Czech player Roman Hrabec wins PGT Super High Roller Series opener

Garance Limouzy August 19, 2024

Czech poker talent Roman Hrabec has once again demonstrated his prowess in high-stakes competition, winning the $25,000opener held at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel in Cyprus. Hrabec’s performance earned him a $316,000 top prize, capping off the event with a heads-up win against India’s rising poker star, Santosh Suvarna. The first event of the PGT series was a $25,750 no-limit Hold’em 8-Max tournament. 39 players competed for a share of the near-million-dollar prize pool. Hrabec’s path to victory was far from straightforward. Yet, through a combination of skill and fortune, he made it to the final table.

Final table

The final table was filled with tension as the remaining six players battled for the top spot. The first to be eliminated was Maksim Vaskresenski from Poland, who earned $62,000 after his ace-king fell short in a three-way hand dominated by Canadian Sam Greenwood’s straight. Meanwhile, Hrabec began his ascent, doubling up through Suvarna with pocket aces against king-ten. As the field narrowed, Sam Greenwood was the next to exit. His tournament run ended in fifth place, earning him $83,000 when his jack-ten couldn’t overcome Norwegian player Kayhan Mokri’s ace-jack. Maue followed soon after, departing in fourth place with $116,500 after his queen-jack failed to improve against Suvarna’s pocket fives. Down to the final three, Suvarna held a significant chip lead, but Hrabec’s tenacity paid off when he doubled through Mokri, eventually eliminating the Norwegian in third place for $158,000. This set up a dramatic heads-up showdown between Hrabec and Suvarna, with the title on the line.

The last duel

With only two players left at the final table, Hrabec had a strong chip lead of $5.52 million compared to Suvarna’s $2.28 million. As the $50,000 blinds increased the pressure, Suvarna went all-in with ace-deuce, but Hrabec’s pocket kings were unbeatable. Suvarna finished in second place, earning $220,000, while Hrabec won the title and the $316,000 top prize.

Roman Hrabec finds Kings for a chance to win Event #1 at the Super High Roller Series! — PokerGO (@PokerGO)

A year of success for Hrabec

Hrabec’s win in Cyprus is the latest in a series of impressive achievements. Earlier this year, he claimed the $100,000 Main Event title, earning $4.33 million, and followed that with his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet in the $333 No-Limit Hold’em Triple Treys online event. With this latest victory, Hrabec’s career earnings have now surpassed $8.67 million, reinforcing his status as one of the top poker players from the Czech Republic. His performance in Cyprus also earned him 190 PGT points, moving him into 221st place on the PGT leaderboard. As the 2024 Super High Roller Series continues, Hrabec is well-positioned to pursue further successes and solidify his place among the poker elite.