Champion Dan Dvoress!

When Dan Dvoress won the opening event of the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series trip to Montenegro, he tempered his delight with the cautionary message that it was still very early in the festival. "There's a lot of poker still to be played," he said.

But wind the clock forward around two weeks, and Dvoress is now the $100K PLO Main Event champion as well, picking up a first prize of more than $2 million with which to complement his fifth career Triton title and an exclusive Jacob & Co timepiece.

Suffice to say, Dvoress is more comfortable now in celebrating a very successful trip to Europe this month.

"Amazing," he said, when asked to describe the feeling after closing out this massive tournament. "I feel like some of the other wins that I've had were in smaller tournaments, or smaller fields, and it feels absolutely incredible to get one in the Main Event."

With the majority of the 76-entry field long departed, Dvoress returned to the Triton Poker streaming stage for the third of three days sitting in sixth place of six players. But the unpredictability of PLO, alongside Dvoress' mastery of it, were clearly on show from the start.

"I came into the final table being last and mentally I was preparing to think of techniques to try to ladder, try to like sneak in a pay-jump," Dvoress admitted. "And then things turned around really quickly. I just feel really fortunate."

He continued: "I do think that I tend to thrive in high pressure environments and environments where things are a little bit chaotic."

The relief of a job well done for Dan Dvoress

He described the physical demands of a three-day event with long levels and a short turnaround between bagging and restarting, but said: "Part of that is of course unpleasant, but everyone else is going through the same thing and part of me welcomes the chaos and I think I handle that a little bit better."

Dvoress, 37, became the second player of this festival to win a second title, following his countryman Mike Watson. Watson too made this Main Event final, finishing fifth, but it was the Austrian Manuel Stojanovic who held the chip lead for the longest period, and whom Dvoress had to down at the end to wrap it up.

Despite the fatigue, Dvoress seemed dialled in at every moment on the final table, eventually overhauling Stojanovic during a three-handed duel also featuring the Danish pro Martin Dam. Dvoress is now the man with the highest earnings from PLO tournaments on the Triton Poker Series, and adds a now has a second title in this variant to match two from Short Deck, plus the NLH event earlier this trip.

Stojanovic hit a new career high with his $1,402,000 for second. Dam took $927,000 for third.

Manuel Stojanovic had the chip lead all the way

TOURNAMENT ACTION

A 5 p.m. start to this high buy-in PLO Main Event meant a slow and steady start and an opening day that played late. But with registration still open into Day 2, it became another of those tournaments where late registration was all the rage and the queue at the desk at 1 p.m. Tuesday brought the field up to 76 entries, including 38 re-entries.

There was a $2 million-sized carrot dangling in front of all of them, with the newcomers clutching 20 blinds and some sizeable ambitions.

Naturally, most of those dreams were snuffed out over the ensuing few hours, with even the $152,000 bubble becoming a bridge too far. But it duly arrived — it always does — when there were still plenty of big stacks around the room, leaving the handful of shorties to sweat.

Tom Vogelsang, a previous Triton winner in hold'em, only arrived in Montenegro this time to play the PLO. But he bubbled the $30K NLH/PLO split tournament, before progressing smoothly once again to the ITM line in this event. But lightning struck twice for Vogelsang after a painful pre-bubble period during which he doubled once, clung on for the best part of an hour, before then busting after that.

Vogelsang's final hand came against one of the the chip leaders, Manuel Stojanovic, with Vogelsang opening the button from a 20-blind stack holding AKQ. Stojanovic defended the big blind, calling to see a flop of . Both players checked.

The 2 turn brought a check from Stojanovic and a bet from Vogelsang. Stojanovic raised to cover Vogelsang and the Dutchman called off.

Vogelsang had trips, but Stojanovic had plenty of outs holding A88. The most likely way Vogelsang could be cooked was with a spade, but the river did the job as well. Stojanovic's boat leapt into the lead and left Vogelsang heading away with nothing again.

Another bubble for Tom Vogelsang

Stojanovic therefore consolidated his position near the top of the chip counts, but it was Patrik Antonius at the very top. Antonius moved further ahead when Danny Tang, the recent NLH Main Event winner, blasted off with AK10 and Patrik Antonius calmly picked him off holding .

Antonius was one of three limpers ahead of Tang, in the big blind, but the only one to call Tang's raise. The flop of J103 was marvellous for Antonius and, after Tang's c-bet, Antonius got it all in. Tang needed a queen that didn't come and was out in 12th.

Danny Tang cashed but was quickly knocked out

The final table in this six-handed event would convene when seven players were left. And it took a while to go from Tang's explosive elimination to that crucial point. There was a particular slowdown 10-handed, which a real shift in the chip positions. Ultimately, the PLO titans Artur Martirosian, Matthias Eibinger and Sean Rafael occupied positions 10 through eight, respectively, with Eibinger falling short of defending the PLO Main Event title he won in Jeju.

Though there were superstars strewn left and right, this was still a tremendous final. The last nine came from eight different countries and represented a wide array of Triton veterans and relative newcomers. Stojanovic led the way, but there was no way he could feel comfortable given the quality of those chasing him.

FINAL TABLE LINE-UP

Manuel Stojanovic - 5,795,000 (116 BBs)

Mike Watson - 4,110,000 (82 BBs)

Patik Antonius - 2,890,000 (58 BBs)

Martin Dam - 2,480,000 (50 BBs)

Laszlo Bujtas - 1,695,000 (34 BBs)

Dan Dvoress - 1,275,000 (26 BBs)

Robert Cowen - 755,000 (15 BBs)

Event 15 final table players (clockwise from back left): Mike Watson, Martin Dam, Laszlo Bujtas, Patrik Antonius, Rob Cowen, Manuel Stojanovic, Dan Dvoress.

The British PLO whiz Rob Cowen secured a breakout Triton score on the final night of the most recent visit to Jeju, picking up pretty much every bounty available in the closing Bounty Quattro Turbo. And he hit the ground running on his return to the Series in Montenegro, with a ninth-place finish in the $30K PLO/NLH event, and then another final table here.

With only 15 blinds, he had his work cut out this time, however, and it didn't help when he found KK10 at the exact time the chip leading Stojanovic had . Everything went in pre-flop and there wasn't a single card above an eight in the run-out.

Cowen bust in seventh for $361,000.

A quick final table for Rob Co

This three-day event still had a few hours on the schedule to play some more on Day 2. But even though the last six played three more levels, there were no further eliminations. It meant all of them returned for a six-handed finale on Wednesday, with Stojanovic in the box seat. He had 63 blinds while his closest challenger, Martin Dam, had only 26. Everyone else was below average, with Patrik Antonius and Dan Dvoress sitting with 11 big blinds apiece.

Action burst into life at the start of Day 3. On only the third hand, Laszlo Bujtas opened from UTG holding AKK and Martin Dam was the only caller out of the big blind. Dam had .

The flop of AQ7 was magnificent for Dam. He hit middle set while Bujtas flopped two pair. Dam check-jammed after Bujtas c-bet, and suddenly two of the medium stacks were up against one another in a pot potentially big enough to take on the chip leader.

The board bricked out -- the 2 turn followed by the 10 river -- and Dam's marginally bigger stack assimilated Bujtas' final blinds into it. Bujtas took $456,000 for sixth.

It was a short Day 3 for

Stojanovic had been surprisingly absent from the pot that eliminated Bujtas, but the Austrian steamroller moved his rig back into position to crush the next player's hopes. In truth, Mike Watson can have few complaints about his trip to Montenegro this year. He is (so far) the only player to win two titles at the festival, taking down both NLH Turbos, in addition to two other final table appearances.

This one ended in fifth, however, with his demise coming about in two hands. In the first, he doubled up his countryman Dan Dvoress, whose AQ9 flopped a flush. That cost Watson seven of his 18 blinds. And a few hands later, Watson saw his aces cracked by Stojanovic to cost him the rest.

Stojanovic opened AKJ from UTG and Watson three-bet for pretty much everything he had from the small blind, holding . Stojanovic technically had to raise again to get the last chip in, which he did, and then saw the flop give him two pair.

The 7 turn and 8 river did not rush to Watson's assistance and Stojanovic claimed another scalp. Watson departed with $585,000 to his name.

Double turbo champion Mike Watson was fifth in this one

Dvoress, who started the day at the foot of the chip counts, suddenly had a spring in his step. He doubled again, this time through Dam, to emerge as Stojanovic's closest challenger. Even though Stojanovic doubled up Antonius soon after, it was for only six blinds, so the overnight leader remained at the top.

Until, all of a sudden, he wasn't.

Dvoress four-bet jammed in a pot against Stojanovic to win 13 big blinds pre-flop when Stojanovic folded. But then there was even worst news for the erstwhile big stack: Dam scored a full double to catapult into the lead. In this one, Stojanovic limped from UTG holding QJ9 and Dam raised from the small blind. Stojanovic called and made a wrap on the flop.

Dam checked, Stojanovic bet and the pot was now big enough for Dam to shove. Stojanovic called to set up the biggest showdown of the tournament so far.

Dam tabled his KKQ, which was already leading and had even more potential to improve. The turn made Stojanovic a straight, but Dam nailed his flush. The river changed nothing.

Dam now had 53 big blinds, ahead of Dvoress' 46, Stojanovic's 16 and Antonius with 11.

In characteristic fashion, Antonius has quietly gone about his business here in Montenegro and was here sitting at his fifth final, including the NLH Main Event. But he'd not made it past fifth in any of the four previous attempts, and though he was now in the last four, he had his work cut out to make it further. Ultimately, this one also ended short of the podium as he was next out.

In what proved to be Antonius' final hand, Dvoress limped from UTG and Antonius also called from the small blind, holding KQ10. Dam checked his option in the big blind and three players saw the flop. Antonius had top pair and backdoor hearts.

Antonius led out and Dam called. Dvoress then raised the pot and Anotnius pondered his options before calling. Dam left them to it.

Dvoress had the two remaining kings in the deck and had the club draw too. He held KK8. Antonius now had only 11 percent to survive, and though the turn gave him hope, the river was not what he needed. Antonius was out in fourth for $726,000.

Five Montenegro finals (so far) for Patrik Antonius

The tournament now went through another slowdown, at least in terms of eliminations. But there was another significant shake-up in the chip counts. It was now Dam's turn to hit the skids.

Dvoress turned a full house with Q108 to start Dam's slide. Then Stojanovic's was good in another three-bet pot, even though they checked all the way to the river and Stojanovic still only had the pair of 10s.

Dvoress then won all but six of Dam's big blinds, with AQ6 beating . This one was fascinating, with Dam limping from the small blind pre-flop and Dvoress checking. The flop was the , with both players checked.

The A came on the turn, completing Dvoress' boat. But Dam bet and Dvoress called. They then saw the J river. Dam checked, Dvoress bet, Dam raised and Dvoress just called. He was good, and Dam was in real peril.

He clung on for a littlewhile longer, but Dvoress took the last with Q108 beating . It all went in pre-flop and they both paired their 10, but Dvoress just had better.

Dam won $927,000, which was the last six-figure prize. The other two locked up at least $1.4 million each.

Martin Dam landed high six figures but bust in third

Dvoress now had 47 blinds to Stojanovic's 17 as heads-up began. But any belief that Dvoress would be coasting to the title evaporated as Stojanovic won the first major pot of heads-up play. His [10]1064 flopped a combo draw to go with the pair on a flop, and he completed the baby flush with the turn. Both players checked at that point, but Dvoress, holding bluffed the river. Stojanovic called to get within 10 blinds.

This comeback didn't last especially long, however. Dvoress quickly soared back in front, making a statement call of his own with 1085 to beat Stojanovic's on a board of when Stojanovic bet big on the river.

That reinstated Dvoress' 2-1 chip lead, and then a one-two punch cut Stojanovic all the way down to nothing at the very end.

In the first, Dvoress had A105 and flopped two pair, which stayed good. Stojanovic now had five blinds. They went in with and Dvoress made a flush with , thanks to three more clubs appearing on the board.

Trophy time again for Dan Dvoress

Dvoress punched the air and began life as a five-time champ — with a Main Event on his resume among them.