It looked like Michael Addamo was going to cruise to his fifth GGPoker Super MILLION$ title in record time. However, after dominating the bulk of the final table, Addamo clashed with satellite winner ‘Hightroler’ in an hour-long heads-up match that saw the Super MILLION$ newcomer battle back from multiple massive chip deficits to take out the poker superstar and take home the title and the $420,536 first-place prize.
It helped that ‘Hightroler’ started the final table with a healthy chip lead. But as is customary at Super MILLION$ final tables, no one makes it to the end without going through some top-tier talent. This week, joining ‘Hightroler’ and Addamo was Russia’s Anatoly Filatov, Samuel Vousden, and two-time Super MILLION$ champ Joakim Andersson.
It was an early exit for Belarusian grinder Dmitry Yurasov, who started the day on the short stack. With the blinds at 25,000/50,000 (6,000 ante), Yurasov opened to 100,000 from middle position with 
. The action folded to Joakim Andersson in the big blind, who defended with 
and just barely had Yurasov covered. When the flop came 
, there was no getting away for either player. Andersson checked his nut flush draw over to Yurasov who put out a tiny bet with his set of tens. Andersson countered with a shove and Yurasov snap-called. The turn was the 
, bringing Andersson a straight. The 
on the river sent Yurasov home in ninth place for $52,567.
A few hands later, ‘AreYouAhead’ had his question answered by Andersson, and they didn’t like what it was. From middle position, ‘AreYouAhead’ opened to 110,000 holding 
and was called by Anatoly Filatov in the cutoff with 
. When it folded to Andersson, once again in the big blind, he raised it up to 435,000 with 
. After a short tank, ‘AreYouAhead’ moved all-in for another 1.5 million and after Filatov folded, Andersson called for slightly less. The board ran out 
shipping the pot to Andersson and leaving ‘AreYouAhead’ with two big blinds. Two hands later, they were out in eighth for $68,171.
The final seven players settled in as nearly two levels passed without an elimination. With the blinds at 35,000/70,000 (8,500 ante) Addamo, who had surged into the chip lead, opened from the cutoff to 140,000 with . In the big blind, Samuel Vousden looked down at and with 20 big blinds remaining, moved all-in. Addamo quickly called with the dominating hand and hit top pair on the 
flop. Vousden was looking for a three to hit the gutshot straight, but the turn came 
and the river the 
sending Vousden out in seventh for $88,407.
A few hands later, Andersson found himself short and moved all-in from under the gun with the 
. It folded to Filatov in the small blind and he made the call with his 
. The 
flop put Filatov in control and when the turn came the 
, Andersson was drawing dead to the 
river. Andersson’s sixth place finish and latest Super MILLION$ cash was good for $114,649.
By this point, Addamo’s chip lead was enormous, having four times that of his next competitor. Raising with impunity, with the blinds at 40,000/80,000 (10,000 ante) Addamo made it 160,000 with the worst hand in poker, 
. In the small blind ‘d7777’, three-bet shoved his final four big blind with and when it got back to Addamo he called with the seven-duece. The flop came , giving Addamo the lead and ‘d7777’ never caught up as the turn came the and the river 
. ‘d7777’, eliminated in fifth place, earned $148,682 for the deep run.
Addamo kept up the aggression, in the next level with blinds 50,000/100,000, he opened to 200,000 with 
. When the action hit Chris Frank in the small blind with just six big blinds left, he shipped his stack holding the 
. With it being just four more big blinds, Addamo made the call. The 
flop kept Frank ahead, and the turn had it looking like Addamo might actually lose a hand. But Addamo spiked the on the river and Frank was felted in fourth for $192,817.
At this point, FIlatov had 3 million, ‘Hightroler’ had 2.5 million and Addamo had more than 14 million. Addamo was continuing his aggressive ways and when ‘Hightroler’ folded their button, Addamo open-shipped on Filatov with the 
. Filatov didn’t waste any time snap-calling with his . But as had been the theme of the day, Addamo caught his card on the 
flop. The 
turn and the river changed nothing and Filatov ended up in third place for $250,052.
While Addamo seemingly wrecked the rest of the final table, ‘Hightroler’ was determined to put up a fight. The heads-up battle wore on, and 45 minutes in, ‘Hightroler’ wrestled the chip lead away from Addamo building a three-to-one lead. But Addamo mounted a comeback of his own, doubling and doubling again.
With the stack effectively even, the most important hand of the tournament took place. With the blinds up to 100,000/200,000 (25,000) ’Hightroler’ raised from button to 400,000 with 
, with a small chip lead, Addamo three-bet to 1.5 million with his . ‘Hightroler’ four-bet shipped his stack and Addamo called for the win. The flop came 
, giving Addamo top pair but bringing a set for ‘Hightroler’, the turn was the and the river was the , giving ‘Hightroler’ quads for good measure. After the hand, Addamo was down to six big blinds and ‘Hightroler’ had the biggest chip lead of the tournament.
Two hands later, it was all over, the pair were all in preflop. Addamo with the and ‘Hightroler’ holding 
. The board ran out 
shipping ‘Hightroler’ the pot and the win. Addamo just missed out on his fifth Super MILLION$ victory, instead settling for second place and $324,278.
‘Hightroler’ turned his $525 satellite victory into his first Super MILLION title and the $420,536 first-place prize.
Super MILLION$ Final Table Results (9/7)
- ‘Hightroler’ – $420,536
- Michael Addamo – $324,278
- Anatoly Filatov – $250,052
- Chris Frank – $192,817
- ‘d7777’ – $148,682
- Joakim Andersson – $114649
- Samuel Vousden – $88,407
- ‘AreYouAhead’ – $68,171
- Dmitry Yurasov – $52,567