David Prociak Wins PGT Mixed Games Series Event #3 for $93,000

David PRociak won the $5,100-entry 10-Game Mini-Championship after a fantastic final table saw players such as Jeremy Ausmus and the former WSOP Main Event final table player Alex Livingston go close. With 72 entries and a prizepool of $360,000, Prociak won the top prize of $93,600 after beating Philip Sternheimer heads-up.

Sternheimer Starts in the Lead

The final seven convened with the English player Philip Sternheimer in the lead on just over 2.5 million chips. A short way behind him was David Prociak on 2.1 million. With Bradley Ruebn (2m), the aforementioned Livingston (2m) and Ausmus (995,000) next closest, short stacks Seth Perlman (600,000) and Hal Rotholz (80,000) had vastly different chances of recovering their momentum on the way to glory.

Once the final day began, it didn’t take long for a player to leave the action and Hal Rotholz was the unlucky player. The American cashed for $18,000 when a hand of Omaha Hi-Lo went against him, as Sternheimer took him out with kings and nines. Rotholz had only paired the river jack and bowed out.

A bad beat in Limit Hold’em saw Alex Livingston knocked out just a few minutes later. The Canadian called off his stack with . He was right to do so, Sternheimer having three-bet with . The flop of kept Livingston ahead but after the turn, the on the river may have given Livingston top pair but it was bad news, bringing with it a Broadway straight for his opponent. The Canadian cashed for $21,600 in sixth place.

Ausmus Ousted Before the Podium

With five players remaining, Stud Hi-Lo proved to be Jeremy Ausmus’ undoing. Seth Perlman got the better of Ausmus by catching a winning flush on seventh street, meaning Ausmus cashed for $28,800 instead of making it to the podium places.

Perlman survived that hand, but he was still short himself and then turned out to be his undoing. All-in against David Prociak in a hand of Razz, Perlman had the lead with a ten-seven only to be caught by Prociak who drew to a nine-seven. Perlman drew, but a nie-eight wasn’t enough and he left in fourth place for $46,800.

Three men were left but only one could win the title. Prociak had 2.75 million chips, but it was Philip Sternheimer who held the lead. The next elimination looked crucial and with Bradley Ruben short, it was never going to be a long time before he took his chances and got his chips into the middle.

Prociak Upsets the Odds

Ruben was short and deseparate for the double-up. He chose No Limit Hold’em as the time to fire for it, and from the button, shoved with . Usually very strong three-handed, Ruben had run into a monster, however, as Sternheimer called with the pre-flop nuts.  Of .

The flop of was a disaster for Ruben, and he’d need running straight cards or either two queens or kings to survive. Instead, an on the turn locked it up for Sternheimer, who shook Ruben’s hand as the fell on the river and Ruben walked away to claim his third-place prize of $46,800.

Sternheimer had a huge lead with 7.5 million playing Prociak’s 3.3 million, but the Brit couldn’t seal the deal. As they returned for an extra day to finish of the final battle, Prociak won the first two hands to put himself withing range of his opponent. After getting low, Procaik went on a tear and established the lead his opponent had enjoyed when the day began. The American didn’t let it slip, flopping bottom set in PLO and holding against Sternheimer’s top two pairs to win the $93,600 top prize and his first PGT Mixed Games Series trophy.