Event #5: $100,000 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller

After four days of intense poker action, battling against the top pros in the world, Nick Petrangelo came out victorious in Event #5: $100,000 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller at the 2018 World Series of Poker. Petrangelo defeated fellow American Elio Fox in heads-up play to take home the first-place prize of $2,910,227, defeating a total of 105 entrants.

WSOP 2018 $100,000 High Roller Results

This is Petrangelo's second career World Series of Poker gold bracelet, his first coming in 2015 in the $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout event. Petrangelo is well known for playing in these specific high roller events, and his track record speaks for itself. The American poker pro has accumulated more than $11.7 million in career tournament earnings but still admits these types of tournaments can take a toll on you.

"after a super intense week, it feels like a relief to be done more than anything."

"Last week I played the Super High Roller Bowl," said Petrangelo, who finished sixth in that event. "Then the very next day I jumped right into this. So after a super intense week, it feels like a relief to be done more than anything. There's a lot of pressure playing against really tough players for huge buy-ins, especially with the stream. This kind of event is super tough, but they're really fun, and it's what I love to do."

Petrangelo bagged the chip lead on Day 2 and Day 3 and seemed in cruise control for long periods of the final table, especially today. He said that it's stressful sleeping on the chip lead, and compared it to having the lead in a sports game with just minutes to go.

"It's more stressful because you want everything to work out," he said. "You have expectations to deal with [as chipleader]. I've tried to teach myself to just be happy that I'm here, and excited to be playing and not wanting it to be over! It's a bad sign as chip leader to just want it to end, but there's always an element of that, no matter how strong you are mentally.

"When you're the chip leader, of course you want everything to go smoothly, and I think, luckily, today was the easiest anything's ever gone. I coolered everyone and ran super hot. The last two days have been super easy for me. I think the last time I played any really tough pot was the middle stage of Day 2. Late on Day 2, I ran really good around the bubble, and the last two days I just ran really good. I'm happy with my decision-making, and ultimately I had sick cards!"

Having made numerous final tables over his poker career, Petrangelo may be used to final tables but says that there are always unique situations to try and prepare for.

"If I had it my way, every final table would be in the back corner of the room!"

"You're trying to figure out what's going on with the stream, trying to get hole cards [information], etc. You have to try and adjust your strategies. Every time you make a final table, there are different dynamics. I think everyone has it a bit tougher on feature tables with media stuff and hole cards and the stream. If I had it my way, every final table would be in the back corner of the room!"

Petrangelo praised heads-up opponent Elio Fox, who missed out on a second bracelet in a week.

"He's a great player," said Petrangelo. "He has a really strong background, especially in these formats. He plays Turbo SNGs."

Nick Petrangelo Stats ^{(June 2018)}

Tournament Summary

It was the first time in the WSOP history that a $100,000 buy-in event was run without the "One Drop" name associated with it. That didn't stop the best poker players in the world from coming out in full force for their shot at millions of dollars in prize money.

Day 1 began with around 20 players, but that number quickly started to grow as players came and entered in waves. After a full nine levels on the opening day, there were 97 entries with just 49 players surviving. Some notables to fall by the wayside on Day 1 included Daniel Negreanu, Erik Seidel, Antonio Esfandiari, Alex Foxen, and Jonathan Duhamel.

Late registration remained open for two levels into Day 2, and the total number of entries grew to 105. That made up a whopping prize pool $10,185,000 with 16 players making the money. Among the notable Day 2 entrants was none other than Phil Ivey, who attracted the largest rail looking to catch a glimpse of the poker legend. In search of his first bracelet since 2014, Ivey fell short when he lost a flip to Stephen Chidwick.

A few others to fall short of the money included Seth Davies, Brian Rast, Tom Marchese, and Ryan Riess. On the money bubble, Jake Schindler put himself at risk with ace-nine but walked into the ace-jack of Paul Volpe. Schindler was unable to come from behind, and the bubble burst in fewer than five hands.

Petrangelo took a healthy chip lead into Day 3 with just ten players remaining, half of which already had the pleasure of winning a gold bracelet in the past. Chris Moore was the first to be eliminated, setting up the unofficial final table of nine. Fedor Holz, Adrian Mateos, and Jason Koon were all eliminated within a span of 40 hands, bringing the tournament down to just six players. Play was halted for the day, and the final six players would return for Day 4 to declare a winner.

Final Table Summary

The final day began with six players returning to the main stage in the Amazon Room at the Rio Convention Center.

"It's more stressful because you want everything to work out."

Bryn Kenney came into the day second in chips but after a couple of early bluffs picked off by Elio Fox, Kenney was soon on the short stack.

It wasn't until the second level of the day where the first elimination would occur. Stephen Chidwick was unable to get things going his way today, and after losing a good chunk of his chips to Aymon Hata, he found himself all in for ten big blinds against Hata. Chidwick was in a dominated position preflop, and although he hit his live card on the turn, Hata countered with a pair of aces on the river to eliminate Chidwick in sixth place.

With Kenney on the short stack, it was only a matter of time before his chips found their way to the middle. After a raise from Fox, Bryn Kenney picked up a small pair and moved all in. Fox held two over cards and found a pair on the river to send Kenney home in fifth place.

The flurry of eliminations in the second level continued when Andreas Eiler flopped trip jacks against Petrangelo's full house. All of the chips went in on the river, and Eiler headed to the payout desk in fourth place.

In the very next hand, Aymon Hata flopped top pair and wasn't able to let it go when Petrangelo rivered a straight. Hata was next on the list of casualties to fall to an overwhelming chip leader, Petrangelo.

"I'm happy with my decision-making and ultimately I had sick cards!"

When heads-up play got underway, Petrangelo held a commanding chip lead over Fox, but the two players wouldn't shy away from getting chips into the pot. The majority of hands included (blind) three and four-bets preflop as they played a lot looser than before they reached the final stage of the tournament.

Fox won multiple hands in a row and eventually took over the chip lead for a short period of time. It wouldn't last long as Petrangelo was all in with jack-three suited against Fox's pocket fives. Petrangelo flopped a pair of jacks and a flush and held on for a double up to regain the lead.

Just moments later, in another four-bet preflop hand, Fox check-raised when he flopped two pair. Petrangelo saw a turn card that gave him a larger two pair and all of the chips went into the middle on the river. Fox's hope for a second bracelet to start the 2018 WSOP came to an end, and Petrangelo's rail burst into cheers.

Hand #95: Elio Fox raised to 600,000 and Nick Petrangelo three-bet to 900,000. Fox four-bet to 1,800,000 and Petrangelo five-bet all in for 15,900,000. Fox called.

Elio Fox:   
Nick Petrangelo:   

The board ran out       with Petrangelo's flopped pair good enough to take down the pot and a double-up.

Nick Petrangelo	32,100,000	12,200,000
Elio Fox	20,500,000	-12,100,000

Hand #86: Nick Petrangelo limped and Elio Fox checked his option. The pair checked down the       flop and both players chopped with a straight, Fox holding    and Petrangelo   .

Hand #87: Fox raised to 600,000 and Petrangelo three-bet to 900,000. Fox four-bet to 1,200,000. Petrangelo moved all in and Fox folded.

Hand #88: Petrangelo raised to 600,000 and Fox three-bet to 900,000. Petrangelo four-bet to 1,200,000 and Fox called.

The flop came     and Fox checked. Petrangelo bet 800,000. Fox raised to 2,000,000 and Petrangelo folded.

Hand #89: Fox raised to 600,000 and Petrangelo raised to 900,000. Fox raised to 1,800,000 and Petrangelo folded.

Hand #90: Petrangelo raised to 600,000. Fox raised to 900,000 and Petrangelo four-bet to 1,800,000. Fox called and the flop came    . Fox checked. Petrangelo bet 1,300,000 and Fox called.

The turn was the   and Fox bet 2,000,000. Petrangelo folded and Fox took down the pot.

Elio Fox	32,600,000	5,100,000
Nick Petrangelo	19,900,000	-5,100,000

The two players went away for a short break and have returned for the final portion of the $100,000 High Roller with the title and WSOP gold bracelet on the line.

Hand #79: Aymon Hata raised to 550,000 on the button and Nick Petrangelo called from the big blind. The flop came     and both players checked to the   on the turn.

Petrangelo announced a bet of 1,900,000 and Hata called to see the   on the river. Petrangelo slid in a bet of 15 million, more than enough to cover Hata's remaining 5,350,000 chips. Hata thought for a minute and then made the call with his tournament life on the line. Petrangelo turned over    for a straight while Hata could only muster    for top pair.

The two remaining players will now take a short break while tournament staff prepares for heads-up action.

Nick Petrangelo	39,700,000	7,800,000
Elio Fox	12,800,000	0
Aymon Hata	0	-7,800,000

Hand #72: Aymon Hata raised to 550,000 from the cutoff and Andreas Eiler three-bet to 1,700,000 on the button. Nick Petrangelo folded his big blind and Hata quickly mucked his cards as well.

Hand #73: Petrangelo limped in from the small blind and Elio Fox checked his option. The flop came     and both players checked to the   on the turn. Petrangelo led out for 240,000 and Fox called to see the   on the turn. Petrangelo check-called a bet of 700,000 from Fox and tabled    for the winner.

Hand #74: Petrangelo raised to 500,000 on the button and both of the blinds folded.

Hand #75: Andreas Eiler received a walk in the big blind.

Hand #76: Eiler just called from the small blind and Petrangelo raised to 1,085,000 from the big blind. Eiler shoved all in for 10,400,000 and Petrangelo instantly folded.

Hand #77: Petrangelo raised to 500,000 and took down the pot.

Nick Petrangelo	19,400,000	-400,000
Elio Fox	13,000,000	-600,000
Andreas Eiler	11,700,000	2,000,000
Aymon Hata	8,400,000	-1,900,000

Hand #71: Elio Fox raised to 500,000 from the cutoff and Bryn Kenney moved all in from the big blind for 2,160,000. Fox called.

Elio Fox:   
Bryn Kenney:   

Kenney would have to win the flip to stay alive in the $100,000 High Roller, and the flop came    . The turn was the  , but the river was the  , meaning Kenney was eliminated in fifth place.

Elio Fox	13,600,000	2,500,000
Bryn Kenney	0	-2,400,000

Hand #65: Stephen Chidwick raised to 2,000,000 on the button, leaving himself just 400,000 behind. Aymon Hata three-bet all in for 7,550,000 from the small blind and Chidwick called off his last 400,000 chips.

Stephen Chidwick:   
Aymon Hata:   

Chidwick was the all in player and there was no help for him on the     flop. The turn was the   giving Chidwick a pair. The river was the  , meaning Hata got there on the river to eliminate Chidwick in sixth place.

Aymon Hata	10,300,000	2,400,000
Stephen Chidwick	0	-5,700,000