Sean Rafael Wins Super High Roller Bowl PLO IV for $1.15 Million
Rafael eliminated four final-table opponents before winning a river flush against João Simao heads-up in Las Vegas.
Sean Rafael won the fourth Super High Roller Bowl Pot-Limit Omaha in Las Vegas, taking $1.15 million and the PokerGO Tour trophy after defeating Brazil’s João Simao heads-up. The $100,000 buy-in event at PokerGO Studio drew 32 entries, generated a $3.2 million prize pool and paid its final six players.
Rafael began the final table with more than half the chips in play, holding just over 4.9 million. His closest challengers were Simao on 1.415 million and Lautaro Guerra on 1.125 million.
The eventual champion recorded six of the tournament’s final seven eliminations, including four of his five final-table opponents. He knocked out Cesar Garcia in sixth, Guerra in fifth, Talal Shakerchi in fourth and Richard Gryko in third before facing Simao heads-up.
Garcia earned $190,000, Guerra took $255,000 and Shakerchi received $350,000. Gryko collected $480,000, while Simao’s runner-up finish paid $775,000.
As covered in September, Simao had recently won the Triton Jeju Invitational in South Korea for a record $7.25 million, but he could not add another title here. Rafael entered heads-up with nearly a 4:1 chip lead, though the final hand left him needing help on the river.
Simao’s A-diamond, K-heart, 5-heart, 4-heart was ahead of Rafael’s A-club, 7-club, 7-spade, 6-diamond on a 9-diamond, 4-diamond, 4-club, 6-club board. Rafael had a 27.5% chance to win, and the 9-club river completed his flush to end the tournament.
The win was Rafael’s first seven-figure tournament score and the largest live result of his career, lifting his recorded career earnings to about $7.9 million. It was also his second PGT title, worth 400 tour points; his season total rose to 684, placing him 58th in the standings.
Rafael earned 480 Card Player Player of the Year points, bringing his annual total to 4,176 and putting him 36th on that leaderboard. He has spent nearly three years traveling the growing global PLO tournament circuit and said the United States needs more live events, particularly at mid-stakes buy-ins, because he often has to travel far to play.
