The $2,500 Mini Main Event at the World Series of Poker Paradise (WSOPP) has concluded. Following the exciting Day 1 flights, the event attracted a total of 2,031 entries, surpassing the substantial $5 million guarantee and culminating in an impressive total prize pool of $5,077,000. A total of 306 players advanced to Day 2, securing a minimum payout of $5,360.
Only 17 players returned for Day 3, all competing for the coveted top prize of $575,050. Ultimately, Jeffrey Hakim emerged victorious, claiming the top prize along with his first WSOP bracelet after defeating Alina Paliahoshka in heads-up play.
Hakim was overwhelmed with emotion following his victory, saying, "I'm feeling great; it's tough to put into words. This is an accomplishment I've been striving to achieve for so long." He further reflected, "I play much less these days, but this victory is for the kid inside me. I dedicated so much time and effort to this in my twenties, so to accomplish it now feels like a sense of vindication."
Hakim, with over $2 million in live tournament winnings, reached a new peak with this victory. But for him, the money wasn't the main prize. "It's the bracelet," he said, "That's what I'll remember after all these years, the win. Winning your first bracelet is the most important and sweetest thing."
Event #1: $2,500 Mini Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeffrey Hakim | United States | $575,050 |
| 2 | Alina Paliahoshka | Belarus | $445,400 |
| 3 | Andrei Piatrushchanka | Belarus | $344,000 |
| 4 | Viktor Ustimov | Russian Federation | $261,500 |
| 5 | Ryan Gebow | United States | $202,100 |
| 6 | Mathew Frankland | United Kingdom | $152,300 |
| 7 | Paul Newey | United Kingdom | $120,600 |
| 8 | Matas Cimbolas | Lithuania | $91,020 |
| 9 | Aram Oganyan | United States | $70,135 |
| 10 | Dong Chen | China | $51,080 |
Day 3 Action
The first knockout came when David Miscikowski's pocket nines were flushed out by runner-up Paliahoshka's ace-king, sending Miscikowski out in 17th place for $23,300.
Shortly after, Andrei Piatrushchanka found himself in a dream spot with pocket aces, scoring a double knockout. Joshua Zucchet, holding ace-king, and Diogo Coelho with pocket fives were unable to crack Piatrushchanka's aces, hitting the rail in 16th and 15th place for a payout of $29,320.
Coming into the final day, Hakim held the chip lead, but after being inactive for most of the first level, he still had a very healthy stack but was no longer the chip leader. Hakim found himself at risk in a massive flip with his pocket queens against his opponent Dong Chen’s ace-king suited. The board ran out clean for Hakim to put him atop the leaderboard once again. Hakim commented on the hand, saying, “It’s crazy, finding myself at risk and having to hold, or else we wouldn't be having this conversation, and I would have been out in 14th”.
The players reached the final table of 10 players after Jerry Wong put his last 3,875,000 chips in the middle from the big blind after Piatrushchanka jammed on the button with king-jack suited. The board was safe for Wong, until the river brought a jack to extend the chip lead for Piatrushchanka and leaving the WSOP Bracelet winner and Day 1b chip leader just short of the final table.
Final Table
Chen, who won his first WSOP bracelet in Paradise a year ago, was involved in another flip, this time being the player at risk. Holding ace-queen suited, Chen was unable to beat the pocket jacks of Ryan Gebow, who flopped a full house that had Chen drawing dead on the turn and was eliminated in ninth.
After another WSOP bracelet winner hit the rail in ninth place, Aram Oganyan, Matas Cimbolas joined him shortly after, finishing in eighth.
The short stack coming into the day Paul Newey managed to find several doubles throughout the day to ladder up but eventually fell in seventh after Paliahoshka spiked a queen on the river.
After Mathew Frankland ran into Viktor Ustimov’s pocket aces to finish sixth, Gebow found himself facing an all in bet from Piatrushchanka on the river. Gebow, who made a straight on the river, found the call, only to see the bad news that Piatrushchanka made a flush on the river, to send Gebow out in fifth. That hand gave Piatrushchanka an overwhelming chip lead with four players remaining, giving him nearly 60,000,000 of the 101,500,000 in play.
At this point, the eventual champion, Hakim, saw himself as the short stack, but that changed quickly after Hakim held to double up through Ustimov with a dominating ace. A few moments later the two players found themselves in an all in encounter once more, with Ustimov being the one at risk with pocket sevens, against Hakim’s king-queen suited. Ustimov flopped a set, but the flop also gave Hakim a flush draw. The turn brought a Broadway draw as additional outs for Hakim, and the river sealed Ustimov’s fate as it brought in Hakim’s flush, eliminating Ustimov in fourth.
With only three players remaining, it was brought to Hakim’s attention that his two opponents, Piatrushchanka and Paliahoshka, not only knew each other but were actually dating. This created an interesting dynamic. Hakim commented on that after his victory, saying, “It's crazy, but it's an incredible feat, and congrats to them.” He mentioned he was more familiar with Piatrushchanka after playing with him on Day 2, but the final table was his first opportunity to play against Paliahoshka.
After the players took a short break, Piatrushchanka still held a commanding chip lead, but in the matter of two hands, things all went south for him. Hakim defended his big blind after Piatrushchanka opened on the button. Hakim check-called a bet on the ace high flop, then check-raised Piatrushchanka after a six hit on the turn. The river brought a four, and Piatrushchanka snap called the jam from Hakim with two-pair aces and fours, but Hakim had turned a set of sixes to secure the double.
The very next hand, Piatrushchanka called a four-bet for his remaining 35,000,000 chips with pocket tens against Hakim’s ace-queen. It was a clean flop for Piatrushchanka, but an ace on the turn and queen on the river gave Hakim two pair, taking Piatrushchanka from a commanding chip lead to out in third in a matter of minutes.
Heads Up
After her boyfriend's abrupt exit, it was up to Paliahoshka to bring the couple a WSOP bracelet. However, the 87,900,000/13,600,000 chip difference was too much of an ask for Paliahoshka.
Just a few hands into heads-up play, Hakim open-jammed, and Paliahoshka quickly called. After the board was dealt, Hakim's pocket threes remained best to give him his first WSOP bracelet.
Despite finishing second and third, the Belarusian couple's run was incredible. They will take home a combined $789,400 for their efforts.
After the big win, Hakim’s WSOPP trip isn't over yet, saying, “I’ll definitely be playing the Main Event, playing the 10K PLO, that's the only ones I know for sure, but just going to take it day by day”.
That is for our coverage of the $2,500 Main Event, but be sure to follow PokerNews for the rest of our coverage here at WSOPP, especially the Main Event starting on Thursday, December 12.
