After coming up short of the final table in Event #1 of the 2021 Poker Masters, Sean Perry completed the job on Thursday afternoon. He would emerge victorious in Event #2, another $10,000 No Limit Hold’em event on the schedule, defeating Jeremy Ausmus in heads up action. The victory allowed Perry to take an early lead in the race for the 2021 Poker Masters Purple Jacket.
Completes the Job After Starting the Day in the Lead
Perry didn’t exactly have to fight up from the short stack in this event. He was the tournament leader for much of the latter part of the festivities on Wednesday, entering the final table Thursday with the chip lead (3.565 million). Only Jake Schindler (2.2 million) could be said to have been “close,” while Ausmus (1.9 million), former Poker Masters champion Sam Soverel (1.51 million), John Riordan (865,000 and making his second final table of the 2021 Poker Masters) and Daniel Negreanu (710,000) looked to play catchup.
The PokerGO Studios in Las Vegas were abuzz with action (including the Event #2 final table, the third event on the Poker Masters schedule was going) and Negreanu was a part of that action. He would double up through Soverel in the early going to avoid elimination, with that dubious honor going to Riordan. Schindler would bump himself up the ladder in taking down Riordan, with Riordan picking up some valuable points towards the Poker Masters Purple Jacket race.
Soverel’s foray against Negreanu would earn him the next departure. After seeing Perry raised the stakes in front of him, Soverel would push all in and Perry would call. Once the cards were on their backs, Soverel would have a slight edge with his pocket fives over Perry’s 9♦ 8♦, but the poker gods had other ideas. Perry would flop two pair with his holdings and Soverel couldn’t find another five on the turn or river, sending him home in fifth place in the event.
Perry continued to dominate on his way to heads up against Ausmus. He would knock out Schindler in fourth and Negreanu in third (using pocket sixes to fade Negreanu’s flush and straight draws) to hold more than a 2:1 lead (7.45 million to 3.35 million) when it was down to a mano y mano battle.
Perry Takes Title and Poker Masters Points Lead
Although Ausmus was able to draw closer as the hands played out, he made an inopportune bluff to not only stunt that recovery but end the tournament. On that final hand, Ausmus kicked up the action with a Q♥ J♥, but Perry would put the pressure back on him with only a K-3 off suit to his name. Ausmus would call the raise and the duo would see an A-9-2 flop. Perry would fire again at the hand, this time for 400K, and Ausmus made the call.
A King on the turn gave Ausmus a flush draw, but it also gave Perry a pair of Kings, and it would bring about the end of the tournament. Perry would check his pair and Ausmus bet out 800K, which Perry called. The river 6♦ did nothing for Ausmus, but he made a play for the pot with an all-in move of more than two million chips. Perry pondered his situation and called the wager to win with that pair of Kings and end the event.
1. Sean Perry, $206,400
2. Jeremy Ausmus, $146,200
3. Daniel Negreanu, $103,200
4. Jake Schindler, $86,000
5. Sam Soverel, $68,800
6. John Riordan, $51,600
“I came here thinking I would be so honored to win the Poker Masters and now I’m in prime contention after cashing the first event and winning the second event,” Perry stated to Donnie Peters of PokerGO following his victory. “I just won in a star-studded field against people I grew up watching play, my idols. These guys are phenomenal. I’m so honored and so happy.” The victory puts Perry in the driver’s seat for the overall Poker Masters championship. The eventual champion will receive the Purple Jacket indicative of the overall champion and a $50,000 payday.
1. Sean Perry, 239 points
2. Shannon Shorr, 205
3. David Peters, 148
4. Jeremy Ausmus, 146
5. Daniel Negreanu, 103
6. John Riordan, 101
7. Dylan DeStefano, 98
8. Jake Schindler, 86
9. Jonathan Jaffe, 83
10, Brock Wilson, 82
Great job Sean Perry. Thanks for making the final table fun to watch.?