The 2018 partypoker Caribbean Poker Party Main Event came to a conclusion on Saturday when Portugal’s Filipe Oliveira bested the field of 1,815 to take hoist the trophy and take home the $1.5 million first-place prize.

After starting the final table in the middle of the pack, Oliveira found himself sitting on fewer than five big blinds with six players remaining. Oliveira then turned an opportune triple up with six players remaining, to ride a wave of run good to a career-defining win.

2018 World Series of Poker final tablist Alex Lynskey was the official final table bubble boy. From the small blind Lynskey open shipped his . Much to his dismay, he was snapped off by Germany’s Pascal Hartmann’s . The almost had Linskey drawing dead. When the hit the turn, Lynskey’s fate was sealed. The inconsequential river hit the felt and Lynskey exited the tournament in ninth place for $155,000.

After Lynskey’s departure, Joe Kuether was the tournament short stack. Folded to him, he moved all in from the small blind with only to get a call by fellow American Craig Mason in the big blind with . The flop came and Kuether picked up an additional outs. The turn fell the and Kuether needed to catch one of his 14 outs to survive. The river came the , Mason wins the hand with a straight and Kuether headed to the cashier to pick up his $218,500 eighth place prize.

Hartmann was involved in another all-in confrontation after he raised in early position with and Alex Turyansky shipped his remaining small stack with the . The flop fell keeping Hartmann in the lead. The turn came the and Turyansky picked up some additional flush outs. The brick locked up the hand for Hartmann and Turyansky fell in seventh place for $300,000.

Then came the hand that would give Oliveira the life he needed to go all the way. With three big blinds he stuck it in with the . He was called by both Konstantin Maslak and his and Hartmann who held . Even though he was dominated when the flop paired Oliveira’s six, he faded two more streets to triple up.

Next, with roughly ten big blinds, Portugal’s Diogo Viega moved all-in on the button holding . Craig Mason picked up the in the big blind and ended up making the call. The flop came , pairing Viega, but bringing Mason the set. The board brought the [ turn and the river improving Mason to a flush and Viega settled for sixth place and $400,000.

The final table hit the halfway mark after the elimination of Maslak. Marc MacDonnell open jammed the on the button and Maslak, who was covered by MacDonnell, called off his ten big blind stack with the . Malask was on the verge of a much needed double while looking at the board. However the peeled off on the river, and Mask’s tournament came to an abrupt end. He walked in fifth place for a career-high cash of $600,000.

Half an hour later, Hartmann, who had eliminated a pair of players earlier, found himself on the wrong end of an elimination. Folded to the button, Hartmann moved all-in with the but Oliveira woke up with in the big blind and made the call, covering Hartmann. The board missed both players entirely letting Oliveira’s pocket nine’s stand as the best hand. Hartmann, who did a lot of work at the final table settled for fourth place and $800,000. This set up Oliveira’s run to the title.

MacDonnell’s stack was crippled after losing a big hand with Mason. So with five big blinds left he open jammed holding the and with plenty to spare, Oliveira made the obligatory call with . The flop paired Oliveira and MacDonnell was looking for some help. The turn brought some life to Ireland’s MacDonnell. However, the river was a complete miss and MacDonnell became the first of the three millionaires collecting an even $1,000,000 for third place.

Oliveira and Mason were basically even at the start of heads-up play. But Oliveira began to pull out ahead and held the lead when the final hand played out. Mason raised with the and Oliveira three-bet with the , Mason made the call. The flop came . Oliveira continued with his middle pair. Mason made his move and shoved with the same pair, weaker kicker. Oliveira made the call and Mason was looking for a king. The turn was the and the final card of the tournament was the . Mason, whose largest ever cash was $71,000, became a poker millionaire with his runner-up $1,200,000 prize.

Oliveira wins the partypoker 2018 Caribbean Poker Party Main Event for $1.5 million, his first seven-figure score.