Ben Tollerene won his biggest career prize at the $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event during the Triton Super High Roller Series and took home $1,665,500. The high-stakes poker professional beat 81 other players in one of the largest PLO tournament fields that ever spread at this buy-in level.

This victory is the most important achievement in Ben Tollerene’s poker career and adds to his impressive tournament earnings. His exceptional PLO skills shined against an elite field of professional players at the Triton Super High Roller Series event, and he proved he belongs among poker’s top competitors.

Tournament Overview and Structure

The $50,000 PLO 6-Handed event at the Triton Super High Roller Series showed the rising popularity of high-stakes Pot-Limit Omaha tournaments. Elite players gathered at the prestigious Sporting Club Monte Carlo from November 12-13, 2024, where the event featured an impressive mix of PLO specialists and Hold’em professionals.

Record-Breaking Field of 82 Entries

A remarkable 82 entries joined the tournament, with 39 players buying back in. This turnout made it one of Triton’s largest high-stakes PLO events ever. Many Hold’em specialists tried their luck at the four-card variant, which proves PLO’s growing appeal among elite poker players.

Prize Pool Distribution and Payouts

The massive field created a prize pool of $4,100,000, and 14 players earned a share of the money. The final table received these impressive payouts:

Notable Players and Early Action

Several poker professionals made their mark in this elite tournament:

• Jason Koon (11th place – $87,000)
• Luc Greenwood (14th place – $78,000)
• Jonas Kronwitter (13th place – $78,000)
• Girk Gerritse (12th place – $78,000)

This event revealed a clear difference between PLO specialists and Hold’em players. All but one of the final seven participants, Ben Tollerene and Zhou Quan, had played in the Hold’em phase of the series. This fact highlights the specialized nature of high-stakes PLO competition.

Epic Bubble Period Drama

The tournament hit a dramatic peak during its bubble period and set a new Triton record. Players battled through 39 hands of hand-for-hand play that stretched late into the night until 3:30 AM. This intense period showed what was at stake, as players fought hard to secure a minimum cash prize of $78,000.

39 Hands of Hand-for-Hand Play

Players agreed to push beyond Level 17’s scheduled end with 18 competitors remaining. The bubble stretched into one of high-stakes poker’s longest periods ever. Short-stacked players defied odds and survived seemingly impossible situations.

Key Bubble Confrontations

Several notable clashes marked the bubble period:

• Thomas Eychenne made a remarkable comeback and turned four big blinds into twenty with pocket queens
• Tom-Aksel Bedell’s vital double-up kept the bubble alive
• Brazilian pro Yuri Dzivielevski fell in a three-way pot

Impact on Tournament Dynamics

The marathon bubble period changed the tournament’s rhythm and structure. Night’s end saw six players holding less than five big blinds, which created unique possibilities for next day’s play. Ben Tollerene burst the bubble by eliminating Sean Winter after pairing his seven.

Short-stacked players felt immense pressure as they risked leaving with nothing after their $50,000 investment. Players with bigger stacks faced tough choices too. Each decision could swing hundreds of thousands in tournament equity.

Final Table Showdown

Joni Jouhkimainen led the seven-handed final table with 85 big blinds. The table featured several PLO specialists with their starting stacks distributed as follows:

Short stacks battled hard but fell quickly. Norway’s Espen Myrmo made his Triton Series debut memorable yet finished seventh ($193,000) after Zhou Quan’s ace-king suited beat his pocket queens. His fellow Norwegian Mads Amot hit the rail in sixth place ($244,500) when Tollerene’s ten-high hand proved superior.

The tournament took an unexpected turn as chip leader Jouhkimainen exited in fifth place ($314,500). Tollerene’s jacks dominated Jouhkimainen’s flush draw, and this 3-year old victory marked Tollerene’s rise to power. Zhou Quan’s tournament run ended in fourth place ($393,000) after his massive combo draw missed against Tollerene’s top set.

Three-handed play lasted until Maxi Lehmanski’s flush draw missed against Michael Duek’s made straight, securing third place ($485,000) for Lehmanski. This set up the heads-up match between Tollerene and Duek, with Tollerene’s 43 big blinds towering over Duek’s 23.

The heads-up battle lasted just three hands. Duek opened with a raise in the final hand, and Tollerene called. The flop gave Tollerene middle pair, leading to his all-in check-raise that caught Duek with an unmade flush draw. This winning move earned Tollerene another championship title to complement his 2022 Triton Series hold’em victory in Cyprus.

Tollerene’s Path to Victory

Ben Tollerene showed masterful control over his gameplay throughout the tournament. His mastery was especially visible during the later stages. His background in both Hold’em and PLO variants became a vital asset that helped him navigate the complex dynamics of high-stakes poker.

Key Hands and Decision Points

Several significant confrontations defined Tollerene’s tournament journey. He eliminated Mads Amot with technical precision when his ten-high hand dominated the opposition. His pocket jacks prevailed against Joni Jouhkimainen’s flush draw at the final table, which solidified his dominance.

Key Statistics from Tollerene’s Run:

Strategic Adjustments Throughout

Tollerene’s ability to adapt became clear as he faced different playing styles. His strategic adjustments included:

• Aggressive pre-flop sizing against shorter stacks
• Calculated pot control against PLO specialists
• Exploitation of position in multi-way pots
• Precise bet-sizing in significant situations

Championship-Winning Moment

The final confrontation highlighted Tollerene’s tactical superiority. He built a commanding chip lead of 43 big blinds to Duek’s 23 and executed a perfectly timed check-raise all-in move. Tollerene secured his second Triton title and the $1,070,000 first-place prize by capitalizing on his opponent’s flush draw dependency.

This win added to Tollerene’s impressive tournament earnings and proved his versatility in poker variants. His exceptional performance and adaptation to PLO-specific dynamics showed why he’s one of poker’s most respected professionals. His second triumph in the Triton Super High Roller Series, following his win in Cyprus 2022, proved his consistent excellence in high-stakes tournament poker.

Ben Tollerene’s win at the Triton Super High Roller Series PLO event is evidence of his exceptional poker skills in multiple game types. He skillfully handled the record-breaking field of 82 entries and won $1,070,000 by showing both technical expertise and adaptability.

The tournament stood out with some remarkable moments. A long 39-hand bubble period and intense final table action lifted this event above typical high-stakes games. Tollerene played decisively through these critical phases and showed his dominance during the three-handed play. This performance proved why he belongs among poker’s elite professionals.

This victory gave Tollerene his second Triton title and strengthened his position as a versatile player who excels in both Hold’em and PLO formats. His strategic approach combines aggressive pre-flop sizing with precise pot control and gives a great explanation of successful high-stakes tournament play. This achievement adds another prestigious milestone to Tollerene’s impressive poker career and shows PLO’s growing importance in the high-stakes tournament circuit.

Peter Davids

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