Bruno Volkmann comes up just short of back-to-back wins
One week short of the one-year anniversary for the Super MILLION$, GGPoker’s flagship High Roller tournament almost crowned the same champion in back-to-back weeks.
Bruno Volkmann took down last week’s $10,300 buy-in weekly tournament, and the Brazilian pro returned for his third straight final table appearance in the Super MILLION$ this week. Volkmann began Tuesday’s final table with the shortest stack on the felt, but he nearly turned that opportunity into a second consecutive win.
Volkmann’s quest for another title will have to wait, however. Anatoly Filatov goes into the books as the official winner of Super MILLION$ Episode 51, closing out the win Tuesday night for a $325,957 score.
Filatov began the day at the top of the chip counts, with more than double the chips of any other player among the final nine. The PokerShares betting favorite proved to be a profitable wager for his backers, with Filatov taking down the Super MILLION$ for the first time in his career.
Super MILLION$ Episode 51 final table results
| Place | Player Name | Playing From/Country | Prize |
| 1 | Anatoly Filatov | Russia | $325,957 |
| 2 | Bruno Volkmann | Brazil | $254,559 |
| 3 | Sergei Denisov | Russia | $198,800 |
| 4 | ‘UncleToni’ | Macedonia | $155,254 |
| 5 | David Peters | Canada | $121,247 |
| 6 | Isaac Haxton | Canada | $94,689 |
| 7 | Joakim Andersson | Turkey | $73,948 |
| 8 | Juan Pardo Dominguez | Andorra | $57,750 |
| 9 | Elio Fox | Mexico | $45,100 |
Filatov denies Volkmann’s quest to become a three-time Super MILLION$ champion
While Niklas Astedt stands as the most prolific player in Super MILLION$ history, Volkmann (2nd - $254,559) nearly pulled off a feat that even Astedt can’t claim. Tuesday’s final table appearance gave Volkmann the opportunity to clinch a third career Super MILLION$ title.
After his runner-up finish in Episode 51, Volkmann’s resume now includes two championships, two second-place finishes, eight final tables, and 14 cashes. Tuesday’s score pushes Volkmann’s career earnings at GGPoker to over the $4.6 million mark.
Sergei Denisov (3rd - $198,800) took down nearly $200k for a third-place finish. ‘UncleToni’ (4th - $155,254), the only player at the final table whose real identity is unknown, finished fourth.
High-stakes regulars David Peters (5th - $121,247) and Isaac Haxton (6th - $94,689) both in the top 15 on the all-time live tournament earnings list, added deep Super MILLION$ runs to their already stellar lists of poker accomplishments.
GGPoker fixtures Joakim Andersson (7th - $73,948), Juan Pardo Dominguez (8th - $57,750) and Elio Fox (9th - $45,100) rounded out the final nine. Fox, who finished second last week, was part of an apparent controversy surrounding a possible side deal made with Volkmann at last week’s final table.
GGPoker issued a warning before this week’s final table that no such deal-making is allowed in the Super MILLION$.
Featured image source: Twitter
