After 12 hours of $200-$400 heads-up money recreation motion, Matt Berke emerged victorious in PokerGO’s Excessive Stakes Duel 6. The poker professional and founding father of the Clear up For Why coaching website overcame former skilled participant turned sports activities card entrepreneur Jared Bleznick, who was using excessive after a convincing win towards Poker Corridor of Famer Patrik Antonius in HSD 5.
The conflict was cut up into two classes, with the primary ending up kind of even after practically six hours of play. This present was initially based as a heads-up sit-n-go conflict, however this time round, it featured a money recreation format with alternating rounds of no-limit maintain’em and pot-limit Omaha.
Berkey focuses on no-limit maintain’em money video games. Though he famously received $1,000,000 in a heads-up problem towards Nikhil ‘Nik Airball’ Arcot, he has described himself publicly as removed from a specialist on the one-on-one model of NLH. The 43-year-old Las Vegas resident apparently has even much less expertise taking part in PLO.
If you happen to suppose I am dangerous at NL, simply WAIT until you see my PLO play https://t.co/lPt6szfMyf
— Matt Berkey (@berkey11) February 5, 2025
The 2 contenders every began with $100,000 to work with, with each including to their stacks because the day wore on.
After the ultimate hand of day 1, Bleznick sat with $205,200 for a $22,700 revenue, whereas Berkey was caught that quantity with $194,800 in entrance of him. Whereas the 2 have been nonetheless fairly shut on the leaderboard, that doesn’t imply there weren’t loads of massive palms all through the day.
In a single giant conflict, Berkey kicked off the motion with a elevate of $1,200 on the button holding Ok
3. He then referred to as a three-bet to $5,000 from Bleznick, who had picked up 10
10
within the massive blind. Berkey flopped a flush draw and referred to as when Bleznick continuation guess $6,500 with one overcard to his pair on the J7
4 board. The 6 on the flip noticed Bleznick verify, whereas Berkey fired $18,000 along with his flush draw and newly acquired gutshot. Bleznick referred to as and the river introduced the 5, giving Berkey a seven-high straight. Bleznick checked after which went into the tank when Berkey fired $38,000 on the top. Bleznick finally discovered the proper fold, however not after taking a large hit to his stack.
About these bluffs berkey11</a> referenced on the <a href=”https://twitter.com/OnlyFriends_Pod?ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>OnlyFriends_Pod…
Day 2 of Excessive Stakes Duel at this time on https://t.co/2RQh5ROjQG beginning at 8P ET/5P PT.
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Day 2 Brings A PLO Purchase Out, Ache For Bleznick
Whereas Berkey most popular the NLH rounds, Bleznick would possible have been loads joyful to play the entire match out within the PLO streets. He was previously an everyday on the PLO money tables and even pops up on the high-stakes on-line tables for the sport lately regardless of shifting his focus to his sports activities card enterprise lately.
Bleznick has additionally recorded a number of high-profile PLO event scores, together with successful the 2023 S_uper Excessive Curler Bowl Pot-Restrict Omaha_ title for $1.3 million and inserting third within the $100,000 PLO excessive curler eventually yr’s World Collection of Poker Paradise for one more $1.2 million.
Berkey received off to a tough begin on day 2. After 90 or so minutes of play, he was caught over $130,000 on the match. Alongside the best way, he started to barter a buyout to Bleznick that will see him pay upfront to remove the PLO rounds, making the rest of the day solely an NLH affair.
Whereas he first mentioned he would go no greater than $11,500 for the deal, it in the end ended up costing extra to get the change finished. Bleznick requested if it might be alright if he may seek the advice of a pal on the value. “I believe the precise quantity is like, half that,” mentioned Berkey, after consenting to the session.
A giant pot went Berkey’s method within the meantime, along with his rivered flush besting Bleznick’s kings up on the top. Berkey check-raise shoved for $103,500 excessive of Bleznick’s $35,500 worth guess. Bleznick made the best fold in the long run, however loads of harm was finished.
Berkey then received one other massive pot with a rivered straight besting aces as much as additional slender the hole between the 2. He backed that up by floating a flop lead and three-bet bluff from Bleznick’s king excessive with queen excessive, shopping for the pot on the river after the flip checked by and displaying his playing cards after dragging the pot.
The deal was agreed to quickly after that, with Berkey finally forking over $15,000 to bypass the upcoming change to PLO. At first, he joked, “Let’s play PLO.”
“No, I’m kidding. Fucking take my cash,” mentioned Berkey as he tossed the chips over. After the very fact, he took to social media to put up a ballot in regards to the buyout. Berkey had $301,000 in entrance of him on the time, which amounted to an total lack of $27,000 as much as that time throughout the 2 classes. Bleznick was all the way down to $100,300.
For anybody that missed it, through the PokerGO</a> Excessive Stakes Duel I paid <a href=”https://twitter.com/harrington25?ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>harrington25 $15k to alter the ultimate 3 hours of play to $200/$400 NL $100k min as a substitute of three hours $200/$400 PLO $100k min. I used to be down $27k over 2 days going into the ultimate stretch.
Who received one of the best of this…
— Matt Berkey (@berkey11) February 6, 2025
Issues went Berkey’s method within the aftermath of the deal. He received a wholesome pot with two pair towards Bleznick’s pocket aces proper off the bat, then continued so as to add to his stack. The following massive conflict noticed him elevate to $1,200 on the button with AA and Bleznick three-bet to $5,200 with 99. Berkey four-bet to $16,000 and Bleznick referred to as. The flop got here down Ok82 and it checked by. The 9 on the flip gave Bleznick a set. He guess $15,000 and Berkey referred to as along with his overpair and the nut flush draw. The river was the two and Bleznick went for a small lead of $22,000 into $62,400, possible seeking to induce a elevate from his opponent. As an alternative, he was met with a flat name to restrict the harm to Berkey’s stack.
“I had each intention of jamming river. I simply don’t suppose you name worse,” mentioned Berkey as he made the decision.
“How good are you?” requested Bleznick. “Wow, that’s so titling.”
Excessive Stakes Duel 6 between berkey11</a> and <a href=”https://twitter.com/harrington25?ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>harrington25 was filled with above-the-rim play throughout NLH and PLO from begin to end.
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With about an hour left within the match, Berkey received an enormous pot with jacks filled with sixes towards a missed flush draw for Bleznick. He checked the river with a ship made on the top after having check-raised the flip with two pair. Bleznick fired $25,000 into the $93,400 pot as a bluff along with his busted draw and Berkey check-shoved for worth. Bleznick folded to protect his remaining $48,400 on the desk and reached into his bag for an add-on.
Not too lengthy after that, Berkey made a flush with Q2 on a ten87J7 to greatest Bleznick’s AJ. Bleznick check-called a guess of $33,000 into the already hefty $69,400 pot and was proven the dangerous information.
With that, Berkey’s stack swelled to $582,000 whereas Bleznick’s slide continued.
“That is about, what, a half-million-dollar swing from his peak to now? Perhaps simply shy,” commented two-time bracelet winner Alex Livingston on the PokerGO broadcast.
Berkey ran up the rating a bit extra earlier than all was mentioned and finished, with the ultimate revenue clocking in at $314,900 for him. After all, that meant a proportionate loss for Bleznick.
“I ran very effectively,” mentioned Berkey because the problem wound down.
“You ran effectively, however you outplayed me, too,” mentioned Bleznick.
“Thanks for letting me out of the PLO,” continued Berkey.
“Greatest mistake of my life,” responded Bleznick.
With that, Berkey posed for some photographs with the Excessive Stakes Duel 6 champions belt. He later took to social media to say that he doesn’t plan on squaring off towards any of the world’s greatest because the reigning champ.
Let me assist all of the tremendous professionals, who I’ve great respect for, which are lining as much as play me in Excessive Stakes Duel… It is by no means occurring.
I am the whale. A VIP. Video games are actually constructed round me. I am not good, nor effectively studied in HU.
Deliver me Airball, Lynne, or Feldman.…
— Matt Berkey (@berkey11) February 7, 2025
Photograph credit: PokerGO / Antonio Abrego.
