Michael Tureniec from Sweden claims his WSOP bracelet.

Over the past nine years, Michael Tureniec from Sweden has established himself as a formidable competitor, notching up seven prestigious tournament victories, including the 2008 Masters Classic of Poker and a European Poker Tour Main Event win, culminating recently in a significant World Series of Poker title. Poker gold bracelet.

 

In July, Tureniec successfully navigated a massive field of 4,360 players to triumph at the 2016 WSOP, specifically in Event #69: $1,111 Little One for One Drop, securing a prize of $525,520. This success elevated his total tournament earnings to $3,765,066, ranking him fourth on Sweden's all-time money list, behind notable players Martin De Knijff, Chris Bjorin, and Martin Jacobson. win the last tournament The Journey to Victory in the Little One for One Drop

"Winning is such an incredible feeling,\" remarks 31-year-old Tureniec. \"Getting a bracelet is the highest honor you can achieve in poker, and it feels fantastic. I had only a few smaller wins before this, starting with a solid fifth-place finish at the Hollywood Poker Open at M Resort for $67,943. It was great to break even for the summer, but I had much larger ambitions.\"

 

One of his aspirations was to make a deep run in the WSOP Main Event, for which he secured his entry on 888poker—a site that he's increasingly favoring for online play.

"I think I began with $160 for the step satellite,\" he recalls. \"I managed to qualify on my second attempt. I typically play on 888poker on Sundays. It's a healthy competitor, as it introduced more balance to the market. Previously, it felt like there was a monopoly from just one or two sites, but now 888poker has become a top choice for tournaments in the mid to high-stakes range.\"

 

Unfortunately, Tureniec couldn't convert his satellite win into a cash in the Main Event. However, being eliminated early granted him the opportunity to participate in the Little One for One Drop, having already cashed in the event in the previous two years (placing 15th in 2014 for $31,804 and 358th in 2015 for $2,049).

 

"Naturally, I hoped I would still be in the Main Event, but I was out quickly on Day 2. I had a few hours to spare before registering for the Little One for One Drop,\" Tureniec explains. \"My flight back to Sweden was a few days later, so I seized the chance to compete in the last event.\"

 

In the Little One for One Drop event, where $111 from each buy-in was donated to charity, Tureniec found himself at a challenging starting table alongside compatriot and 2014 WSOP champion Martin Jacobson, as well as Mark Radoja and Eddy Sabat. He only needed one entry in the tournament, but ended Day 1 with 15,100 chips, landing him in 745th position out of 786 players, with only 630 spots available to cash. Essentially, he was on the short stack as they approached the money bubble.

Nonetheless, the seasoned player took his time, waited for the right moments, made it through the money bubble, and started to accumulate chips on Day 2, concluding with 542,000 chips, placing him 28th among the final 104 players. Day 3 saw them playing down to the final table featuring bracelet winners Calvin Anderson and Ryan D'Angelo.

 

At the beginning of the final table, Tureniec was short-stacked, but he remained patient, biding his time until favorable cards presented themselves.

 

"I started to receive some strong hands as we got closer to short-handed play,\" Tureniec stated. \"This was crucial for gaining chips when there were only three or four players left, and by the time I faced Calvin Anderson heads-up, having some chips to work with was vital. Calvin is a tough competition, so being well-stacked was essential as I reached that final stage.\"

In the decisive hand of the tournament (Hand #125 at Level 37, blinds of 250,000/500,000 with a 50,000 ante), Tureniec opened for 1.075 million on the button and then called Anderson's all-in for 11 million. Tureniec held the queen and jack of spades, needing to improve against Anderson's king of spades and ten of diamonds.

He found his improvement on the flop of jack of diamonds, nine of hearts, and two of clubs, and while Anderson had potential outs, neither the three of hearts on the turn nor the four of diamonds on the river saved him. Anderson, a renowned online player, secured $324,597 for his second-place finish, while Tureniec's victory marked the 11th WSOP bracelet for a Swedish player.

 

"Swedish players often study and practice together,\" he explained when asked what contributes to their success. \"They share strategies and feedback on hands played, growing collectively as a community.\"

 

Regarding where this win stands among his poker achievements, Tureniec found it challenging to rank. \"It's hard to compare, but I would certainly say it’s in my top three accomplishments. The game of poker becomes more challenging each passing year, making it difficult to juxtapose my WSOP win with my triumph at the EPT five years ago.\"

 

Now enjoying some leisure time after the WSOP, Tureniec plans to add his winnings to his bankroll. \"Poker can have extreme fluctuations, so I'll take my time to see how things unfold in the near future before making any major purchases.\"

Chad Holloway is a 2013 WSOP bracelet recipient who has worked as a managing editor and live reporter for PokerNews.

 

"I haven't really decided what I'll play next, but after winning the bracelet it's tempting to focus a bit more on the live scene at the moment, so I might play some WPTs and EPTs," concludes Tureniec. He added that there's a good chance we'll see him September 2-4 for the 888Live Local Stockholm, an SEK2000 + 200 buy-in (€230) Main Event at Klubb Oden.