This year's Heads-Up Championship attracted an elite field of 128 entries with a total prize pool of $3,008,000. The tournament format was unforgiving—winning the title required the victor to triumph in seven consecutive head-to-head matches. Danchev jumped into the tournament just 48 hours after landing in Las Vegas and battled significant jet lag throughout the event.
Danchev's path to the finals was paved with challenging opponents. In the second round, he faced a critical moment, making a “hero call” for his tournament life against Christopher Nguyen. In the quarter-finals, he ousted China's Biao Ding, who had previously sent Daniel Negreanu home. In the semi-finals, he dealt with Japan's Ryuta Nakai, admitting that luck played a significant role in two key hands during the duel.
The final showdown against Nikita Kuznetsov lasted nearly three and a half hours. Although Kuznetsov led at the start, Danchev gradually took control of the game. The definitive moment came with a board of 7 s J h Q s 3 c Q c. Kuznetsov hit trips with Q h 8 c, but Danchev found a full house with Q d 7 h.
Interestingly, Danchev also won his first bracelet in 2022 in a heads-up format, reaffirming his status as one of the best in this discipline globally.
Results of Event #7: $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship
|
Place |
Player |
Country |
Winnings |
|
1. |
Dimitar Danchev |
Bulgaria |
$800,000 |
|
2. |
Nikita Kuznetsov |
Russia |
$528,000 |
|
3. |
Ryuta Nakai |
Japan |
$300,000 |
|
4. |
Alex Foxen |
USA |
$300,000 |
|
5. |
Cary Katz |
USA |
$150,000 |
|
6. |
Thomas Boivin |
Belgium |
$150,000 |
|
7. |
Biao Ding |
China |
$150,000 |
|
8. |
Henri Puustinen |
Finland |
$150,000 |
Sources: WSOP, YouTube
