Raoul Kanme Wins Onyx $25,500 Main Event for $1.25 Million Following Key River Bluff

Raoul Kanme won the $25,500 Onyx Main Event at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa, earning $1,250,000 for first place. The event drew 255 entries and built a $6,120,000 prize pool. Kanme defeated Matthias Lipp in heads-up play, with Lipp taking home $800,000.

As reported by PokerNews, Kanme entered the final table as the chip leader and navigated a series of key confrontations to secure the title.

The Pivotal Bluff

The defining hand saw Kanme defend his big blind with a suited king against a raise from Lipp. After check-raising the flop with only backdoor outs, Kanme bet the turn and jammed the river on a board that didn’t improve his hand. Lipp tanked before folding.

“Once he bets, I had in my mind, I’m going to check-raise him and just go all the way, no matter what,” Kanme said. “It was a gut feeling and I saw that he was strong, but still, it’s a tough call for him to make. I’m happy I went with my gut.”

This pot gave Kanme close to half the chips in play. He maintained aggression, eliminating the remaining players including Shylko and Woodall before closing out Lipp with ace-three against king-three.

Post-Victory Reflections

Kanme dedicated the win to his cousin diagnosed with cancer months earlier.

“I want to dedicate this trophy to my cousin,” he said. “He’s been diagnosed with cancer like three or four months ago and I’ve been thinking about him the whole time. Just thinking about him gave me strength, and I want to dedicate this to him.”

The champion expressed relief after a challenging period. “It’s been a stressful few months. I’ve put the work in. I had a bad year up until now and all I feel is relief,” Kanme said.

He plans a break from poker after months of travel. “I’m finished man. I’ve been traveling since the beginning of this year. I haven’t been home for more than two or three weeks. I’m done playing now for a little bit.”

Reporting: PokerNews

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