Roger Teska Battles Back to Win partypoker MILLIONS World for $2M
For most of 2018, Steve O’Dwyer has been unbeatable in high roller tournaments, both online and live. Roger Teska flipped the script on that narrative late Monday night at the $25,500 buy-in Caribbean Poker Party MILLIONS World, coming back from a 4-1 heads up chip deficit to win $2,000,000 and his first live title in over nine years.
Teska started the final table with the third shortest stack and had to battle against the likes of Rainer Kempe, Niall Farrell, Joao Vieira, Ben Tollerene and Andras Nemeth on his way to the title. Teska’s last live win came in 2009 when he won a $500 buy-in Bellagio Cup V event.
It didn’t take long for the first casualty at the nine-handed final table. Paul Tedeschi raised to 2,500,000 from middle position with 
before Vieira moved all in for 17,500,000 from the hijack with 
. Tedeschi called and watched the 
runout keep him in full control and eliminated Vieira in ninth place.
Ten minutes later, Farrell became the next victim of the final table. O’Dwyer raised from the button to 2,600,000 with 
and Farrell moved all in for 10,500,000 with 
from the small blind. Roger Teska re-raised all in from the big blind with 
. O’Dwyer folded and Farrell could only watch after the 
flop kept Teska well ahead. The turn was the 
and the 
completed the board to send Farrell to the rail with an eighth place finish.
O’Dwyer found his first final table victim almost 30 minutes later. O’Dwyer raised to 2,500,000 from UTG+1 with 
. From the button, Kempe moved all in for 15,600,000 with 
and O’Dwyer called. The 
flop gave O’Dwyer complete control as the 
and 
hit the turn and river respectively to eliminate Kempe in seventh.
It took nearly two hours of play before there was another elimination. Teska and Tollerene tangled in a pre-flop all in hand that saw Teska win with runner-runner flush against Tollerene’s pocket pair. Left with just fumes, the next hand was the end of the line for Tollerene.
Tollerene moved all in for 10,000,000 from UTG with 
and Nemeth called from the big blind with 
. The [qs
flop gave Nemeth second pair. The turn was the 
and the river was the to eliminate Tollerene in sixth.
Nemeth had plans on putting his newfound big stack to work but ran into the buzzsaw that is O’Dwyer. From the button, O’Dwyer raised to 3,700,000 with and Teska called from the small blind with before Nemeth moved all in for 71,500,000 with 
from the big blind. O’Dwyer called and Teska folded. O’Dwyer got great news on the 
flop. Neither the 
turn or 
river were any help for Nemeth and he was eliminated in fifth place.
Tedeschi lost a monster pot to Teska before O’Dwyer finished him off for good. Teska and Charles La Boissonniere both folded and Tedeschi moved all in from the small blind with . O’Dwyer called from the big blind with 
and then moved ahead with the 
flop. The turn and 
river failed to save Tedeschi and he was out in fourth.
As O’Dwyer continued to build his stack, he did so largely at the expense of La Boissonniere. The Canadian had less than 10 big blinds and found himself in the big blind with . O’Dwyer folded the button, Teska moved all in from the small blind with 
and La Boissonniere called. The 
flop gave Teska the lead. The 
turn gave La Boissonniere outs to a straight, but the river was the and he was out in third place.
When heads-up play began, O’Dwyer had 79.1% of the chips in play. The tournament was all but over a few minutes later when Teska four-bet all in holding and O’Dwyer called with 
. The on the flop moved Teska in front and neither the turn or river helped O’Dwyer and the stacks were nearly even.
Teska’s momentum continued and less than an hour later he was posing with the trophy. O’Dwyer button-raised to 9,000,000 holding and Teska shoved with 
and O’Dwyer called all in. The 
moved Teska ahead and the turn and the 
river sealed O’Dwyer’s second place finish.
Final Table Payouts
- Roger Teska – $2,000,000
- Steve O’Dwyer – $1,300,000
- Charles La Boissonniere – $1,000,000
- Paul Tedeschi – $700,000
- Andras Nemeth – $550,000
- Ben Tollerene – $450,000
- Rainer Kempe – $350,000
- Niall Farrell – $300,000
- Joao Viera – $250,000
