Top Dog Barbero Defeats Phil Ivey to Claim Triton Title
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Nacho Barbero claimed his fourth Triton title in the $30,000 PLO/NLH at the Super High Roller Series Jeju II, defeating fellow WPT Global ambassador Phil Ivey heads-up for $646,000.
Barbero, who only last week described his new ambassadorship to PokerNews as a “fresh start,” wrapped up the heads-up encounter in just three hands after entering with a dominant four-to-one chip lead over the man many consider the greatest of all time.
The tournament was a fresh addition to Triton's Super High Roller Series schedule in Jeju and its debut delivered, producing a fittingly star-studded showdown between two men with nearly $80 million in live earnings combined.
After the win, Barbero would credit his turnaround at the final two tables to an unlikely source: fellow Triton champion Dan Colman’s dog.
“I was running bad, so I told Dan [Colman] send me a picture of your dog that I love!"
“I was running bad, so I told Dan send me a picture of your dog that I love, I'm in love with the dog! He sent me a picture and I started running good!” Barbero laughed in his post-victory interview with Triton’s Henry Kilbane.
The charm clearly worked as Barbero went on to produce a stellar performance against a stacked final table featuring the likes of Daniel Dvoress, Dylan Linde, and Ivey himself to close out the win.
For Ivey, the wait goes on to capture a sixth Triton title, his last victory on the tour coming at the Super High Roller Series in London in 2023. But it was Barbero’s day, as the Argentine joined Fedor Holz and Matthias Eibinger as a four-time champion on poker’s most prestigious tour.
Recap all the action from the final day on the Triton Poker stream:
Dream Flop is Good for Nacho
The tournament’s final hand, with PLO the game, saw Ivey open to 600,000 from his 1.9 million stack with A♠K♠K♦10♦, and Barbero, holding 10♥7♦6♣6♦ with 13.4 million behind, making the call.
The flop of 3♥5♥4♦ was a dream for Barbero, giving him the nut straight. He quickly checked, and Ivey checked back.
The J♦ on the turn gave Ivey life, adding a superior flush draw to Barbero's alongside his overpair. Barbero led out for 600,000, building the pot to 2 million and putting Ivey under pressure with nearly a third of his stack at risk. The 11-time WSOP bracelet winner would then take a moment before shoving his last 1.85 million, only to see Barbero snap him off as a huge favorite.
Ivey needed a diamond to survive, but the river came the 5♠ sealing Barbero’s victory and crowning him the inaugural champion of the $30k PLO/NLH after a brisk heads-up battle.
Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju II $30K PLO/NLH Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Nacho Barbero | Argentina | $646,000 |
| 2nd | Phil Ivey | United States | $448,000 |
| 3rd | David Wang | Australia | $297,000 |
| 4th | Daniel Dvoress | Canada | $232,000 |
| 5th | Dylan Linde | United States | $187,000 |
| 6th | Igor Yaroshevskyy | Ukraine | $146,000 |
| 7th | Eelis Parssinen | Finland | $116,000 |
| 8th | Ben Tollerene | United States | $79,000 |
| 9th | Michael Wang | United States | $79,000 |
'A New Beginning' at WPT Global
The newly-crowned $30k PLO/NLH champ caught up with PokerNews in Jeju last week to talk about his “new beginning” at WPT Global and the enjoyment he gets from playing Triton events.
Barbero, who joined the online poker site as a Sponsored Pro just last month, said, “I think they're doing a great job, they're kind of everywhere. They're putting on really good cash games, really good tournaments. I mean, it's growing a lot.”
The high-stakes pro also discussed the pleasure of playing on the Triton tour, saying, “I've never played better tournaments in my life, I'm not going to lie. Everything is so top-notch, the food, the venue, the chairs, the treatment to VIPs.”
Capturing the $30k PLO/NLH title in Jeju marks a perfect start to life at WPT Global for the new ambassador. You can read the full interview with Barbero below.
*Photos courtesy Triton, Drew Amato, Enrique Malfavon & Spenser Sembrat
