Celebration time for Indian poker fraternity as India’s high-stakes poker sensation Santhosh Suvarna makes history by becoming first Indian to win a $250K Super High Roller title at WSOP! Suvarna, known for his fearless play at the highest stakes, took down the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Event #55: $250,000 Super High Roller No-Limit Hold’em, the biggest buy-in event of the summer. The 43-year-old businessman overcame a star-studded field of 75 entries to claim the lion’s share of the $18,675,000 prize pool. He defeated online poker legend Ben Tollerene in a thrilling heads-up to seize a career-best $5,415,152 and his second WSOP bracelet.
His first bracelet had come last year when he outlasted a field of 37 entries at €49,500 + 500 No Limit Hold’em – WSOPE 50K Diamond High Roller (Event #12) at World Series of Poker Europe – WSOPE 2023 at King’s Resort Rozvadov, claiming a whopping $695,291 in top prize. His latest victory marks the biggest live score by an Indian in the live tournament space and takes his live earnings to more than $13 million, moving him to the top of India’s All Time Money List.
Tollerene, who dominated most of the finale, missed out on the crowning moment, but walked away with an impressive $3,537,135 as the runner-up finisher. Chris Hunichen also made it to the podium, and it was his chips that enabled Suvarna to stage an unlikely comeback against one of the best heads-up poker players ever.
2024 WSOP $250K Super High Roller Quick Recap
This highest buy-in event of the summer ran over the course of three days generated a prize pool of $18,675,000, which was shared by the top 12 finishers. Only 14 players returned for Day 3 with Sathosh Suvarna second in chips. Bracelet winner Brian Kim exited on the $506,757 money bubble. He was followed by WPT champion Jonathan Jaffe (12th), 11-time bracelet winner Phil Ivey (11th), and four-time bracelet winner Adrian Mateos (10th).
Ben Tollerene entered the final table as the chip leader, while Sathosh Suvarna started his journey in third chip position. Sean Winter became the first final table casualty after his pocket kings were cracked by the pocket queens of WPT champion Taylor von Kriegenbergh. Winter earned $550,878 for his ninth-place finish. Later, Bracelet winner Mikita Badziakouski shoved his A-8 against the pocket jacks of Matthias Eibinger and did not get any help from the Q-9-10-3-6 board. He earned $629,407 as the eighth-place finisher.
Six-time bracelet winner Jeremy Ausmus shoved with K-Q facing the A-10 of Tollerene, who flopped a ten and held from there to bust Ausmus in seventh place ($754,052). The next player to fall was Taylor von Kriegenbergh who held pocket kings against jack-ten of Tollerene, who rivered a straight to crack Kriegenbergh’s kings and bust Kriegenbergh in sixth place($945,219). Tollerene then won a race with A-K against the pocket tens of Charles Hook, with the board delivering quad deuces to see Tollerene win with his ace kicker. Hook walked away with $1,237,296 for his fifth-place finish.
Later, Matthias Eibinger got it in with pocket deuces against the K-9 suited of Tollerene, who turned a straight to end Eibinger’s run in fourth place ($1,688,278 – Eibinger’s second highest live score).
Just three days after shipping the $100,000 buy-in for his first bracelet and more than $2.8 million, Chris Hunichen managed to finish third in this event for $2,397,312. Hunichen shoved with a flush draw facing the flopped two pair of Suvarna and was unable to improve his hand from there.
Suvarna’s Winning Hand!
Heads-up play saw Tollerene holding 64,000,000 against Suvarna’s 48,500,000 stack. Suvarna played fearlessly and worked his way into the lead. While Tollerene was able to snatch it back, Suvarna got a massive double-up to take a 10:1 chip lead. While Tollerene managed a double up, he soon moved all-in with Qd 4c. Santhosh Suvarna, in the big blind, made the call with 10h 7c. Tollerene was ahead but the board ran out Js Ah 5h As 10s, giving Suvarna the coveted pot and title!
2024 WSOP $250K Super High Roller Payouts
| Place | Player | Prize |
| 1 | Santhosh Suvarna | $5,415,152 |
| 2 | Ben Tollerene | $3,537,135 |
| 3 | Chris Hunichen | $2,397,312 |
| 4 | Matthias Eibinger | $1,688,278 |
| 5 | Charles Hook | $1,237,296 |
| 6 | Taylor von Kriegenbergh | $945,219 |
| 7 | Jeremy Ausmus | $754,052 |
| 8 | Mikita Badziakouski | $629,407 |
| 9 | Sean Winter | $550,878 |
| 10 | Adrian Mateos | $506,757 |
| 11 | Phil Ivey | $506,757 |
| 12 | Jonathan Jaffe | $506,757 |
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Image Credit: WSOP
