Pedro Neves put in a crushing display in Event #38: $1,500 Monster Stack No-Limit Hold’em to defeat a field of 8,703 entries and claim a $1,098,220 first-place prize.
The Portuguese online grinder dodged every kind of landmine and banana skin in this huge field to arrive on the final day with a two-to-one advantage over second place, and he did not disappoint.
This win takes his live tournament career earnings past the $3.5 million mark.
Final Action
When the last seven players arrived at the playing hall, Pedro Neves took his seat with 40% of the tournament chips in front of him.
But the dynamics were quite interesting. Neves had a nice 90 big blind stack but a few players had only around 15 big blinds. It was still a push/fold game and anything can happen.
Tim Reilly was the first elimination of the day after a cruel twist of fate. He got his last three big blinds in and flopped two pair and got called by three players.
Sadly, aces and jacks were not good enough after Guangming Li hit a better two pair.
Brian Roff lasted only a few more hands before Neves sent him home by getting the chips in with a better ace.
Guangming Li was next after his pocket tens got no love when an ace fell to send him home in fifth place with a prize.
There was now a 90-minute period of quiet play, following the break but things soon heated up.
Neves knocked out Jose Carlos Brito with a superior king and he then dealt with Jerry Maher in a standard coinflip hand.
Now, only Aaron Johnson stood between Pedro Neves and his dream result.
Neves now held 80 percent of the chips and soon extended that lead with a lucky runner-runner flush.
Johnson did look for a few hands as if he could mount some kind of comeback, and when he drew a straight he must have been thinking this was his opportunity.
But, alas, poker can be so cruel and when the cards were flipped over the cameras showed that Neves had rivered another flush to give him the win and prestigious bracelet.
As expected, Neves could hardly contain his excitement at the result.
“This is completely different compared to PCA,. I dreamed about the bracelet since I started watching poker when I was 14 or 15. It feels great.”
When asked about how he felt arriving for the final day, he said:
“Every one of my friends thought that I already won it, but there was so much work to do today. So it was a difficult night, but I was focused, and I think I played my best game.”
Event #38: $1,500 Monster Stack No-Limit Hold’em Final Table Results
| Place | Name | Country | Prize(USD) |
| 1 | Pedro Neves | Portugal | $1,098,220 |
| 2 | Aaron Johnson | United States | $732,329 |
| 3 | Jerry Maher | United States | $550,920 |
| 4 | Jose Carlos Brito | Portugal | $417,213 |
| 5 | Guangming Li | United States | $318,077 |
| 6 | Brian Roff | United States | $244,137 |
| 7 | Tim Reilly | United States | $188,660 |
| 8 | Bret Martin | United States | $146,789 |
| 9 | Robin Guillaumot | France | $114,998 |
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