Isaac Haxton
Isaac Haxton wins the fifth edition of the Super High Roller Bowl for $3.672 million (photo credit: Drew Amato/Poker Central).

The fifth edition of the $300,000 buy-in Super High Roller Bowl crowned its champion on Wednesday night, with Isaac Haxton topping the exclusive field of 36 entries to earn the $3.672 million prize.

“I just feel f***ing great,” Haxton said in the moments following the big win. “I’m just super happy, even a little relieved it’s over. Obviously, a day like today is pretty stressful, in the best way.”

With the victory, Haxton moved to more than $23.65 million in live tournament earnings, which bumps him up ahead of Jake Schindler and into 13th place on poker’s all-time money list.

“I’m gonna have more than a couple drinks and probably eat at least 1,500 calories of something disgusting,” Haxton said about his plans to celebrate, with a smile of course. “That should do it, and then hopefully sleep for about 12 hours. That would be a perfect victory party for me.”

Super High Roller Bowl V Results

1st: Isaac Haxton – $3,672,000
2nd: Alex Foxen – $2,160,000
3rd: Stephen Chidwick – $1,512,000
4th: Talal Shakerchi – $1,188,000
5th: Adrian Mateos – $972,000
6th: Igor Kurganov – $756,000
7th: Ali Imsirovic – $540,000

For the past three days, the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas played host to the high-stakes affair that attracted the likes of Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Fedor Holz, and Justin Bonomo, just to name a few. After Monday’s Day 1, 27 players remained. After Day 2, just seven were left, all in the money and guaranteed a $540,000 payday. Bubbling the money in eighth place was Mikita Badziakouski.

Haxton started the final table as the chip leader and Ali Imsirovic was bringing up the rear with the shortest stack left.

After starting the final table with 875,000  and blinds of 10,000/15,000 with a 15,000 big blind ante, Imsirovic worked his way to nearly 1.9 million before taking a dive in the other direction that ultimately resulted with his seventh-place elimination. Imsirovic lost a pot to Stephen Chidwick that knocked him all the way back down to 520,000 and then got the last of his stack in with pocket jacks against the Ac5c of Haxton. Haxton flopped a flush draw and hit it on the turn to knock out the 23-year-old in seventh.

Next to go was Igor Kurganov, who was never able to get any real momentum going on the final day. On his final hand, Kurganov, on the button, moved all in for 350,000 over the top of a raise to 65,000 from Chidwick with the blinds at 15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 big blind ante. Talal Shakerchi reraised all in from the small blind and Chidwick folded. Shakerchi had pocket tens to Kurganov’s pocket sevens, and the board ran out 9d8h5h4cAc to send Kurganov home in sixth place.

Shakerchi continued to climb after he busted Kurganov and even worked his way into the chip lead, but then he started to slide the other way as Alex Foxen increased.

Adrian Mateos was next out the door when he was eliminated in fifth place by Foxen, falling in the 25,000/50,000 level with a big blind ante of 50,000. Mateos raised and then four-bet all in with pocket nines against Foxen, who made the call with the AcKs. Foxen flopped a king and held from there to send the young Spaniard to collect his $972,000 payout.

With Foxen out in front by a large margin and Haxton in second place, the final four players moved into Level 21 with the blinds at 30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 big blind ante. Shortly after the level went up, Shakerchi went out, and he was busted by Haxton.

Haxton opened to 140,000 and Shakerchi reraised all in for 1.285 million. Haxton called with two nines and won the flip against Shakerchi’s AcTd. Shakerchi collected $1.118 million for his finish.

Not too long after, Haxton added another chunk of chips when he busted Chidwick in third place. The two got the money in a blind-versus-blind situation, with Chidwick on the ropes holding the AdQh to Haxton’s pocket jacks. To make matters worse for Chidwick, Haxton flopped top set to leave him needing runner-runner. It didn’t come and Chidwick was out in third for $1.512 million.

Although Foxen held the lead going into heads-up play – his 5.84 million to Haxton’s 4.965 million – Haxton made short work of the match.

Haxton won the first heads-up pot to take a 2-1 chip lead and Foxen could never recover from there.

On the final hand, Haxton limped the button holding the KsJh. Foxen raised to 225,000 out of the big blind with the Ad8d and Haxton jammed. Foxen called to put himself at risk for 1.33 million, but he wouldn’t be doubling up. The final board ran AcQc6cKhJs to give Haxton two pair and the victory.

For Foxen, his second-place finish was worth a whopping $2.16 million and put quite the cap on an incredible year that saw him win more than $6.6 million on the live felt.

“For tournament results, there’s no competition,” Haxton said of where he ranked this Super High Roller Bowl triumph. “This is my biggest score ever and the other ones that come somewhat close are second- and third-place finishes. This is easily the best tournament result I’ve ever had and it’s an event I love. It feels great to win here at ARIA. This is the highlight of my tournament career, no doubt.”

Widely known as a high-stakes cash game player, Haxton certainly does his fair share of competing in the largest tournaments in the world. As for how he wins this much money, Haxton will take it any way he can get it.

“If I can win $3.6 million, I’m not going to be picky about how I win it,” Haxton said. “It can be in the lottery, on Wheel of Fortune, I don’t care. Give me the $3.6 million. I’m not going to complain about how I won it.”