Merit Cyprus Classic High Roller 2010 Won By Perica Bukara

Perica Bukara has just won the 2010 Full Tilt Poker Merit Cyprus Classic $25,000 High Roller Freeze-Out, after defeating a field of 36 players over three days to take down the title and the $373,207 first place prize.
By Day 3 of the tournament the mixed field of pros and talented amateurs had been reduced to just nine players, only five of which would make it into the money.
Carter Phillips left empty handed in 9th, after hitting a full-house holding pocket 9’s on a K-K-9 flop. Unfortunately for him, his opponent Andrew Feldman’s AK hand made quads when another K hit on the turn to send him crashing out of the tournament with a world class hard luck story.
Carter was soon joined on the rails by Ziv Caspi (8th) and November Niner John Dolan (7th). Three hours of bubble play later and Sam Trickett became the last player to go home empty handed after having had his straight beating by a higher one.
Shortly thereafter, Jon Turner was eliminated in 5th for a $41,467 pay-day followed by Day 1 chip leader David Benyamine in 4th. David Benyamine must have felt unlucky to have been dealt pocket J’s at the same time Bukara had Q’s, and with no surprises on the board, Benyamine had to content himself with $82,935 for his deep run in the event.
Three-handed play continued for at least another four hours between Bukara, Feldman and Ori Miller before Feldman three-bet shoved with A-Q, only to run into Miller’s A-K. With no cards to his rescue, Feldman walked away with $124,402 for his 3rd place finish.
The heads-up battle swung back and forth between Ori Miller and Perica Bukara, until Bukara finally shoved pre-flop with Kh-5h and was called by his opponent’s As-Jh. With the board running out 9d-3h-7c-5s-7s, Ori Miller collected $207,337 for his runner-up finish, while the title of Full Tilt Poker Merit Cyprus Classic $25,000 High Roller Freeze-Out Champion went to Perica Bukara.
With his previous live tournament cashes totalling $66,299,Bukara’s latest victory worth $373,207 was by far and away his best ever result.