A Bigger Field and a Returning Contender
The third edition of The Hendon Mob Championship Cape Town Million concluded at GrandWest Casino by Sun International. The ZAR8000 event ran across four opening flights and drew 354 entries. This turnout pushed the prize pool to ZAR2,378,880, nearly doubling the original ZAR1.25 million guarantee, and 46 players made the money.
The final table featured eight South African players and one visitor from abroad. After France’s Kevin Boyer finished in fourth place, the remaining three players discussed an agreement. Sean Bloom held the chip lead at that moment and agreed to a three-way deal with Alvin Pillay and Marko Nortje, securing the trophy. Bloom had also finished fourth in the inaugural 2023 running for ZAR115000.
Bloom Reflects on the Result
In his interview with Roland Boothby, Bloom said, “It is always fantastic to win a poker tournament. I came fourth in this event two years ago so it is kind of nice to go a couple steps further than that.” He also mentioned that the prize pool “swelled up pretty nicely” and noted that it was “a great event.”
Along with his winnings, Bloom received a package for the 2026 edition of The Hendon Mob Championship. His travel plans may need approval from his partner, as they have a newborn at home, but he intends to schedule more live poker trips outside South Africa.
Nortje’s Strong Start and Bloom’s Key Pots
For most of the final day, Marko Nortje held the largest stack and applied steady pressure. Several eliminations came as a result.
The momentum shifted when Bloom doubled with ace ten. He later explained that he has played many pots with Nortje over the years and tends to build the pot when his hands feel strong. Soon after, another confrontation occurred when Nortje fired three barrels with a pair of fours on a draw-heavy board. Bloom held king jack and called down, later saying he believed he had the best hand and that the river sizing did not align with stronger holdings.
These two pots moved Bloom into a comfortable lead during three-handed play.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (ZAR) | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sean Bloom | South Africa | 350000 | 20300 |
| 2 | Alvin Pillay | South Africa | 305000 | 17690 |
| 3 | Marko Nortje | South Africa | 285000 | 16530 |
| 4 | Kevin Boyer | France | 167000 | 9686 |
| 5 | Prenesh Naidoo | South Africa | 123000 | 7134 |
| 6 | Dylan Barnard | South Africa | 94000 | 5452 |
| 7 | Jason De Villiers | South Africa | 78000 | 4524 |
| 8 | Kinesh Pather | South Africa | 62000 | 3596 |
| 9 | Sachin Naidoo | South Africa | 48000 | 2784 |
The payouts for the top three reflect the deal agreed upon.
Developments Throughout the Final Day
Numerous eliminations occurred quickly. Nortje cracked Kinesh Pather’s pocket kings with ace eight suited. Jason De Villiers reached seventh place despite being away from the table for more than four hours due to a business meeting.
Early in the day, Jedd Kossew lasted only three hands when his ace queen lost to ace king. Imran Bhojani was eliminated by Cliton Taliwanth, and Jaryd Jardien went out in a three-way all-in against Pather.
Taliwanth was later eliminated with ace king against the pocket tens of Yoni Lipshitz. Lipshitz was then eliminated by Nortje when queen jack suited hit a queen on the turn against pocket jacks. Tanith Rothman finished eighteenth after managing a short stack.
Scotland’s Dean Hutchison, a 2023 WSOP Main Event finalist, traveled to South Africa on the recommendation of James Rann. He finished thirteenth when Pillay’s pocket tens held against his pocket eights.
Deal Concludes the Tournament
The final table followed the same fast pace. Although Nortje remained aggressive, Bloom’s two key pots shifted the balance, and the remaining players agreed to a deal that awarded Bloom the 2025 Cape Town Million title.
