Andrew "Zeus" Kuster Wins WSOP Circuit Brazil Main Event For $174K

Nursing a short stack through much of the WSOP Circuit Brazil R$3,300 ($1,045) Main Event, Andrew "Zeus" Kuster eventually turned that small stack into a big one, topping 939 players to emerge victorious and win R$550,000 ($174,207).

Along with first place prize money, Kuster received a WSOP Circuit ring, a memento to cherish and remind him of his championship in the Party Poker sponsored event that guaranteed R$3 million ($950,000). That prize money went to the top 63 finishers who battled through three starting flights and an additional three days of action to claim their winnings.

Team Party Poker was well-represented in the field of players, with Sam Trickett, Joao Simao, Richard Dubini, Bruno Gagliasso, and Kristen Bicknell among the participants. Two-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Bicknell made the loudest roar from the team, reaching the final table before bowing out in seventh place for R$83,000 ($26,289).

Final Table Action

Zeus may be known as the God of the sky and ruler of thunder and lightning in Greek mythology, but he had nothing over the poker-playing Zeus who ruled the final table at the Bienal Pavilion in Sao Paulo. Kuster was seventh in chips with 15 big blinds when final table action began, but a quick triple up with pocket queens dealt a blow to Bruno Borges' big slick and the K-Q of Rodrigo Alvarenga, the latter hitting the rail in ninth place.

Claudio Lorenzi, Bicknell, and  Pedro Rodrigues were eliminated in succession before Guti Camargo took home fifth place prize money when his pocket nines were no match for Kuster's J-J. Bruno Borges, who began the final table as chip leader, followed Camargo to the cashier cage to collect R$190,000 ($60,180) for fourth place.

Ezequiel Waigel was likely feeling confident when he got his money in good with pocket kings, but Zeus tossed a lightning bolt from the sky when the turn card brought him a flush in diamonds, ending Waigel's run in third place. That left Kuster and Renan Aziz to battle heads-up.

Aziz held roughly a 3-2 lead in chips when the two friends commenced to play, his aggressive tactics a key reason for his chip advantage. But Zeus turned the tables on the runner-up, winning the match when his K-9 hit a king on the flop and held over the ace-rag of Aziz.

Aziz gave props to the new champion, telling Party Poker Blog that Kuster “played very well and deserved to win.” With a nickname like "Zeus," one would expect nothing less.

2017 WSOP Circuit Brazil Main Event Final Table Results