PokerGO’s High Stakes Duel 5 tournament has crowned its champion. This week, sports card trader and high limit poker enthusiast Jared Bleznik beat Pro Poker Hall of Famer Patrik Antonius in a heads-up showdown for the third time in a row.
The matchup had a $200,000 buy-in after Antonius’ defeats in the $50,000 and $100,000 buy-in rounds one and two. It was played in a mixed no-limit Hold’Em and pot-limit Omaha format, with the game type changing every five hands.
Bleznik eventually won the five-hour long matchup, and the High Stakes Duel Crown with it. Under the tournament rules, any player who defeats another challenger in three consecutive matchups is declared the champion.
The past High Stakes Duel champions are all certified poker legends. Since the show’s first season in 2020, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, and Jason Koon have claimed the title, and now Bleznik.
The Duel
Antonius and Bleznik first faced-off in a $50,000 buy-in heads up on November 12. Bleznik won that, and then defeated Antonius in a $100,000 buy-in rematch
Their third round matchup took place Tuesday, November 26, in the PokerGO studio in Los Angeles, California.
Both contenders had already won millions playing poker in 2024. Bleznik won the $50,000 No-Limit Hold ‘Em High Roller at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas for $2 million. Antonius took home several big high roller tournaments in Monaco, including the $200,000 Triton Invitational for $5.13 million.
With some sharp bluffs, prescient folds, and of course, a little bit of the luck of the draw, Bleznik won out the third round in rather dominating fashion.
After winning a pot-limit Omaha hand for $100,000 by hitting a double runner straight, Bleznick never let up the gas. In the last hour, he never dropped below a 2:1 chip lead over Antonius, and slowly ground down his stack.
The final hand came down to a $119,000 all-in from Antonius with king four of clubs. Bleznick called with ace five off suit.
The flop came four and seven of diamonds and a 2 of clubs, giving Antonius the edge, but leaving a straight draw on the board for Bleznick. Which he duly got when the turn bought a 3 of spades, giving him the victory.
The new High Stakes Duel champion hails from Rosyln, New York. He has $8.04 million in live career winnings, a fair chunk of which he won so far in 2024.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
