May 19-21
Adrian Mateos' win percentage in heads-up matches on the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series.
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1ST
Adrian Mateos
$6,370,000
-
2ND
Alexey Lozuyk
$4,316,000
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3RD
Benjamin Heath
$2,877,000
-
4TH
Andre Bye Berg
$2,357,000
-
5TH
Anatoly Zlotnikov
$1,890,000
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6TH
Maher Nouira
$1,466,000
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7TH
Kiat Lee
$1,085,000
-
8TH
Eelis Parssinen
$797,000
-
9TH
Isaac Haxton
$635,000
Spain's Adrian Mateos added a third title to his Triton Poker Super High Roller Series resume today with a win in the $200K Invitational – rising above the record-breaking field to claim a career-best $6,370,000 first-place prize.
Following a grueling Day 2 that lasted deep into the Montenegrin night, 12 players returned to the felt on Thursday to crown a champion. Mateos started proceedings fifth in the chip counts, but with only 16 big blinds to work with and plenty of shorter stacks to outlast, he had to navigate carefully in the early goings of the day.
While others tightened up in the face of serious pay jumps, Russia's Anatoly Zlotnikov ramped up the aggression to climb up the counts – winning several sizable pots to seize the chip lead.
It didn't take long for the final table to come together as Ilya Nikiforov, Linus Loeliger, and Danilo Velasevic hit the rail within the first hour of play.
Mateos takes control
Zlotnikov increased his chip lead further with the elimination of Isaac Haxton. Alexey Lozuyk initiated the action with a limp from up front with 
and both Zlotnikov and Eelis Parssinen followed suit with and 
respectively. When the action reached Haxton in the big blind, he looked down at 
and moved all-in for his ten big blinds.
Lozuyk fled the scene and Zlotnikov made the call to force Parssinen out behind him. It was a good spot for Haxton, but the 
runout improved his opponent to a higher pair and ended his run.
Parssinen and Kiat Lee collided not long after in a blind versus blind confrontation that sent the Finn to the payout desk. With a little more than three big blinds, Parssinen committed his stack with 
from the small blind and Lee called it off with 
. The 
runout left Parssinen drawing dead on the turn.
With seven players remaining, the pot of the tournament arrived.
Zlotnikov sent the majority of his stack into the middle with . Lee found 
on the button and moved all-in over the top for just a little more. Mateos then looked down at in the small blind, took a moment to compose himself, and sent his stack into the middle as well. Zlotnikov called as the covering stack to take a swing at a double knockout – and it almost came through, check out the video below.
'El Conquistador' closes it out
With Lee dispatched and Zlotnikov on fumes, Mateos took a sizable chip lead with six players remaining. Maher Nouira hit the rail next, moving all-in in a blind versus blind spot with . Mateos found 
in the big blind and called it off. The 
runout offered hope to the Tunisian as he turned a three-outer, but the river was a dagger that improved Mateos to a better pair and ended his run.
Mateos notched a third elimination when he called with 
against an all-in from Zlotnikov. The Russian was drawing live with , but the 
runout kept Mateos best to bring play to four-handed.
Norway's Andre Berg fell next, running into Benjamin Heath's . The 
runout improved only Heath and Berg had to settle for a fourth-place finish.
Mateos and Heath clashed not long after in a blind versus blind battle. Heath, with a little more than 10 big blinds, moved all-in from the small blind with 
and Mateos called it off with 
. The runout kept Mateos pair ahead and Heath's day was done.
When heads-up play began, Lozuyk held a slim chip lead – but Mateos quickly took control after flopping a straight against his opponent's top pair in the very first hand dealt.
Mateos had a chance to end it early when his connected with two pair on a 
flop. Lozuyk had 
and called it off when Mateos moved all-in against his turn barrel. With one card to come, Mateos was a big favorite to close it out, but the river improved Lozuyk to a superior two pair and the fight raged on.
Eventually, the two clashed in an ace-high versus ace-high all-in confrontation – and it was Mateos' turn to get lucky as he smashed the flop to make two pair and held up through the river.
In a post-victory interview with Triton reporters, Mateos paid homage to his parents – both of whom were there watching on from the rail.
"They are the reason why I am here," Mateos said. "They always trust me in everything I do in life and I really love them a lot. They try to help me, I try to help them. I'm happy to have amazing parents."
Images courtesy of Triton Poker Series.
