The 2024 SunBet Poker Tour Time Square Main Event has crowned a winner, and SPT regular Harold Brooks posed for the winner shots inside of the Time Square Casino in Pretoria after a short-lived day. Brooks cut a deal with four other dealers to claim the largest piece of the ZAR4,926,600 ($266,036) prize pool and essentially take home second-place money based on regular payouts without having to play any further hand.
Held in cooperation between South African gaming and entertainment giant Sun International and the Monster Jam Poker Tour (MJPT), the second SPT Time Square Main Event in the current year attracted a field of 391 entries across four starting days. The top 49 finishers earned a cash prize for their efforts, and the final five contenders agreed to deal numbers after a short-lived final day.
For his efforts, Brooks took home ZAR714,287 ($37,857) and Patrice Ah-Nien from Mauritius officially finished in second place followed by live satellite qualifier Gerrit van der Spoel. Start-of-the-day chip leader Adam Woolf earned the fourth-biggest cash prize followed by KM.
Final Table Result SPT Time Square Main Event
| Rank | Winner | Country | Prize (in ZAR) | Prize (in USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harold Brooks | South Africa | 714,287 | $37,857* |
| 2 | Patrice Ah-Nien | Mauritius | 555,000 | $29,415* |
| 3 | Gerrit van der Spoel | South Africa | 530,000 | $28,090* |
| 4 | Adam Woolf | South Africa | 510,000 | $27,030* |
| 5 | KM | South Africa | 425,000 | $22,525* |
| 6 | Jedd Kossew | South Africa | 193,860 | $10,275 |
| 7 | Mariette Language | South Africa | 162,330 | $8,603 |
| 8 | Warren Zackey | South Africa | 132,130 | $7,003 |
| 9 | Banks Solomons | South Africa | 102,130 | $5,413 |
*denotes deal numbers of the final five players
Hundreds of watchers of the close-knit South African poker community followed the live stream action on the final day, and they witnessed the same jovial atmosphere on stage as had been the case in the poker room the days prior.
Banks Solomons was the most active player in the early stages, and his stack went on a roller coaster ride, eventually resulting in his elimination at the end of the second level. Patrice Ah-Nien had doubled through him prior, and he then jammed pocket fives into the kings of Mariette Language.
The last woman in the field was also responsible for the next elimination soon after the players returned to their seats. South African poker veteran Warren Zackey defended his big blind against Language and put his hopes on a flush draw that never came. However, the following hour was not as smooth for Language as she lost multiple pots, including a double for Gerrit van der Spoel.
It was then van der Spoel who finished the job with ace-jack versus king-queen, and the interview of Language was barely finished when the chips of Jedd Kossew ended up in the middle the very next hand. His king-ten was no match for the ace-king of Brooks, and the final five players only completed one further hand before agreeing to deal numbers.
Another three SPT stops will take place in 2024. In November, all eyes will be on the largest series of the year at the GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World in Cape Town, which also includes an edition of The Hendon Mob Challenge.