Next-Level Bluff Propels Seth Davies to $3.2m Super High Roller Bowl Win
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Seth Davies used a key blocker to pull off a massive bluff in a crucial pot, a hand that helped propel the high-stakes star to a Super High Roller Bowl Cyprus win and $3,206,000.
The $300,000 buy-in PokerGO Tour event attracted 24 entrants, creating a prize pool of $7,056,000. Some of the top players in the world such as Davies, Phil Ivey, and Jeremy Ausmus showed up to compete at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel & Spa in Cyprus.
Ivey, who won his 11th World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet this summer, failed to reach the money. He did, however, finish runner-up in a $25,700 buy-in Mystery Bounty event during the Super High Roller Series, which wraps on Sunday.
Davies Dominates and Pulls Off a Sick Bluff
Juan Pardo held a sizable chip lead when the four-player final table began. The Spaniard would hold onto that lead for a bit while Leonard Maue, a German poker player, busted in fourth place ($750,000), the first to go at the final table.
Super High Roller Bowl Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seth Davies | USA | $3,206,000 |
| 2 | Juan Pardo | Spain | $1,900,000 |
| 3 | Jeremy Ausmus | USA | $1,200,000 |
| 4 | Leonard Maue | Germany | $750,000 |
That left three of the best in the game to battle it out, each guaranteed at least $1.2 million. But the trio of poker stars were more interested in the $3.2 million first place prize, and to join the list of poker legends to have won the Super High Roller Bowl, a list that includes Brian Rast, Daniel Negreanu, Isaac Haxton, among others.
The hand of the tournament took place during three-handed play when Davies attempted a skillful bluff against Pardo. Action began with Pardo raising the 40,000-chip big blind to 90,000 from the button with K♥7♥. Davies, the slight chip leader, called from the big blind with 8♠6♣ to see a flop of 4♣4♦3♣, which didn't really hit either player.
Action checked to the button who wagered 60,000, and the big blind called with eight-high and a couple of backdoor draws. The 5♠ on the turn brought about some straight draws. Davies, this time, bet out 90,000, only for his opponent to raise it up to 315,000. Both players began the hand with over 2 million chips, but under 3 million.
Davies sensed some weakness and had a blocker to the straight with the 6♣ in his hand. That, perhaps, convinced him to make a bold move and three-bet it to 650,000. Pardo, with 1.6 million behind, could no longer continue in the hand and allowed eight-high to take down the pot.
That world-class bluff moved Davies into a big chip leader and dropped Pardo to third in chips out of three remaining players. Ausmus then fell back and sought an opportunity to double when he called a 15 big blind jam with Kx9x, but would lose a 60/40 to Pardo's Ax6x.
Ausmus, a six-time WSOP bracelet winner, had yet another final table cash in a high roller event. He tied Phil Hellmuth's WSOP single-series record this summer with seven final table appearances. But he finished second in the Player of the Year race to Scott Seiver, who won three bracelets in 2024.
Pardo's win against Ausmus brought the Spaniard to within striking distance of Davies, trailing only 4.2 million to 2.9 million when heads-up play started. But an unfortunate river card made for quick work of the match.
The board showed 5♣K♠9♣6♦2♣ and 1,260,000 already in the pot. Davies had 8♦7♣ for the nut straight, and he was up against 4♦3♥ for a weaker straight. Pardo, who over-bet bluffed the turn from the big blind, led the river with a bet of 900,000. He then faced an all in jam for 2 million chips total and could not find a fold.
Pardo took second place for $1.9 million, while Davies won just over $3.2 million and now has over $29 million in lifetime live tournament cashes, according to The Hendon Mob.
The Super High Roller Series Cyprus concludes on Sunday when Event #10: $25,750 Pot-Limit Omaha Mystery Bounty wraps. Richard Gryko and Jan-Peter Jachtmann were heads-up in the 19-player tournament at the time of publishing.
Super High Roller Series Winners
| Event | Entries | Winner | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event #1: $25,000 NLH | 39 | Roman Hrabec | Czech Republic | $316,000 |
| Event #2: $25,000 NLH | 39 | Quan Zhou | China | $316,000 |
| Event #3: $25,000 NLH | 41 | Maher Nouira | Turkey | $333,000 |
| Event #4: $50,000 NLH | 30 | Masashi Oya | Japan | $535,000 |
| Event #5: $100,000 Main Event | 35 | Maksim Vaskresenski | Poland | $1,250,000 |
| Event #6: $25,000 Mystery Bounty | 40 | Adrian Mateos | Spain | $162,000 + $165,000 in bounties |
| Event #7: $300K SHRB | 24 | Seth Davies | USA | $3,206,000 |
| Event #8: $25,000 PLO | 23 | Martin Dam | Denmark | $278,000 |
| Event #9: $50,000 PLO | 27 | Joni Jouhkimainen | Finaland | $526,900 |
| Event #10: $25,000 Mystery Bounty | 19 | Richard Gryko | United Kingdom | $115,000 |
*Feature image courtesy of PokerGO & SHRB.
