Heng Zhang Wins CPPT bestbet Jacksonville Mystery Bounty Main Event

The 2023 Card Player Poker Tour bestbet Jacksonville collection ran from Aug. 10-21. A complete of 1,885 entries have been made throughout the 9 occasions on the schedule, with $1,033,755 in complete prize cash paid out alongside the best way. The largest chunk got here from the $1,700 buy-in CPPT bestbet Jacksonville no-limit maintain’em thriller bounty primary occasion. With 357 entries, the centerpiece of the pageant blew away its $300,00 assure to create a remaining prize pool of $537,285. After three beginning flights and two extra days of motion, Heng Zhang emerged victorious with the title and $74,010 from the principle prize pool.

The 34-year-old poker professional from St. Augustine, Florida additionally earned $51,000 from 9 thriller bounty payouts, bringing his complete haul for the occasion to $125,010. Among the 9 bounties he snagged was the second-largest out there: a $25,000 payout.

This was the second time in Zhang’s nine-year profession as a poker professional that he discovered himself on the remaining desk of a CPPT bestbet Jacksonville primary occasion. Back in 2015, he made it right down to the ultimate three, finally incomes $69,252 because the third-place finisher.

Zhang mentioned he didn’t really feel any strain to outdo that efficiency, although.

“I was actually feeling pretty chill coming into the final table. I wasn’t really focused on the win, I just focused on every hand,” mentioned Zheng after popping out on prime.

This was the second-largest payday of Zhang’s profession, trailing solely the $81,000 he earned for a Seventy fifth-place end within the 2021 World Series of Poker primary occasion. With his newest win, his profession match earnings now sit at $450,431.

In addition to the title and the cash, Zhang additionally earned 600 Card Player Player of the Year factors for the win. This was his second POY-qualified rating of the 12 months It moved him inside attain of the highest 1,000 within the 2023 POY race standings introduced by Global Poker.

This occasion started with three beginning flights, with every enjoying right down to the highest 12.5 % of the sphere. That resulted in 47 gamers that formally made the cash and moved on to day 2. At that time, the thriller bounties have been launched, with $178,500 to be awarded throughout 47 payouts starting from $500 to $50,000. The largest was drawn by Wendy Lu, who had completed second within the kickoff occasion of the collection roughly every week earlier for $38,577.

Plenty of notables have been among the many 38 to hit the rail on day 2, together with HPT Florida champion Jermaine Gerlin (forty fifth), girls occasion winner Kim Sukyung (thirty ninth), 2017 CPPT bestbet Jacksonville primary occasion champion Jared Reinstein (twenty eighth), girls occasion runner-up Mary Darnell (twenty sixth), 2021 CPPT bestbet Jacksonville primary occasion champion Ben Scrogins (twenty third), 2013 CPPT bestbet Jacksonville primary occasion seventh-place finisher Eddy Mroczkowski (twentieth), 2022 WSOP $3,000 no-limit maintain’em occasion runner-up Toby Boas (18th), WSOP Circuit ring winner Jason May (seventeenth), Wendy Lu (14th), and 2018 CPPT bestbet Jacksonville primary occasion fifth-place finisher Brian Arbaugh (thirteenth).

By the time the ultimate desk was set, Zhang sat in second chip place along with his 1,530,000 trailing solely the two,545,000 of Michael Jagroo.

Thad McNulty was the primary participant to hit the rail on the remaining desk. The Jacksonville native began because the brief stack, and couldn’t get a lot going on the remaining desk. In the top, he moved all-in for 375,000 from the button with Ok4 and Alex Kimpel remoted the motion with a reshove from the small blind holding AOk. Neither participant improved and McNulty was awarded $7,401 for his ninth-place end. The rating introduced his lifetime earnings to simply shy of $585,000.

Jamison Alford managed to make this remaining desk regardless of coming into day 2 of this occasion because the very shortest stack. His run finally resulted in eighth place, although, when his JJ was outflipped by the AOk of Zhang. Zhang hit a backdoor flush to ship Alford house with $9,374 and one $500 bounty payout.

Alan Franco was the following to fall. As with Alford, it was a basic preflop race. Franco’s AOk was unable to beat the QQ of Tyler Chen and he was eradicated in seventh place ($12,014). Franco additionally drew a $10,000 bounty on day 2.

Despite scoring that knockout, Chen quickly adopted Franco to the payout desk. He was concerned in a three-way all-in with the fingers as follows:

Chen – AJ
Long – OkQ
Kimpel – AOk

The flop got here OkQ3, giving Long kings and queens to tug forward. The flip was the J, giving Chen and Kimpel straight attracts. The river was the A, giving Kimpel aces and kings to double by way of Long, whereas eliminating Chen in sixth place. Chen cashed for $15,577, to associate with the $3,500 in bounties that he pulled.

Jagroo began the day with a wholesome lead, however couldn’t get a lot going on the remaining desk. In his remaining hand he shoved with 109from the small blind and Zhang, who sat atop the chip counts by this level, made the decision with A7. Zhang turned a pair of aces and held from there to remove Jagroo in fifth place. He was awarded $20,432, together with $12,000 in bounty payouts.

Kimpel misplaced an enormous chunk of his stack with a flush draw going through the highest pair of Chris Long. He quickly discovered himself all-in with AJ going through the pocket nines of a surging Zhang. Both gamers improved on the flop, however Zhang’s set was nonetheless effectively forward of Kimpel’s prime pair. Kimpel was unable to discover a miracle runout and was eradicated in fourth place ($27,106). Kimpel took house much more in bounties than he did from the principle prize pool, accruing $27,500 throughout six bounties.

Zhang continued his reign of terror by busting Paul Chung in third place ($36,367). Chung-three-bet shoved A2 from the small blind going through a button open from Zhang, who referred to as holding the A9. Zhang made a pair of nines on the flip to take down the pot. Chung left with $36,367 and bounties value $6,000.

After knocking out Chung, Zhang drew the $25,000 thriller bounty, leaving simply two bounties left: one $5,000 bounty and one $2,000 bounty, each of which might go to the winner of the heads-up duel for the title.

Zhang began with 8,620,000 to Long’s 2,125,000. Long scored a double up after which gained a number of pots to basically stage the enjoying area. After that time, although, Zhang started to tug away once more.

By the time the ultimate hand was dealt, Long was right down to fewer than 12 large blinds. He limped in from the button with 76 and Zhang checked his choice with 75.

The flop got here down J72 and Zhang checked. Long went all in for 1,755,000, and Zhang went into the tank earlier than making the decision. The Q didn’t change something, however the 5 on the top gave Zhang two pair and the pot. Long was awarded $49,340 for his runner-up displaying.

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

Check out a replay of the ultimate desk motion from bestbetLIVE!: