Matt Berkey Defeats Jared Bleznick In High Stakes Duel 6 Heads-Up Poker Challenge

After 12 hours of $200-$400 heads-up money sport motion, Matt Berke emerged victorious in PokerGO’s Excessive Stakes Duel 6. The poker professional and founding father of the Resolve For Why coaching website overcame former skilled participant turned sports activities card entrepreneur Jared Bleznick, who was driving excessive after a convincing win towards Poker Corridor of Famer Patrik Antonius in HSD 5.

The conflict was break up into two classes, with the primary ending up kind of even after almost six hours of play. This present was initially based as a heads-up sit-n-go conflict, however this time round, it featured a money sport format with alternating rounds of no-limit maintain’em and pot-limit Omaha.

Berkey focuses on no-limit maintain’em money video games. Though he famously received $1,000,000 in a heads-up challenge against Nikhil ‘Nik Airball’ Arcot, he has described himself publicly as removed from a specialist on the one-on-one model of NLH. The 43-year-old Las Vegas resident apparently has even much less expertise enjoying PLO.

In the event you suppose I am dangerous at NL, simply WAIT until you see my PLO play https://t.co/lPt6szfMyf

— Matt Berkey (@berkey11) February 5, 2025

The 2 contenders every began with $100,000 to work with, with each including to their stacks because the day wore on.

After the ultimate hand of day 1, Bleznick sat with $205,200 for a $22,700 revenue, whereas Berkey was caught that quantity with $194,800 in entrance of him. Whereas the 2 have been nonetheless fairly shut on the leaderboard, that doesn’t imply there weren’t loads of huge fingers all through the day.

In a single massive conflict, Berkey kicked off the motion with a elevate of $1,200 on the button holding Ok3. He then known as a three-bet to $5,000 from Bleznick, who had picked up 1010 within the huge blind. Berkey flopped a flush draw and known as when Bleznick continuation wager $6,500 with one overcard to his pair on the J74 board. The 6 on the flip noticed Bleznick verify, whereas Berkey fired $18,000 together with his flush draw and newly acquired gutshot. Bleznick known as and the river introduced the 5, giving Berkey a seven-high straight. Bleznick checked after which went into the tank when Berkey fired $38,000 on the tip. Bleznick ultimately discovered the proper fold, however not after taking a large hit to his stack.

About these bluffs berkey11</a> referenced on the <a href="https://twitter.com/OnlyFriends_Pod?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">OnlyFriends_Pod…

Day 2 of Excessive Stakes Duel right now on https://t.co/2RQh5ROjQG beginning at 8P ET/5P PT.

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— PokerGO (@PokerGO) February 5, 2025

Day 2 Brings A PLO Purchase Out, Ache For Bleznick

Whereas Berkey most popular the NLH rounds, Bleznick would doubtless have been a lot blissful to play the entire match out within the PLO streets. He was previously an everyday on the PLO money tables and even pops up on the high-stakes on-line tables for the sport as of late regardless of shifting his focus to his sports activities card enterprise lately.

Bleznick has additionally recorded a number of high-profile PLO event scores, together with successful the 2023 S_uper Excessive Curler Bowl Pot-Restrict Omaha_ title for $1.3 million and putting third within the $100,000 PLO excessive curler ultimately 12 months’s World Sequence of Poker Paradise for an additional $1.2 million.

Berkey obtained off to a tough begin on day 2. After 90 or so minutes of play, he was caught over $130,000 on the match. Alongside the way in which, he started to barter a buyout to Bleznick that might see him pay upfront to get rid of the PLO rounds, making the rest of the day solely an NLH affair.

Whereas he first mentioned he would go no greater than $11,500 for the deal, it in the end ended up costing extra to get the change completed. Bleznick requested if it could be alright if he might seek the advice of a good friend on the value. “I believe the precise quantity is like, half that,” mentioned Berkey, after consenting to the session.

An enormous pot went Berkey’s manner within the meantime, together with his rivered flush besting Bleznick’s kings up on the tip. Berkey check-raise shoved for $103,500 excessive of Bleznick’s $35,500 worth wager. Bleznick made the best fold in the long run, however loads of injury was completed.

Berkey then received one other huge pot with a rivered straight besting aces as much as additional slim the hole between the 2. He backed that up by floating a flop lead and three-bet bluff from Bleznick’s king excessive with queen excessive, shopping for the pot on the river after the flip checked by way of and displaying his playing cards after dragging the pot.

The deal was agreed to quickly after that, with Berkey ultimately forking over $15,000 to bypass the approaching swap to PLO. At first, he joked, “Let’s play PLO.”

“No, I’m kidding. Fucking take my cash,” mentioned Berkey as he tossed the chips over. After the very fact, he took to social media to put up a ballot in regards to the buyout. Berkey had $301,000 in entrance of him on the time, which amounted to an total lack of $27,000 as much as that time throughout the 2 classes. Bleznick was all the way down to $100,300.

For anybody that missed it, throughout the PokerGO</a> High Stakes Duel I paid <a href="https://twitter.com/harrington25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">harrington25 $15k to alter the ultimate 3 hours of play to $200/$400 NL $100k min as a substitute of three hours $200/$400 PLO $100k min. I used to be down $27k over 2 days going into the ultimate stretch.

Who obtained the very best of this…

— Matt Berkey (@berkey11) February 6, 2025

Issues went Berkey’s manner within the aftermath of the deal. He received a wholesome pot with two pair towards Bleznick’s pocket aces proper off the bat, then continued so as to add to his stack. The following huge conflict noticed him elevate to $1,200 on the button with AA and Bleznick three-bet to $5,200 with 99. Berkey four-bet to $16,000 and Bleznick known as. The flop got here down Ok82 and it checked by way of. The 9 on the flip gave Bleznick a set. He wager $15,000 and Berkey known as together with his overpair and the nut flush draw. The river was the two and Bleznick went for a small lead of $22,000 into $62,400, doubtless seeking to induce a elevate from his opponent. As a substitute, he was met with a flat name to restrict the injury to Berkey’s stack.

“I had each intention of jamming river. I simply don’t suppose you name worse,” mentioned Berkey as he made the decision.

“How good are you?” requested Bleznick. “Wow, that’s so titling.”

Excessive Stakes Duel 6 between berkey11</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/harrington25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">harrington25 was stuffed with above-the-rim play throughout NLH and PLO from begin to end.

Miss it? Relive the high-stakes battle on demand anytime on PokerGO. https://t.co/qWF0jFBF70

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With about an hour left within the match, Berkey received an enormous pot with jacks stuffed with sixes towards a missed flush draw for Bleznick. He checked the river with a ship made on the tip after having check-raised the flip with two pair. Bleznick fired $25,000 into the $93,400 pot as a bluff together with his busted draw and Berkey check-shoved for worth. Bleznick folded to protect his remaining $48,400 on the desk and reached into his bag for an add-on.

Not too lengthy after that, Berkey made a flush with Q2 on a ten87J7 to greatest Bleznick’s AJ. Bleznick check-called a wager of $33,000 into the already hefty $69,400 pot and was proven the dangerous information.

With that, Berkey’s stack swelled to $582,000 whereas Bleznick’s slide continued.

“That is about, what, a half-million-dollar swing from his peak to now? Possibly simply shy,” commented two-time bracelet winner Alex Livingston on the PokerGO broadcast.

Berkey ran up the rating a bit extra earlier than all was mentioned and completed, with the ultimate revenue clocking in at $314,900 for him. In fact, that meant a proportionate loss for Bleznick.

“I ran very effectively,” mentioned Berkey because the problem wound down.

“You ran effectively, however you outplayed me, too,” mentioned Bleznick.

“Thanks for letting me out of the PLO,” continued Berkey.

“Greatest mistake of my life,” responded Bleznick.

With that, Berkey posed for some photographs with the Excessive Stakes Duel 6 champions belt. He later took to social media to say that he doesn’t plan on squaring off towards any of the world’s greatest because the reigning champ.

Let me assist all of the tremendous execs, who I’ve great respect for, which can be lining as much as play me in Excessive Stakes Duel… It is by no means taking place.

I am the whale. A VIP. Video games are actually constructed round me. I am not good, nor effectively studied in HU.

Carry me Airball, Lynne, or Feldman.…

— Matt Berkey (@berkey11) February 7, 2025

Photograph credit: PokerGO / Antonio Abrego.