Jared Bleznick Wins Round 1 of High Stakes Duel 5 for $100,000

High Stakes Duel has returned with the fifth installment featuring a new format and two new players. Jared Bleznick faced off with Poker Hall of Famer Patrik Antonius, and it would be Bleznick emerging victorious in the $100,000 match that played out from the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Previous winners of High Stakes Duel include Phil Hellmuth, Jason Koon, and Daniel Negreanu, who won most recently in August last year. High Stakes Duel 5 would see a new format where Bleznick and Antonius played for $100,000 in a round-of-each format of No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha where there would be ten hands of each game, and each player also had a "Run It Twice" option. The new twist would mean that no minimum of matches was needed, but instead, the losing player could immediately challenge for a rematch or throw in the white flag and surrender. If the player who lost decided to surrender, the victor was allowed to cash out, and High Stakes Duel 5 would conclude.

The Duel Begins

The match kicked off with the Cadillac of poker, No-Limit Hold'em, but it is in the game of Pot-Limit Omaha that Bleznick and Antonius have the most history. They battled many years ago on Poker After Dark and the high-stakes cash games online. Antonius took the early lead in the match before he made an ace-high call in No-Limit Hold'em but was up against the two pair of Bleznick. Bleznick held the lead, but soon relinquished it when he ran a bluff with ten-high against the two pair of Antonius.

With the game switched to Pot-Limit Omaha, Antonius turned a flush but was now against Bleznick's full house. Antonius bet-folded the river and the chip stacks drew to nearly even as the blinds kicked up. Once back in the No-Limit Hold'em rotation, Antonius flopped top two pair and won the biggest pot of the match so far as it totaled $27,000. Antonius flopped a set and won another big pot to surge into a three-to-one chip advantage over Bleznick.

Antonius then ran a bluff in Pot-Limit Omaha and was out to a four-to-one advantage. Bleznick began clipping away at the deficit, and in a hand of Pot-Limit Omaha, he turned two pair as Antonius turned the nut straight. Bleznick raised the turn and Antonius called, and when Bleznick filled up on the river and Antonius called his bet, the chip stacks were nearly back to even once again. 

Bleznick's propensity to fight for every pot would see him bluff the river on a paired board in a Pot-Limit Omaha hand with an underpaid. Antonius folded the second nut straight, and Bleznick now held a slender chip lead with $54,800 at $500/$1,000 stakes. 

Chips bounced back and forth between both players before the final hand played out. Bleznick raised queen-eight suited on the button and Antonius defended with king-queen. The flop landed queen-high, but also brought an eight to thrust Bleznick into the lead with two pair. Bleznick continued with a small bet, and Antonius check-raised. Bleznick made it three bets to go, and Antonius responded with a shove. Bleznick snap-called, and neither player opted to use their "Run It Twice" plaque. 

Bleznick filled up on the turn to leave Antonius drawing to the final queen in the deck to see the pot chopped. The river bricked out and Antonius immediately threw in his red challenge flag before exchanging a handshake and hug with Bleznick. 

Watch Round 2 on Tuesday, November 19

With Bleznick the victor in Round 1 for $100,000, he'll have just a week to enjoy his victory lap before having to sit down and face Antonius in Round 2 for $200,000. 

Will the Finnish poker legend get revenge in Round 2, or will Bleznick add another win to his cap? Watch Bleznick face Antonius in Round 2 of High Stakes Duel 5, where the winner will lock up $200,000 in prize money on Tuesday, November 19. at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET on PokerGO.com.

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