After a seven-handed final table that had everything, Connor Drinan saw off some of the best poker players in history to seal a historic 5th Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) title and win $322,264.

With $1,590,000 in the prize-pool due to the 159 entries, Linus Loeliger held the chip lead with just 54 players left, and with just 18 players reaching the money. Plenty of the players would miss out on a return on their investment, but the most painful cut of all is always on the bubble. That fate was suffered by Alex Difelice when he was busted by Gavin Cochrane in 19th place.

Loeliger was still top at that point, but that would change after Cochrane went on a tear following his elimination of Difelice on the bubble. He wasn’t the only player proving themselves able to leapfrog his opponents, as by the time the final table was reached, Jen Kyllonen and Joao Vieira both held the chip lead. Connor Drinan timed his attack perfectly, however, as he busted one of the best players remaining in the field in 8th place as he dispatched Ben Tollerene to bring about the final seven.

Having led for so long in the event, Loeliger would have been disappointed to be the first player to hit the rail in 7th place. All-in and at risk against Vieira, Loeliger had a suited ace-king as part of his PLO hand, but couldn’t overtake Vieira’s flopped pair of tens, despite opening up straight and flush draw possibilities on the turn.