2024 is turning into a historic year for Patrik Antonius, the Finnish poker legend. After securing the prestigious €100K Super High Roller title at the EPT Monte Carlo in April and earning a well-deserved place in the Poker Hall of Fame, Antonius capped off his year with an even more remarkable achievement: his best-ever tournament score. On Saturday, he triumphed in the $200K Triton Invitational, outlasting 101 players to claim an incredible $5,130,000 payday.
The Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Monte Carlo event, with its massive $20.4 million prize pool, hosted some of the best high-stakes players in the world. Antonius proved to be in a league of his own, defeating newcomer Vladimir Korzinin in a thrilling heads-up battle for the title.
Korzinin, who made his name with an impressive run at EPT Barcelona, has quickly established himself as a force in the high roller scene. His second-place finish marked a major milestone in his poker career, pushing his live earnings from $76,800 to an impressive $3.5 million. This victory earned him the top spot on Estonia’s All-Time Money List, a well-deserved achievement for the rising star.
Triton Invitational Final Table Results
| Position | Name | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrik Antonius | Finland | $5,130,000 |
| 2 | Vladimir Korzinin | Estonia | $3,470,000 |
| 3 | Espen Jorstad | Norway | $2,255,000 |
| 4 | Roman Hrabec | Czech Republic | $1,867,000 |
| 5 | Mikalai Vaskaboinikau | Belarus | $1,506,000 |
| 6 | Mikita Badziakouski | Belarus | $1,188,000 |
| 7 | Konstantin Maslak | Russia | $908,000 |
| 8 | Xuan Tan | China | $684,000 |
| 9 | Morten Klein | Norway | $510,000 |
Antonius Dominates the Final Table
The final table of the $200K Triton Invitational featured a mix of seasoned pros and fresh faces, with Antonius leading the pack with 121 big blinds. His closest rival was Roman Hrabec, who had almost half the stack size.
Antonius wasted no time asserting his dominance, first eliminating Morten Klein in ninth place with a rivered jack on his jack-deuce hand. Xuan Tan’s tournament run came to a close when Antonius’ ace-queen overtook Tan’s pocket jacks on the river, further solidifying his position at the top.
As the table thinned, Antonius continued to demonstrate his skill, taking out Konstantin Maslak in eighth place with pocket jacks. Then, Mikita Badziakouski fell in seventh place when a brutal turn card ended his deep run, leaving only five players remaining.
The Final Stages: Antonius and Korzinin Head to Heads-Up
By the time the final five players had been reached, each of them had already secured a seven-figure payday. But the tension ramped up when Mikalai Vaskaboinikau was knocked out in fifth place by Roman Hrabec, his pocket fours defeating Vaskaboinikau’s suited connectors.
With only four players left, Antonius faced stiff competition from both Hrabec and Espen Jorstad, the 2022 WSOP Main Event winner. After a dramatic exit from Jorstad, who went all-in with ace-high and missed his flush draw, the stage was set for the heads-up duel between Antonius and the aggressive upstart, Vladimir Korzinin.
Korzinin’s Fight: A Strong Showdown Against Antonius
Despite his lack of experience at this level, Korzinin proved to be a worthy adversary. The Estonian pro, known for his bold and sometimes reckless play, managed to gain the chip lead briefly after hitting a straight. However, Antonius wasn’t fazed, and the two continued their battle until the final hand.
With the board showing J♣ 9♥ 4♥ 2♣, Korzinin made a move with a pair of fours, but Antonius, holding a better kicker, pushed all-in. Korzinin called, but Antonius avoided the danger, dodging Korzinin’s three outs to secure the victory and the $5.1 million prize.
Patrik Antonius Reflects on the Win
“I’m living my dream life,” Antonius said in an interview after his win. “And I want to keep living like this.” His win at the $200K Triton Invitational marks the pinnacle of his career, but with more events on the horizon, it seems that Antonius isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
After his success in Monte Carlo, Antonius will be moving on to Las Vegas for a new challenge. He’ll participate in High Stakes Duel V against Jared Bleznick on November 12 at PokerGO Studio. The format will be a mix of no-limit hold’em and pot-limit Omaha, and the winner will take home $100,000.
More High Roller Action Ahead
Fans of Patrik Antonius and high-stakes poker won’t have to wait long to see more thrilling action. The Triton Poker Series continues with the $125K NLH Main Event, which has already attracted a strong field of 142 entries. As the series heats up, all eyes will be on Antonius as he aims to add more titles to his impressive resume.