Ole Schemion Wins Triton London $50,000 Event For $1.35 Million

Ole Schemion first cashed in a live high-roller event over a decade ago. The 30-year-old German poker pro arrived at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House for the 2023 Triton Poker Super High Roller Series London with nearly $17.7 million in tournament earnings

While Schemion was a two-time World Poker Tour champion and a World Series of Poker bracelet winner, he had not yet recorded a cash in a Triton event. As it turns out, this was his first time attending a Triton stop. While he bricked out in the first three events, it didn’t take long for Schemion to battle his way to the winner’s circle. Schemion outlasted a field of 112 entries to emerge victorious in the Triton London $50,000 eight-max no-limit hold’em event, securing the title and the top price of $1,350,000.

“I was a bit lazy the last few years,” Schemion told Triton reporters when asked why he had not attended a stop on the tour prior to this one in London. “I didn’t want to play so much. I was thinking of coming this year, to Cyprus and Vietnam, but I didn’t make it. But here I am.”

This was the fifth seven-figure score of Schemion’s career and the third-largest payday on his resume. It increased his total earnings to more than $19 million, good for sixth place on the German all-time money list.

This event took two days to complete. After day 1, just 43 remained in contention. Sam Grafton (20th), Sean Perry (17th), Linus Loeliger (16th), Isaac Haxton (14th), Mikita Badziakouski (12th), Erik Seidel (11th), Lucas Greenwood (10th), and Danny Tang (9th) were among the many top players to make deep runs.

By the time the final table was set, Schemion sat on the largest stack among the remaining eight contenders. David Yan (8th – $173,000) ran A-K into the pocket aces of Schemion and was unable to find the miracle runout.

Jose ‘Nacho’ Barbero was the next to fall. He was down to fewer than seven big blinds when he looked down at J-10 in the cutoff. He raised a committing amount and called all-in when Jamil Wakil shoved from the big blind with K-J suited. Both players hit a jack, and Wakil’s kicker played to earn him the knockout. Barbero earned $235,000 for his 12th final-table finish of the year. With 6,990 Card Player Player of the Year points, three titles, and more than $4.1 million in POY earnings, Barbero now sits in second place in the 2023 POY race standings presented by Global Poker.

Bracelet winner Leon Sturm’s run in this event came when his A-Q butted up against the pocket aces of Roberto Perez. Sturm flopped a gutshot straight draw, but failed to connect by the river and was eliminated in sixth place ($313,000).

In his final hand, Wakil shoved just shy of 12 big blins with Q-9 suited from the button. Schemion woke up with A-Q from the big blind and made the call. Schemion paired his ace on the flop and had Wakil drawing dead after the turn. Wakil earned $400,000 for his fifth-place showing.

A classic preflop race spelled the end of Orpen Kisacikoglu’s title hopes in this event. The Turkish player got all-in with A-K facing the pocket deuces of Schemion, which were shoved from the button. Kisacikoglu picked up outs to a straight on the flop to go with his two overcards, but a board pair on the turn and blank on the river saw him bounced in fourth place ($497,000). This score increased his career earnings to more than $14.9 million.

Roberto Perez, who had cashed in two of the first three events at the series, got all-in with his K-Q dominated by Schemion’s A-K. Perez picked up outs to a queen-high straight on the flop, but a couple of small cards on the turn and river left him heading to the rail in third place ($604,000).

Heads-up play began with Schemion holding 17,800,000 to Triton Vietnam $50,000 eight-max event winner Dao Minh Phu’s 4,600,000. Phu managed a double-up, but was soon all-in a second time. He was ahead with AK leading the A9 of Schemion, but a J10792 runout gave Schemion a winning pair of nines. Phu earned $915,000 as the runner-up, the second-largest score on his tournament resume.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the final table:

Photo credits: Triton Poker / Joe Giron.