The 2016 Master Classics of Poker (MCOP), which featured 25 tournaments over 15 days and was the 25th edition of the series, concluded this past weekend when Hakim Zoufri topped a field of 356 entrants to win the Main Event for $294,661.
The “MCOP Silver Edition” took place at Holland Casino Amsterdam in the Netherlands,where it catered to 3,595 entries, and awarded more than €4 million ($4.26 million) in prize money throughout the festival.
Hakim Zoufri Etches Name in MCOP History
The final table began with poker legend Juha Helppi leading the way, but some stiff competition saw him exit in fourth place for $98,421. After Ivan Arbatsky bowed out in third for $137,006, which vaulted him all the way to fourth on Kazakhstan’s all-time money list, Zoufri and Fabio Sperling engaged in an hour-long heads-up battle.
Unfortunately, the casino closed at 3 am, so the two were forced to come back for an impromptu Day 4 to finish it out. It took just 30 minutes for Zoufri to pull out for the lead and finish off his opponent.
In the final hand of the tournament, the blinds were at 60,000/120,000/20,000 when Sperling raised the button to 260,000 holding the A♠Q♠. Zoufri, who held the 7♠7♥, three-bet to 935,000 ad then called when his opponent shoved for 3.6 million. It was a big flip, and the walking sticks held after the board ran out 3♠6♣K♣9♠4♥.
With that, Zoufri added his name to the long list of MCOP winners that include Noah Boeken, Jusi Nevanlinna, and Robert Mizrachi, just to name a few.
Final Table Results
1 Hakim Zoufri (Netherlands) $294,661
2 Fabio Sperling (Germany) $197,597
3 Ivan Arbatsky (Kazakhstan) $137,006
4 Juha Helppi (Finland) $98,421
5 Stefan Fabian (Romania) $73,250
6 Samuli Sipila (Finland) $56,219
7 Michiel Brosky (Netherlands) $44,312
8 Rashed Zade (Netherlands) $35,721
9 Charlie Carrel (UK) $29,240
Charlie Carrel Cashes Five Times in Five Days
Charlie Carrel’s ninth-place finish in the Main Event was just the cherry on top of a great week for the UK superstar. It started on November 15, when he finished 19th in the MCOP €1,250 ($1,331) Freezeout for $3,294, and then two days later he finished third in the €25,000 ($27K) Super High Roller for $68,960 (Ole Schemion won that event for $172,400).
Two days after that, Carrel placed 35th in the €1,500 ($1,600) Single Re-Entry for $4,017, and then the next day finished runner-up to Boeken in the €10,000 ($10.65K) High Roller for $153,104. That meant in a one-week period that Carrel went five for five for $258,615 with three final table appearances: impressive.
What’s Next for Dutch Poker?
The next major poker tournament that will be held in the Netherlands will be January’s Dom Classics in Utrecht. That series will feature a two-day €770 ($820) Main Event, €1,590 ($1,693) High Roller, and €550 ($586) Deepstack.
