Jonas "llJaYJaYll " Lauck Wins WCOOP Main Event for over $1.5m
Jonas Lauck is this year's WCOOP Main Event winner
German online grinder Jonas "llJaYJaYll" Lauck has won this year's WCOOP $5k Main Event, topping a 1,772 strong field (+319 re-entries) for a huge $1,517,541 payday after three long days of play.
The day started with nine players remaining, and Lauck sat in the middle of the pack, although with 8.4m chips he lagged some way behind uknowProsky* who, with over 33m, had over 1/3 of the total chips in play.
Despite playing a great second day, uknowProsky* faded pretty fast at the final table, donating chips left and right, eventually bowing out in 7th place for a little over $221k, after the final table shortstack deadfizh had busted in 9th for $116.7k and another short stack, gorodski, who busted in 8th for $160.9k.
As the field thinned there were attempts to broker a deal, with some huge pay jumps as the players laddered the table. Any ideas of a deal, however, seemed finally quashed when play was 4 handed between llJaYJaYll, Gambler4444, R_Scientist, and 0409479. With over 43m chips (more than twice that of his nearest rival at the time) llJaYJaYll refused to consider an ICM payout, wanting an additional $15k from each player. All refused and it was decided they would play for the original positional payouts.
With the blinds creeping ever higher, a short stacked Gambler4444 got his last 8m or so chips in with 10d 9d UTG but was called by 0409479 on the button with AK. A king and no diamonds on the flop ended it for Gambler4444 who left in 4th with $579,977.
Just two hands later R_Scientist chanced his last 12m with KJ but llJaYJaYll's pocket 8's held up after he made the call, and heads-up play began with llJaYJaYll leading with 62m to 42.6m against 0409479.
A deal was very briefly discussed, but when 0409479 said he wouldn't be giving any extra to his opponent and that they just split the prize money and play for $200k llJaYJaYll decided he would stick with plan A. He also chipped in that "my staker Doug Polk said, we need some extra" - whether Lauck was being staked by WCGRider I'm not sure, but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.
The match swung both ways on several occasions, with 0409479 fairly quickly making up lost ground on his opponent with some good, aggressive play. He actually took a near 40m chip lead at one point after picking off a huge bluff on a 44AA8 board with just K7. However, he too was also caught "with his hand in the cookie jar" not long after, handing the lead back to llJaYJaYll.
After a lengthy period behind, 0409479 eventually took a very slight lead once again on the 73rd hand of heads-up play, only to all but lose the match on the very next hand when he 5-bet all in with AQ only to be called by llJaYJaYll's AK. With less than 1bb left it was all over on the next hand with llJaYJaYll's A7 besting his opponent's 4 8.
Both players walked away with a seven-figure score as 0409479 picked up $1,101,279 as runner-up to Jonas "llJaYJaYll"' Lauck's $1,517,541
Final Table Results WCOOP $5k Main Event 2016
