Veldhuis and Apestyles so close to maiden SCOOP success

Fans of Twitch poker were treated to a Thursday thriller on May 11 as two of the biggest names and best players in the game made the final three in the same tournament.

Both Jonathan “apestyles” Van Fleet (one of BBZ Poker’s lead coaches) and Lex Veldhuis (one of BBZ’s star students) played the final table of a $3K High Roller in the Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP), each looking to capture their first SCOOP title.

And both were streaming their play cards up to thousands of viewers. That meant we could peek behind both sides of the curtain and hear the thought processes of two high-stakes crushers as they battled one another.

Here’s how it all went down.

LET THE BATTLE COMMENCE

Apestyles always puts on a show, but last night he really showed why he’s been on such a tear lately. This fascinating bluff against one of the very best players in the world – Joao “Naza114” Vieira – was just one example.

His reading ability was on point too. He knew precisely what Veldhuis had in this hand, but couldn’t get away.

Over on Veldhuis’ stream, the PokerStars Team Pro maintained the massive chip lead he brought into the final table through a mix of excellent play and a bit of run-good at the right moments.

The two clashed in some interesting pots, too. In one hand, both players flopped a straight with Lex holding the nuts. Apestyles managed not to go broke in that one.

BANG ON THE MONEY

Three-handed, the pair clashed in a pot that would prove fatal. Apestyles picked up pocket nines while Lex had pocket eights.

“We can get called by eights here,” apestyles said after shoving, as he awaited Lex’s decision.

He was bang on the money. But unfortunately, poker is indeed a stupid game sometimes.

Apestyles handled the lousy beat with nothing but class, wishing Lex well as he entered the heads-up. For his third-place finish, apestyles banked $55,166, yet another massive score.

Just a few days ago, both he and fellow BBZ coach Alex “Pwndidi” Theologis enjoyed podium finishes in a big $5K event (you can read about that here).

That left Lex heads-up against Montenegro’s “Ebaaa11”. It was a swingy duel, and ultimately came down to set up:

Had the ace not hit the river, Lex would have been as close as you can be to winning his maiden SCOOP title.

But unfortunately, he had to settle for second place and $72,185.

🫡CONGRATULATIONS to these two card slingers for TOP finishes in a TOUGH SCOOP field.

This was one of the most entertaining final tables that we can remember on Twitch and we can't wait for the highlights. #poker #pokerstars

GG @LexVeldhuis and @apestyles. pic.twitter.com/EVgN5AB3YC

— BBZ Poker (@BBZPoker) May 11, 2023

It truly was an incredible night for poker fans, and while Lex will understandably be disappointed not to close it out, he can take solace in the fact that more than 20,000 viewers witnessed him play his heart out.

Here’s hoping we get many more nights like this one throughout the SCOOP series.