Runner-Runner Quads Propels Stephen Courtney to SPT Main Event Title
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The latest stop of the SunBet Poker Tour at the Time Square Casino in Pretoria, South Africa has crowned a winner and it took fewer than five hours for Stephen Courtney to defeat Harold Brooks in heads-up play to come out on top of an 312-entry strong field. Both players shared the biggest piece of the ZAR 4 Million ($217,580) prize pool and agreed to a deal prior to the heads-up duel, which lasted fewer than 20 minutes thereafter.
With a price tag of ZAR15,000 ($820), the tournament has become a very popular event in the close-knit South African poker community and was named the Nahum Lum Memorial Main Event in honour of the late Lum, who sadly passed away from cancer. Brooks had the chance to win the very same event for the second time in as many years after topping a five-way deal in August 2024. This time, Brooks had to settle for the runner-up spot and earned a top prize of ZAR650,000 ($45,430) while Courtney claimed ZAR826,000 ($35,750) for his efforts.
The United Kingdom's Max Deveson was looking for his second title of the series after taking down the ZAR50,000 High Roller a few days ago but he bowed out in fifth place after losing a crucial pot to SPT regular KM. Nonetheless, it was another strong series for the Englishman, who resides in South Africa and has become a member of the community rather swiftly.
Final Table Result
| Rank | Winner | Country | Prize (in ZAR) | Prize (in USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Courtney | South Africa | ZAR826,000* | $45,430* |
| 2 | Harold Brooks | South Africa | ZAR650,000* | $35,750* |
| 3 | KM | South Africa | ZAR402,000 | $22,110 |
| 4 | Jonathan Kalil | South Africa | ZAR291,600 | $16,038 |
| 5 | Max Deveson | United Kingdom | ZAR215,200 | $11,836 |
| 6 | Sean Bloom | South Africa | ZAR162,000 | $8,910 |
| 7 | Greg Tucker | South Africa | ZAR124,400 | $6,842 |
| 8 | Keenan Pienaar | South Africa | ZAR97,200 | $5,346 |
| 9 | Taariq Jaftha | South Africa | ZAR77,600 | $4,268 |
*indicates heads-up deal of the final two players
Courtney Pedals to Third SPT Title
“My first final table in the Main Event was two years ago here at Time Square and I ended up busting in ninth, but I was ecstatic to make the final table. Back then, the cushions were not a thing so this is a fantastic feeling. And also just to say, the whole week was really tough and struggling but I kept persevering. It all came together today in the Main Event, so I am really really happy," Courtney said during the winner interview after the conclusion of the short-lived final table.
The Cape Town resident clarified that he needed some run-good and big hands to hold en route to victory, and he pointed out two particular key hands.
“It was a really good strong final table and I came in with a middling stack. There was a very telling hand with my pocket sevens into ace-ten. This was with four to go, he flopped a ten so I was in trouble but then I turned a seven and rivered a seven for quads and knocked him out. And then with third place I had aces and Kenny had queens, and it held up. I was very fortunate with some hands.”
It was the third SPT title for former pro cyclist Courtney, who recorded his largest cash on South African soil. In November 2022, he won the ZAR75,000 Super High Roller and ZAR8,000 Welcome to CPT on his doorstep in Cape Town before his largest live poker cash to date then came in the summer of 2024 in Las Vegas for $77,300.
That figure may not have been surpassed today, but the Main Event title, trophy and special winner's pillow holds a special place in the heart for the South African. His partner Tanith Rothman was railing the final table and added a trophy to their cabinet as well after taking down the Ladies Event.
Final Table Action
Taariq Jaftha entered the final table as the shortest stack and never got anything going. Once the stack was dwindling down further, he three-bet jammed for just over ten big blinds with pocket eights only to run into the pocket queens of Harold Brooks behind, who flopped a set to lock up the knockout.
Keenan Pienaar got involved early on but his raises were met with resistance. When three-betting pocket tens, he was jammed on by Max Deveson with pocket jacks and got away with it but dropped to a mere 11 big blinds. Pienaar also folded the best hand when pressured by Sean Bloom to become the distinct short stack.
Greg Tucker made a move at the wrong time when he jammed king-four suited and was called by Brooks with ace-jack suited and history repeated itself when Bloom dared an ill-timed jam with king-five suited for third pair. Brooks instantly called with ace-ten suited for top pair and dispatched the third opponent during the early stages.
Max Deveson was in prime position to take a large stack into four-handed play when he had KM at risk with jacks versus tens all-in preflop, even more so after another jack appeared on the flop. However, the turn and river completed an unlikely straight for KM and Deveson was left on fumes which he lost shortly after to Courtney.
The aforementioned big flip for Courtney was against Jonathan Kalil, who flopped best only for Courtney to go perfect perfect himself with quads sevens to bring the field down to the final three contenders. And the next all-in showdown was a classic cooler in three-handed poker when KM ran with his queens into the aces of Courtney.
Heads-up took fewer than twenty minutes to conclude and it was Courtney who came out on top. Having grinded down Brooks to around 25 big blinds, they got it in after a king-high flop and Brooks was on the verge of comeback with king-five for two pair. However, the ace-king of Courtney saw the turn and river pair to counterfeit the five and seal the victory for the Capetonian.
