Wiktor Malinowski has solely 38 recorded poker event scores to his title. The skilled participant from Poland is a fixture within the largest money video games on this planet, however solely intermittently reveals as much as conflict within the MTT streets. Regardless of his restricted appearances on the circuit, the 29-year-old identified to many by his on-line display screen title ‘limitless’ has accrued greater than $12.7 million in profession event earnings, leading to a median money of $334,000. The most important chunk of that whole got here when Malinowski took down the 2024 Triton Poker Tremendous Excessive Curler Sequence Montenegro $200,000 buy-in no-limit maintain’em eight-max event- for a career-best rating of $4,789,000.
“It’s the very best feeling. There are such a lot of moments in poker when it’s not so good, so whenever you win it feels very particular,” Malinowski instructed Triton reporters after popping out on high.
Malinowski bested a area of 93 entries that turned out to the Maestral Resort & On line casino to safe his second multi-million-dollar payday on the circuit. His first got here when he took down the 2021 Tremendous Excessive Curler Bowl Europe foremost occasion for $3.7 million.
This win additionally conveyed 1,080 Card Participant Participant of the Yr factors upon Malinowski. This was his first POY-qualified rating of 2024.
The robust turnout for this occasion resulted in a prize pool of $18,600,000 that was paid out among the many high 15 finishers. Santhosh Suvarna was knocked out on the bubble, making certain that the remaining gamers all cashed for no less than $317,000. Paul Phua (fifteenth), Patrik Antonius (14th), Biao Ding (thirteenth), Bryn Kenney (twelfth), Christoph Vogelsang (eleventh), and Stephen Chidwick (tenth) all busted inside the cash late on day 2.
The third and ultimate day of motion started with Malinowski within the lead and 9 gamers remaining. Matas Cimbolas (ninth – $483,000) was the primary to fall, along with his A-Ok being outrun by the Ok-Q suited of Michael Watson. The World Poker Tour champion now has practically $6.8 million in recorded scores to his title.
Two-time bracelet winner Nick Petrangelo quickly acquired his final eight massive blinds in preflop with A-10 main the A-7 suited of Malinowski. A seven on the flop turned the tables, and Malinowski held from there to slim the sector to seven. Petrangelo walked away with $661,000 for his eighth-place displaying, growing his lifetime haul to greater than $45.5 million within the course of.
A dominated Ok-Q suited as soon as once more managed to upset a superior preflop holding in an elimination showdown. This time round, it was WPT champion Jonathan Jaffe who was forward with A-Q. Adrian Mateos flopped a king and held from there to knock Jaffe out in seventh place ($865,000).
All-time Triton Poker title chief Jason Koon fell a handful of spots in need of yet one more massive win on tour. The ten-time champion in the end bowed out in sixth place when his A-5 (shoved from the cutoff for 7.5 massive blinds was unable to come back from behind in opposition to the A-J of Malinowski, who known as from the large blind. Malinowski flopped high pair of jacks and held by the river. Koon was awarded for his $1,098,000 for his forty ninth Triton money. Greater than $28.3 million of his $57.4 million whole event earnings have come from his success on this high-stakes-centric tour.
5-time Triton winner Mikita Badziakouski’s run concluded in fifth place. The Belarusian crusher dedicated the vast majority of his stack preflop with A-7 from the hijack and bumped into pocket queens for Adrian Mateos. Badziakouski’s ultimate few blinds went in after the flop, with him needing an ace or flush or straight playing cards to stay within the event. The flip and river had been no assist, although, and he was eradicated in fifth place ($1,405,000). Badziakouski now has greater than $57 million in profession earnings after this newest deep run.
Latest $30,000 eight-max occasion champion of this sequence Michael Watson misplaced a giant conflict with Mateos to seek out himself with only a couple massive blinds left in his stack. The WPT foremost occasion winner and two-time European Poker Tour champion was quickly all-in and in danger with Ok-7 main the J-5 of Mateos, who known as from the large blind. Mateos drilled a jack on the flip to take the lead within the hand and light a king on the river to knock Watson out in fourth place ($1,748,000). This was the second-largest rating of the Canadian professional’s profession. Watson has received three titles and made ten POY-qualified ultimate tables to date this 12 months. Consequently, he moved into second place within the standings with 4,585 factors and greater than $6.3 million in to-date POY earnings.
Steve O’Dwyer eked into the ultimate three with just some massive blinds in his stack. His case chips ultimately discovered their means into the center with 9-4 suited from the large blind. He was up in opposition to A-3 for Malinowski. Neither participant linked with the board and ace excessive was sufficient to ship O’Dwyer house in third place ($2,157,000). This was the most important rating but for the achieved American-born professional, who’s now based mostly out of Eire. His profession earnings now sit at $44.6 million.
Heads-up play started with Malinowski holding a 3:1 chip lead over Mateos. The Spaniard steadily chipped away at that benefit, although, and was quickly out in entrance. Mateos added to his lead with a large triple-barrel bluff that concluded with a river shove. The transfer ended up forcing Malinowski off of his flopped high two pair, giving Mateos nearly a 2:1 lead of his personal. Malinowski then received a preflop elevating warfare with A-Q, forcing Mateos off of A-6 with a four-bet shove to edge his means in entrance. Malinowski then pulled away once more due to a giant win with fives stuffed with queens in opposition to the flopped high pair and flush draw of Mateos.
Within the ultimate hand, Malinowski limped in from the button with 8
3
and Mateos checked his possibility within the massive blind with 86
. The flop got here down 84
3 and Mateos checked with high pair. Malinowski wager a single massive blind of 300,000 with high and backside pairs and Mateos known as. The 7 flip drew one other test from Mateos. Malinowski wager 1,000,000 and Mateos check-raised all-in for 3,575,000. Malinowski known as and the river introduced the ten to carry the occasion to an finish. Mateos earned a career-best payday of $3,292,000 because the runner-up, narrowly topping the $3,265,362 he secured because the champion of the 2021 World Sequence of Poker $250,000 buy-in event. This newest multi-million-dollar payday elevated Mateos’ profession earnings to just about $47.9 million.
This was Mateos’ tenth final-table end of the 12 months, with two titles received to date. With 5,765 factors and greater than $7.6 million in POY earnings accrued in 2024, Mateos has overtaken the lead within the general standings offered by International Poker.
Here’s a have a look at the payouts and POY factors awarded on the ultimate desk:
Place
Participant
Earnings
POY Factors
1
Wiktor Malinowski
$4,789,000
1080
2
Adrian Mateos
$3,292,000
900
3
Steve O’Dwyer
$2,157,000
720
4
Michael Watson
$1,748,000
540
5
Mikita Badziakouski
$1,405,000
450
6
Jason Koon
$1,098,000
360
7
Jonathan Jaffe
$865,000
270
8
Nick Petrangelo
$661,000
180
Picture credit: Triton Poker / Joe Giron.
