Ireland’s Daniel Smyth won his way into the World Poker Tour Online Knockout Championship for just $33 and ended up turning that into a score of $413,392.75, a ticket to the WPT Tournament of Champions, and a date to have his name engraved on the WPT Mike Sexton Champions Cup.

Smyth, who has a little more than just $47,000 in live recorded earnings, topped the 1,035-entry field by leaning on his online experience that led him to a win in the PokerStars Sunday Million back in 2010. But even though Smyth may have been in his element playing online, getting the win was no easy feat as he was surrounded by some of today’s brightest stars at the final table. World Series of Poker Main Event champion Ryan Reiss, Russian crusher Artur ‘marathur1’ Martirosian, and German superstar Manig Loeser were just a few of the final eight players that stood in his way.

It took nearly thirty minutes of final table play to lose the first player. Brazil’s Joao Mauteli opened under the gun holding and was prompty shipped on with the short stack of fellow countryman Matheus Resende and his . Maureli made the quick call and took the lead when the flop came . The turn and river couldn’t help Resende’s pocket queens and he exited in ninth place for $19,483.87 and $13,242.18 in bounties.

With fewer than 10 big blinds, Kazakhstan’s Shyngis Satubayev shipped his stack holding from the hijack. Pedro Marques made the call from the button holding and both blinds let their hands go. The flop came giving Marques top pair and leaving Satubayev looking for running cards. The turn left Marques drawing dead to the river. Satubayev was eliminated in eighth place for $23,504.85 and just $750 in bounties.

Forty-five minutes later Smyth found himself with just 10 big blinds and he moved all-in on the button holding and was snap called for less by Ryan Riess in the big blind who had . Riess, all in for his tournament, needed help instantly as the flop gave Smyth a flopped flush. The turn gave Riess some full house outs, but the was not one of them and the one-time WSOP Main Event champ fell in seventh place for $29,699.32 and $18,562.50 in bounties.

It only took a few hands after Riess’s departure for Martirosian to find himself all-in. The Russian raised for half his 12 big blind stack from under the gun holding . Marques three-bet shipped his 30 big blind stack on the button with and when folded back to him, Martirosian called for his tournament life. The board ran out missing all of Martirosian’s outs. He adds $47,281.38 and another $16,593.75 in bounties to his significant 2020 online earnings.

After nearly an hour-and-a-half of five-handed play, Portugal’s Marques put in a raise with on the button and Loeser promptly three-bet him from the small blind holding . When it folded back to Marques he put in the rest of his 20 big blind stack and Loeser made the call. The flop came leaving Marques searching for a lot of help to stay alive. The turn came the , opening up a gutshot straight for Marques. The hit the river, and Marques turned his $320 satellite win into $66,687.63 and another $22,382.80 in bounties.

It didn’t take long for Loeser to claim another bounty. From the small blind Loeser put in a small raise with , which opened the door for the Netherlands’ Pim Gieles to three-bet holding . Back on Loeser, he wasted no time in four-bet shipping his big stack and, dominated, Gieles committed the last of his stack. The duo watched as the board ran out and Gieles falls in fourth for $95,502.03 and $23,478.51 in bounties.

Like Smyth, Maureli was also in this $3,200 buy-in tournament for a fraction of the cost. The Brazilian, who entered the final table as the chip leader, won his way in by taking down the $22 buy-in Mini Masters which gave him not only a $4.2K score but also a free $3,200 ticket. He used that on the Knockout, hoping to pick up some bounties should he not cash. But he found himself three-handed with a six-figure score guaranteed.

With 20 big blinds, Maureli moved all-in from the small blind with . Smyth snapped him off holding in the big blind and the two satellite winners saw a flop which kept Smyth in the lead. The turn changed nothing and the river send Maureli to the rail in third place, turning his original $22 buy-in into $142,061.51 and $32,449.23 in bounties.

The heads-up battle between Smyth and Loeser lasted over an hour with the chip lead passing back-and-forth between the two players multiple times. After winning a critical flip for his tournament life, Smyth came roaring back and seized the chip lead. On the final hand, with just 15 big blinds left, Loeser shoved on the button with which put Smyth to a decision with his . After taking a few extra seconds, Smyth made the call with the championship on the line. The flop came keeping Smyth in the lead. The gave Smyth a pair, but opened a backdoor for Loeser to hit and open-ended straight draw. The was no help to the German high roller and Manig Loeser finished in second place for $208,492.98 plus an additional $70,866.22.

As the winner of the World Poker Tour Online Knockout Championship, Daniel Smyth earned the $208,803.83 first-place prize, an additional $204,588.92 in bounties, and the honor of having his name engraved on the WPT Mike Sexton Champions cup.

Final Table Payouts

1. Daniel Smyth – $208,803.83 + $204,588.92 in bounties
2. Manig Loeser – $208,492.98 + $70,866.22 in bounties
3. Joao Maureli – $142,061.51 + $32,449.23 in bounties
4. Pim Gieles – $95,502.03 + $23,478.51 in bounties
5. Pedro Marques – $66,687.63 +$22,382.80 in bounties
6. Artur Martirosian – $47,281.38 + $16,593.75 in bounties
7. Ryan Riess – $29,699.32 + $18,562.50 in bountes
8. Shyngis Satubayev – $23,504.85 + $750 in bounties
9. Matheus Luiz – $19,483.87 + $13,242.18 in bounties