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World Series of Poker Online: Juha Helppi Wins His Second Bracelet In $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Event

Finnish Poker Pro Defeats Field of 328 Entries To Earn $290,286

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Juha Helppi has live poker tournament cashes dating all the way back to 2002. The 43-year-old poker pro from Helsinki, Finland recorded his first World Series of Poker cash in 2003, and made his first table at the series later that same summer. It took another 16 years and 27 cashes before Helppi finally emerged victorious with his first WSOP bracelet by taking down the $10,000 buy-in limit hold’em championship in 2019. Helppi did not have to wait nearly as long to secure his second piece of WSOP hardware. Just over a year after earning his first bracelet, Helppi defeated a field of 328 entries in the 2020 WSOP Online $5,000 pot-limit Omaha championship to earn his second bracelet and the top prize of $290,286.

The top 47 finishers made the money in this event, and plenty of big names were among those that cashed, including WSOP bracelet winner and reigning Card Player Player of the Year award winner Stephen Chidwick (44th – $10,745), bracelet winner Dario Alioto (37th – $10,745), Super High Roller Bowl V champion Isaac Haxton (33rd – $12,685), George Wolff (22nd – $14,976), and bracelet winner Anson Tsang (19th – $14,976).

When the final table of nine was set, it was World Poker Tour and PokerStars Caribbean Adventure main event winner Michael Watson who held the chip lead. 2015 WSOP $25,000 pot-limit Omaha event winner Jens Kyllonen secured the first knockout at the final table, calling the all-in of Alex Difelice with the nut flush draw and a wrap straight draw. Difelice held top and bottom pair for the best hand at the moment, but Kyllonen hit one of his many outs on the turn to make a straight and held from there. Difelice earned $24,641 as the ninth-place finisher.

Kyllonen then knocked out Marija Andrijasevic in eighth place ($33,540) to narrow the field to remain among the largest stacks at the table with seven left. It wasn’t long until the next elimination came along, though. 2019 European Poker Tour Barcelona €100,000 buy-in high roller champion Sergi Reixach got his last short stack in with AClub SuitKClub SuitKHeart Suit8Club Suit after a flop of 10Heart Suit8Heart Suit5Diamond Suit. Watson called holding QClub Suit9Diamond Suit8Diamond Suit2Club Suit. The QHeart Suit on the turn gave Watson two pair for the lead, and the 7Club Suit on the end sealed the deal. Reixach cashed for $45,651 as the seventh-place finisher.

Brazilian bracelet winner Yuri Dzivielevski was the next to fall. He got his last chips in with AHeart SuitAClub SuitKDiamond Suit3Spade Suit up against the ADiamond SuitKSpade Suit10Spade Suit9Heart Suit of Kyllonen. The Finnish pro turned two pair and held from there to knock Dzivielevski out in sixth place (62,137).

Despite having eliminated the majority of the players so far at the final table, it was Kyllonen who was the next to be sent to the virtual rail. He fell toward the bottom of the leaderboard during five-handed action. Ultimately, the last of his chips went in after a flop of ASpade Suit8Heart Suit6Diamond Suit. Kyllonen held KClub Suit7Club Suit6Spade Suit5Club Suit for an open-ended straight draw and a pair of sixes. Belarmino De Souza had him at risk with the 10Club Suit8Diamond Suit7Spade Suit3Spade Suit for a pair of eighths and a gutshot to a higher straight. The KHeart Suit on the turn gave Kyllonen kings up for the lead, but the 9Club Suit on the river gave De Souza a winning ten-high straight. Kyllonen earned $84,576 for his fifth-place showing in this event.

Mike WatsonLike Kyllonen, Mike Watson had spent much of the early final table as one of the largest stacks. During short-handed action, though, he had slipped toward the bottom of the chip counts. His run in this event came to an end when he got the last of his stack in with ADiamond Suit10Diamond Suit10Spade Suit7Spade Suit on a KSpade SuitJClub Suit6Heart Suit flop. Jesus Cortes called with AHeart SuitKHeart SuitJDiamond Suit6Diamond Suit for three pair on the flop. The QDiamond Suit on the turn gave Watson a straight, but the 6Spade Suit on the river filled Cortes’ full house. Watson cashed for $115,117 as the fouurth-place finisher.

Helppi scored his first knockout of the final table when his pocket queens with an ace kicker outran the pocket queens with two lower side cards of Belarmino De Souza. Helppi spiked an ace on the river to take down the pot, sending De Souza to the virtual rail with $156,688 for his deep run.

With that Helppi entered heads-up play just a few big blinds behind Cortes. The Spanish player was able to extend his lead to more than a 3:1 advantage at one point, but Helppi was able to fight back to nearly even before a key showdown arose. With a board of KHeart SuitJSpade Suit2Heart Suit3Spade Suit, Cortes checked and then shoved over the top of a bet from Helppi. The Finn called holding KSpade SuitKClub Suit6Diamond Suit5Heart Suit for top set with a backdoor straight draw. Cortes was drawing dead with the KDiamond SuitQClub Suit7Spade Suit3Diamond Suit for kings and threes. The 9Heart Suit on the river locked up the pot for Helppi, who doubled up to take more than a 7:1 lead.

Cortes found a few double ups after that key hand, but in the end he got his last chips in on a 10Heart Suit9Spade Suit5Diamond Suit flop holding 9Heart Suit7Spade Suit5Spade Suit3Diamond Suit for bottom two pair, only to run into the top set of Helppi, who had 10Spade Suit10Club Suit7Diamond Suit3Heart Suit. The KDiamond Suit on the turn left Cortes drawing dead, and the KClub Suit made Helppi’s victory official. Cortes earned $213,270 as the runner-up.

Here is a look at the payouts awarded at the final table:

Place Name Earnings
1 Juha Helppi $290,286
2 Jesus Cortes $213,270
3 Belarmino De Souza $156,688
4 Mike Watson $115,117
5 Jens Kyllonen $84,576
6 Yuri Dzivielevski $62,137
7 Sergi Reixach $45,651
8 Marija Andrijasevic $33,540
9 Alex Difelice $24,641