Markus Gonsalves Wins Long-Delayed 2020 WPT Gardens Poker Championship

It took 422 days for the ultimate desk to reconvene once more after first being set on Jan. 13, 2020, however after a prolonged delay brought on by COVID-19, a winner has lastly been determined within the 2020 World Poker Tour Gardens Poker Championship $10,000 buy-in no-limit maintain’em principal occasion. On Mar. 10, 2021 Markus Gonsalves emerged victorious from the sector of 257 complete entries to safe his first WPT title and the first-place prize of $554,495.

“I believe I’ve come shut a couple of times earlier than so it feels good to lastly win one. All my mates have them. That’s going to be nice to troll Phil [Hellmuth], that’s for certain,” Gonsalves told WPT reporters after popping out on high.

“It feels good to get it over, it feels good to win,” continued Gonsalves ready greater than a 12 months to play this match out.

In addition to the title and the cash, Gonsalves was additionally awarded 1,020 Card Player Player of the Year factors for the win. As a consequence, he climbed into twelfth place within the 2021 POY race, which is sponsored by Global Poker.

The WPT Gardens Poker Championship was one in every of three ultimate tables that have been set in early 2020 with the intention of being performed out and filmed for tv from March 31 by April 2 of that 12 months in Las Vegas. The COVID-19 outbreak shut down everything of the stay match scene simply weeks earlier than these occasions have been scheduled to be accomplished, placing the tournaments on an indefinite hiatus. In early March of 2021, the newly-scheduled dates for the ultimate tables have been introduced, with this explicit occasion being the primary on the agenda.

Two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Chance Kornuth held the chip lead when play resumed, with Gonsalves sitting in second on the leaderboard. Qing Liu got here into the day because the second shortest stack however was driving excessive after having received the WPT Venetian principal occasion for $752,880. Liu was finally the primary to be eradicated on this occasion, although. He obtained all-in with 53 for a low two pair on a Q532 board. He was forward towards the OkayOkay of Tuan Phan, however the Q on the river counterfeited his hand to see him despatched residence in sixth place. He earned $111,795 and 340 POY factors for his sturdy exhibiting. He now sits with a large lead within the 2021 POY race, having made seven ultimate tables and received two titles already this 12 months.

Straton Wilhelm was the subsequent to fall. In the next hand he obtained all-in with A10 and located himself up towards the pocket aces of Tuan Phan, who had been dealt monster pocket pairs in back-to-back arms. Wilhelm was unable to return from behind and settled for $146,655 because the fourth-place finisher.

With that Gonsalves supplanted Chance Kornuth atop the leaderboard. Kornuth, who not too long ago clashed with Phil Galfond in his high-stakes pot-limit Omaha heads-up problem, steadily slid down the leaderboard as four-handed play continued. In his ultimate hand, Kornuth limped in from the small blind with pocket sizes. Gonsalves noved all-in with A5 and Kornuth known as for 990,000. His pocket pair was unable to carry up, as Gonsalves spiked an ace on the flop to take the lead and held from there. Kornuth was awarded $195,085 because the fourth-place finisher.

Three-handed play lasted 4 orbits. It was delivered to an finish by a preflop cooler, with Jonathan Cohen getting all-in holding pocket nines towards the pocket tens of Gonsalves. The superior pair held up by the river and Cohen was knocked out in third place, incomes $263,090 for his deep run on this occasion.

Gonsalves entered heads-up play with practically a 5:1 chip lead over Tuan Phan. While this disparity may need made it seem that the ultimate showdown for the title may be a fast one, the 2 finally battled it out for greater than three hours, with Phan truly overtaking the lead briefly late within the match. Gonsalves was capable of regain the benefit by doubling up only a few arms earlier than the match got here to a detailed.

In the ultimate hand of the occasion, Gonsalves picked up 104 and limped in from the small blind. Phan checked with 53 and the flop got here down 953. Phan check-called a guess of 200,000 and the flip introduced the Q. Phan checked once more and Gonsalves guess 600,000. Phan moved all-in for 3,075,000 complete and Gonsalves known as together with his flopped flush. Phan had outs to a full home, however the J on the river was of no assist and he was eradicated because the runner-up ($359,650).

Here is a take a look at the payouts awarded on the ultimate desk:

Photo credit: Joe Giron / WPT.