13,070 entrants were recorded for this year’s World Series of Poker $565 buy-in COLOSSUS No-Limit Hold’em competition, creating a major prize pool worth $6,535,000, and Brazilian restaurant owner and player Roberly Felicio bested the field to enjoy the biggest pay-day of his career – a million dollars.
The turnout was disappointing compared with previous COLLOSSUS fields which have recorded 18,054 (2017), 21,613 (2016), 22,374 (2015) entries.
In a final table that lasted for 243 hands, and included tough opponents like John Racener, Tim Miles and Scott Margereson, Felicio not only survived but prospered to enter the heads up against Sang Liu, albeit at a chip disadvantage, cheered on by fellow Brazilian players like Andre Akkari, Felipe Ramos and Bruno Politano.
It appeared at one point that Sang Lui could not be defeated, so strong was his chip position and confidence, but the cards favoured the Brazilian who managed to stay in the game and around the 27th hand of the heads up ultimately dispatch a very tough opponent with the second placing prize of $500,000.
Other final table vashes included:
Joel Wurtzel $300,000
Scott Margereson $220,040
Tim Miles $166,091
Song Choe $126,158
Gunther Dumsky $96,431
John Racener $74,178
Steven Jones $57,425