"rolandinjo" Is the 2023 $1,050 PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker Medium Main Event Winner ($600,639.75)
The 2023 $1,050 PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker Medium Main Event has crowned a champion. Out of the 4,206 entries that were made throughout the tournament, it was none other than the Latvian player that goes by "rolandinjo" that was the ultimate victor. They bested Croatia's"moffo13" heads up and took home the trophy. No deal was made at any point on the final table, which meant that "rolandinjo" took home the gargantuan first-place prize of $600,639.75 in full. Meanwhile, "moffo13" had to settle for a not-too-shabby $424,714.72 themself.
The bronze medal went to Gabriel "aaurelio" Moura who received a payday of $300,318.49, while Day 3 chip leader Vicente "vicenfish" Delgado finished in what must have been a disappointing sixth place for $106,178.78.
$1,050 SCOOP Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | rolandinjo | Latvia | $600,640.75 |
| 2 | moffo13 | Croatia | $424,715.72 |
| 3 | Gabriel "aaurelio" Moura | Brazil | $300,318.49 |
| 4 | bombon73 | Ukraine | $212,358.57 |
| 5 | Bretera | Brazil | $150,160.66 |
| 6 | Vicente "vicenfish" Delgado | Andorra | $106,179.78 |
| 7 | 2ndOnly2God | United Kingdom | $75,080.04 |
| 8 | IReadB00ks | Malta | $53,090.81 |
| 9 | FAPTOBbIY_BACK | Switzerland | $37,540.23 |
Early Final Table Highlights
At the start of play, it was "FAPTOBbIY_BACK" who was the absolute short stack. Indeed, they would be the first to fall on the final table of nine, as their last three big blinds could not beat Delgado's pocket sevens nor "moffo13"s ace-king high in a three-way affair.
"IReadB00ks" would follow them to the rail not long after, when they three-bet pocket sevens all-in over an open from chip leader Delgado, but could not crack the queens which "bombon73" woke up with in the big blind. "bombon73" then went on to score the final knock-out of the first level as well, when 2ndOnly2God shoved their ace-deuce into ace-king in a blind-on-blind affair.
Play then went on for a while six-handed, during which "rolandinjo" inched closer and closer to the chip lead, eventually winning a big pot with pocket aces to officially capture it. However, they really sprung ahead of their competitors when they made a flush on the turn in a pot against Delgado and saw their river bet being paid off.
Distaster Stikes for Delgado
Afterward, Delgado was still second in chips when six-handed play continued for nearly two hours from the last bust-out. However, he would be the next to fall when "rolandinjo" four-bet shoved king-jack into the ace-king of Delgado, creating a monstrous 166 million chip lead pot. It was looking like Delgado would retake the chip lead, but the river fell a jack on an otherwise blank board, and "rolandinjo"s three-outer had hit. They amassed an impressive lead of nearly six times the stack of the closest contender, while Delgado saw his hopes and dreams crushed by the deck.
Not long after, the short-stacked "Bretera" was eliminated from the Main Event as well, when their ace-seven failed to beat the ace-king of Moura. It then would take another hour or so before the next player left the tournament, when "rolandinjo" extended their chip lead by busting "bombon73". "rolandinjo"s ace-seven suited made a flush against the king-jack of "bombon73" in a preflop all-in, and that spelled the end for the Ukranian.
"rolandinjo" Uses Chip Lead to Take It Home
Down to three players, Moura would be the last player to not make the heads up, as his king-four could not win the flip against "moffo13"s pocket deuces. Thus, it was Latvia versus Croatia for the title, trophy, and a lot of money.
"rolandinjo" started the heads up with more than three times the chips of his opponent, and it never got really close. After losing a few small pots, "moffo13" was down to less than fifteen big blinds. They tried to increase that by barreling three streets in a limped pot with jack-high, however, "rolandinjo" sniffed out the bluff and made the call with second pair.
In that fashion, "rolandinjo" captured the title of SCOOP Main Event Champion. Celebrations will be had over at Latvia, but for PokerNews it spells the end of the coverage of this SCOOP.