Pieter Aerts – Photo Credit: Triton Super High Roller Poker Series
Pieter Aerts topped the field in the $100,000 buy-in eight-max no-limit hold’em event at the Triton Super High Roller Poker Series at Sporting Monte-Carlo, banking $2.2 million. The Belgian poker player now holds over $7.3 million in career earnings, and this was his fourth live tournament win.
“It was definitely really long, we made a deal four-handed, then the play changed a lot because we’re playing just for that first prize. I was down to five big blinds four-handed and four big blinds heads up, but I came back. That’s how it goes sometimes,” said Aerts to reporters after a long day.
“Of course not doing well in the first events is not what you’re looking for, but it’s important to keep your cool, stay calm. I didn’t let it affect me too much. Being able to take it home after this marathon session feels good.”
The total field was set at 131 entries to pump up the prize pool to $13.1 million overall. The top 23 players all cashed for at least $152,000. Day 2 saw the 52 remaining players return to play down to the money, and notables that scored a cash featured an impressive lineup of top professionals with more than eight figures in career earnings including Phil Ivey (11th), Orpen Kisacikoglu (12th), Luc Greenwood (13th), Alex Kulev (14th), Artur Martirosian (15th), Stephen Chidwick (17th), Biao Ding (22nd), and Nick Petrangelo (23rd).
Aerts was ahead when the final table began, and Christoph Vogelsang kicked off the action by exiting in eighth place. Roland Rokita was out next in seventh place. It was during seven-handed play that Michael Soyza stormed to the chip lead before Kiat Lee busted in sixth place, and American-Irish professional Steve O’Dwyer hit the rail in fifth place.
O’Dwyer pocketed $904,000 for his deep run, bringing his career recorded earnings to nearly $46,000, good for 13th place on the all-time money list.
Aerts scored his first knockout taking out O’Dwyer, and that started his rise. The final four players then decided to chop up the remaining prize pool with the Triton trophy left up top to play for. Action picked up fast to lead to the exit of Mario Mosbock in fourth place, and then highly-decorated tournament professional Fedor Holz was out soon after that in third place to take things down to the final match.
Holz banked $1.5 million, giving him $45 million for his career. That puts him just one spot behind O’Dwyer in 14th place on the all-time money list.
Aerts had mounted a comeback after the deal was struck, but still had a slightly chip disadvantage to overcome against Soyza at the start of the heads-up final. Aerts doubled up, and that set the marathon final match in motion with multiple lead changes. The total blinds in play whittled down to just 33 while the tournament continued late into the night in Monaco.
Aerts was down to four big blinds at one point, but he doubled up twice in a row during consecutive hands to take the lead. The final hand saw Soyza get all in holding J-10 suited, but he was dominated by the A-10 offsuit held by Aerts. The board changed nothing, and Aerts took home the victory and Triton trophy.
Soyza settled for $2,305,000 as a nice runner-up consolation prize to take the poker player from Malaysia’s career earnings up to over $18.4 million.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY |
| 1 | Pieter Aerts | $2,234,587 | 1,320 |
| 2 | Michael Soyza | $2,305,000 | 1,100 |
| 3 | Fedor Holz | $1,528,097 | 880 |
| 4 | Mario Mosbock | $1,544,316 | 660 |
| 5 | Steve O’Dwyer | $904,000 | 550 |
| 6 | Kiat Lee | $701,000 | 440 |
| 7 | Roland Rokita | $519,000 | 330 |
| 8 | Christoph Vogelsang | $381,000 | 220 |
The Triton Super High Roller Poker Series in Monte Carlo is hitting the mid-way point with tournaments running from Nov. 1-14 on the shores of the Mediterranean. Stay tuned to Card Player for recaps throughout this marquee tournament series featuring the best poker players in the world.