The 2023 Triton Poker Series London Main Event saw a thrilling denouement pronounce Canadian player Timothy Adams as this year’s winner as he won the $.1 million top prize after the river card from heaven gave him a priceless victory. Taking not only the top prize of $4,185,000 was added to by the Jacob & Co timepiece and a two-night excursion upon the Triton exclusive Bombay Superyacht.

The Route to the Final Table

Some of the world’s best poker players pitched up in the $125,000-entry Main Event as the biggest-ever Triton Poker Series in London welcomed 151 entries, including 54 re-entries. That incredible attendance meant a prizepool of $18,875,000, with 27 players making the money places, with a minimum cash of $189,000 up for grabs for the first four players to bust inside those top 27 places.

Heading towards the bubble, players such as Luxon Invitational winner Bryn Kenney and PLO Event #10 runner-up Daniel Dvoress were both at risk. It turned out to be Dvoress who would crash out without a profit, as he busted in 28^th place. Players such as Alex Kulev and Pablo Brita Silva both min-cashed, with Kenney eventually leaving in 21^st place for a result worth $207,500.

More drama was to come when players such as Dan Smith (20^th), Espen Jorstad (16^th) and Nacho Barbero (14^th) busted inside the money places but outside the nine-handed final table, but when that arrived, it was the American Seth Davies who busted in 10^th place for $360,000. That elimination ended play at the close of the second day, with Dan ‘Jungleman’ Cates top of the leaderboard on 66 big blinds. Cates stumbled to the table, wearing a full soccer kit… with hilarious consequences.

A POKER PLAYER’S WORST NIGHTMARE 😫@junglemandan retrieved all his chips and is still in the $125K Main Event with 22 players left!#poker #tritonpoker pic.twitter.com/k3TXGqXjxU

— Triton Poker (@tritonpoker) August 6, 2023

Polk and Pardo Bite the Dust

The final nine began with Cates in charge, but the shallow nature of the blinds and the attacking nature of the players meant that it was never going to stay the way it was. One of the biggest names was the first to fall, with Doug Polk crashing out for $422,500. All-in with , the Frenchman Jean-Noël Thorel called with pocket kings, and in the first of several huge sets of hole cards for him, he took out The Lodge owner Polk.

Next to go was Malaysian player Lun Loon, who busted in eighth place for $510,000 when pocket deuces lost to Stephen Chidwick’s pocket fives, and that was the first of several occasions when one great hand marched into one that was slightly better. James Chen moved all-in with pocket kings, but the Taiwanese player shoved into Thorel’s pocket aces, winning $705,000 in the process.

Thorel was on a roll and that heater hit the afterburners when he got pocket aces again. There was full payment once more, with Stephen Chidwick doubling up the Frenchman. Juan Pardo shoved soon after with and Thorel, the amazement of everyone at the table, once again had pocket aces. His easy call bore fruit yet again as the Spaniard busted in sixth for a score of $970,000.

Thorel Runs into Two-Outer for a Thrilling Finale

With five left, Thorel looked unstoppable, but in No Limit Hold’em, that is never the case. Chidwick was his next victim, however, as the British poker legend shoved with pocket sevens, Thorel calling with pocket queens and easily riding home. That sent Chidwick home for $1,260,000 and further strengthened Thorel’s cause.

American poker hero Isaac Haxton was the next to bust. Having the best year of his poker life results-wise, ‘Action’ Haxton bagged yet another seven-figure score, his failed straight draw eventually being toppled by Thorel’s kicker in addition to a pair of sevens on board. Haxton headed home with $1,582,000 as the Frenchman once again thrived from another’s defeat.

Out in third was the overnight chip leader, Daniel ‘Jungleman’ Cates who cashed for $1,940,000. Committed with , Cates lost to Timothy Adams’ pocket jacks, which gave Adams a foothold in his attempt to overtake Thorel at the climax of the evemt. Heads-up began with Adams on 43 big blinds, so it was satisfying for him when he edged ahead of Thorel after the opening exchanges, as Thorel’s stack of 80 big plummeted by enough to give the Canadian a slim lead.

Slightly behind in chips, Thorel found the perfect spot to get it all in, holding pocket nines against Adams’s pocket eights with all the money in pre-flop. Over 17 million of the 20 million chips in play were on the line, but although the board stayed clear through flop and turn, an eight on the river was devastating for a visibly stunned Thorel as Adams hit a miraculous two-outer to take the title and $4,185,000 top prize.

As Thorel collected his $2.83 million runner-up prize, the footage of Adams win already reverberated around the internet.

Introducing 🇨🇦 Timothy Adams and winner of Event #11 $125k NLH Main Event. Classy and composed, his strategic gameplay won him an impressive $4,185,000 payout and added his 2nd Triton Main Event title to his collection. Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/4sJKyksaX8

— Triton Poker (@tritonpoker) August 7, 2023

“I’m lost for words – that was insane that I won this one,” Adams said after the end of the event. Jean-Noël is an insane competitor, super tough to play against. When we got it in, it was a bit of a cooler; I thought that would be it for me. I couldn’t believe it when I smashed the eight on the river.”

In taking this latest win in his amazing career, Adams moved above stars such as fellow Canadian Sam Greenwood and Spanish poker legend Adrian Mateos in moving up to 15^th place on the all-time money list. Hailing his luck and paying tribute to his opponent, Adams may have got lucky in the final hand but he proved once again that he’s all class at the felt.