What Are The GGPoker High Rollers?
GGPoker is well-known for its high-stakes tournament action, in fact, many consider GGPoker to be the site for your high-stakes multi-table tournament fix. However, at least once per year, GGPoker runs what it calls the GGPoker High Rollers Week where there is even more high-stakes, high-octane poker action running around the clock.
The GGPoker High Rollers Week first ran in November 2020, and PokerNews reported on seven huge events, including six $10,300 buy-ins and one $25,000 Super High Roller. Our team was on the ground again in March 2021 for the second edition of High Rollers week, where some of the top prizes were immense.
2020 High Rollers Week Highlights
The ever-popular Super MILLION$ received the High Rollers Week treatment at the start of the inaugural festival, with GGPoker slapping a $3 million guarantee on the prize pool. A field of 291 players, some of the greatest MTT players in the world among them, descended on GGPoker for HRW 02: $10,300 Super MILLION$.
Kyle Menard was the last player standing when the dust settled, and the Canadian collected $628,892. Menard defeated Finnish superstar Eelis Parssinen heads-up, resigning the Finn to a $472,222 consolation prize.
Others who reached the final table but fell short of glory included Timothy Adams and Stephen Chidwick.
Place | Player | Country | Prize |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Kyle Menard | Canada | $628,892 |
2 | Eelis Parssinen | Finland | $472,222 |
3 | Philippe D'Auteuil | Canada | $354,582 |
4 | Daniel "iStayOn5" Colpoys | United States | $266,248 |
5 | Timothy Adams | Canada | $199,920 |
6 | Fany "fab5" Auge | Brazil | $150,116 |
7 | Samuel "goldfish55" Hunter | Canada | $112,719 |
8 | Urmo "PidrPan" Velvelt | Estonia | $84,638 |
9 | Stephen Chidwick | United Kingdom | $63,552 |
Greenwood Crowned Super High Roller Champion
Sam Greenwood boosted his bankroll by $548,769 after being crowned HRW 11: $25,000 Super High Roller champion. Greenwood would have won more but he struck a deal when heads-up with Austrian star Matthias Eibinger, a deal the netted Eibinger $583,698.
A field of 114 players bought in and what an entry list it was. Such luminaries as Sean Winter, Ami Barer, Fedor Holz, Rainer Kempe, and Samuel Hunter all bought in, reached the final table, but could not quite get the job done.
Place | Player | Country | Prize |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Sam Greenwood | Canada | $548,769* |
2 | Matthias Eibinger | Austria | $583,698* |
3 | Samuel "goldfish55" Hunter | Canada | $376,209 |
4 | Rainer Kempe | Germany | $288,149 |
5 | Aliaksandr "winnerwsop" Hirs | Belarus | $220,702 |
6 | Brunno Botteon | Brazil | $169,042 |
7 | Fedor Holz | Germany | $129,474 |
8 | Amichai Barer | Canada | $99,168 |
9 | Sean Winter | United States | $75,956 |
*reflects a heads-up deal
Kitai Takes Down HRW Main Event
Davidi Kitai added the HRW 18: $10,300 Super MILLION$ Main Event title to his long list of poker-related accomplishments. The victory came with a $726,839 payday.
A field of 581 players ensured the $5 million guarantee was surpassed by $810,000, much to the delight of those superstars who navigated their way into the money places. Nine of those, including Kitai, reached the official final table, and won at least $161,097 each.
Sergei Denisov, Aleks Ponakovs, Aleksei Barkov, and Niklas Astedt were the final table��s first casualties. David Yan, Andrii Novak, and Mike Watson busted, which left Kitai heads-up against Eelis Parssinen. Kitai sent his final opponent to the showers to become a High Rollers Week Main Event champion.
Place | Player | Country | Prize |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Davidi Kitai | Belgium | $726,839 |
2 | Eelis Parssinen | Finland | $602,066 |
3 | Michael Watson | Canada | $498,713 |
4 | Andrii "Brahman33" Novak | Ukraine | $413,101 |
5 | David Yan | New Zealand | $342,187 |
6 | Niklas Astedt | Sweden | $283,445 |
7 | Aleksei "JokerFace" Barkov | Russia | $234,787 |
8 | Aleks Ponakovs | Latvia | $194,482 |
9 | Sergei "iplaytooslow" Denisov | Russia | $161,097 |
2021 GGPoker High Rollers Week Highlights
GGPoker put a $10 million guarantee on its $10,300 Super MILLION$ Main Event, and while there was an overlay for GGPoker to pay, two of the entrants finished the tournament as millionaires!
The United Kingdom��s Ben Ward was heads-up against Alexandros Kolonias. Both knew they were guaranteed a seven-figure score, but they both wanted the title of champion. The night belonged to Ward, and his victory saw him reel in $1,242,332, with Kolonias seeing his GGPoker balance increase by a mightily impressive $1,000,991.
Place | Winner | Country | Prize (in USD) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Ben Ward | United Kingdom | $1,242,332 |
2 | Alexandros Kolonias | Greece | $1,000,991 |
3 | Javier Gomez | Spain | $818,576 |
4 | Sebastian "Weizen" Gaehl | Germany | $669,403 |
5 | Shankar Pillai | United States | $547,414 |
6 | Krasimir Yankov | Bulgaria | $447,657 |
7 | Thomas Muehloecker | Austria | $366,078 |
8 | Benjamin "Geraaaard" Chalot | France | $299,366 |
Geilich Turns $25,500 Into $635,080
The United Kingdom had another High Rollers Week champion in 2021 when Ludovic Geilich emerged victoriously from Event #30: $25,500 Super High Roller. Some 127 players bought in despite the massive entry fee, and Geilich came out on top of them all.
All but one of the finalists walked away with an extra six figures in their bankroll. Global superstars David Coleman, Sami Kelopuro, Arsenii Malinov, Daniel Dvoress, and David Yan all crashed out at the final table, before Geilich locked horns one-on-one with Bert Stevens. Geilich defeated Stevens and laid claim to the $635,080 top score, although Steven scooped $655,298 courtes of a heads-up deal.
Place | Name | Country | Prize |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Ludovic "Gr4vyB04t" Geilich | United Kingdom | $635,080* |
2 | Bert Stevens | Belgium | $655,298* |
3 | hashtag_fold | Canada | $418,948 |
4 | David Yan | New Zealnd | $316,226 |
5 | Daniel Dvoress | Canada | $238,691 |
6 | Arsenii Malinov | Russia | $180,167 |
7 | Sami Kelopuro | Finland | $135,992 |
8 | David Coleman | United States | $102,648 |
9 | level29 | India | $77,480 |
*reflects a heads-up deal