UK Pro Nick Marchington Conquers 2024 NAPT Las Vegas Main Event

Following three starting flights and four more days of action, the 2024 PokerStars North American Poker Tour Las Vegas Main Event is in the books with the 26-year-old UK pro Nick Marchington claiming the coveted title. Marchington overcame a massive 895-entry field that included some of the toughest players from across the world to earn the biggest title of his career and the $765,200 top prize.

The latest win marked his biggest score of 2024, but this was not the first title for the British poker pro as he took down the £ 1,350 + 150 No Limit Hold’em – UK Open (Event #5) earlier this year at the Grosvenor UK Poker Open 2024, claiming $ 185,895. Five years ago, he scored his career’s biggest score finishing 7th in the WSOP 2019 Main Event for $ 1,525,000. The latest win took his live earnings to $3,290,065. Now five years older and wiser, he is the proud champion of the NAPT Main Event.

“I think when I made that run in the Main Event in 2019, I was a spring chicken, especially in tournaments. I was very inexperienced in poker, and now in life and in poker, I feel a lot more experienced. I’ve been doing this for a living now for six years, and I felt a lot more ready for the whole experience of a final table,” the winner said.

2024 North American Poker Tour Las Vegas $5,300 Main Event Recap

The $5,300 buy-in tournament offered $3 million for this year’s Main Event, doubling the $1.5 million the operator offered in 2023. Following three starting flights, the late registration closed on Day 2 with 895 entries, which resulted in a record-breaking $4,340,800 prize pool and surpassed the prize pool of last year’s tournament and  the record NAPT Venetian back in 2010. The penultimate day of the event saw 18 players return to Resorts World Las Vegas to secure their spot at the final table.

Victor Paredes, who started the day as chip leader, was one of the first two casualties of the day, falling in 17th place for $34,400. Other notables to follow him were PokerStars Ambassador Maria Konnikova (14th for $39,550), and Two-time WPT champion and WSOP bracelet winner Jared Jaffee who finished 12th for $47,450.

The final table was reached on Day 4 itself after the elimination of WPT Champion Matthew Wantman in 10th place for $56,950. Marchington led at the start of the nine-handed final table with 5,100,000 and grew his advantage after busting Yang Li (9th place for $70,800). The next player to fall was Matt Affleck who shoved with ace-king but could not overcome Micka’s queens to exit in eighth. Brock Wilson then exited in seventh place, 119,650 and that put an end to Day 4 of the main event.

 Final Day Action 

The final six players returned to the main stage inside Resorts World Las Vegas yesterday to play down to a champion. Marchington began as chip leader with 9,990,000, holding more than 4,000,000 ahead of Jeff Madsen.

Marchington started off strong by scoring the first elimination of the day in Masato Yokosawa who ran his pocket tens into pocket jacks of Marchington to exit in sixth place for $155,550. Later, Curt Kohlberg followed him in fifth place after his ace-king lost to pocket nines of Joel Micka. Kohlberg took home $202,250 for his deep run.

Joel Micka struck again and eliminated two-time WSOP bracelet Marco Johnson in fourth place ($262,900). He woke up with pocket tens after Johnson shoved  with ace-four. Johnson found two pairs on the flop, but Micka spiked a set to score his third elimination at the final table.

Despite Micka scoring the last two bustouts, Marchington held the chip lead during three-handed play. He five-bet shoved on Micka to cross 17,000,000, flopped two pair against Madsen and then bluffed Micka to grow his stack to 20,000,000. A little later, Marchington open-jammed with Ac-10 and Jeff Madsen called for 3,375,000 with pocket queens. Madsen was ahead on the flop but the river Ac ended the main event run for  the 2006 WSOP Player of the Year. Madsen took home $341,750 for his efforts.

 Marchington had 21,475,000 against Micka holding 5,550,000 at the start of heads-up.  On the very first hand, Marchington bet 250,000 on the 5-J-6 flop and Micka called. Marchington bet 750,000 on the turn 3s and Micka again called. The river was 2h where Marchington moved all in with 7h 4s. Micka called for 4,200,000 with 5d 4d for a six-high straight which lost to the seven-high straight of Marchington. With that, the UK pro took home the biggest title of his career after dominating the final table. Micka settled for a runner-up finish, earning him a hefty $478,450.

2024 North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Las Vegas Main Event Final Table Payouts