Christoph Vogelsang Wins Triton Monte Carlo Event #6 for $2.6 million

German super high roller legend Christoph Vogelsang has cashed for millions in recent years. In 2023, he had already won over $1.4 million before he sat down in the Triton Poker Series Monte Carlo to play their $100,000-entry No Limit Hold’em 8-Max Event #6. With a turnout of 78 total entries including some of the best players in the world, Vogelsang won his first live poker event in six years to claim the $2.6 million top prize in Monte Carlo.

Early Levels and Bubble Boys

No-one wanted to mis out on the money in the event, but while many did, someone had to bubble and it was a excruciating one. Lewis Spencer was all-in with the best hand, holding , Spencer couldn’t hold against Punsri’s , a on the river dooming Spencer in the most painful way possible.

Dan ‘Cowboy’ Smith shot his way to a min-cash in 20^th place for $156,000, and he was followed by Steve Dwyer (18^th for $56,000 also), Artur Martirosian (13^th for $210,000) and Elton Tsang, who bubbled the final table in 10^th place for $240,000. When the final table began, Argentinian professional Nacho Barbero was in control, holding 113 big blinds and a massive chip lead, with Punnat Punsri his nearest challenger on 52 big blinds.

The final table’s first victim was Francisco Benitez. Hailing from Uruguay, Benitez has put in some stellar performances in the last year alone but was unable to avoid being the first casualty among the nine finalists. All-in with pocket queens, Benitez was unlucky to lose to Daniel Dvoress’ as the Canadian made a flush to eliminate his rival and consolidate his position in the final eight. Benitez, meanwhile, headed to the cash desk to claim his ninth-place prize of $288,000.

Ivey Dominated, Dvoress Defeated

With eight players left, the most luminous of their number left the action. Ivey, a 10-time WSOP bracelet winner, was taken out mid-massage when he shoved with from the button only to lose against the dominating hand of that belonged to Punnat Punsri, as the Thai player boosted his own chances of glory in the process. Ivey’s score of $372,000 was scant consolation to the Poker Hall of Famer.

Out next was Jonathan Jaffe, who cashed for $504,000 in seventh place. His own was no good, as he moved all-in but ran into British player Ben Heath’s pocket aces. The rockets shot down Jaffe’s hopes and in doing so boosted Heath’s own chances of survival.

German player Christoph Vogelsang is often pilloried for his tendency to take a long time to make crucial decisions in final tables of this magnitude. In all fairness to Vogelsang, the decisions he makes are worth millions and he is one of the very best in the business. The next one he made was simple, however, as he took out a dangerous opponent in Dvoress. The Canadian shoved with , Vogelsang snapped with aces and sent Dvoress to the rail for $672,000 in sixth.

Barbero the Bridesmaid

“I’m a Christian, and seven is a biblical number.” ~ Christoph Vogelsang.

With four men remaining in with a chance of victory, Barbero was still in the lead. Ben Heath and Vogelsang duelled for the second-biggest stack, and it was the German who got the better of his British opponent. Heath shoved pre-flop with but he was called by Vogelsang with and when he paired the flop, Heath was left with just one big blind. That went when Vogelsang’s pocket fives won the following hand and Heath departed $858,000 richer in fifth place.

Barbero wasn’t about to relinquish the title by losing his control of the table and took out Punsri in fourth place for $1,068,000. The Thailand player open-shoved with but lost to Barbero’s as the Argentinian took a crucial pot. Danny Tang was some way behind the top two and paid for it by leaving in third place for $1,296,000. Tang’s lost to Barbero’s dominated when a seven landed on the river.

What goes around in poker always comes around but rarely as quickly as it did for Barbero. After early exchanges left Barbero marginally ahead of Vogelsang, a board of left Barbero calling his stack off for the win on the river with . He’d been unlucky, however, as the seven that had won him a seat heads-up now damned him, Vogelsang having hit one to make a set of sevens at the death. Soon after, Vogelsang’s held with ease against Barbero’s to end matters in the German’s favor.

“I think you can tell, it feels pretty surreal,” he told reporters afterwards before winding it back to being down to a single big blind before the money bubble. “I was kind of out of the tournament. I was all in so many times. I’m a Christian, and seven is a biblical number. It felt very beautiful.”

With both heads-up opponents claiming over $2 million, no-one left the final duel unhappy, but Vogelsang’s victory was sweetest as he claimed his first major title in six years. It’s unlikely that the 38-year-old will have to wait so long again.