Spartan Poker‘s Final Table Series (FTS) 6.0 was a blast. Crushing guarantees, massive player fields, prestigious medallions and the free Las Vegas package. Among the several winners who were crowned at this glorious series, the player who stole the limelight by taking down the FTS Master Table was none other than India’s first solo World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner—Abhinav Iyer!
Iyer qualified for the Master Table by winning two marquee events of the series – FTS #40 Thursday Grande and FTS #57 Sunday Grande. The 24-player Master Table saw Iyer take the lead and then keep it until he won it. He locked horns with regular grinder Vinayak Bajaj in the heads-up and dominated the heads-up clash with a hefty lead.
We got in touch with Iyer to understand how the Master Table went for him and about winning the free Las Vegas package. Here’s what he had to say…
How was the FTS 6.0 season for you overall?
It was really good. I had two wins, a third-place finish and another FT, all in big events. I was on a heater! 😃
Tell us a little about the Master Table
It was really deep to start with, and I had a couple of coolers going my way early. Since it was a winner-takes-all format, the strategy was different from a normal MTT.
You qualified for the Master Table by winning two of the qualifying tournaments. Tell us about that.
It was great. I was trying to put in volume through the FTS week in the higher buy-ins and was lucky to win two MTTs vs the best.
How did you approach the Master Table?
I was just relaxed and tried to take it hand-by-hand. I wasn’t expecting to win it as there were 20 players and only one winner, but as I said, I ran really well!
You were dominating the heads-up right from the start. Tell us about that.
I had an advantage in the heads-up battle, which meant I had everything to lose. I was trying to be cautious in not letting the lead slip away.
Although you were the chip lead, it was a swingy heads-up with Vinayak Bajaj chipping up quite a few times. Tell us about Bajaj as an opponent and what it was like to play heads-up with him.
It was a fun HU. Vinayak is a really competent player. I think he figured out that I was being a little cautious and used it to his advantage to bring down the chip deficit. Fortunately, I got lucky twice versus his QQ with a suited Ace, which propelled the win.
What do you plan to do? Will you take the Vegas package or ₹10 Lakh in bonus money?
I’ll definitely be taking the Vegas package as I intend to be there for the WSOP 2023 in the summer.
What do you have to say about Spartan Poker offering the Las Vegas trip?
Spartan Poker giving us a chance to win a package to Las Vegas domestically is really great. I hope they have more promotions similar to this in future.
What are your plans for 2023 in terms of live and online poker?
I don’t have a planned schedule yet, but WSOP and EPT Barcelona are definitely two stops I’d like to attend.
What are your plans for WSOP 2023?
I’ll be there through the entire summer playing buy-ins, majorly mid-stakes tournaments and some big buy-in MTTs.
Which events are you looking forward to playing at WSOP this year?
A bunch of events come to mind, but the Main Event and the 6-max tournaments are something I’m looking forward to the most.
Iyer is undoubtedly one of the best poker pros that the country has seen. His passion for the game and perseverance to keep getting better show is inspiring and his results are proof. Want to know who Iyer thinks are the best MTT players in India? Find out here.
We wish Iyer all the best and hope to see him crush poker tournaments on the domestic and international felts and more so in the upcoming WSOP 2023 season.
For more news and updates, keep reading Gutshot Magazine. If you’re on social media, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Telegram.
Amarylisa Gonsalves is a Content Writer at Gutshot Magazine. Advancing from a marketing background, she found her calling in writing. She takes delight in exploring genres and is a curious learner. Patient and ambivert, she believes in letting her work speak for itself. Apart from content writing, she finds solace in writing poetry by expressing herself through words. Additionally, she adores indulging in anything that satisfies her creative self, like drawing and DIY crafts.
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