PCA 2015 – Steve O’Dwyer Claims $100k SHR Title for $1.8 Million

After three days of play, PCA 2015 has its first big champion. Stephen O’Dwyer, the man who some in the media refer to as ‘The Beast’, has claimed the title in the record-breaking $100k Super High Roller event. The Irishman has outlasted an impressive field to add $1,827,580 to his bankroll.

O’Dwyer started the day third in chips and if he was to win he had to outlast and outplay some of the best in the industry, including Sorel Mizzi who started the day with a decent advantage over the field. This did not discourage EPT9 Grand Final champion, however, as he played his heart out to claim the trophy and a cool SLYDE watch after beating Roger Sippl in the heads-up play.

Our own Laura Cornelius caught up with ‘The Beast’ right after his big victory for a short chat.

O’Dwyer had a rough ride throughout the tournament, recovering from the short stack and going after the title in a super-tough lineup that is common for these Super High Roller events. He explained that being able to play against the best is exactly what gets him going and that he is in it for the competition.

He made a quick work of his opponent in the heads-up as it was all over after about half an hour of play, as he successfully turned his 3-1 chiplead into yet another title to add to his already very impressive poker resume.

Sorel Mizzi, who started the day with the lead, could go no further than fourth ($659,400) after he fell victim of Bryn Kenney. Mizzi’s chips, however, did not bring much luck to Kenney as he was the next to go. He got his chips in the middle with kq and failed to improve against pocket Tens of O’Dwyer. For his efforts, Kenney takes home $873,800.

Roger Sippl was able to hold his own throughout the final table but, as mentioned earlier, he could not outsmart O’Dwyer. The last hand of their encounter was truly a movie-like, as Sippl moved in on the board reading q8823 and after taking his time to go over the possibilities, the Irishman made the call with just Ace-Ten high.

Sippl was in disbelief after seeing O’Dwyer’s hand, but he could do nothing but turn over j10 for the second best hand and it was all over. Sippl was the official PCA 2015 Super High Roller runner-up, claiming $1,344,420 for his efforts.

Steve O’Dwyer kicks off the year with a big victory and it will surely boost his desire to play and compete against the best. Next on his schedule is the PCA Main Event and we will see if he can keep the run going?

Images: PokerStars Blog