High Stakes Duel is back!
The popular heads-up poker show hasn’t been seen since August 2023 when Daniel Negreanu defeated Eric Persson in Round 1 of High Stakes Duel IV and then Doug Polk to pocket $200,000. Before that, it was December 2022 when Jason Koon defeated Phil Hellmuth in Round 5 of High Stakes Duel III, giving the former a $1.6 million payday.
Well, the show is returning with two poker heavyweights going head-to-head. Patrik Antonius, who this summer was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, and Jared Bleznick, a sports card enthusiast who won his first gold bracelet during this year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP), will each put up $50,000 for Round 1.
High Stakes Duel V will take place on Tuesday, November 12 inside PokerGO Studio and will be played half no-limit hold’em and half pot-limit Omaha with the game switching every 10 hands. Fans can watch the action on PokerGO at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT). Whoever wins will claim $100,000, but each round doubles until one of the contenders bows out. When that happens, the winner of the final match will be deemed the High Stakes Duel V champ.
There’s no cap on how high the stakes can get and might look something like this:
- Round 1 – $100,000 Prize Pool
- Round 2 – $200,000 Prize Pool
- Round 3 – $400,000 Prize Pool
- Round 4 – $800,000 Prize Pool
- Round 5 – $1,600,000 Prize Pool
- Round 6 – $3,200,000 Prize Pool
- Round 7 – $6,400,000 Prize Pool
- Round 8 – $12,800,000 Prize Pool
Bleznick, who won the first-ever Super High Roller Bowl PLO, is a renowned Omaha player, though Antonius is right up there having played in some of the highest stakes in the world both live and online.
“We couldn’t be more excited for the return of High Stakes Duel with a matchup that embodies everything this series is about – intensity, skill, and high-stakes drama,” said Brent Hanks, Director of Programming at PokerGO. “Jared and Patrick are without a doubt two of the most accomplished and talented players in the game, and watching them battle it out with the stakes doubling each round is going to be a thrilling ride. This is the kind of edge-of-your-seat poker that our fans crave, and we’re proud to deliver it.”
High Stakes Duel on PokerGO: A Comprehensive Guide
History of High Stakes Duel
Hosted by Ali Nejad, High Stakes Duel premiered on July 30, 2020, and immediately proved a hit in its first two iterations due in no small part to an incredible run by Hellmuth, who swept both Esfandiari and Negreanu until both bowed out.
Hellmuth then defeated sports journalist Nick Wright in the first round of High Stakes Duel III and when he opted to forego a rematch, Tom Dwan stepped up to the plate and dealt Hellmuth his first-ever loss on the show. However, Hellmuth went for a Round 3 and won, and then Dwan backed out of Round 4 leading Scott Seiver to try his luck. Unfortunately for him, he lost his $400,000 buy-in to Hellmuth!
Originally Seiver was going to put up $800,000 for a rematch against Hellmuth, but he backed out and Jason Koon put it up to battle in the largest High Stakes Duel to date. Koon prevailed to win $1.6 million, and he was able to cash out when Hellmuth declined a seven-figure rematch and no other challenges stepped up.
For High Stakes Duel IV, Mike Matusow defeated Shaun Deeb in a $10,000 buy-in undercard match before Negreanu beat Persson in the $50,000 Round 1. Persson backed out of a planned rematch the following day and instead, Polk filled in for the $100,000 buy-in Round 2. Negreanu won, cashed out, and High Stakes Duel has been on hiatus ever since.
| Series | Rounds | Winner | Opponent | Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Stakes Duel I | 3 | Phil Hellmuth | Antonio Esfandiari | $400,000 |
| High Stakes Duel II | 3 | Phil Hellmuth | Daniel Negreanu | $400,000 |
| High Stakes Duel III | 5 | Jason Koon | No Challenger | $1,600,000 |
| High Stakes Duel IV | 2 | Daniel Negreanu | Doug Polk | $200,000 |
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