Norwegian High Roller Takes Down Huge Albanian Pot-Limit Omaha Event

The pot-limit Omaha motion was sizzling within the Albanian capital of Tirana this week. The 2025 PLO Grand Slam hosted by Diamond Poker Series is operating from Jan. 23-31 at Arena Casino Tirana, with €5 million in assured prize cash together with two occasions with seven figures in promised payouts. The first was a €1 million assured €5,000 buy-in which was gained by Tom Vogelsang. The second occasion was the centerpiece of the pageant: the €2,000,000 assured €10,000 championship.

A complete of 191 entries turned out for the latter match, which meant the occasion fell simply wanting making its assure. After match employees charges have been subtracted, $1,957,456 in prize cash was paid out throughout the highest 23 finishers.

Norway’s Tom-Aksel Bedell got here on the highest in the long run. Bedell took dwelling $455,520 for the win, a brand new high rating for the high-stakes match common. Bedell now has greater than $4 million in recorded earnings to his title. Bedell reportedly earned his seat on this match by way of a giveaway within the €5,000 ‘Opener’ for the participant who fired essentially the most bullets.

Bedell additionally secured 840 Card Player Player of the Year factors, which have been sufficient to maneuver him inside hanging distance of the highest 30 within the 2025 POY race introduced by Global Poker.

This was the second operating of this sequence, with the primary having been held in The venue is establishing itself as a brand new foothold for the poker scene in Albania, after internet hosting its first broadly publicized pageant in late 2023. The earlier PLO Grand Slam sported €3 million in complete ensures.

Plenty of notables ran deep on this occasion, together with bracelet winners Joni Jouhkimainen (twenty second), Max Kruse (twentieth), Elie Nakache (18th), Dario Alioto (fifteenth), and Ismael Bojang (14th).

Daniel Tordjman knocked out two-time bracelet winner Oleksii Kovalchuk (fifth – $134,680) to take a large chip lead into short-handed play. He then bused €5,000 occasion winner Tom Vogelsang (4th – $167,960) to carry over 72 p.c of the overall chips in play heading into three-handed motion.

The shorter stacks battled again, although, and finally Bedell gained a giant pot in opposition to Tordjman with kings filled with sevens to overhaul the lead. Tordjman slid down the leaderboard from there, and was finally all-in with 9765 going through the QQ94 of Bedell. The board got here down 8878Q to present Bedell queens full for the win. Tordjman walked away with $205,400 for his third-place displaying.

2024 World Series of Poker Paradise $100,000 pot-limit Omaha occasion winner Lautaro Guerra entered heads-up play at a giant chip drawback. The Spanish poker professional managed a couple of early double ups to maintain his hopes alive, however was quickly all-in with QJ95 going through the AQQ3 of Bedell. The A8457 introduced the occasion to an finish. Guerra cashed for $307,840 because the runner-up, rising his profession haul to just about $5.3 million within the course of.

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