They took a break. They readied themselves for a heads-up battle. They posed for the cameras and went through the exercise of a pre-match handshake. Joel Micka and Nick Marchington were the final two players in the 2024 NAPT Las Vegas Main Event, and they were ready.

They played just one hand. Micka held . Marchington sat with .

Marchington limped in from the button ,and Micka checked his option. They saw a flop of . Micka checked, Marchington bet the minimum, and Micka called. On the turn, Marchington made his straight.

Micka checked again, and this time Marchington put out 750,000. Micka, with a pair and worse straight draw, made the call. The river? For Micka fans, it couldn't have been more gross. 

Micka checked, Marchington moved all-in, and Micka snap-called. Both quickly tabled their hands.

In one hand, it was over.

Looking almost surprised, Marchington stood and looked down at the table. He looked as if he couldn't believe it himself, but there it was. He'd just won the 2024 NAPT Las Vegas Main Event for $765,200. Micka's runner-up finish earned him $478,450.

NAPT Las Vegas champion Nick Marchington

Thanks to all for hanging out with us this week during an incredible week of poker. The NAPT has already announced it will be back here again next fall, and we expect PokerOrg will be here for it all again.

Stay tuned for a full wrap-up.

Jeff Madsen hit the rail in 3rd place for $341,750.

Jeff Madsen is out in third place after an unfortunate river against the runaway chip leader. 

Marchington shoved his big stack from the small blind and Madsen snap-called from the big blind. 

• Jeff Madsen:
• Nick Marchington:

The board ran out and Marchington spiked an ace on the river to beat Madsen's queens and send him home in third place for $341,750.

Nick Marchington — 21,325,000

Joel Micka — 5,550,000

Jeff Madsen — Eliminated

Sami Bechahed won the 2023 NAPT Las Vegas Main Event and made a deep run this year in an attempt to go back-to-back. Since that plan didn't work out, Bechahed entered the Cardplayer Lifestyle 8-game event and won it last night. It might not be a Main Event score, but Bechahed at least picked up another Spadie for his trophy case. 

Sami Bechahed

Matthew Berglund

While Nick Marchington maintains control and a massive chip lead in the final three, Jeff Madsen and Joel Micka have just gone to war. After seeing a flop of , Madsen, holding check-raised all-in for 2,125,000 and got the call from Micka's .

Madsen's fortunes changed dramatically when the came off on the turn. He didn't have time to worry for long. The hit the river, giving Madsen the full house. 

"I was manifesting that so hard," Madsen said, grabbing a glass of wine from the rail and taking a big slug. "I did, like, a third eye thing."

Madsen doubled to 37 big blinds, and MIcka ended up with less than ten. 

Matthew Berglund