Watson Takes Down Event #7
Mike Watson won Event #7: $30K NLH Turbo at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series in Montenegro on Monday night, securing his sixth career Triton title.
The Canadian defeated a field of 84 entries and earned the $659,000 first-place prize, with 14 players finishing in the money.
The victory also moved Watson into a tie with Punnat Punsri and Matthias Eibinger for second-most Triton trophies, behind Jason Koon’s record of 12 titles.
Road to the Final Table
The turbo event took place during a packed night in Montenegro, with several other Triton activities also on the schedule, including the $50K event, the Mystery Bounty draw, the Players Party, and seat draws for the Triton Invitational.
Adrian Mateos finished on the bubble after a hand against Mehdi Chaoui. After Mateos’ elimination, Sebastian Gaehl, Ben Tollerene, and Jesse Lonis were among the Triton champions who reached the money before the final table was set.
Chaoui entered the final table as chip leader with 5,375,000 chips, while Watson started second with 2,800,000.
Final Table Action
Maher Nouira was the first player eliminated from the final table, finishing ninth for $66,000. Cong Pham followed in eighth for $91,000, before Patrik Antonius exited in seventh for $118,000.
Thomas Boivin finished sixth for $151,000, and Samuel Mullur was eliminated in fifth for $193,000 after running into Chaoui’s pocket kings.
Watson then won a key flip against Anatoly Zlotnikov, with pocket fives holding against ace-eight. The pot moved Watson into the chip lead.
He extended that lead when pocket queens held against Tom Fuchs, who finished fourth. Zlotnikov was then eliminated in third for $299,000 after moving in against Chaoui, whose pocket kings improved to a flush.
Heads-Up Battle
Watson and Chaoui began heads-up play with Chaoui slightly ahead. Watson had 38 big blinds, while Chaoui had 46.
The decisive shift came in a large heads-up pot. Watson completed with ten-nine, and Chaoui checked. Chaoui flopped trips, while Watson later picked up a straight draw and completed his straight on the river. The hand gave Watson a 56-big-blind to 12-big-blind lead.
Chaoui doubled once to stay in contention, but Watson closed the match soon after. Chaoui committed his stack with jack-eight, while Watson held pocket fives. Watson’s pair held, giving him the title and leaving Chaoui with $450,000 for second place.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Watson | $659,000 |
| 2 | Mehdi Chaoui | $450,000 |
| 3 | Anatoly Zlotnikov | $299,000 |
| 4 | Tom Fuchs | $241,000 |
| 5 | Samuel Mullur | $193,000 |
| 6 | Thomas Boivin | $151,000 |
| 7 | Patrik Antonius | $118,000 |
| 8 | Cong Pham | $91,000 |
| 9 | Maher Nouira | $66,000 |
Watson Adds to His Triton Record
Watson’s Montenegro win continued a three-year run in which he has captured all six of his Triton titles. With the victory, he moved back into a tie for second for the most Triton trophies, alongside Punsri and Eibinger.
