We have now entered heads-up play with Nicola Diaco taking a significant chip lead into his battle with Hermann Schweiger.
A short 10-minute break will take place to prepare for heads-up play.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
20,222,500 | |
|
4,970,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
In the first hands of heads-up play Nicola Diaco raised to 300,000 and Hermann Schweiger moved all in for 5,600,000, with Diaco making the call.
Hermann Schweiger: A♦Q♠
Nicola Diaco: K♥10♥
Schwieger was ahead and the 7♥5♠8♦4♣5♦ runout confirmed his double-up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
14,000,000
6,222,500
|
6,222,500 |
|
|
11,200,000
6,230,000
|
6,230,000 |
Nicola Diaco raised to 300,000 from the button with Q♠J♥ and Hermann Schweiger defended his big blind with 4♥5♥.
On the 4♠K♠10♦ flop Schweiger led out with a bet of 500,000 and Diaco called.
On the K♦ turn Schweiger again fired out a bet of 500,000 and Diaco again called.
The 7♦ river was checked by both players and Schweiger scooped the pot with his pair of fours.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
15,000,000
1,000,000
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
10,000,000
1,200,000
|
1,200,000 |
Hermann Schweiger raised from the button to 300,000 and Nicola Diaco three-bet to 900,000.
Schweiger quickly moved all in for 10,000,000 and Diaco made the call, with Schweiger at risk.
Hermann Schweiger: J♠J♦
Nicola Diaco: A♥K♣
Both players had woken up with monsters and Schweiger was ahead in the race, the 9♣4♣J♥3♣6♥ runout giving Schweiger top set and putting him into a big chip lead, in a complete role reversal.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
21,000,000
11,000,000
|
11,000,000 |
|
|
4,400,000
10,600,000
|
10,600,000 |
After losing the previous pot, Nicola Diaco decided to change gears and was all-in in a couple of hands, receiving folds from Hermann Schweiger.
Diaco again moved all in from the button for 5,200,000 and this time Schweiger made the call.
Nicola Diaco: 4♥3♦
Hermann Schweiger: 5♦5♣
Schweiger couldn't have dreamt of being in a better spot for the title with a pair of fives versus two undercards, and the A♠8♠10♥2♥7♠ runout confirmed Diaco's exit in second place, giving Schweiger the title.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
25,300,000
4,300,000
|
4,300,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Hermann Schweiger of Germany has taken the title at The Hendon Mob Winter Championships Main Event here at the Grand Casino, Liechtenstein, after overcoming a 4:1 chip deficit in his heads-up battle against Nicola Diaco.
Diaco had led the field as chip leader from Day 1a and almost took a wire-to-wire victory, having laid waste to most of the final table, but ultimately came up just short.
Schweiger outlasted the 506 runner field and, for his victory, took home the sum of 30,900 CHF and a package to The Hendon Mob Championship Event in Cape Town in November 2024, along with the trophy and belt.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (CFH) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hermann Schweiger | Germany | 30,900 + package |
| 2 | Nicola Diaco | Italy | 19,400 |
| 3 | Stefan Fink | Austria | 13,880 |
| 4 | Boro Skalonja | Switzerland | 10,970 |
| 5 | Michele Falcone | Italy | 8,570 |
| 6 | Marius Wolf | Germany | 6,760 |
| 7 | Hao Liu | Switzerland | 5,060 |
| 8 | Zita Farkas | Hungary | 3,580 |
| 9 | Daniel Schwitter | Switzerland | 2,860 |
PokerNews sat down with the champion to discuss his triumph.
Schweiger, who described himself as "a very enthusiastic amateur" player, confirmed he felt "great, so pleased, this has been a long time coming", noting that his last five-figure score had come all the way back in 2014.
He continued "on Day 1 I had one of those days you dream about, everything went my way, I was driving people crazy at the table and everything I did worked."
In terms of plans for his winnings, Schweiger chuckled and stated he has his first WSOP trip planned for Las Vegas this summer and that he was "on the verge of canceling my hotel this week as I wasn't sure I had the bankroll, but then I decided I would just have to head to The Hendon Mob event in Liechtenstein and win it."
Fortunately for him, that is exactly what he managed to do, and Schweiger confirmed he would be ticking off playing the Main Event this year from his bucket list. Schweiger also praised the tournament in general, stating he thought the structure was excellent and superbly organized and that he really enjoyed the overall atmosphere.
Nine players returned for the final table, and Diaco had a reasonable chip lead over the field. He soon set about increasing it, knocking out Daniel Schwitter in ninth, having turned a flush against Schwitter's top set.
Zita Farkas, who came into the final table as the short-stack, departed in eighth after she ran her pocket nines into Diaco's pocket jacks.
Schweiger then disposed of Hao Liu in seventh in a cooler as Liu's pocket kings came up against Schweiger's pocket aces.
The knockouts kept coming quickly as Boro Skalonja knocked out Marius Wolf in sixth with a set of twos, and Diaco disposed of the by now short-stacked Michele Falcone in fifth.
Diaco subsequently eliminated Skalonja in fourth in a blind-on-blind battle, and Diaco also saw off Stefan Fink in third when his king-high overtook Fink's ace-high on the board in another all-in situation.
Having eliminated five of his opponents, Diaco entered heads-up with a 4:1 chip advantage over Schweiger. However, Schweiger began the fightback immediately, doubling up with ace-queen versus Diaco's king-ten.
Schweiger's jacks then held versus Diaco's ace-king in another all-in and call situation, and all of a sudden, the roles had been completely reversed, with Schweiger holding a 5:1 chip lead.
Schweiger would not relinquish the lead, and when Diaco moved all in with 4♥3♦ and Schweiger woke up with pocket fives, it was all over, and the title and 30,900 CFH first prize were heading to Germany with Schweiger.
That concludes PokerNews coverage of the The Hendon Mob Winter Championship Main Event, but be sure to stay tuned for more coverage of tournaments across the world.
THMC Main Event
Day 3 Completed
