Jonathan Karamalikis Wins APPT Macau High Roller For $480k

Jonathan Karamalikis has won the APPT Macau High Roller event, after defeating a field of 39 players over two days, to lift the title, and collect the HK$ 3.7m (US$478,292) first place prize. Following his latest victory, the Australian player now has $1,914,598 in live tournament winnings to go with his $3,943,746 won online under the screen name “xMONSTERxDONGx.”
As the HK$250k (US$32,250) High Roller event got underway at the Grand Waldo Entertainment Complex, the small field was jam packed with top poker talent including Phil Ivey, John Juanda, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier and Joseph Cheong.
Unfortunately for Grospellier he would be eliminated on the bubble in 6th spot, after which he tweeted; “Unreal card dead forever and bubbled..kinda uncool I guess.”
That left three Australians at the final table in the guise of Jonathan Karamalikis, Jeff Rossiter and David Steick, with US pro Joseph Cheong and China’s Chunlei Zhou also in contention.
Following David Steick’s exit in 5th for HK$740,400 (US$95,529), Joseph Cheong found himself on the rail in 4th for HK$1,112,000 (US$143,475), after what he considered a particularly frustrating hand in which he made the nut flush to Karamalikis’ full house. As Cheong later tweeted: “Sick just busted in 4th AKdd  vs @xmonsterxdongx’s 33 on 974dd3d9 in 3b pot”(@subiime).”
Next, Chunlei Zhou was dispatched in 3rd place for HK$1,483,000 (US$191,342), leaving Aussie’s  Karamalikis and Rossiter to duke it out for the trophy. However, in the end Karamalikis would prove too strong for Jeffrey Rossiter, who would have to be satisfied with a runner-up finish worth HK$2,224,000 (US$286,949), while Jonathan Karamalikis was honored with the Asia Championship Of Poker (ACOP) High Roller title.
Not resting on his laurels long, the Aussie poker wonder has already returned back to his native Australia and is currently competing at the 2012 Adelaide Poker Championships. Such is his regard in his hometown that one of the tournaments has been named after him, the $2,200 buy-in Jonathan Karamalikis Cup.