Patrik Antonius Wins Party Poker MILLIONS Germany €25,000 High Roller for €425,000

While many of the biggest names in the modern game were battling it out at the Aria in Las Vegas at the US Poker Open, it was a legend of yesteryear who was making his mark on the Party Poker MILLIONS at the Kings Casino in Rozvadov – Patrik Antonius seeing off a host of other big names to take down the €25k High Roller for a €425,000 ($520,430) payday.

The Finnish poker sensation is seen rather rarely at the tables these days, but the one-time biggest winner online poker has ever seen was back in action this week, keeping fans updated as he progressed through the field at Leon Tsoukernik’s massive poker-room, playing host to the Party Poker MILLIONS festival for the first time.

With 37 players coughing up 14 re-entries, there would be an extra chunk of money up for grabs – the €1million guarantee increased to €1,211,250 ($1,483,357) on the back of a slew of German highroller interest – Dominik Nitsche, Dietrich Fast, Stefan Schillhabel and the rather less-well known Renato Nowak all making the final table.

It should have been a two-day event to decide the first of several big buy-in events  on the schedule, but with the bustouts coming thick and fast – including Leon Tsoukernik’s double bullet – the players themselves decided to keep going after Germany’s Manig Loeser had bubbled the money and compatriot Nitsche bubbled the official final table.

Of those still in, only Steve O’Dwyer could rival Antonius’ previous earnings in the game – $21,203,369 in live tournament earnings approaching that of Antonius’ live and online winnings combined…

Antonius’ Online winning graph

…but when he ran into the kings of Schillhabel there would be no heads-up between the pair…

...instead that honour going to Brazilian Joao Simao after both Schillhabel and Nowak had hit the rail, Simao doing his best to impress the new teammates Party Poker had chosen for him earlier in the week…

The Brazilian’s bid for High Roller glory ended when his rivered set of kings was coolered by the flying Finn’s rivered straight, and while Simao walked off with his biggest cash to date and a big thumbs up from his Party Poker bosses for an excellent challenge, it was Antonius who had proved he still has what it takes to beat the best on his day...and likely to be back for more after a well-earned rest…

Final table results