A fleeting, three-hand blind all‑in showdown sealed Nick Petrangelo’s long‑awaited breakthrough at the Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju II—after a lucrative deal with longtime rival Joao Simao.
Jeju, South Korea (September 17, 2026) – After coming agonizingly close in prior high‑roller showdowns here, Nick Petrangelo finally broke through in the Triton Poker Series Jeju II’s marquee $150,000 10th Anniversary Special.
High‑stakes chapter ends with an unexpected chop
According to PokerNews, Petrangelo and Brazilian star Joao Simao—a longtime online rival since the late 2000s—reached heads‑up and struck a deal that left the lion’s share going to Simao. In the agreement, Simao earned $2,517,090, while Petrangelo took $2,212,910, with only $80,000 left to battle for the title.
Card Player corroborates the deal details, noting that Simao’s total haul for the Jeju series hit about $9,874,090—boosted by his earlier win in the $200,000 Triton Invitational ($7.25 million).
The final showdown: three-handed blind all‑ins
PokerNews paints a vivid picture of the dramatic climax: after the chop, Petrangelo and Simao agreed to decide the title with three blind all‑in confrontations. Petrangelo doubled up twice in that stretch before finishing off Simao to claim the official championship.
Field depth, star power and a grueling climb
The tournament drew 67 entries, generating a hefty $10.05 million prize pool. The final table was a who’s‑who of elite talent: Adrian Mateos, Thomas Boivin, Danny Tang, Miroslav Atanasov, Murly Manokharan, Seth Davies, and Daniel Dvoress. The depth of the field made every move razor‑sharp, as Petrangelo reflected: “you got to be sharp… the edges are really tiny these days”—words captured by PokerNews.
These comments arrive on the heels of Petrangelo’s consistent deep runs throughout the series—in total, he registered five cashes before finally sealing the biggest win of his Jeju run. His perseverance paid off in style.
Scoreboard: Final table payouts
- Nick Petrangelo – $2,212,910* (1st, after heads‑up deal)
- Joao Simao – $2,517,090* (2nd, took larger share in deal)
- Adrian Mateos – $1,286,000
- Miroslav Atanasov – $990,000
- Thomas Boivin – $783,000
- Murly Manokharan – $613,000
- Danny Tang – $483,000
- Seth Davies – $377,000
- Daniel Dvoress – $286,000
(Prize amounts from PokerNews, deal denoted with asterisk.)
Legacy sealed through camaraderie and aggression
The personal dynamic between Petrangelo and Simao added resonance to the outcome. PokerNews highlighted their history stretching back to the online boom of 2008; Petrangelo called Simao “kind of a lone wolf crushing,” testament to mutual respect born from years of competition.
The finale—dramatic, respectful and merciless—offered a final act both players could appreciate. Petrangelo’s win wasn’t just a trophy; it was a culmination of perseverance, elite execution and friendship‑tinged rivalry.
As the Triton Jeju II series concludes, all eyes now turn westward: the tour resumes in North Cyprus this November with a Triton One Series followed by the Cyprus Super High Roller from November 15–30, ready to write its next chapter in high‑stakes poker history.
Sources
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