Dan Cates Wins Alpha8 Johannesburg ($500,000)

Level 15: 5,000-10,000, 1,000 ante

The final day of the Alpha8 Johannesburg high roller event at the Emperors Palace Casino in South Africa welcomed back the final seven players in the tournament after Phil Ivey and Max Altergott both busted during the previous day of play. Philipp Gruissem had a chance to win his third Alpha8 title in a row when play began but it was not in the cards on Saturday night in Johannesburg. The chip leader at the start of play today was Dan Cates, and he held all of the chips by the end of the night.

Cates took home $500,000 as the winner of the event along with the prestigious Alpha8 trophy and a 24k special edition pair of Monster headphones. Cates now holds career live earnings over $1.2 million after winning his first major title. He was dominant throughout the day and really began to pull away from the field during a prolonged period of four-handed play. Congratulations "Jungleman" Dan for topping a field consisting of the best players in the world.

Here is a look at the chip counts when cards got into the air on the final day of the tournament.

Seat 1. Jason Mercier - 175,000
Seat 2. Philipp Gruissem - 62,000
Seat 3. Antonio Esfandiari - 102,000
Seat 4. Erik Seidel - 25,500
Seat 5. Kinesh Pather - 204,500
Seat 6. Jeff Gross - 114,500
Seat 7. Daniel Cates - 317,000

The first stretch of the day featured quick play and multiple bustouts early. The first came about when Kinesh Pather raised to 6,500 UTG+1 and Antonio Esfandiari called on the big blind. The flop is dealt QJ7 and Pather moved all in. Esfandiari called with K6 but he was behind the QJ of Pather. The turn and river fell 410 and Esfandiari was out in seventh place.

The next major action saw short stack Erik Seidel double up thru Gruissem and that put the two-time Alpha8 champion on the short stack at the table. Gruissem was all in a few hands later for 28,000 with A3 in the hole and Jeff Gross called him down with K10. The board ran out 763910 and Gruissem was out in sixth place.

Seidel was all in for a second time a short time later. He was all in for 14,000 with pocket sevens. Cates called with pocket tens and the board was dealt 8626A. Seidel was eliminated in fifth place and three players had fallen in just 15 hands. That set up four-handed play on the money bubble, and it was a much longer matter to settle.

Play continued for 134 hands before even a double up transpired. Pather was able to double up thru Gross to survive and just two hands later it was Gross who was all in for his tournament life. He shoved for 148,000 preflop holding A8 and Cates called with pocket eights. The board fell Q105J3 and Gross was eliminated on the money bubble in fourth place. After that the final three players went to dinner but Cates was firmly in the lead with over three-fourths of the chips in play.

When play started after dinner Cates finished what he started and made quick work of his final two opponents. Just six hands in Pather was all in with KQ against the AA held by Jason Mercier. But the board changed things when it ran out 109572 and gave Pather a flush to survive.

Mercier was crippled and he was all in for a quick double up against Cates on the very next hand. Mercier survived his first shove but the second time he was all in against Cates would be his last. Mercier ran into Cate's pocket aces preflop when he held 107. The board was dealt 963QK and Mercier was eliminated in third place, good for $200,000.

That set up a lopsided chip count for the start of the heads-up final with Cates holding 836,000 against the 164,000 held by Pather. Cates came out firing and he won the first nine hands of the final match. Pather won the tenth hand played between them but it would be the last pot he would stack up in the tournament. Two hands later Pather moved all in one last time.

On the final hand Pather shoved for 64,000 with KJ in the hole and Cates called with J10. Cates came from behind to take the lead when the flop fell 1097, and the J and 10 on the turn and river solidified Cate's victory with a full house.


Pather was eliminated in second place and took home $275,000 for his deep run in the tournament. Pather was the only local South African player in the field and his runner-up finish should be commended considering that he was playing high-stakes poker against the best players in the world. Pather made a strong showing for the home crowd and his finish was celebrated with the sound of vuvuzelas in the tournament area.

Surprisingly this is the first major title won by "Jungleman" Dan Cates but he choose a good time to accomplish a feat that everyone in the poker world knew he was capable of with his talent. Cates started the final day with the chip lead and ended things in especially dominant fashion. He is now a half million dollars richer and can claim the title of WPT Alpha8 champion, something that only two other poker players in the world can say.

Alpha8 Johannesburg Results:

1st:  Dan Cates  -  $500,000
2nd:  Kinesh Pather  -  $275,000
3rd:  Jason Mercier  -  $200,000

That concludes our coverage from Alpha8 Johannesburg. Thanks to the Emperors Palace Casino for hosting a great high roller event for the players here in South Africa. The next stop on the WPT main tour schedule is the WPT Fallsview Poker Classic that will run from February 22-24 at the Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Canada.

Kinesh Pather Out in 2nd Place ($275,000)

Level 15: 5,000-10,000, 1,000 ante

Kinesh Pather moves all in for 64,000, and Daniel Cates calls with J10. Pather turns over KJ, and he’s a dominant favorite to double up here.

The board comes 1097J10, and Cates wins the pot — and the Alpha8 title — with a full house, tens full of jacks.

Kinesh Pather finishes as the runner-up, earning $275,000.

Daniel Cates wins the WPT Alpha8 Johannesburg tournament, earning $500,000, an Alpha8 trophy, and the gold Monster 24K Headphones.

Congratulations to “Jungleman” Dan Cates!

1st:  Daniel Cates  -  $500,000
2nd:  Kinesh Pather  -  $275,000
3rd:  Jason Mercier  -  $200,000