Goofy Wins Onyx Premiere for $1 Million
The anonymous player came from behind to beat Mikita Badziakouski after a marathon heads-up finish in Northern Cyprus.
PokerNews reported that the anonymous player known as Goofy won the Onyx High Roller Series $10,400 Premiere for $1 million at Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa. He beat Mikita Badziakouski heads-up to take the biggest share of the $4,765,800 prize pool, while Badziakouski earned $585,000 for second.
As covered on Aug. 10, Damir Gabdullin carried the chip lead into the nine-handed final table after the 507-entry event had already locked up 76 paid finishers. Goofy came into the last day third in chips, behind Italo Modena and just ahead of Badziakouski, with Sergio Aido also among the contenders.
Goofy sent Ravid Garbi out in ninth, then watched Badziakouski seize control by making quad kings against Gabdullin’s queens. Badziakouski later eliminated Gabdullin in sixth and Aido after that, and he kept building a lead as Goofy, Giorgiy Skhulukhiya and Oshri Lahmani tried to catch him.
That was the point where Goofy’s run looked shaky. He fell to the bottom of the counts with four left, but he chopped a pot to stay alive against Skhulukhiya, doubled with ace-king against pocket sixes, and later survived another dangerous spot against Badziakouski when a river card went his way.
The heads-up match still began with Goofy facing a steep deficit, and he said afterward that he knew there would be no deal and that the battle was “really tough.” He chipped away with an ace-nine double against king-seven, then a river check-jam with trip eights that Badziakouski paid off with top pair, and later a hero call with bottom pair that moved him into the lead for the first time.
The final hand started with Goofy opening to 2 million holding 9♦6♥ and Badziakouski defending with 5♥4♥. On a 9♠4♣2♦ board, Badziakouski check-shoved for 12.6 million, but Goofy called and held through the 7♥ turn and 2♠ river to finish the marathon match.
