Nick Petrangelo wins the $150,000 buy-in Triton Poker Anniversary Event

American pro Nick Petrangelo claimed victory in the prestigious Triton Poker Series Jeju II 10th Anniversary Special, defeating Joao Simao in the final.

As part of the prestigious Triton Poker Series Jeju II, one of the most anticipated tournaments—the $150,000 10th Anniversary Special—has concluded at LES A Casino. After nearly two weeks of intense competition and deep runs in various events, American pro Nick Petrangelo finally achieved his long-awaited victory, claiming the title in one of the festival’s key events. In the final heads-up, he faced his longtime friend Joao Simao, and after a deal was struck between the two players, Petrangelo secured first place and a prize of $2,212,910. Brief Overview of the Triton Poker Series and the Tournament’s Significance The Triton Poker Series is one of the most prestigious high buy-in poker tournament series, attracting the world’s poker elite and renowned high rollers. The series is famous for its tough fields, massive prize pools, and unique atmosphere, where every tournament is a true challenge even for the most experienced professionals. The $150,000 10th Anniversary Special was dedicated to the series’ tenth anniversary and became one of the central events of the Jeju II festival, held at LES A Casino. The $150,000 buy-in makes this tournament accessible only to the most successful and ambitious players, and the prize pools traditionally reach impressive amounts. This time, many poker stars battled for the title, further highlighting the prestige and difficulty of winning this event. Final Table Lineup and Key Participants The final table brought together true titans of modern poker. Among the finalists were such well-known players as: Adrian Mateos – one of Europe’s youngest and most successful high rollers; Thomas Boivin – a Belgian pro with an impressive track record; Danny Tang – a Hong Kong representative who regularly posts strong results at major series; Dan Dvoress – a Canadian known for his success in super high roller events; Seth Davies – an American pro and multiple Triton final tablist; Miroslav Atanasov , Murly Manokharan , and other strong players. Special attention was on Joao Simao, who had already won the $200,000 Invitational at this same festival, adding a record $7,250,000 to his prize collection. His second place in the $150k Anniversary Special was a logical continuation of his successful run at the series. Tournament Progress: From the Start to Petrangelo’s Rise The tournament drew 67 entrants, including 9 players who joined on Day 2. Most of them had short stacks—just 20 big blinds—which led to aggressive and fast-paced play in the early stages. Already in the first levels of the day, well-known players such as Punnat Punsri, Jesse Lonis, Jamil Wakil, Ding Biao, Samuel Mullur, Michael Watson, and the legendary Phil Ivey were eliminated—they all failed to make it past the opening stretch. A highlight of the early stage was a double knockout by Isaac Haxton, who made a flush on the turn against Stephen Chidwick and Brandon Wilson. However, this success was soon overshadowed by an even rarer event: Daniel Dvoress scored a triple knockout, busting three opponents at once—Sam Greenwood, Matthias Eibinger, and Patrik Antonius. This allowed Dvoress to shoot up the chip counts and become one of the leaders. The bubble—the stage where the next player out misses the money—passed quickly. Wai Kiat Lee was on the brink, getting it in with ace-queen against Danny Tang’s ace-king. Despite having a flush draw on the flop, he didn’t hit, and Lee became the last player to leave the tournament empty-handed. Nevertheless, his performance at the series was successful: a win in the $40k Mystery Bounty Event and three other ITMs, bringing his career earnings up by nearly $2 million. The first player to cash was Alex Foxen, but his tournament ended immediately after the bubble—he lost a hand to Seth Davies, unable to improve on the flop. Key Hands and Final Table Drama After Boivin doubled through Ben Tollerene and made a straight against him, he took the chip lead. However, Tollerene soon exited the tournament, losing to Murly Manokharan and giving up his seat at the final table. At the final table, Dan Dvoress was the first to bust: first, he doubled up Manokharan, then his queens lost to Miroslav Atanasov. Next out was Seth Davies, who had started the day as chip leader. He made a big bet with ace-eight but couldn’t beat Petrangelo’s ace-queen. The biggest pot at that point was played between Danny Tang and Miroslav Atanasov: Tang got it in with ace-king (Big Slick), while Atanasov held pocket jacks. Atanasov won, and his stack then made up nearly a third of all chips in play. After Manokharan’s elimination (6th place), Simao picked up pocket aces and left Boivin with a minimal stack. Nevertheless, Boivin made an incredible comeback, building his stack from 15,000 to 695,000, but his streak of double-ups ended when he lost a coinflip to Adrian Mateos, finishing in fifth place. Four-handed, Nick Petrangelo started to gain momentum: he successfully bluffed Mateos, then caught a big bluff from Atanasov. Soon after, Atanasov was forced all-in from the big blind and lost, finishing fourth. Mateos, left short after an unsuccessful bluff, tried to double through Simao with ace-ten but lost a flip to pocket threes and finished third. Heads-Up: The Deal and an Unusual Finish Down to two, Nick Petrangelo and Joao Simao quickly agreed to a prize split. Simao secured the larger share of the remaining prize pool—$2,517,090, while Petrangelo received $2,212,910. After the deal, the players decided not to continue standard play, but to determine the winner through a series of blind all-ins—both players went all-in blind, without looking at their cards, until a winner was decided. On the third hand, Petrangelo doubled up twice and then took the rest of Simao’s chips, becoming the official tournament champion. This success was the crowning achievement of the series for Petrangelo: he cashed five times at the festival and added another major title to his resume. In an interview, he noted that in tournaments of this level, even experienced players often bust early, and sometimes luck decides everything at the final stages. He emphasized that the victory was especially sweet because of the high caliber of opponents: "In these tournaments, you have to be as focused as possible, because the edges are minimal and every mistake can be very costly." Petrangelo also expressed his respect for Simao, with whom he has been playing since the late 2000s, when both were active online. According to Nick, Simao has always been a "lone wolf" who successfully competes with the best, and he respects him greatly for that. Final Payout Table for the $150k Anniversary Special Place Player Prize 1 Nick Petrangelo $2,212,910* 2 Joao Simao $2,517,090* 3 Adrian Mateos $1,287,000 4 Miroslav Atanasov $1,035,000 5 Thomas Boivin $829,000 6 Murly Manokharan $642,000 7 Danny Tang $496,000 8 Seth Davies $380,000 9 Dan Dvoress $295,000 *Heads-up deal Tournament Statistics and Fun Facts Total entries: 67 (including 9 late registrations on Day 2). Buy-in: $150,000. Biggest win of the series: Joao Simao — $7,250,000 for winning the $200,000 Invitational. Petrangelo scored his fifth cash of the series and added another super high roller title to his achievements. The tournament featured stars like Phil Ivey, Isaac Haxton, Stephen Chidwick, Sam Greenwood, Matthias Eibinger, Patrik Antonius, Michael Watson, Ben Tollerene, and others. Several huge pots were played at the final table with preflop all-ins and dramatic outcomes. The decisive heads-up ended with a series of blind all-ins, which is rare for tournaments of this level. Poker Terms and Formats Featured in the Tournament Buy-in — the amount a player pays to enter a tournament. In this case — $150,000. Big Slick — poker slang for the ace-king (AK) hand. Bubble — the tournament stage where the next player out misses the money. ITM (In The Money) — making it into the prize money. Chip leader — the player with the largest stack at a given stage of the tournament. Coinflip — a situation where two players have roughly equal chances to win the hand (for example, a pair versus two overcards). Blind all-in — going all-in "blind," when players shove without looking at their cards. Deal — an agreement between players to split the remaining prize pool. Quotes and Comments from Participants In a post-match interview, Nick Petrangelo noted that winning such a tournament is especially valuable due to the strength of the field: "In these tournaments, you always have to be at your best, because the edge is minimal and you have to play as focused as possible." He also added that success at the final stages often depends on luck, but this time he managed to play well and capitalize on his opportunities. Petrangelo also emphasized that his friendship and rivalry with Joao Simao has lasted for many years, starting with online tournaments back in 2008. He expressed respect for Simao for his independence and consistent results among the world’s best players. For Simao, second place in the $150k Anniversary Special was a fitting end to a series in which he had already won the biggest prize of his career. He received $2,517,090 for second place after the deal and continued to strengthen his reputation as one of the world’s top players. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players This story from the world of Triton Poker Series super high rollers can be a great source of inspiration for PPPoker club players. First, it clearly shows that even among the best professionals, much depends on smart strategy at the final stages and the ability to make unconventional decisions—such as agreeing to a deal and playing blind all-ins in heads-up. This confirms the importance of flexible thinking and being ready for any scenario at the table. Second, the experience of Petrangelo and Simao shows that success in poker is not only about skill, but also perseverance, regular practice, and learning from your own mistakes. Even if you often bust on the bubble or finish in lower money spots, it’s important not to give up and keep improving your game. Every tournament is a new chance, and sooner or later, persistence will be rewarded. Finally, these players’ example highlights that poker is not just an individual battle, but also a community of like-minded people. Communication, sharing experiences, and healthy rivalry—like that between Petrangelo and Simao—help you grow and develop. In PPPoker clubs, you can find your own team, get support, and move towards new heights together—maybe one day finding yourself at the final table of such a prestigious tournament!