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Michael Watson has been a world-class closer in 2023. The Canadian poker pro has made seven final tables so far this year and has managed to come away from four of those events with a title. Most recently, he topped a field of 34 entries in the Triton Super High Roller Series North Cyprus $30,000 buy-in pot-limit Omaha event to earn $347,000.
This victory came less than three weeks after Watson took down the European Poker Tour Monte Carlo €5,300 main event for $801,885 and his second EPT main event title. He has already accrued more than $3.1 million in POY earnings this year. With 3,876 Card Player Player of the Year points to his name, Watson is now the fifth-ranked player in the 2023 POY race standings presented by Global Poker.
Watson now has two Triton Poker victories, having won a $50,000 buy-in short deck event at the Triton Vietnam festival in March for $695,000. The Toronto resident, who is also a World Poker Tour champion, now has more than $21 million in lifetime tournament earnings.
This PLO event ran over the course of two days inside the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel & Spa. Only the top six finishers made the money, with $25,000 PLO event winner Chris Brewer being knocked out on the money bubble late on day 1. Daniel Perkusic (6th – $71,500) and Eddie Tran (5th – $92,000) were also sent home before the remaining players bagged up for the night.
Day 2 began with two-time bracelet winner Andrey Lyubovetskiy in the lead and Watson in second chip position among the final four contenders.
Watson won a big hand early, with pocket aces facing the double-suited K-Q-Q-J of Lazlo Bujtas. The Hungarian was left on fumes after the hand and was soon on the rail with $117,000 for his efforts.
Gergo Nagy was the next to fall. He got all-in with an open-ended straight draw and overcards facing the middle pair and gutshot of Watson. The turn gave Watson a seven-high straight, and the river was no help to Nagy, who earned $153,000 for his third-place showing.
Heads-up play began with Watson holding roughly a 3:2 chip lead of Lyubovetskiy. Watson was able to extend that advantage in time for the final hand. Lyubovetskiy limped from the button with A
K
J4 and Watson raised from the big blind with Q
J76. Lyubovetskiy then reraised to 720,000, leaving himself with around 1.2 million behind. Watson called and the flop came down J
52. Watson bet the pot and Lyubovetskiy called all-in. The Q on the turn gave Watson queens up and the lead, and the 7 on the river secured the pot and the title for Watson. Lyubovetskiy was awarded $239,500 as the runner-up.
Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded in this event:
| Place | Player | Earnings | POY Points |
| 1 | Michael Watson | $347,000 | 336 |
| 2 | Andrey Lyubovetskiy | $239,500 | 280 |
| 3 | Gergo Nagy | $153,000 | 224 |
| 4 | Laszlo Bujtas | $117,000 | 168 |
| 5 | Eddie Tran | $92,000 | 140 |
| 6 | Daniel Perkusic | $71,500 | 112 |
Photo credit: Triton Poker / Joe Giron.
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