In a bold move that is a perfect example the high-risk nature of professional poker, Darius Samual staked half his bankroll to enter the prestigious $25,000 Heads-Up Championship at the 2024 World Series of Poker. His audacity was rewarded with a stunning victory, marking his first WSOP gold bracelet and a hefty $500,000 first-place prize at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
Samual’s journey to the top was marked by a series of impressive wins against some of poker’s toughest competitors. His path to victory included notable matches against seasoned pros like John Smith, Artur Martirosian, and multi-title holder Faraz Jaka.
“The match with John Smith was definitely a highlight,” Samual shared. “His small ball style was a lot of fun, and it was a long, challenging game.”
Only recently venturing into high-stakes tournaments, Samual admitted to not specializing in any particular format of poker. “I just play for fun and to make some money,” he explained. “I put 50 percent of my bankroll on this tournament. The payout now represents about 95 percent of my poker funds. I took a shot! I wasn’t really focused on the bracelet; it was all about the money for me.”
Event #6: $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship Final Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st |  Darius Samual | United Kingdom | $500,000 |
| 2nd |  Faraz Jaka | United States | $300,000 |
| 3rd | Nikolai Mamut | United Kingdom | $180,000 |
| 4th |  Artur Martirosian | Russia | $180,000 |
| 5th | John Smith | United States | $86,000 |
| 6th |  Marko Grujic | Serbia | $86,000 |
| 7th | Owen Messere | United Kingdom | $86,000 |
| 8th | Patrick Kennedy | United Kingdom | $86,000 |
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Tournament Action
Artur Martirosian, with two WSOP bracelets under his belt, was the player to watch. He started strong, leveraging his aggressive style and capitalizing on an ill-timed bluff from Samual to gain an early lead.
Martirosian’s dominance continued as he built a 2:1 chip lead. However, the dynamics shifted once they moved to the feature table. Martirosian’s multi-street bluff with A♥J♣ on a gutshot draw met resistance as Samual held firm with a flopped pair of queens. This pivotal hand allowed Samual to regain the chip lead after getting three streets of value with a pair of aces.
The final showdown between Martirosian and Samual ended when Martirosian pushed all-in with A♣10♠ against Samual’s A♠K♥. A king-high flop sealed Martirosian’s fate, sending Samual to the finals.
On the other side of the room, Faraz Jaka faced a tough opponent in Nikolai Mamut. Despite a rough start with 10♠6♠, Jaka rebounded by calling a river three-bet bluff from Mamut. Dominating the subsequent play, Jaka secured his spot in the final by winning key hands, including a critical preflop all-in with A♠J♦ against Mamut’s K♦Q♥.
Heads-Up Finale
The final match saw Samual quickly taking the lead by consistently making strong hands against Jaka, who struggled with a run of poor cards. In a significant hand, Jaka’s semi-bluff with a pair and a straight draw was met with a shove from Samual, forcing Jaka to fold.
The critical moment came when Jaka pushed all-in with A♠K♠ against Samual’s Q♦Q♥. Jaka flopped two pair to stay alive and even the match. However, Samual soon regained control with a bold triple-barrel bluff with queen-high. As the blinds escalated, Jaka’s all-in with A♠6♠ was called by Samual’s K♣Q♦. Samual flopped two pair, securing his victory as Jaka couldn’t catch up.
Darius Samual’s triumph in the WSOP $25K Heads-Up Championship is a testament to his fearless approach and strategic prowess, making his significant bankroll risk a story of bold ambition and remarkable success.
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* Images and hands courtesy of WSOP.
