Jean-Robert Bellande missed out on the bracelet again.
Bellande made the final table of the $50,000 Poker Players Championship 3rd in chips but quickly rose to the lead.
With four players left, Bellande had nearly half the chips in play and it seemed like no one could catch up.
But then Mike Gorodinsky went from short stack to chip leader when play got three-handed.
Gorodinsky then knocked out David Baker --who started the day with the lead-- in 3rd and started the heads-up match with a large lead.
The two traded the lead for a bit but Gorodinsky came out victorious.
Check out all the action below.
The Final Table
Seat 1: Chris Klodnicki - 2,130,000
Seat 2: Mike Gorodinsky - 2,589,000
Seat 3: Jean-Robert Bellande - 2,188,000
Seat 4: Ben Sulsky - 1,462,000
Seat 5: David “ODB” Baker - 3,227,000
Seat 6: Dan Kelly - 1,003,000
Gorodinsky Wins the $50K Poker Players Championship
It was up and down for a while.
Jean-Robert Bellande started the heads-up match with a deficit but managed to fight back to the lead.
Then Mike Gorodinsky took it back. Then Bellande did.
A big hand quickly amounted to a third of the chips in play and the lead quickly switched hands.
It went back and forth and soon there was only about 30 big bets on the table.
Bellande was so close so many times and he even got a supportive text from Phil Hellmuth.
The Poker Brat --who beat Gorodinsky heads-up earlier this summer-- told Bellande that he was rooting for him.
The text's contents were far from confidential since Bellande yelled them to the crowd, which was mostly there to support Bellande.
But despite being the crowd favorite and having the blessing from the 14-time WSOP bracelet winner, Bellande couldn't seal the deal.
He came so close, but once again, victory was snatched away at the last moment.
After level 25, players took another break and came back for just a few more minutes of poker.
Bellande was short again and the game was pot-limit Omaha.
In one of the first hands back from break, Bellande raised to 300,000 and Gorodinsky called. The flop came Q♦ 9♦ 8♦ and Bellande bet the pot.
Gorodinsky repotted.
Bellande moved all-in for a bit more and Gorodinsky called.
Players turned over their hands one last time.
Gorodinsky showed 8♣ 8♥ 10♣ 3♥ for a set of eights and Bellande turned over Q♠ 9♣ A♣ 10♠ for queens and nines. The turn was a K♣ and the tournament river was a K♥.
That was it. Another whiff and a miss.
A devastated Bellande shook hands with Gorodinsky and went to go stand with his rail.
By the time Gorodinsky started his group pictures, Bellande was ready to join in on the fun.
Mike Gorodinsky became the 2015 Poker Players Champion and took home the Chip Reese trophy along with $1,270,086.
Bellande on the other hand will add another 2nd place finish to his resume.
He'll be a bit less broke though, Bellande --who said he had 85 percent of himself-- won $784,828 for the 2nd place finish.
And 85 percent of that is about $667,103.80.
That then turns into $466,972.66 if you guesstimate an absurd 30 percent in taxes.
That's only about four One Drop high roller buy-ins.
Bellande might be living up the broke lifestyle again soon enough.
Heads Up: Bellande Takes Back the Lead
Mike Gorodinsky started the heads-up match with the lead and quickly started hacking away at Jean-Robert Bellande.
The game was seven-card stud and it belonged to Gorodinsky.
In one hand, Gorodinsky was showing 2♥ A♠ 3♠ 4♥ and Bellande had 10♠ 9♠ Q♥ K♦.
Gorodinsky called bets on fourth and fifth street and then check-raised on sixth. Bellande re-raised and Gorodinsky called.
Gorodinsky check-raised again on the river and Bellande stood up.
He had a straight on fifth, he said, but he was sure Gorodinsky had it now.
Gorodinsky did and showed aces full of threes and Bellande mucked his hand.
The pot put Gorodinsky at 9.3 million while Bellande dropped to 3.3 million.
Then Bellande started fighting back.
The game was Omaha Hi/Lo and Bellande took down a few pots.
Gorodinsky raised to 240,000 from the button and Bellande called.
The flop came K♣ J♦ 8♦ and both players checked.
A Q♠ came on the turn and Gorodinsky bet 240,000 when checked to. Bellande called and a 3♠ completed the board.
Bellande back on top
Bellande checked again and raised after Gorodinsky bet.
Gorodinsky called but then mucked after Bellande showed A♥ 10♥ 5♦ 2♥.
Bellande took down another O8 pot and his stack rose to 5.1 million to Gorodinsky’s 7.5 million.
Bellande kept fighting back through Razz and eventually took over the lead when the game switched to PLO.
Bellande raised to 140,000 and the flop came A♦ 7♣ 4♣ after Gorodinsky called.
Bellande bet 280,000 when checked to and Gorodinsky called. The turn was a Q♠ and both players checked.
A K♥ fell on the river and Gorodinsky bet 325,000.
Bellande called and took down the pot with A♠ 9♥ 7♠ 4♦ after Gorodinsky showed 5♠ 4♥ 3♥ 2♣.
The hand put Bellande back in the lead with 6.5 million to Gorodinsky’s 6.1 million.
Heads Up: Gorodinsky Knocks Out Baker, Takes the Lead
David Baker started the day with the chiplead but couldn’t overcome the Jean-Robert Bellande and Mike Gorodinsky powerhouses.
David Baker
After doubling up Gorodinsky, Baker kept dropping but managed to get a triple up in 2-7 triple draw.
In a raised pot, Bellande stood pat, Baker drew one and Gorodinsky took two on the first draw. Baker got the rest of his chips in and all three players repeated their draws two more times.
Gorodinsky had the worst of it with a Q-8 and Bellande tabled a 9-7. Baker was the last player to see his hand and turned over an 8-6.
Baker tripled up to 2.8 million but then dipped to less than half that after losing a big hand to Gorodinsky in 2-7TD.
The hand was bet and called all the way with a raise after the second draw.
After Baker called the final bet, Gorodinsky showed a perfect 7-5 and Baker mucked.
The hand left Baker with 1.3 million and he was eliminated soon after.
The game switched to no-limit Hold’em and Gorodinsky raised to 125,000 from the button.
Bellande called from the small blind and Baker moved all-in from the big blind.
Gorodonski re-shoved and Bellande folded.
Gorodinsky turned over pocket kings while Baker showed K♠ J♥.
The board ran J♣ 6♥ 2♥ 6♣ 2♣ and the tournament shrunk again.
Baker won $514,926 for the 3rd place finish and the final two players went heads-up.
Mike Gorodinsky - 7,550,000
Jean-Robert Bellande - 5,050,000
Sulsky Out in 4th, Gorodinsky Doubles
Ben Sulsky
Ben Sulsky had been short-stacked for some time and then moved all-in in a round of good ol’ fashioned no-limit Hold’em.
David Baker called from the small blind and players tabled their cards.
Sulsky showed Q♠ 10♥ but Baker had him dominated with K♠ Q♦.
The 6♦ 5♦ 3♣ 4♥ 9♦ board brought no help for Sulsky and he was eliminated in 4th place.
For the finish, Sulsky won $350,000 while Baker’s stack grew to 4.63 million.
A few hands later, the game switched to no-limit 2-7 and Mike Gorodinsky raised to 155,000 from the button.
Baker re-raised to 400,000 and Gorodinsky moved all-in.
Baker called and stood pat and Gorodinsky did the same. Baker showed a 10-9 while Gorodinsky tabled a 9-8.
Gorodinsky doubled to 3.9 million while Baker dropped to 1.9 million.
Chris Klodnicki Eliminated in 5th
Jean-Robert Bellande’s stack is a runaway train.
It recently clashed with Chris Klodnicki’s and Klodnicki’s stack didn’t make it out alive.
Chris Klodnicki
In a hand of badugi, Klodnicki raised from the button and Bellande called from the big blind.
Bellande took one card while Klodnicki drew two.
Bellande bet and Klodnicki called. Klodnicki took two more cards while Bellande drew one.
Bellande bet after the second draw and Klodnicki moved all-in. Bellande called and both players patted.
Klodnicki turned over 8♥ 4♣ 3♦ 2♠ but Bellande had him beat with 6♦ 5♥ 3♣ A♠.
Klodnicki won $251,314 for finishing 5th while Bellande chipped up to 6 million.
Then Bellande won another half-million chips in Badugi.
Bellande raised from the button and David Baker called form the big blind.
Baker drew two cards while Bellande took one. Bellande bet, Baker called and both players drew one card.
Both players checked and they each drew a card. Baker put out a final bet and Bellande called.
Baker showed the three-card nuts with 3♣ 2♥ A♦ but Bellande had a king-high badugi and took down the pot.
The hand put Bellande up to 6.5 million while Baker dropped to 3.7 million.
Bellande Can't Stop
At the second break of the day, Jean-Robert Bellande had a massive lead.
JRB is in the lead.
There are about 12.6 million chips in play and Bellande has about 5.47 million with five players left.
After Bellande dominated the round of stud hi/lo, he took a pot off of Mike Gorodinsky in seven-card stud and then won another off of David Baker in Omaha Hi/Lo.
Baker raised from the cutoff and Bellande called from the big blind.
The flop came 8♦ 9♠ 8♥ and Bellande bet.
Baker called and Bellande bet again when a J♦ came on the turn. Baker called and the 9♥ completed the board.
Bellande threw out a final bet and Baker folded.
The hand put Bellande up to 5.1 million and then he took another large pot off Ben Sulsky in Razz.
Bellande completed and Sulsky called, both players were showing a deuce.
Sulsky bet on fourth and fifth and then Bellande raised on sixth. Sulsky had 2-6-4-8 showing and folded to Bellande’s 2-9-4-6.
Sulsky dropped to 770,000 and Bellande rose to 5.75 million. By the time the break hit, Bellande was at steady 5.5 million.
Bellande Takes the Lead
After eliminating Dan Kelly, Jean-Robert Bellande kept rising.
Bellande took a few big scoops of chips in stud hi/lo.
First, Bellande scooped Mike Gorodinsky.
JRB is now in the lead.
Bellande raised after Gorodinsky completed and then he called Gorodinsky’s bets all the way down to sixth street.
Both players checked on the river and Bellande showed kings and tens.
Despite showing 5♦ 2♥ 4♦ 7♥, Gorodinsky had no low and mucked his hand.
Gorodinsky dipped to about 800,000 while Bellande rose to 3.6 million.
Then Bellande crossed the 4 million mark.
In that hand, Bellande led all the way to sixth street and David Baker called all the way.
Once again, both players checked on the river and Bellande took the pot down with queens.
Baker dipped to 3.9 million while Bellande took over the lead with 4.1 million.
Bellande then took a pot off Chris Klodnicki after he bet him out of a hand on sixth street and rose to 4.5 million.
Dan Kelly Eliminated in 6th
Dan Kelly was the short stack and the short man at the final table and just catch up.
6th place finisher, Dan Kelly
The axeman was Bellande himself, who first took a chunk out of Kelly in a hand of PLO.
Kelly called Bellande’s button raise from the big blind and the flop came K♠ 9♣ 5♦. Bellande bet 150,000 and Kelly called.
The turn was a 5♥ and and Bellande fired 250,000.
Kelly folded and was down to 620,000.
When the game switched to Badgui --a game Bellande says is one of his best-- Bellande finished Kelly off.
Kelly called Bellande’s raise and took one card while Belalnde drew two.
Bellande raised after Kelly bet and Kelly called.
Kelly drew one card while Bellande stood pat.
Kelly check-called all-in and both players patted. Kelly turned over Q♥ 6♦ 3♣ A♠ while Bellande tabled 10♥ 5♣ 3♠ 2♦.
Bellande eliminated Kelly and rose to 3.3 million while Kelly won $184,222 for his fifth cash and second final table of the summer.
