Jack Sinclair earned $1.27 million and his first WSOP bracelet after winning the WSOP Europe Main Event (WSOP photo).

A little over 14 months ago, Jack Sinclair made his way to the World Series of Poker Main Event final table only to finish in eighth place. On Friday, the 27-year-old Brit avoided a similar fate and outlasted one of online poker’s toughest players to win the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event and the first bracelet of his career.

Sinclair beat Laszlo ‘omaha4rollz’ Bujtas heads-up to pick up the title and the €1,122,239 ($1,277,013 US) score. That narrowly edges out his Main Event final table performance, where he earned $1,200,000, for the largest score of his career.

Ihor Yerofieiev started the final table as the shortest stack and lasted just 45 minutes. Yerofieiev moved all in from UTG with 6d6s and Milos Skrbic called with AcQd from his direct right. The AdKcQh flop gave Skrbic two pair and when neither 3c turn and 5d river failed to give Yerofieiev a set of sixes, he was eliminated in sixth.

That hand increased Skrbic’s overall chip lead but that’s where the wheels fell off for the Serbian. He first dropped 4,600,000 to Krasimir Yankov and then doubled up Sinclair in aces versus queens hand. About 20 minutes later, his run at the bracelet was over.

Down to just 3,625,000, Skrbic shoved from the button with KdJh and Bujtas called from the big blind with AsQc. Skrbic could only watch in horror after the Ah6s5c flop gave Bujtas top pair and the 6d turn left him Skrbic drawing dead. After the meaningless 2c completed the board, Skrbic was officially eliminated in fifth.

It was just a few minutes that 2013 WSOP Main Event champion Ryan Riess followed Skrbic to the payout window. Riess limped his button with 7c7s and Bujtas completed his small blind holding Ad4h before Yankov raised to 1,000,000 from the big blind with AcAs. Riess responded by moving all in for 5,590,000, Bujtas folded and Yankov called. The 9h8s4c9d2d runout did nothing to keep Riess alive and he was eliminated in fourth place.

It took nearly two hours of three-handed play to get the tournament to heads-up. From the button, Yankov opened to 500,000 with 5c5d and Sinclair and Bujtas called with 7c7h and 2c2d respectively. The flop came Qd7d5d to give Yankov bottom set and Sinclair middle set. The blinds checked and Yankov bet 650,000. Sinclair raised to 2,000,000, Bujtas folded and Yankov called. Sinclair then checked the Ks turn and Yankov bet 2,300,000. Sinclair check-raised again, this time all in and Yankov called off the last of his stack. The 6s river completed the board and made Yankov’s third place result official.

Heads-up play began with Sinclair holding small edge over Bujtas but the first 30 minutes of heads-up play saw Bujtas climb to a 2-1 lead. That lead was gone just 30 minutes later and Sinclair never really looked back. After another 90 minutes of play, Sinclair put and end to the tournament and won his first bracelet.

Having had stack down to just eight big blinds, Bujtas moved all in with Jd7c and Sinclair called with Qh9c. The KdQc3h flop gave Sinclair second pair and the 6h left Bujtas drawing dead. The meaningless river was the 7c.

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Final Table Payouts

  1. Jack Sinclair – €1,122,239
  2. Laszlo Bujtas – €693,573
  3. Krasimir Yankov – €480,028
  4. Ryan Riess – €337,778
  5. Milos Skrbic – €241,718
  6. Ihor Yerofieiev – €175,965