![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media.cardplayer.com\/assets\/000\/037\/980\/Berkey.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
After 12 hours of $200-$400 heads-up cash game action, Matt Berke<\/a> emerged victorious in PokerGO\u2019s<\/a> High Stakes Duel 6.<\/em> The poker pro and founder of the Solve For Why training site overcame former professional player turned sports card entrepreneur Jared Bleznick,<\/a> who was riding high after a convincing win against Poker Hall of Famer Patrik Antonius in HSD<\/span><\/span><\/em> 5.<\/p>\n The clash was split into two sessions, with the first ending up more or less even after nearly six hours of play. This show was originally founded as a heads-up sit-n-go clash, but this time around, it featured a cash game format with alternating rounds of no-limit hold\u2019em and pot-limit Omaha.<\/p>\n Berkey focuses on no-limit hold\u2019em cash games. Although he famously won $1,000,000 in a heads-up challenge against Nikhil \u2018Nik Airball\u2019 Arcot,<\/a> he has described himself publicly as far from a specialist at the one-on-one version of NLH<\/span><\/span>. The 43-year-old Las Vegas resident apparently has even less experience playing PLO<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n If you think I’m bad at NL, just WAIT<\/span><\/span> till you see my PLO<\/span><\/span> play https:\/\/t.co\/lPt6szfMyf<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Matt Berkey (@berkey11) February 5, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The two contenders each started with $100,000 to work with, with both adding to their stacks as the day wore on.<\/p>\n After the final hand of day 1, Bleznick sat with $205,200 for a $22,700 profit, while Berkey was stuck that amount with $194,800 in front of him. While the two were still quite close on the leaderboard, that doesn\u2019t mean there weren\u2019t plenty of big hands throughout the day.<\/p>\n In one large clash, Berkey kicked off the action with a raise of $1,200 on the button holding K About those bluffs Day 2 of High Stakes Duel today on https:\/\/t.co\/2RQh5ROjQG<\/a> starting at 8P ET\/5P PT.<\/p>\n Save $20 on your first year of a new annual plan with promo code HSD6. pic.twitter.com\/VLDOLZhtG5<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 PokerGO (@PokerGO) February 5, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Day 2 Brings A PLO<\/span><\/span> Buy Out, Pain For Bleznick<\/strong><\/p>\n While Berkey preferred the NLH<\/span><\/span> rounds, Bleznick would likely have been plenty happy to play the whole match out in the PLO<\/span><\/span> streets. He was formerly a regular on the PLO<\/span><\/span> cash tables and even pops up on the high-stakes online tables for the game these days despite shifting his focus to his sports card business in recent years.<\/p>\n Bleznick has also recorded several high-profile PLO<\/span><\/span> tournament scores, including winning the 2023 S_uper High Roller Bowl Pot-Limit Omaha_ title for $1.3 million and placing third in the $100,000 PLO<\/span><\/span> high roller at last year\u2019s World Series of Poker Paradise<\/em> for another $1.2 million.<\/p>\n While he first said he would go no higher than $11,500 for the deal, it ultimately ended up costing more to get the change done. Bleznick asked if it would be alright if he could consult a friend on the price. \u201cI think the actual number is like, half that,\u201d said Berkey, after consenting to the consultation.<\/p>\n A big pot went Berkey\u2019s way in the meantime, with his rivered flush besting Bleznick\u2019s kings up on the end. Berkey check-raise shoved for $103,500 over the top of Bleznick\u2019s $35,500 value bet. Bleznick made the right fold in the end, but plenty of damage was done.<\/p>\n Berkey then won another big pot with a rivered straight besting aces up to further narrow the gap between the two. He backed that up by floating a flop lead and three-bet bluff from Bleznick\u2019s king high with queen high, buying the pot on the river after the turn checked through and showing his cards after dragging the pot.<\/p>\n The deal was agreed to soon after that, with Berkey eventually forking over $15,000 to bypass the impending switch to PLO<\/span><\/span>. At first, he joked, \u201cLet\u2019s play PLO<\/span><\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019m kidding. Fucking take my money,\u201d said Berkey as he tossed the chips over. After the fact, he took to social media to post a poll about the buyout. Berkey had $301,000 in front of him at the time, which amounted to an overall loss of $27,000 up to that point across the two sessions. Bleznick was down to $100,300.<\/p>\n For anyone that missed it, during the Who got the best of this\u2026<\/p>\n \u2014 Matt Berkey (@berkey11) February 6, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Things went Berkey\u2019s way in the aftermath of the deal. He won a healthy pot with two pair against Bleznick\u2019s pocket aces right off the bat, then continued to add to his stack. The next big clash saw him raise to $1,200 on the button with A \u201cI had every intention of jamming river. I just don\u2019t think you call worse,\u201d said Berkey as he made the call.<\/p>\n \u201cHow good are you?\u201d asked Bleznick. \u201cWow, that\u2019s so titling.\u201d<\/p>\n High Stakes Duel 6 between Miss it? Relive the high-stakes battle on demand anytime on PokerGO. https:\/\/t.co\/qWF0jFBF70<\/a><\/p>\n Promo code HSD6 saves you $20 on your first year. pic.twitter.com\/dfWjqEUjiA<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 PokerGO (@PokerGO) February 6, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n With about an hour left in the match, Berkey won a huge pot with jacks full of sixes against a missed flush draw for Bleznick. He checked the river with a boat made on the end after having check-raised the turn with two pair. Bleznick fired $25,000 into the $93,400 pot as a bluff with his busted draw and Berkey check-shoved for value. Bleznick folded to preserve his remaining $48,400 on the table and reached into his bag for an add-on.<\/p>\n Not too long after that, Berkey made a flush with Q With that, Berkey\u2019s stack swelled to $582,000 while Bleznick\u2019s slide continued.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is about, what, a half-million-dollar swing from his peak to now? Maybe just shy,\u201d commented two-time bracelet winner Alex Livingston on the PokerGO broadcast.<\/p>\n Berkey ran up the score a bit more before all was said and done, with the final profit clocking in at $314,900 for him. Of course, that meant a proportionate loss for Bleznick.<\/p>\n \u201cI ran very well,\u201d said Berkey as the challenge wound down.<\/p>\n \u201cYou ran well, but you outplayed me, too,\u201d said Bleznick.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you for letting me out of the PLO<\/span><\/span>,\u201d continued Berkey.<\/p>\n \u201cBiggest mistake of my life,\u201d responded Bleznick.<\/p>\n With that, Berkey posed for some photos with the High Stakes Duel<\/em> 6 champions belt. He later took to social media to say that he doesn\u2019t plan on squaring off against any of the world\u2019s best as the reigning champ.<\/p>\n Let me help all the super pros, who I have tremendous respect for, that are lining up to play me in High Stakes Duel\u2026 It’s never happening. <\/p>\n I’m the whale. A VIP<\/span><\/span>. Games are literally built around me. I’m not good, nor well studied in HU. <\/p>\n Bring me Airball, Lynne, or Feldman.\u2026<\/p>\n \u2014 Matt Berkey (@berkey11) February 7, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Photo credits: PokerGO \/ Antonio Abrego.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
![\"Club](\"https:\/\/www.cardplayer.com\/packages\/common\/suits\/club.gif\" "\\"Club")
3. He then called a three-bet to $5,000 from Bleznick, who had picked up 10![\"Heart](\"https:\/\/www.cardplayer.com\/packages\/common\/suits\/heart.gif\" "\\"Heart")
10![\"Diamond](\"https:\/\/www.cardplayer.com\/packages\/common\/suits\/diamond.gif\" "\\"Diamond")
in the big blind. Berkey flopped a flush draw and called when Bleznick continuation bet $6,500 with one overcard to his pair on the J7![\"Spade](\"https:\/\/www.cardplayer.com\/packages\/common\/suits\/spade.gif\" "\\"Spade")
4 board. The 6 on the turn saw Bleznick check, while Berkey fired $18,000 with his flush draw and newly acquired gutshot. Bleznick called and the river brought the 5, giving Berkey a seven-high straight. Bleznick checked and then went into the tank when Berkey fired $38,000 on the end. Bleznick eventually found the correct fold, but not after taking a sizable hit to his stack.<\/p>\n\n
berkey11<\/a> referenced on the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/OnlyFriends_Pod?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"><\/code>OnlyFriends_Pod<\/a>\u2026 <\/p>\n![\"Jared](\"https:\/\/media.cardplayer.com\/assets\/000\/037\/981\/JB.jpeg\" "\\"Jared")
Berkey got off to a rough start on day 2. After 90 or so minutes of play, he was stuck over $130,000 on the match. Along the way, he began to negotiate a buyout to Bleznick that would see him pay upfront to eliminate the PLO<\/span><\/span> rounds, making the remainder of the day exclusively an NLH<\/span><\/span> affair.<\/p>\n\n
PokerGO<\/a> High Stakes Duel I paid <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/harrington25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"><\/code>harrington25<\/a> $15k to change the final 3 hours of play to $200\/$400 NL $100k min instead of 3 hours $200\/$400 PLO<\/span><\/span> $100k min. I was down $27k over 2 days going into the final stretch. <\/p>\nA and Bleznick three-bet to $5,200 with 99. Berkey four-bet to $16,000 and Bleznick called. The flop came down K82 and it checked through. The 9 on the turn gave Bleznick a set. He bet $15,000 and Berkey called with his overpair and the nut flush draw. The river was the 2 and Bleznick went for a small lead of $22,000 into $62,400, likely looking to induce a raise from his opponent. Instead, he was met with a flat call to limit the damage to Berkey\u2019s stack.<\/p>\n\n
berkey11<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/harrington25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"><\/code>harrington25<\/a> was full of above-the-rim play across NLH<\/span><\/span> and PLO<\/span><\/span> from start to finish.<\/p>\n2 on a 1087J7 to best Bleznick\u2019s AJ. Bleznick check-called a bet of $33,000 into the already hefty $69,400 pot and was shown the bad news.<\/p>\n\n