Dominik Nitsche Wins Record ACR Poker Venom Event For $1.8 Million

Three-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Dominik Nitsche added another big victory to his resume this week. The German poker pro, playing under the screen name ‘Texxassss’, defeated a field of 5,045 total entries in ACR Poker’s Venom event, which featured a massive $12.5 million guarantee for a $2,650 buy-in tournament. Nitsche earned $1,818,044 for the win.

Got to win the venom for 1.8 mil and made a few of my close friends and myself a pile of money.

Biggest win of my life by far. Damn https://t.co/37mp0Vzr2F

— Dominik Nitsche (@DominikNitsche) May 2, 2024

Nitsche was far from the only notable player to run deep and earn a big share of the final prize pool of $12,612,500. Other big names who joined him among the top nine finishers were reigning WSOP Player of the Year Ian ‘RiverRiot72’ Matakis (9th – $148,600), ACR ambassador and 2003 WSOP main event champion Chris Moneymaker (6th – $382,007), and 2023 Mid-States Poker Tour Michigan main event champion Kou ‘AK_Dont_Play’ Vang (4th – $716,844).

Matakis’ run ended in brutal fashion, with his pocket kings cracked by the pocket sixes of Nitsche, who only had a single out to a set with another player showing 10-6 suited on the cards-up delayed live stream hosted on ACR Poker’s Twitch channel.

Moneymaker survived to the top six before his pocket tens ran into the K-Q of ‘Anzuelitico’. The last of his chips went in after a king-high flop, and he was unable to find any help on the turn or river.

“Being able to play a tournament like the Venom is truly a blessing. A $12.5 million [guarantee] is absolutely nuts! I am blessed to have final tabled this event two times and hope to continue having success in fields like this,” Moneymaker said in a statement released by ACR Poker.

Vang bowed out in fourth place, with his A-2 suited unable to overcome the pocket quens of ‘Push0rdie’. After ‘Anzuelitico’ was sent packing in third place ($1,013,515), setting up a heads-up showdown between Nitsche and ‘Push0rdie’. Nitsche sat with 59 big blinds to start, while ‘Push0rdie’ had 131.

The two battled for around 50 minutes, with Nitsche overtaking the lead and extending his advantage to roughly 5:3 by the time the final hand arose. ‘Push0rdie’ raised to 2.2 big blinds from the button with AK and Nitsche three-bet to 8 big blinds with K6. ‘Push0rdie’ four-bet to 19.3 big blinds and Nitsche called. The flop came down K62 to give Nitsche top two pair and he checked. ‘Push0rdie’ bet 5.72 big blinds and Nitsche check-called. The 5 on the turn saw him check move all-in for 35.8 big blinds effective and ‘Push0rdie’ made the call. The J river changed nothing and ‘Push0rdie’ was eliminated in second place, earning $1,345,186 as the runner-up.

Here is a look at the payouts awarded at the final table:

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