In the final event of PokerGO’s Poker Masters at Aria Casino in Las Vegas, NV, six players cashed. Notably, four out of these six were German, which should come as no surprise to anyone. [toc]
The big buy-in tournament scene continues to be dominated by the country’s high rollers, who put up a strong show at the multi-event series. Steffen Sontheimer, a German professional poker player who won the entire series, is another individual the poker world will be watching closely. Sontheimer cashed in on four out of the five events in the series, raking in over $2.7 million in just a week’s time at the Nevada casino.
Poker Masters aims to be its golf counterpart
The tournament series concept is evidently inspired by The Masters tournament in golf. The series spanned five tournaments over about a week. Players acquired points depending on their standings in each event. The series concluded with a custom-designed purple blazer being awarded to the player who amassed the most points.
It should be highlighted that out of the five events, four had buy-ins of $50,000, with the final event having a $100,000 buy-in. The disparity in buy-ins led to a points system that significantly favored the winner of the $100,000 event in securing the blazer.
Although it may be true, Sontheimer’s win in the final tournament didn’t change the fact. He performed well in all five events, never placing lower than the eighth position. His strong preliminary performance ensured that he secured the jacket when he went head-to-head against his compatriot, Christian Christner.
Here are Sontheimer’s results throughout the event:
- 4th place in Event 1 for $204,000
- Event 2 – First place wins $900,000
- Event 4 – Finished 5th for $117,000
- Event 5: First place for $1,512,000
Poker Masters was a Super High Roller Bowl
Due to the high buy-ins, the number of players willing to participate in an event like Poker Masters is limited. The largest turnout among the five events was at Event 2, attracting 52 players. On average, the four preliminary events saw 47 players each, and the final event, with a buy-in of $100,000, drew 36 players.
The final was in fact a repeat of a previous 2017 Aria event. Christner and Sontheimer had previously faced off in the $300,000 Super High Roller Bowl in May. However, in that instance, the outcome was reversed, with Christner emerging victorious.
If you’re puzzled about the influx of German children, it’s likely you’re not familiar with the High Roller scene. This exclusive set of players doesn’t really engage in “minor” buy-in events. Looking at both Christner and Sontheimer’s results shows that their significant achievements are mostly in high buy-in tournaments.
Just five years ago, it was not entirely feasible to only participate in high roller poker tournaments. Yet, with Aria’s comprehensive high roller schedule and the surge of high buy-in tournaments at PokerStars in Europe, it’s now possible to immerse oneself fully into the most intense level of play and remain there.
How does the Poker Masters champ rank as one of the best players in the game?
The debate continues regarding whether the purple jacket is indeed the ultimate reward for the world’s top poker player. Despite most players concurring that these fields are bereft of weak spots, notable dissenter Phil Hellmuth has voiced a different opinion. Via Twitter, he proposed that these players may be overvalued, highlighting that big-field tournament successes and small-field high roller successes necessitate distinct skill sets.
Despite his differing opinion, Hellmuth still managed to Tweet out a congratulatory message to Sontheimer for his well-deserved victory.
