,589), Frank Marasco (twenty third – $11,589), Jordan Cristos (nineteenth – $11,589), TK Miles (seventeenth – $11,589), Stanley Lee (thirteenth – $16,137), and start-of-day chip chief James Anderson (eleventh – $19,071).

By the time the official eight-handed remaining desk was set, Tim Capretta had labored his manner into the chip lead, with Mandavia sitting on the next-largest stack. Three-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Kristen Bicknell and World Poker Tour predominant occasion winner Alex Foxen, who’re a pair, each made the ultimate desk. This was not the primary time the pair achieved that feat right here at Venetian. In 2018, the 2 poker execs made the ultimate desk of a $5,000 buy-in Mid-States Poker Tour occasion collectively, ending in first and second for a mixed whole of $439,000.

Qing Liu was the primary to be eradicated on the remaining desk, together with his pocket aces being cracked by Bicknell’s pocket jacks. Liu earned $24,939 whereas Bicknell climbed into the center of the pack. Seven-handed motion continued for fairly some time, with a number of short-stack double-ups alongside the best way. Mandavia overtook the lead throughout this stretch, profitable an enormous pot with a floped straight in opposition to the turned set of Capretta.

Yosif Nawabi’s run on this occasion got here to an finish when his A9 bumped into the pocket queens of Alex Foxen, simply moments after Foxen had spiked a gutshot to double up by Nawabi. The pocket pair held up and Nawabi was knocked out in seventh place ($35,208).

Alex Foxen was the brief stack when the following key hand arose. With blinds of 80,000-160,000 and a big-blind ante of 160,000, Foxen raised to 680,000 as the primary to behave. Capretta referred to as from the hijack and the flop introduced the ten82. Foxen shoved for 550,000 and Caprett referred to as with AJ. Foxen rolled over the J8 for a number one pair of eights. The 10 on the flip kep him forward, however the A on the river gave Capretta the profitable hand. Foxen earned $45,477 for his sixth-place exhibiting. The rating elevated his profession earnings to $17,395,831.

A preflop race decided the following participant to be eradicated. Derek Gregory referred to as all-in from the massive blind dealing with a shove from Kristin Bicknell out of the small blind. Gregory held the QJ, whereas Bicknell had 33. Gregory failed to enhance and was knocked out in fifth place ($60,147).

Kristen Bicknell climbed into the chip lead early in four-handed motion, whereas Mandavia had fallen to the underside of the leaderboard. He discovered a double-up with pocket eights in opposition to Bicknell’s A-7 offsuit to present himself some respiratory room. Bicknell, however, continued to see her stack dwindle as short-handed motion continued. In the tip, she bought all-in with 55 racing in opposition to the AOk of Anselmo Villarreal. The board got here down Ok63710 and Villarreal’s pair of kings despatched Bicknell residence with $90,954 for her newest deep run, introduced her profession event earnings to $5,525,426.

Mandavia picked off a multi-street bluff from Villarreal to regain the lead throughout three-handed motion. Villarreal was left fairly brief however doubled by Capretta to regain his footing. Not lengthy after that hand, the 2 clashed once more. With the flop exhibiting AA9, Capretta made a guess of 1,000,00. Villarreal referred to as and the flip introduced the three. Capretta moved all-in for 3,400,000. Villarreal made the decision, having his opponent lined by a single 25,000 event chip. Villareal confirmed Q9 for aces and nines. Capretta had been making a transfer with Ok10. The river introduced the three and Capretta was knocked out in third place, incomes $132,030.

With that, Villarreal entered heads-up play with 13,855,000 to Mandavia’s 12,225,000. The two paused the motion to debate a deal. They in the end agreed to redistribute the remaining prize pool, with Mandavia taking residence $260,000 whereas Villarrael would earn $253,441. The two agreed to run a flip for the title, and Mandavia’s 108 beat out Villarreall’s A3. The board got here down Q73810 to present Mandavia two pair for the win.

Here is a take a look at the payouts and POY factors awarded on the remaining desk: