Champion: Andras Nemeth

The Triton Poker Series always generates the best stories, and we saw a cracker in Cyprus tonight. The final two players in the first event of this week’s action — a $50K buy-in no limit hold’em event — were two friends, Andras Nemeth and Laszlo Bujtas.

They are both Hungarian. They were both playing their first ever Triton event. And, in fact, they were the first two players from Hungary ever to play on this series. And then they finished heads-up, with Nemeth beating his good friend to a first prize of $1.082 million.

Bujtas, who at 29 is 10 years younger than Nemeth, made do with $770,000. Both have every reason to be delighted with their debut performance on this tour.

“It wasn’t easy,” Nemeth said. “The final table was really tough. I was a little bit nervous at the start and I made a couple of … well, it was close but I made some not good decisions. Then when we got short stacked, it was all about who was going to win the first major all-in.”

He added: “It was surreal to play for the first time and to then get heads-up against one of my best friends in poker. I had to pinch myself.”

There were 36 players seated at the start of play today, including the Dutchman Teun Mulder, who became the final buy-in before registration closed. Organisers soon confirmed the near $4 million prize pool, including more than $1 million for first place.

With only 11 places paying, and some short stacks, the inevitable fast start swept plenty of players away — or, more precisely, to the second event of this week’s series, a $100K no limit hold’em tournament. (That one concludes tomorrow.)

The bubble approached rapidly and burst before the dinner break, with the Belorussian Triton favourite Mikita Badziakouski falling in 12th place. He had only a tiny stack and an ace in the big blind, which made it a mandatory call after Michael Soyza shoved all-in from the small blind.

Mikita Badziakouski bursts the bubble

Unfortunately for Badziakouski, his A5 couldn’t outdraw Soyza’s A8 and Soyza, celebrating his birthday, locked up a cash for himself — as well as the other 10. Badziakouski was bounced short of another $100K payday.

Soyza’s joy was relatively short lived as he slipped away in ninth ($113,000), joining Michael Addamo (11th – $99,000), Eng Siang Ewe (10th – $99,000) and Sam Greenwood (eighth – $147,000) in departing before the final table.

Sam Greenwood: Day ended in eighth

But then the last seven (officially an “unofficial” final table in a six-max event) took some dinner and then their seats again to play to the first champion of the week.

Last seven (l-r): Jason Koon, Tommy Kim, Stephen Chidwick, Andras Nemeth, Laszlo Bujtas, Phil Ivey, Elton Tsang.

It wasn’t long before the first elimination: Stephen Chidwick perished in seventh after flopping a set of twos on a ten-high board. The only problem for the British player was that Elton Tsang’s 103 turned a flush. Chidwick, already the leader on the UK money list, added a further $188,000.

Stephen Chidwick: Seventh

After Chidwick’s departure, stack sizes were short and there was every chance of a swift conclusion, particularly as the length of the levels was also reduced. However, the tournament then went through one of those periods where every single all-in player doubled up and the chip lead rotated through almost all of the remaining contenders.

“This is a really cool final table,” Jason Koon said after he doubled up Tsang. Tsang, who led overnight, had been left short after doubling up at least three others, including Koon.

As it turned out, those two became the next two eliminations. Tsang had built back to second in chips, but perished at the hands of the leader, Nemeth. Tsang was disappointed, but there was nothing he could have done. It was simply one of those days. He took $240,100 for sixth, after losing with A9 to Nemeth’s AQ.

Elton Tsang rode the roller coaster before busting sixth

Koon was similarly helpless with a sub 10-big blind stack. At this point, it was really just about laddering up if possible, and taking it on the chin if not. Koon lost with KQ to Bujtas’ QQ. There was not much he could have done about that either.

Jason Koon’s fun tournament ended in fifth

If there was ever proof that this had turned into the kind of tournament where there wasn’t a whole lot of player agency, the next person out was Phil Ivey. Plenty of poker observers are convinced that Ivey has the ultimate magic touch, capable of turning any situation to his profit.

But not this one. He had the micro stack four-handed and it was soon in the middle. He was next to the payouts table, collecting $387,100, when his AJ lost to Bujtas’ 75.

Phil Ivey made the final on his return to Triton Series

At this point, the only player who could upset the Hungarian party was South Korea’s Tommy Kim, who was also a first-timer on the Triton tour. But the gods seemed to have decreed the European battle and Nemeth knocked out Kim in third when his pocket fours made a straight to beat Kim’s pocket sevens.

That was harsh, but Kim picked up $503,000, which is also a fine payday for a newcomer.

Tommy Kim couldn’t beat the Hungarians

Nemeth referenced all of the major hands — those winners against Tsang and Kim in particular — when he gave a quick post-tournament interview. There was also not much he could do about any of that, but was delighted to end up on the right side of it. It was a pretty swift affair against Bujtas too. Nemeth had A3 and Bujtas had KQ.

Everything went in, and Bujtas finished second. He collected $770,000 and left Nemeth as the millionaire.

Lazlo Bujtas’ defeated heads up

A very happy Andras Nemeth

It’s Nemeth’s largest ever live cash, but one suspects he’ll improve on it pretty soon, particularly if he continues to play on the Triton Series. There are five more events to come this week alone. Follow all the action in the usual places.