Samuli Sipila, a renowned PLO player from Finland, secured a remarkable victory at the Triton Poker tournament in Montenegro. The 31-year-old Finn, celebrated for his PLO prowess, participated in the first of four high-stakes PLO events at the festival and emerged victorious, adding a significant $535,000 to his earnings.
“I’m feeling amazing, obviously,” Sipila said after his triumph. Having won three out of his last five tournaments, Sipila is on a hot streak, setting a new career milestone with this substantial win. “It’s a pretty run good year,” he remarked, explaining his choice to join the Triton Series for the first time. “When you’re running this hot, why not come?”
2024 Triton Montenegro $25,000 PLO 6-HANDED Final Results
| Position | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Samuli Sipila | Finland | $535,000 |
| 2 |  Mikalai Vaskaboinikau | Belarus | $371,000 |
| 3 |  Anson Ewe | Malaysia | $242,000 |
| 4 |  Klemens Roiter | Austria | $195,000 |
| 5 |  Maher Nouira | Tunisia | $156,000 |
| 6 |  Ronald Keijzer | Netherlands | $122,000 |
| 7 |  Chris Parker | UK | $97,000 |
| 8 |  Martin Dam | Denmark | $75,000 |
Tournament Overview
Sipila faced a strong field of 82 entries, including numerous Nordic PLO specialists who flocked to Montenegro for this event. After two days of intense play, Sipila emerged as the last man standing, showcasing his PLO expertise.
Sipila’s toughest challenge came from Mikalai Vaskaboinikau, who recently won the hold’em Main Event. Despite Vaskaboinikau’s substantial lead in the heads-up match, Sipila’s strategic prowess and timely plays turned the tide in his favor, eventually securing the win after three hours of heads-up play.
“I really enjoy the challenge,” Sipila said, acknowledging the tough competition. He also gave a shout-out to his Finnish friends battling in the $100K event and promised more appearances in future Triton events.
Final Table Action
Initially, the plan was to play Day 1 until the final table, but players pushed to play down to the final quartet. The final four stacked up as follows:
| Player | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|
| Samuli Sipila | 7,150,000 | 143 |
| Mikalai Vaskaboinikau | 6,370,000 | 127 |
| Anson Ewe | 2,015,000 | 40 |
| Klemens Roiter | 830,000 | 17 |
Despite the high average stack, Roiter couldn’t gain traction and exited in fourth place when his A♦8♣J♦6♥ lost to Sipila’s 5♦6♦Q♥4♥, which made two pair. Roiter earned $195,000 for his efforts.
Anson Ewe, a crowd favorite, ended up third. Despite his initial success in the four-card game, he was eliminated when his A♠6♠K♦10♥ couldn’t overcome Sipila’s 9♣6♣3♥A♥, which turned a straight. Ewe pocketed $242,000.
Heads-Up Battle
The heads-up duel between Sipila and Vaskaboinikau was intense. Initially, Vaskaboinikau gained a significant lead, winning a major pot when Sipila folded after Vaskaboinikau’s all-in bet on the river. However, Sipila’s resilience and strategic play eventually saw him take the lead.
In a crucial hand, Sipila check-raise-jammed on a flop of A♦3♦4♥, causing Vaskaboinikau to fold. This move gave Sipila the lead, which he never relinquished. On the final hand, Vaskaboinikau’s K♠8♣7♠2♣ fell to Sipila’s 10♠7♦5♥5♦, securing Sipila’s victory and the $535,000 prize.
Images and hands courtesy of Triton Poker.
