The 2020 Poker Masters might not have taken place in its usual location, but that didn’t stop the pros from coming out in force.
Alexandros Kolonias will wear poker’s Purple Jacket after winning the overall title in this year’s Poker Masters Online. (Image: Partypoker)
With the coronavirus forcing Poker Central to host the high-stakes event online, Partypoker stepped into the breach.
Doubling down on its efforts to help the Irish Poker Open and WPT, the online operator hosted this year’s Poker Masters.
Players Compete for Purple Jacket
Although the setting was different, the aim was the same: win the Purple Jacket. Like the Masters famous Green Jacket in golf, the garment is given to the top performer of the series. Of course, prize money is also at stake, but the jacket has become a coveted item among pros.
The 2020 Poker Masters Online ran from April 12 to April 26. Buy-ins ranged from $10,300 to $51,000, and the entire series carried a hefty $16.5 million guarantee. Between that, the Purple Jacket, and a $50,000 bonus, attendance figures surpassed expectations.
When the registration desks closed, Poker Central and Partypoker had paid out $34.5 million in prize money. As is often the case in high-roller events, familiar names popped up multiple times throughout the series. Over the course of two weeks, 124 players recorded at least one cash finish.
The most consistent of all was Alexandros Kolonias. The 2019 WSOPE Main Event winner added $1.26 million in Poker Masters prize money to his already impressive total of $3.72 million in live tournament earnings.
Career-Best Performance Secures Victory for Kolonias
By cashing in 11 events, and winning two, Kolonias notched up 1,191 points. That was enough to beat Artur Martirosian who finished second with 1,048 points.
Poker Masters Online Championship Final Standings
| Rank | Name | Earnings | Points | Cashes |
| 1 | Alexandros Kolonias | $1,266,296 | 1,191 | 11 |
| 2 | Artur Martirosian | $1,278,974 | 1,048 | 9 |
| 3 | Linus Loeliger | $1,511,818 | 1,037 | 3 |
| 4 | Timothy Adams | $1,043,882 | 861 | 11 |
| 5 | Ali Imsirovic | $1,035,696 | 857 | 9 |
The fight for the Purple Jacket went down to the wire. At that start of the final event, Kolonias was fourth in the rankings. However, a win in Event #30 for $367,782 was enough to catapult him to the top.
With his closest rivals failing to cash in the $51,000 Main Event (won by Linus Loeliger), the Poker Masters Championship title a and $50,000 bonus went to the Greek pro.
Kolonias’ happiness in victory was only matched by his sense of pride in having beaten some of poker’s finest.
“I am very proud of this win because I think I played the best poker I have ever played, and the competition was really tough. The Purple Jacket is an important title and it feels about the same as winning the WSOP Europe Main Event last year,” Kolonias told Poker Central.
