Joon Park Crowned Texas State $1M GTD Main Event Champion

Joon Park swapped PLO cash games for a $1,300 buy-in tournament, and it worked out perfectly. Park finished first from 1,818 entrants in the $1,300 Texas State $1M GTD Main Event and walked away with $271,429.

The $1,300 Texas State $1M GTD Main Event featured five flights, which helped it reach an impressive attendance of 1,818. Only 218 of those hopefuls made it through to Day 2, and only 17 progressed to Day 3.

Park sat down on Day 3 with enough chips for 12th place. His 3,200,000 stack was worth 21.3 big blinds, so he was not out of the running but had plenty of work ahead of him. Teddy Conner was an early casualty on Day 3, prompting a redraw for the final two tables. Park benefited from this, winning with As-Ac against the Qd-Qc of Brett Murray to double up.

By the time the nine-handed final table was reached, Park’s stack weighed in at 13,275,000.

Doan Leads the Final Table; Park in Fourth

Shawn Rice‘s time at the final table was short-lived because he was the first out of the door. Rice was down to less than ten big blinds when he open-shoved with Qd-4h. Jared Hemingway called and turned over As-Ad. A king-high board was no help to Rice, and he headed for the exits.

Park claimed his first final table scalp when he won a coinflip against Kevin Kaylor. Kaylor raised all-in for a shade over 12 big blinds with Ac-Qc, and Park called with 6c-6s. The board ran 8d-7c-Jh-9s-5c to reduce the player count by one.

Seventh-place went to Christopher Doan, the man who sat down at the final table as the chip leader. Doan found Ks-Kh under the gun and moved all-in with his short stack. Nick Shkolnik instantly called with Jh-Jd in the big blind. Doan looked set for a much-needed double, but the Js-9d-5c-2d-8c board had other ideas.

Robert Wright crashed out in sixth, doing so at the hands of Park. Wright ripped it in with As-5d, and Park called with the dominating Ad-Kc. Ace-king remained true after spiking a king on the turn of the 6c-Jc-Tc-Ks-Qc board.

That hand propelled Park into second place with only five players remaining.

Andrade Busts Wang on the River

The final five became four when a cruel river sent Michael Wang to the showers. Wang moved all-in from the button with Jh-9h. Gabriel Andrade called in the small blind with Ad-6d to put Wang at risk of busting. Wang’s hand was best right up to the river of the 2h-Js-7d-Td-Ac, but it was not meant to be.

Four-handed play ended with the elimination of Jared Hemingway during the 400,000/800,000/800,000a level. Shkolnik opened to 2,200,000 with Kh-4h, and Hemingway defended his big blind with 6s-4c. All the chips went into the middle on the 6d-7h-3h flop; the Ks turn putting Shkolnik in front. He stayed there as the river came the 8s, busting Hemingway.

The final three players struck an ICM deal that left $30,000 for the eventual champion. Shkolnik was the chip leader at the time of the deal but fell in third place.

Shkolnik got his chips in preflop with As-6d, and Park looked him up with 8d-8c. Park’s snowmen did not melt, and the tournament progressed to heads-up.

It did not take long for the champion to be decided, thanks to Park’s colossal heads-up chip lead. Andrade pinned his hopes on Ac-2s, Park called with As-Qc, and the five community cards fell Kh-Ah-9h-Ad-8s. Game over for Andrade and glory for Park.

$1,300 Texas State $1M GTD Main Event Final Table Results

Place	Player	Hometown	Prize
1	Joon Park	Austin, Texas	$271,429*
2	Gabriel Andrade	Houston, Texas	$195,955*
3	Nick Shkolnik	Sun Valley, California	$257,170*
4	Jared Hemingway	Greenville, Texas	$104,375
5	Michael Wang	Livingston, New Jersey	$79,875
6	Robert Wright	Fallbrook, California	$61,375
7	Christopher Doan	Hacienda Heights, California	$45,375
8	Kevin Kaylor	Houston, Texas	$34,375
9	Shawn Rice	Lubbock, Texas	$26,000

*reflects a three-handed deal

Matthew Pitt

If it’s something you can play online for real money, chances are Matthew knows a bit about it. He’s been writing about slots, craps and poker for the better part of the last decade. He’s written for PokerNews, PartyPoker and many other respected online gambling websites during the last nine years.

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