Event #48: $1,500 Eight Game Mix 6-Handed

Menikos Panagiotou could feel it all start to slowly come back.

The Cyprus native hadn't played much poker in the last few years. He retired from being a professional poker player to open his own Mexican restaurant back home. Panagiotou only jumped back into the game in the last six months, with small No-Limit Hold'em tournaments in Cyprus. He hadn't played mixed games at all for four years.

But, as the hands went on in Event #48: $1,500 Eight Game Mix at the 2022 WSOP at Bally's and Paris Las Vegas, the levels came and went, and the days went by, Panagiotou started to remember everything he once knew. "I was playing every hour by hour, every orbit, it would start coming back to me," he explained. "It was like when you have 20 years on a bicycle. In the beginning, you're not sure enough to remember, I can drive without my hands on the wheel."

Now he's the first-ever bracelet winner from his island home country, prevailing over a starting field of 695 to win $180,783.

"It means a lot. Although we are a small country with a small population, we have a lot of poker players actually. So it means a lot," Panagiotou said after defeating Nick Yunis heads-up. "I can't wait to go back to see all my friends because they've already started sending me messages, congrats and everything. It's amazing."

Day 3 Action

Panagiotou admits he didn't have much recent experience playing mixed games, but he came into the tournament on a sort of hot streak. He won a tournament just on Monday, a $250 H.O.R.S.E. Daily Deepstacks event. He entered Day 3 in the middle of the pack of the 16 returning players, but, as bracelet winners like Adam Friedman (10th) and Robert Campbell (9th) came up short, Panagiotou took the chip lead into the final table.

Jake Liebeskind would be the first to fall at the official six-handed final table, eliminated by Yunis in a hand of Razz. Jason Stockfish, with five WSOP final tables and four runner-up finishes including in this event back in 2016, came in fifth place after failing to outdraw the nine-eight-six of Eric Buchman in 2-7 Triple Draw.

Panagiotou was at the bottom of the leaderboard as four players remained at the dinner break, but he would make a big leap up when he called a 1,000,000 bet from Yunis on a       board in Omaha with a straight to beat Yunis' two pair.

He and Yunis would exchange the chip lead over the next few levels as former November Niner Buchman would fall in fourth place. Panagiotou busted Joon Park in third with trip queens in a hand of Stud 8 or Better to take a narrow lead into heads-up.

Either Cyprus or Yunis' native Chile would have their first-ever bracelet winner, and for the first stages of heads-up play, it looked like the WSOP title wouldn't be making the trip across the Atlantic. Panagiotou fell down to just over 3,000,000 before two big hands of Stud 8 propelled him back up to 10,000,000.

He and Yunis would remain virtually tied until Panagiotou made a six-five to beat Yunis' seven-six in Razz. The end came in a hand of Omaha, with Yunis down to his last 160,000. Panagiotou called with      and flopped a wheel on the     board. Yunis was already drawing dead by the   turn.

Event #48: $1,500 Eight Game Mix Final Table Results

With the bracelet in hand, surrounded by supporters waving a large Cypriot flag, Panagiotou explained his plans for the money: invest in his restaurant. "With the money, I'm going to make it even bigger," he said. He's already planning a return trip to the WSOP next year to play more mixed games.

While he's not a poker pro anymore, Panagiotou does hope some good comes from his win back home. "I'm more glad if someone there wants to learn the games because they don't play too much mixed games in Cyprus," he said. "So now maybe it's time to start."

They have a perfect role model to follow.

Razz

Menikos Panagiotou:   /    / 
Nick Yunis:   /    / 

Menikos Panagiotou completed and Nick Yunis called.

Yunis led out on fourth street and was called before Panagiotou bet on fifth.

Yunis asked to see what game was next before sticking in a call. Panagiotou put out another bet on sixth as he got up from his seat and started pacing around while Yunis went in the tank.

Yunis eventually called and Panagiotou bet again on seventh.

"I can't believe I have to call," Yunis said as he slid forward his chips.

Panagiotou showed     for 7-6-5-4-3 and Yunis mucked to drop down to less than 1,000,000.

Menikos Panagiotou	16,875,000	3,000,000
Nick Yunis	500,000	-3,000,000

Omaha 8 or Better

Nick Yunis raised the button and Menikos Panagiotou called. The flop came     and Panagiotou checked to Yunis, who put out a bet.

Panagiotou then raised and Yunis quickly called. Both players checked down the   turn and   river.

"Flush," Panagiotou announced, flashing   . Yunis mucked his hand.

Menikos Panagiotou	11,200,000	2,125,000
Nick Yunis	6,175,000	-2,125,000

Seven Card Stud

Menikos Panagiotou:    /    
Nick Yunis:    /     folded on fifth

Menikos Panagiotou jokingly asked if there was a jackpot in case he would be the bring in during all six hands of Seven Card Stud and lost the streak on the final hand while no major action took place.

He then completed and Yunis called. Panagiotou bet his lead on fourth to receive a call and bet again on fifth as Yunis let go.

Menikos Panagiotou	9,075,000	475,000
Nick Yunis	8,300,000	-475,000

Limit 2-7 Triple Draw

In the penultimate hand of the game variant, Menikos Panagiotou raised on the button and was called by Nick Yunis in the big blind. Both discarded two and Yunis check-called a bet.

Both then took one new card and Yunis check-called once more.

The final draw was patted by Panagiotou while Yunis took another card again.

Yunis checked and Panagiotou quickly bet, sending his opponent into the tank. The Chilean eventually called and Panagiotou first exposed the      before also rolling over the  . A relieved Yunis won the pot with a nine-eight and pulled back into a narrow lead.

Nick Yunis	8,875,000	2,100,000
Menikos Panagiotou	8,500,000	-2,100,000

Limit Hold'em

Menikos Panagiotou won a Pot-Limit Omaha hand when he raised the pot on the button and was called by Nick Yunis to then bet the     flop and take it down.

The game variant changed to Limit Hold'em shortly thereafter and Yunis bet the     flop and the   turn for Panagiotou to call. Yunis also bet the   river and was then raised, which stunned him for a few seconds before he made the call.

Panagiotou rolled over the    and his kicker played, as Yunis tabled the   .

Nick Yunis	9,050,000	-1,775,000
Menikos Panagiotou	8,325,000	1,775,000

Razz

Menikos Panagiotou:     /     
Nick Yunis:     7     

Three bets went in on third street and Nick Yunis bet his lead on fourth for Menikos Panagiotou to call. The lead then changed on fifth and that triggered bets by Panagiotou all the way until seventh street. Yunis quickly called on fifth and sixth before giving it some ten seconds on seventh.

"Sixty-five" was announced by the Cypriot, who had the      . Yunis was beaten by a notch as his       for a strong heads-up hand ended up second-best.

Nick Yunis	10,700,000	-3,175,000
Menikos Panagiotou	6,675,000	3,175,000

2-7 Triple Draw

Nick Yunis limped in from the small blind, then called when Menikos Panagiotou raised. Yunis took three while Panagiotou drew one and put out another bet.

Yunis called again and drew one. Panagiotou stood pat and bet, with Yunis calling to the third draw. He took one more, while Panagiotou again stood pat.

Panagiotou bet after the third draw. "Are you bluffing," Yunis asked before flashing a pair of fives and mucking. Panagiotou also showed a five as he took the pot.

Yunis proceeded to win every hand of the No-Limit Hold'em round, either with pre-flop raises or walks in the big blind.

Nick Yunis	10,700,000	-900,000
Menikos Panagiotou	6,675,000	875,000

2-7 Triple Draw

There was a dead button with the elimination of Eric Buchman.

Menikos Panagiotou, first to act, raised and Nick Yunis called. Panagiotou took one and Yunis two.

Panagiotou put out another bet and was called as he stood pat, while Yunis took one. Yunis again called after the second draw and both players stood pat.

Panagiotou checked and Yunis announced a bet. Panagiotou quickly mucked his cards as Yunis took an early lead in this heads-up match.

Nick Yunis	10,175,000	2,105,000
Menikos Panagiotou	7,200,000	-2,130,000