Damian Salas Wins 2020 World Series of Poker $10,000 Main Event International Tournament

In 2017, Damian Salas navigated his means by a area of 7,221 entries to make the ultimate desk of the World Series of Poker $10,000 buy-in predominant occasion. He went on to complete seventh for greater than $1.4 million, falling only a few spots shy of changing into the first-ever poker world champion from his residence nation of Argentina. In reality, he was the primary Argentinian to even make the ultimate desk. Incredibly, simply three years later, Salas has one other probability to put in writing his identify within the poker historical past books.

Salas overcame a area of 674 whole entries to win the ‘International Tournament’ of the 2020 WSOP $10,000 predominant occasion. Salas earned $1,550,969 because the champion of this occasion, and can now head to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas to play the winner of the concurrently-running ‘Domestic Tournament’ with a purpose to decide this yr’s world champion. The eventual winner of that heads-up showdown will probably be awarded the championship bracelet and $1 million in added prize cash. The US-facing match set its remaining desk on Monday, Dec. 14.

This occasion started on-line, with three beginning flights working on Nov. 29 and Dec. 5-6, drawing a complete of 674 entries. Day 2 started on Dec. 7 with 179 gamers remaining. Over the course of round 10 hours of play, the sphere was narrowed all the way down to a remaining desk of 9, with Brazil’s Brunno Botteon bagging up the biggest stack of 10,317,743. Salas entered the day in third chip place.

The remaining desk was held dwell and in particular person at King’s Casino in Rozvadov, the location of the WSOP Europe pageant in recent times. Only eight of the ultimate 9 gamers made the journey to the Czech Republic, as Peiyuan Sun opted to not attend the ultimate desk in particular person. As outcome, they formally completed in ninth place and earned $75,360.

Hannes Speiser was the primary to be eradicated on the remaining desk. He bought his final ten or so large blinds in preflop with Q10 and bumped into the pocket tens of Salas. The board stored Salas’ pocket pair forward by the river, and Speiser was despatched residence in eighth place ($109,982).

Stoyan Obreshkov was the following participant to hit the rail. He additionally discovered himself with round 10 large blinds when the hand started, all of which went into the pot preflop. He held Ok10 and was up towards the A10 of Salas. The Argentinian made aces and tens by the river to take down the pot and knock Obreshkov out in seventh place ($160,512).

Dominykas Mikolaitis’ run on this occasion got here to an finish when he misplaced a preflop race with A-J towards the pocket threes of Manuel Ruivo. A 3 on the flop gave Ruivo a dominant lead, and a clean on the flip left Mikolaitis drawing useless. The Lithuanian earned $234,255 because the sixth-place finisher. Ruivo continued his climb up the leaderboard by discovering himself on the preferrable aspect of a preflop cooler towards Marco Streda. Ruivo opened and Streda three-bet all-in for round 9 large blinds with AOk. Ruivo rapidly known as with AA and held by all 5 group playing cards. Streda was awarded for $341,879 for his fifth-place exhibiting.

Salas constructed an early lead together with his early knockouts on the remaining desk, and he was capable of lengthen that benefit throughout four-handed play. He held greater than 3 times as many chips as the following largest stack when the ultimate 4 took a dinner break. Botteon was capable of shut the hole considerably by eliminating Ramon Miquel Munoz in fourth place. The brief stack bought his previous couple of blinds in with A-6 and was unable to outrun the pocket threes of Botteon, who flopped a set and turned a full home. Miquel Munoz earned $498,947 for his deep run on this occasion.

Manuel Ruivo took his stand towards the chip chief after the pair noticed a flop of 942. Salas checked from out of place and Ruivo wager 750,000. Salas check-raised to five,000,000. Ruivo solely had round 6 million in whole, and he introduced that he was all-in. Salas known as and revealed the ten7 for a flush draw. Ruivo held 94 for 2 pair. The 8 on the flip gave Salas extra outs with an open-ended straight draw. The 5 on the river accomplished Salas’ flush, and Ruivo was eradicated in third place ($728,177).

With that, Salas took roughly a 5:3 chip lead into heads-up play towards Botteon. The Brazilian was capable of overtake the lead within the early going, however Salas regained the benefit and by no means appeared again. By the time the ultimate hand was dealt, he held a virtually a 3:1 lead. Salas limped in from the button for 600,000 with Ok8 and Botteon checked holding 73. The flop got here down Ok42 and Botteon checked. Salas checked behind together with his high pair and the flip introduced the 6 to present Botteon a flush draw and outs to a straight. He checked and Salas wager 1,000,000. Botteon check-raised to 2,800,000. Salas known as and the river introduced the 8. Botteon had missed, however he elected to maneuver all-in as a bluff for round 6.6 million. Salas thought it over earlier than making the decision together with his kings and eights to safe the pot and the title. Botteon earned $1,062,723 because the runner-up finisher.

Here is a take a look at the payouts awarded at this remaining desk: