Adriaan Jacobs Wins Inaugural APC Tanzania Main Event After 17-Hour Final Day
Adriaan Jacobs won the inaugural APC Tanzania $1,000 Main Event for $48,000 from a $215,040 pool with 256 entries. The South African defeated Anuj Sareen heads-up after a final day which lasted more than 17 hours at Le Grande Casino. Jacobs, the country’s youngest WSOP bracelet winner this past summer after turning 21, secured his second victory of the year on the new Marc Joseph-founded tour.
SCCG Take — The APC debut underscores live poker’s expansion potential in African markets. Operator-hosted events like this can attract regional and international fields to build sustainable tour momentum.
The inaugural African Poker Championship Main Event at Le Grande Casino in Dar Es Salaam ended with South Africa’s Adriaan Jacobs claiming the title. Jacobs defeated the UK’s Anuj Sareen heads-up to win $48,000 from a $215,040 prize pool generated by 256 entries. Only the top 32 places paid, with all payouts decided on Sunday, October 4, 2026, after a final day exceeding 17 hours and concluding at 3:15 a.m. local time.
Jacobs, known locally as Aidan, recorded his second victory of the year on the new tour. He became South Africa’s youngest WSOP bracelet winner this past summer after prevailing in the $600 Deepstack Championship No-Limit Hold’em shortly after turning 21. The APC was founded by Marc Joseph, creator of the Monster Jam Poker Tour.
Final Table Action and Eliminations
The nine-handed final table featured Cliton Taliwanth, Steven Radloff, casino owner Costa Giannakopoulos and son Panayiotis Giannakopoulos. The father and son were the first two eliminated. Early eliminations occurred rapidly despite average stacks between 60 and 70 big blinds. The money bubble burst within the first two levels, awarding min-cashes of $2,000.
Key hands included Dimitri Hadjipaschali flopping quads to crack Franco Da Matta’s ace-high flush on a paired board. Taliwanth surged from middle of the pack to chip leader via a double knockout with 11 players left but finished fifth after a three-bet jam with ace-nine suited ran into Sareen’s pocket jacks that flopped quads. Steven Radloff exited fourth when his jack-four suited two pair lost to Tome Dinh’s set of fours. Dinh reached third before Jacobs sent him out.
The heads-up duel saw multiple lead changes, three double-ups for Sareen, and Jacobs hitting a turned flush against Sareen’s rivered trips aces. As reported by PokerNews, Jacobs celebrated the win by jumping from his chair with a vivid “get in.”
Winner’s Profile and Event Duration
Jacobs displayed aggressive play throughout and earned a full double through Panayiotis Giannakopoulos with aces full against trips kings. The path from 39 players to the final nine took just over six levels, while the final table ran nearly twice as long. The endurance challenge defined the close of the first APC stop in Tanzania.
Reporting: PokerNews
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
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