Every poker player dreams of arriving at a World Series of Poker final table with the chip lead and using that chip lead to perfect effect to take out opponent after opponent on their way to winning a WSOP bracelet. The nightmare of that scenario ends with the final opponent coming from behind to win the bracelet.
On Sunday, Russia’s Evgeny Kochubey lived that nightmare while Poland’s Kacper Pyzara won his first WSOP bracelet and $36,285 in WSOP Online Event #5 ($315 Bounty NLHE Deepstack) on GGPoker. Pyzara is the second player from Poland to win a WSOP bracelet this summer on GGPoker. Prior to Bartlomiej Swieboda’s victory in Event #1, no Polish player had won a WSOP bracelet.
Kochubey eliminated five of his final eight opponents at the final table but couldn’t make it past Pyzara who eliminated him and one other player on his way to victory. Pyzara wound up earning an impressive $43,504 in bounties to along with the winner’s share of the prize pool.
While Kochubey came to the final table with the lead, Pyzara was the second shortest stack when the final nine players sat down. Kocubey went to work almost immediately. From UTG, Kochubey raised to 630,000 before Vicente Delgado raised to 1,860,000 on the button. Kochubey called and then checked the 
flop. Delgado bet 1,480,050 and Kochubey called. The turn was the 
and Kochubey checked to Delgado who bet 2,456,883. Kochubey called to see the 
river. Kochubey continued his passive line and checked again. Delgado responded by moving all in for 3,872,934. Kochubey called and showed 
while Delgado tabled 
and was eliminated in ninth.
Just a few moments later the next player was sent packing. From the hijack, Moti Ohayon raised to 600,000 with 
. Action folded to Arkadiy Tsinis in the big blind and he moved all in for 4,003,708 with 
and Ohayon called. The 
flop changed nothing and after the 
turn and 
river completed the board, Tsinis was eliminated in eighth place.
Kochubey waited just eight minutes before finding an opportunity to add to his stack at the expense of one of his opponents. Kochubey opened to 635,000 from UTG with and Martina Ciklaminiova moved all in for 3,463,308 in the small blind with 
. Kochubey called. Ciklaminiova could only watch as the board ran out 
to send her out in seventh.
Just ten minutes later Takahiko Nishiyama open-shoved for 1,177,441 from the hijack with 
and Pyzara called from the small blind with . The 
flop gave Pyzara top two pair and Nishiyama was unable to catch up through the 
turn or 
river and was eliminated in sixth.
Kochubey continued to pile up chips and eliminations. Takao Shimizu raised to 1,200,000 from the button with . Kochubey re-raised to 3,800,000 from the big blind with and Shimizu moved all in for 19,193,802. Kochubey snap-called. The flop kept Kochubey in front but gave Shimizu some extra outs with the nut flush draw. The 
turn was no help and neither was the 
river and Shimizu was out in fifth place with Kochubey now holding 57% of the chips in play.
Another 15 minutes past and Kochubey was once again ending the night for another player. With blinds of 250,000/500,000, Kochubey raised from the cutoff to 1,000,000 with 
. Baoyang Xu jammed for their last 5,889,958 with 
from the small blind and Kochubey called. The flop kept Kochubey in front. Xu found no further assistance on the 
turn or 
river as Kochubey made a flush to cement Xu’s fourth place result.
Three-handed play started with Kochubey holding more than 65% of the chips in play. Even with such a dominating chip stack amongst them, ICM implications meant that the remaining three players battled for another 47 minutes before one of them busted.
Down to less than five big blinds, Ohayon moved all in from the button for 3,782,896. Kochubey defended his small blind before Pyzara three-bet to 11,207,240 from the big blind. Kochubey called and all three players saw the flop. Ohayon and Kochubey both checked. The turn was the and Kochubey checked to Ohayan who bet 6,744,135. Kochubey called and then checked the river. Pyzara bet 13,547,411 forcing Kochubey to fold. Ohayon showed for ace-high while Pyzara tabled for Broadway to eliminate Ohayon in third place and set the stages for heads up.
The two players’ stacks were separated by just 14 big blinds with Kochubey in front. In the 40 minutes of toe-to-toe action between the two, Pyaza doubled up early and eventually busted Kochubey to win his first career WSOP bracelet. The double up came on a board showing 
and 23,055,200 already in the middle. Pyzara checked and called all in when Kochubey shoved. Pyzara tabled for two pair after Kochubey showed 
for nothing but a busted straight.
A half hour later, Pyzara opened to 2,400,000 from the button with and Kochubey moved all in for 24,720,488 with . Pyzara called. Kochubey picked up no help on the 
flop. The turn gave him a few extra outs but the river gave Pyzara a full house and eliminated Kochubey in second place.
The tournament had 2,989 total entries to generate an $896,700 prize pool.
Final Table Payouts
- Kacper Pyzara – $36,285 + $43,504 in bounties
- Evgeny Kochubey – $36,194 + $16,952 in bounties
- Moti Ohayon – $26,386 + $5,801 in bounties
- Baoyang Xu – $19,213 + $9,886 in bounties
- Takao Shimizu – $13,990 + $2,794 in bounties
- Takahiko Nishiyama – $10,186 + $3,816 in bounties
- Martina Ciklaminiova – $7,417 + $3,312 in bounties
- Arkadiy Tsinis – $5,401 + $2,652 in bounties
- Vicente Delgado – $3,932 + $5,152 in bounties
