PLO Specialist Sipila Denies Vaskaboinikau Back-to-Back Triton Montenegro Victories

May 24, 2024

Two days ago, Mikalai Vaskaboinikau topped a 171-player field to win the Triton Montenegro $125K Main Event for $4,737,000 and was looking good deep in Event #12: $25,000 Pot Limit Omaha to clinch back-to-back victories.

However, a heads-up comeback from Finland Samuli Sipila denied him the chance, with Sipila taking home $535,000 and topping an 82-player field to win his first Triton High Roller Series title.

Triton Montenegro Event #12: $25,000 Pot Limit Omaha

Sipila is somewhat of a Pot Limit Omaha specialist, with eight career tournament victories — six of which coming in the four-card format.

Earlier this year, he clinched two titles at the PokerGO Tour PLO Series in Las Vegas and previously won an Aussie Millions ring back in 2017.

"I’m feeling amazing, obviously," Sipila said, before explaining his reasoning for playing Triton Montenegro."It’s a pretty run good year. It’s pretty unreal. When you’re running this hot, why not come?"

Almost two years ago to the day, Sipila picked up two runner-up spots in the PokerGO Tour Venice — both in PLO — but here he banished these thoughts to the largest win of his career.

Mikalai Vaskaboinikau Wins Triton Montenegro $125K Main Event for $4.7M

Final Table Recap

There were some familiar four-card faces in the $25,000 Pot Limit Omaha field, as well as some new ones. Aku Joentausta, Martin Dam and Ronald Keijzer all picked up their first Triton cashes in this event, Joentausta min-cashing and Dam bubbling the final table.

Sipila had been responsible for the Dam elimination and started the final table second in chips behind Vaskaboinikau. However, he was soon making moves with the elimination of Chris Parker. Parker's only previous Triton cash came in November 2023, finishing fourth in the $50,000 Pot Limit Omaha for $344,000, but he would bow out in seventh as Sipila's A♠K♣7♠6♣ bested the 9♥9♠J♦10♠ of the Brit.

Keijzer was ultimately eliminated by Maher Nouira in sixth place before Klemens Roiter doubled through Vaskaboinikau to boost Sipilar into the lead. However, the Belarusian then eliminated Nouira in fifth to move back ahead.

The final four returned for Day 2 and it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Malinowski and Sipila would end up heads-up, with both sat on 100 big blinds as the other two players battled it out to survive. Eventually, Sipila eliminated both Roiter and Anson Ewe, and entered heads-up second in chips holding 7.7 million to Vaskaboinikau's 8.7 million.

Sipila would forge ahead during the opening exchanges match before a pivotal hand changed the momentum of the contest.

Most would think Vaskaboinikau would see it out from here, but for a stunning comeback from Sipila who never gave up. On the final hand, the pair got it in on a flop of 7♣4♠2♦. Sipila held 5♥5♦10♠7♦ against the K♠8♣7♠2♣ of Vaskaboinikau. The turn 10♦ improved Sipila to two pair and the river Q♠ bricked, sending the title the way of Sipila.

Remaining Triton Montenegro Schedule

_{*Photos courtesy Joe Giron/Triton Poker}

Managing Editor

Based in the United Kingdom, Will started working for PokerNews as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019. He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He also holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism.

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  Aku Joentausta Anson Ewe Chris Parker Klemens Roiter Maher Nouira Martin Dam Ronald Keijzer Mikalai Vaskaboinikau Samuli Sipila

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  Mikalai VaskaboinikauAku JoentaustaRonald KeijzerSamuli SipilaKlemens RoiterMartin Dam