After much drama in the former Russian Olympic city of Sochi, it was poker legend Phil Ivey who took down Event #7 as he bagged $850,000 after coming out on top in the $50,000-entry Short Deck event.

With 55 players taking to the felt, Ivey claimed a massive win, one of the biggest of his illustrious poker career. In reaching the $30 million mark in live tournament earnings, Ivey has brought players like Jason Koon, Steve O’Dwyer and even Fedor Holz within range as he looks set to burst in on the Top 10 players of all-time once again despite having previously taken some years out of playing live events.

With just six players reaching the final table, Ivey, who has played Short Deck longer than most – at times at high stakes at 30,000 feet on private planes – Ivey was trailing overnight chip leader Michael Soyza and it was the man with the chip lead who got off to the better start.

Soyza reduced the field to five players very early on, eliminating the experienced high roller Sam Greenwood in 6th place for $160,510. Greenwood, who has played so many Poker Central over the past year that he is fast gaining on Ivey himself, with his live tournament winnings now at $22 million, came 3rd in the other Short Deck event of the series, Event #3.