In the glamorous setting of Monte-Carlo’s Triton Series, a dramatic twist unfolded as Christoph Vogelsang achieved an astounding comeback in the Monte-Carlo Sporting – Salle Des Étoiles. Despite being on the brink with just 1 big blind, he clinched his long-awaited first Triton victory in the $100k No Limit Hold’em event after 46 appearances, netting him a handsome $2,644,000 prize.
The 38-year-old German pro beat a field of 120 poker’s biggest names and faced off Nacho Barbero in a roller-coaster heads-up for the title, with both players teetering between hope and despair. “It felt like I was walking on a tightrope. The number of times I went all-in was just insane,” said Vogelsang in a post-win interview.
On a final day of play with the coveted final table in sight, a dramatic hand ensued with Johannes Straver, armed with his 9 big blinds pushed all in the middle, eliciting responses from Nacho Barbero and Elton Tsang. Barbero’s AT full house overshadowed Tsang’s AQ and Straver’s straight from QJ for a big lead going into the final table.
During this gripping million-dollar saga, the legendary Phil Ivey found himself overshadowed by Punnat Punsri’s AsQs, leading to his exit, bagging the eighth spot and a commendable $372,000. The tables turned and twisted, with Danny Tang and Vogelsang scrambling from the rear and Barbero’s invincibility starting to show cracks.
Jaffe’s challenge met its fate against Ben Heath’s unbeatable pocket aces, and Vogelsang ousted Dvoress with pocket rockets as well. When Heath was eliminated in 5th, German edged closer to the chip leader status, but Barbero came into the heads-up with a slight lead after stopping Tang in 4th.
The pair decided to look at the numbers and eventually struck a deal. Vogelsang guaranteed himself $2,144,000, with Barbero locked up $2,198,000. $500,000 plus the trophy were left on the table to play for.
The final hand saw Vogelsang’s KcTd clinch victory against Barbero’s Qd8d. At first, the board propelled Barbero into the lead with a Queen on the flop. The turn was blank, but the river King gave him a final blow, and Christoph celebrated with his rail.
Watch replay of the final day below
2023 Triton Monte-Carlo $100,000 Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christoph Vogelsang | Germany | $2,644,000 |
| 2 | Nacho Barbero | Argentina | $2,190,000 |
| 3 | Danny Tang | Hong Kong | $1,296,000 |
| 4 | Punnat Punsri | Thailand | $1,068,000 |
| 5 | Ben Heath | UK | $858,000 |
| 6 | Dan Dvoress | Canada | $672,000 |
| 7 | Jonathan Jaffe | USA | $504,000 |
| 8 | Phil Ivey | USA | $372,000 |
| 9 | Francisco Benitez | Uruguay | $288,000 |
