Niklas Astedt is in the winner’s circle yet again. The superstar Swede, winner of the #1 Number One contest, continued to add to his long list of accolades by taking down the 49th edition of the $10K GGPoker Super MILLION$ for $313,907.
The victory extends Astedt’s current record as the tournament’s most profitable player with more than $3.35 million in total cashes. Astedt also holds the record for the most in-the-money finishes (12) and most final table appearances (12). With the win, he becomes just the sixth player to have won two or more Super MILLION$, his first coming when he won the $25K GGPoker Spring Festival edition for more than $1 million.
Adding to his more than $22 million in recorded career earnings, Astedt proved once again he’s able to outlast elite online poker’s elite when it counts. This week’s final table included top-tier talent including current #7-ranked Bruno Volkmann, two-time WSOP bracelet winner Elio Fox, high-stakes savant Mikita Badziakouski, Argentinian crusher Ramiro Petrone, and, eventual runner-up, Sam Greenwood.
The action at the final table got off to a quick start when on the third hand of the day the short-stacked ‘judd trump’ shipped all-in holding 
. Starting the day as the chip leader, Ramiro Petrone but in a small raise holding 
. Then, right behind Petrone satellite winner ‘rushaakkandqq’ picked up 
and re-shipped all-in for roughly 30 big blinds. Mario Mosboeck then folded 
on the button and Elio Fox let go of 
in the small blind. When the action folded back to Petrone, he also opted out. The flop came 
giving ‘judd trump’ top pair, but the case jack brought a set for ‘rushaakkandqq’. When the 
hit the turn, ‘judd trump’ was drawing dead to the 
river. ‘judd trump’s short stay at the final table was good for $48,802.
Just two hands later ‘rushaakkandqq’ was back in action, putting in a raise in middle position with the . It folded to Brazil’s Bruno Volkmann in the big blind, and he defended holding 
. The 
flop brought an open-ended straight draw for Volkmann and top pair for ‘rushaakkandqq’ who put out a bet when checked to. Volkmann check-raised the flop, leaving himself one small blind behind. ‘rushaakkandqq’ put in a raise and Volkmann committed the rest of his chips. The turn was the and the river came the 
bringing no help to Volkmann and sending him out in eighth for $61,587.
Roughly forty minutes of seven-handed play took place before the next player hit the rail. After Astedt put in a raise with , Mario Mosboeck three-bet on the button holding 
. The action folded back to Astedt who made the call and the pair saw a flop of 
. Astedt checked and Mosboeck continued for a 1/6 pot bet which Astedt called. The turn was the 
bringing in the straight for Astedt who checked once again. Mosboeck then put the rest of his short stack in the middle and was snap-called by Astedt. Mosboeck was down to four outs, but the 
river was not one of them, leaving Mosboeck to finish up in seventh place for $77,720.
Mikita Badziakouski had found himself on the short stack with six players left and when action folded to him in the small blind with 
he moved all-in for his final 18 big blinds. In the big blind, Astedt had and made the quick call. The flop came 
giving Astedt top pair and leaving Badziakouski in serious need of help. The turn was the , effectively ending Badziakouski’s tournament. The 
river made it official and in his second final table appearance, Badziakouski finished in sixth place for $98,079.
Fifteen minutes later a pair of back-to-back hands brought about the end for Fox. The first hand saw Fox get in stacks with his against Sam Greenwood’s 
when the board ran out 
and Fox was left with just 10 big blinds. On the very next hand, Astedt raised from middle position with 
. When action folded back to Fox in the big blind he three-bet shoved with and Astedt again made a quick call. The flop came [ah
, keeping Astedt in the lead. The turn was the , taking away some of Fox’s pair outs. The river was the 
and just like that, Fox was out in fifth place for $123,772.
On Sunday, with just 14 players left in the tournament, Austria’s ’rushaakkandqq’ was down to under one big blind. Not only did ’rushaakkandqq’ win their way into this week’s Super MILLION$ from a $109 satellite but they grinded that half-a-blind back to reach the final table. From there, they laddered from their seventh-place Day 2 starting stack to reach four-handed play.
It looked like there was a chance for ’rushaakkandqq’ to turn the “chip and a chair” motto into a reality. And, for a moment, it seemed as if ’rushaakkandqq’ was going to score a critical double up when they shipped their final nine big blinds from the button holding and got called by Sam Greenwood holding 
. But when the flop came 
, Greenwood took control of the hand and ’rushaakkandqq’ was left looking for help, yet again, to stick around. The turn was the 
, providing some extra outs but the river was the , bringing trips for Greenwood and bringing an end to ’rushaakkandqq’s amazing run in fourth place for which they earned $156,195.
With three left, Astedt enjoyed a huge lead as Petrone and Greenwood shipped chips back and forth in an effort to double up. After winning a key hand against Greenwood, it looked like it would be Petrone who would survive. But Greenwood hung around and eventually it was Petrone that got involved with Astedt, putting his tournament at risk.
Astedt put in a raise on the button with 
and Petrone moved all-in from the small blind with . Greenwood got out of the way, folding his and Astedt made the call. Flipping for his tournament, Petrone looked on as the board ran out 
, sending the Argentian online star out in third place for $197,111.
Astedt took his nearly six-to-one chip lead into heads-up play against Greenwood and never came close to losing it. The pair battled for just under thirty minutes when, on the final hand, Astedt shoved all-in with the 
and Greenwood made the call with his 
. There was little drama to be had as the board ran out , awarding the pot, this week’s Super MILLION$ title and the $313,907 first-place prize to Astedt. Sam Greenwood added $248,746 to his more than $14 million in career online earnings as the runner-up.
Super MILLION$ Final Table Payouts (5/18)
- Niklas Astedt – $313,907
- Sam Greenwood – $248,746
- Ramiro Petrone – $197,111
- rushaakkandqq – $156,196
- Elio Fox – $123,772
- Mikita Badziakouski – $98,079
- Mario Mosboeck – $77,720
- Bruno Volkmann – $61,587
- judd trump – $48,802