Mikita Badziakouski Wins WPT Big One For One Drop at Wynn Las Vegas

Mikita Badziakouski has gained the first-ever WPT Big One For One Drop at Wynn Las Vegas. The 31-year-old poker professional from Belarus defeated an elite discipline of 17 entries within the $1,000,000 buy-in no-limit maintain’em occasion to earn a career-best payday of $7,114,500.

This was Badziakouski’s fifteenth rating of 1,000,000 {dollars} or extra, with 4 multi-million-dollar paydays earned alongside the way in which. Prior to this, his largest money was a $5,255,077 win in a $2 million HKD ($254,000 USD) buy-in 2018 Triton Super High Roller Jeju event.

This newest victory elevated Badziakouski’s profession earnings to only shy of $53.3 million. As a consequence, he has moved into fifth place on poker’s all-time cash listing. He trails solely Bryn Kenney ($65,366,406), Justin Bonomo ($65,233,900), Stephen Chidwick ($54,779,794), and Jason Koon ($54,649,145).

“I feel great. The tournament itself is the biggest title I’ve ever had,” Badziakouski informed WPT reporters after popping out on high. “I just got lucky in a couple of big coolers. That’s how it goes, one of the sides has to get lucky and that was me today.”

In addition to the title and the cash, Badziakouski additionally earned 240 Card Player Player of the Year factors for this big victory. This was his second title and tenth final-table end of the 12 months. With 4,210 complete factors and practically $12.2 million in to-date earnings, Badziakouski is now ranked thirty seventh on the 2023 POY leaderboard offered by Global Poker.

There have now been six million-dollar buy-in poker tournaments held because the first Big One For One Drop ran at the 2012 WSOP. All however one have been related to One Drop, the 2019 Triton Million for Charity. This newest seven-figure buy-in was the primary run together with the World Poker Tour. With $60,000 from every buy-in earmarked for One Drop, the occasion raised seven figures for the muse which can go in direction of the worldwide non-profit group’s said mission to, ‘provide access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene communities facing extreme barriers.’

The event performed out over the course of three days from Dec. 18-20. As one may count on, loads of massive names fell earlier than the ultimate day received underway, together with ten-time bracelet winner Phil Ivey, two-time bracelet winner Chris Brewer, two-time POY award winner Stephen Chidwick, four-time bracelet winner Adrian Mateos, 2016 WSOP High Roller For One Drop champion Fedor Holz, and the aforementioned Koon, a bracelet winner and the all-time Triton Poker title chief.

The remaining day started with six gamers remaining and solely 4 set to money. Dan Smith held the result in begin with 61 massive blinds. Two-time bracelet winner Nick Petrangelo and up to date WSOP Europe €50,000 excessive curler champion Santhosh Suvarna had been the 2 shortest stacks to start out and in the end ended up as the ultimate two gamers eradicated exterior of the cash.

Petrangelo managed a double-up by means of Smith in the course of the first orbit to go from sixth to first on the leaderboard. Suvarna was the subsequent to get entangled in an enormous preflop confrontation, together with his pocket threes racing towards the A-Okay of Mario Mosbock. Suvarna remained forward by means of the flop and switch, however an ace on the river noticed him despatched to the rail empty-handed.

That arrange the seven-figure cash bubble. A number of arms after Suvarna was despatched packing, Petrangelo shoved on Badziakouski in a battle of the blinds. Badziakouski, who was the brief stack at the time, known as with A7 and located himself up towards J8. Neither participant related with the low double-paired board and Badziakouski doubled up, leaving Petrangelo because the brief stack as soon as once more.

Not lengthy after that, Petrangelo received all-in with AQ trailing the AOkay of Isaac Haxton. Both gamers flopped a pair of aces, and Haxton’s king kicker performed to earn him the pot and the knockout.

Haxton was out in entrance to start out four-handed motion, however rapidly misplaced a few massive pots to Mosbock to fall out of the lead. He ultimately received the final of his stack in with AQ racing towards the 88 of Badziakouski. The board ran out 54210 to see the pocket pair maintain up. Haxton earned $1,224,800 because the fourth-place finisher. This was his twenty sixth final-table end of the 12 months. With 9,911 POY factors, seven titles, and greater than $15.8 million in to-date POY earnings, Haxton sits in second place within the POY standings. His $48,629,544 in profession earnings is sweet for eighth on the all-time cash listing.

Smith, who had positioned third in two earlier million-dollar buy-in tournaments, ended up with the identical end this time round. Smith raised to 800,000 from the button A4, leaving himself simply 25,000 behind. Mosbock raised all-in with Okay7 from the large blind and Smith made the decision. A Q1075Okay runout gave Mosbock two pair and the pot. Smith earned $2,806,750 for his newest podium exhibiting in a seven-figure occasion, rising his profession earnings to $52,868,731. That’s good for sixth on poker’s cash listing.

Heads-up play received underway with Mosbock holding 10,325,000 to Badziakouski’s 6,675,000. The steadiness of energy quickly shifted dramatically. Just 4 arms into the match the 2 performed an all-in pot that noticed Badziakouski double into a large lead. It started with him limping from the button with 86for 150,000 complete. Mosbock raised to 1,050,000 from the large blind with A5 and the flop got here down A97.

Mosbock checked his high pair and Badziakouski checked his open-ended straight draw. The 5 on the flip improved Mosbock to aces and fives. He guess 1,400,000 and Badziakouski, who had turned a nine-high straight, simply known as. The Okay accomplished the board and Mosbock moved all-in, having Badziakouski’s 3,975,000 coated. A fast name noticed Badziakouski take greater than a 3:1 lead.

Mosbock managed one double up, however was quickly all-in and at danger once more. Badziakouski limped for 150,000 with A9 and Mosbock raised to 600,000 within the massive blind holding OkayJ. Badziakouski reraised to sufficient to place Mosbock all-in for his final 3,825,000. Mosbock made the decision and the board ran out 1010884 to lock up the pot for Badziakouski’s tens and eights with an ace kicker.

Mosbock earned $4,663,950 because the runner-up. This was his second multi-million rating of the 12 months, having positioned second within the $200,000 Triton Monte Carlo Invitational for simply shy of $2.7 million in October. The former skilled soccer participant from Austria now has practically $9.7 million in recorded event earnings.

Here is a glance at the payouts and POY factors awarded at the ultimate desk:

Photo credit: WPT / Drew Amato.