June 30, 2019 (Las Vegas) - Sejin Park is the winner of this year’s installment of the Colossus. The Colossus drew 13,109 entries and it took four days for Park to claim the $451,272 first prize and the World Series of Poker gold bracelet -- the first open bracelet for a South Korean. This is Park's first-ever WSOP cash.
This year, The Colossus lowered the buyin this year to $400, down from $565, continuing the WSOP’s trend of offering lower buyin events. That trend has led to several players capturing their largest WSOP cashes.
The final day started with eight players returning to play for their shot at the WSOP gold. Andrew Barber, who entered the day second in chips, was the only player at the final table who already had a bracelet on his resume. He won the 2015 $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. and entered the day with a decent shot at claiming bracelet number two.
Georgios Kapalas had the chip lead when play began. The final table action was a little cozier today than normal, with the production crew preparing for the main event. Play restarted a little after noon.
The final table started Saturday evening with Diego Lima being eliminated in ninth place. Lima won $41,965 after running into the pocket kings of Ryan Depaulo.
Barber was responsible for the first elimination of the day, eliminating Maksim Kalman in eighth place. Barber had jacks against the one over card of Kalman and stayed ahead to send Kalma to the rail and take the chip lead slightly over Kapalas. The two were about 50-million chips in front of the rest of the pack.
Kapalas regained the lead, but he and Barber pulled even further away from the remaining players. Kapalas took an even bigger lead when he sent Patrick Miller to the rail in seventh place. Miller took home $69,757 when his ace-high couldn’t hold against the chip leader.
This was Miller’s first-ever WSOP cash and first final table. Another player finding his first big score in a low buyin WSOP event.
Kapalas extended his lead and passed the 200-million mark. He continued to separate himself building a four-to-one chip lead, with his next closest opponent 200-million behind him. South Korean Sejin Park was the short stack, but managed to double through Kapalas. This left Depaulo and Norson Saho as the short stacks, each sitting with about seven big blinds.
Saho was the next to go, busting to Park who rivered an ace to send Saho home with $90,838 on his fourth WSOP cash and first final table. His previous best finish was 42nd in the 2018 $1,000 Tag Team No-Limit Hold’em event.
The double put Park firmly in second place with five remaining. Park then doubled again through Kapalas to take the chip lead, though Kapalas was still well in second place. Park was now poised to be the second Korean bracelet winner ever, just a week removed from Jiyoung Kim winning the Ladies Event and bringing South Korea a gold bracelet. Kim was on the rail cheering for her countryman.
Barber ran into the pocket aces of Kapalas and hit the rail in fifth place, taking home $119,072. This was his best-ever WSOP Hold’em finish and his first final table appearance since winning his bracelet in 2015.
Depaulo doubled through Juan Lopez and then Lopez was eliminated in fourth place. He won $157,106 for his finish. This was Lopez’s second cash of the summer. He finished 38th in the $600 No-Limit Hold’em/Pot-Limit Omaha Mix. He was eliminated by Park, who now held a three-to-one chip lead with three remaining.
Depaulo hit the rail quickly afterwards and headed to the rail with $208,643 extra in his pocket. This was his second-ever WSOP cash, with his first being a 46th place finish in the $1,000 Tag Team No-Limit Hold’em event earlier this summer.
This left Park in a commanding position with a three-to-one chip lead against Kapalas, the start of day chip leader. Park went on to win the Colossus and claim South Korea’s only WSOP bracelet in an open event.
Final Table payouts: (Click here for the complete list of results)
1) Sejin Park ($451,272)
2) Georgios Kapalas ($278,881)
3) Ryan Depaulo ($208,643)
4) Juan Lopez ($157,106)
5) Andrew Barber ($119,072)
6) Norson Saho ($90,838)
7) Patrick Miller ($69,757)
8) Maksim Kalman ($53,925)
9) Diego Lima ($41,965)