Lavoisier Wins the KO Games $150K Opening Event at 888poker

The KO Games festival kicked off online at 888poker this weekend, and seven champions have already been decided. Brazil’s “Lavoisier” helped themselves to a sizeable $17,073 score on the series’ opening weekend, claiming the $150,000 Opening Event title, denying their fellow Brazilian and 888poker Stream Team member Leo “KaizenStyle” Jokura in the process.

The $215 buy-in event drew 582 entrants. You don’t need to be a mathematician to see that this attendance resulted in a $33,600 overlay on the $150,000 guarantee.

888poker made up the shortfall, and the players in the field enjoyed a boost to their expected value.

Day 1 concluded with only the final table of eight players remaining, each locking in $1,537 for their efforts plus any mystery bounties they collected along the way. The $15,000 jackpot bounty was claimed before the final table was set. Twenty-ninth place finisher “MrSmile74” opened that massive prize before crashing out. They took home $15,526, second only to the eventual champion’s haul.

$150,000 KO Games #04 – Opening Event Final Table Chip Counts

The final table finishing positions were almost a carbon copy of how things started, with the top four places going to the four players with the deepest stacks at the start of play.

“MattF888” was the shortest stack when the first cards were pitched at the final table, and they were the first out of the door. They shoved their last 11 big blinds into the middle with ace-nine of hearts and lost to the dominating ace-king of “Kzzzon.” The winner of the hand opened a golden mystery bounty envelope containing a cool $6,000.

“Kzzzon” busted in seventh despite boosting their stack with those chips. Their final action was to open-shove 16 big blinds from the small blind with pocket threes, and get called by “9saymon” in the big blind with pocket eights. Both players improved to a full house, but it was not enough to save “Kzzzon”‘s bacon.

The final six became five with the untimely demise of “JulioFantin,” one of four Brazilians at the final table. 888poker StreamTeam’s Jokura min-raised with king-nine of hearts and threw an emoji poop at “JulioFantin” in the big blind after they called with jack-nine of spades. The flop fell nine-high, and the chips were destined to go into the middle with “JulioFantin” only having slightly more than a pot-sized bet in their stack. That they did, and Jokura’s hand held.

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Recap here

Canada’s “hardc0reee” joined the list of busted players after a clash with “Lavoisier” didn’t go to plan. “Lavoisier” min-raised in the cutoff with king-eight and “hardc0reee” called in the big blind with jack-eight. Both players flopped a pair, “hardc0reee” moved all-in for a quarter-pot-sized bet, and “Lavoisier” called. There were no two-outer for the at-risk player, and they headed for the exits.

Four-handed play lasted for around 20 minutes, ending with “9saymon” losing their stack. They min-raised on the button with pocket tens before quickly calling off their remaining 19 big blinds after “Lavoisier” three-bet shoved from the small blind with ace-jack. A jack on the flop was enough to reduce the player count by one.

Third place was decided a few hands later, “Awesomebenez” committing their last eight big blinds with ace-seven and losing to “Lavoisier”‘s nine-seven courtesy of a nine on the flop.

That hand gave “Lavoisier” a 5,358,258 to 3,371,742 chip advantage over Jokura going into heads-up. Jokura had the deal-making light illuminated, but no discussions occurred. A topsy-turvy one-on-one battle ended in dramatic style approximately 40 minutes after it began.

Jokura limped with trey-deuce, and “Lavoisier” checked their six-four. A deuce-four-trey flop gave both players plenty to get stuck into. “Lavoisier” check-raised Jokura’s stab at the pot, only for Jokura to put in a raise of his own. “Lavoisier” responded with gutsy shove, and Jokura called all-in. A ten on the turn and another on the river counterfeited Jokura’s hand, and he busted in second place for a total haul worth $10,051. “Lavoisier” was named this event’s champion, an accolade that came with $17,073 in prize money.

$150,000 KO Games #04 – Opening Event Final Table Results

2024 KO Games Results So Far

Check out the results from the first seven completed KO Games events.

*includes bounty payments

Remaining KO Games Schedule

Plenty of action remains on the 888poker KO Games schedule, including some big guaranteed events. Don’t forget that the $25 buy-in, $100,000 guaranteed Mystery Bounty Mini Event, and the $215 buy-in, $300,000 guaranteed Mystery Bounty Main Event have starting flights running most days up to and including October 28, which is when Day 2 happens.