Tomaz Kogovsek parlayed a $200 PartyPoker.com satellite buy-in into €60,600 after winning the first-ever PartyPoker.com WPT National Vienna tournament at the Montesino Casino. Kogovsek, a native of Slovenia, bested a tough field of 283 players to claim the title and the largest cash prize he’s earned in five years of player poker. In addition to his first-place winnings, PartyPoker.com provided Kogovsek with an entry to the upcoming PlanetWin365 WPT National Slovenia (Oct 18 – Oct 22) so that he can attempt to make a second consecutive final table in front of his family and friends.
Eight players started today’s final day of play, with Kogovsek holding a chip lead that was never threatened. Slovenian Blaz Svara was the first player eliminated, followed quickly by two of the table’s short stacks, Robert Heidorn who finished seventh, and Shai Zurr, who fell in sixth position. When Predrag Kecojevic and Peter Kamaras, the Day 1A chip leader, were eliminated in fifth and fourth positions, respectively, the three remaining players were all sitting near equal stacks.
After David Taborsky’s pocket 7s lost a race against eventual runner-up Thoms Muhlocker’s Ad-9d, the tournament’s final heads-up confrontation was set. With Kogovsek holding a sizable chip lead over Muhlocker, the battle lasted just 20 minutes and ended in spectacular fashion when Kogovsek’s Ah 8d out-flopped Muhlocker’s Ac Kh on a board that ran out 10d-Qs-8s-Ad-6h.
Final payouts are provided below:
- Tomaz Kogovsek — €60,600
- Thomas Muhlocker — €42,550
- David Taborsky — €27,370
- Peter Kamaras — €20,260
- Predrag Kecojevic — €15,210
- Shai Zurr — €12,160
- Robert Heidorn — €10,100
- Blaz Svara — €8,100