Brazilian poker pro Joao Simao continues to dominate the tables at the highest stakes.
His latest win came at the U.S. Poker Open, where he emerged victorious in the $15,000 no-limit hold’em event #8.
The tournament attracted a total of 61 entrants and generated a prize pool of $915,000.
When the last card was dealt, Simao was the last man standing and took home the title and a $292,800 cash prize.
Fast Start Sets the Tone
The tournament had a competitive field, but only the top 9 players reached the money.
By the end of Day 1, only six players remained, with Simao holding a commanding chip lead after eliminating numerous opponents towards the end of the first day of play.
Players eliminated at the end of Day 1 included Brandon Wilson at the bubble of money, Matthew Wantman in eighth place, and Paul Roy in seventh place.
His aggressive playing style pressured his opponents and provided him with an edge going into the last day of play.
The second day of the tournament started quickly with short stack player Shannon Shorr busting after his J-10 suited hit Zachary Bruch's A-4.
Zachary Bruch is a businessman with very limited experience in poker.
However, he ran well throughout the tournament, eliminating Aram Zobian, who came into the hand with pocket queens and was the preflop favourite.
The board ran out 
giving Bruch a straight and eliminating Zobian in fifth-place.
Simao Takes Control at the Final Table
After losing some small pots earlier in the tournament, Simao was able to take control again and was firmly in the lead as the tournament reached four-handed play.
The first large hand to go Simao's way was against Dylan Linde.
Simao held 
and Linde had 
.
The board fell 
. This gave Simao the winning hand, and Linde busted in 4th place with a payout of $91,500.
Is this @DylanLinde's last stand?
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Simao kept applying relentless pressure on his opponents, and eventually Justin Zaki would go all-in holding 
against Simao's 
.
The flop gave Simao the winning hand with 
and he eliminated Zaki in 3rd place. Zaki took home $128,100 for his efforts.
Simao's chip lead increased even more after scooping this massive pot going into heads-up against Bruch.
Final Hand Seals the Victory
Simoa entered the heads-up duel with a massive chip advantage over Bruch and was in a better position to win the title.
Although Bruch was able to double up on one occasion, he could never get back into winning momentum.
Simao, holding 
, went all-in against Bruch's 
on the final hand. The board ran 
, giving Simao top pair, and he clinched the title.
Bruch's win at this tournament gives him 2nd place and $183,000 in cash; this represents Bruch's largest single cash prize earned so far in his poker career.
Bruch will have many opportunities to continue growing from his recent successes at tournaments and will further establish himself as an emerging professional player on the professional poker circuit.
Simao's most recent title reinforces his continued ability to consistently perform at the highest levels.
After multiple final table finishes he has had this calendar year and with his latest title, Simao shows that he is amongst today’s best players.
Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Winnings |
| 1 | Joao Simao | $292,800 |
| 2 | Zachary Bruch | $183,000 |
| 3 | Justin Zaki | $128,100 |
| 4 | Dylan Linde | $91,500 |
| 5 | Aram Zobian | $68,625 |
| 6 | Shannon Shorr | $50,325 |
| 7 | Paul Roy | $36,600 |
Bluffaces
