Key Highlight: Dutch high-stakes cash game specialist Marcus Dieleman has secured the prestigious $51,000 Onyx SHRS PLO Championship title, winning $750,000 in a career-defining performance. The tournament featured 49 entries and a $2,376,500 prize pool at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa in Northern Cyprus.
Tournament Triumph: From Cash Game Specialist to Champion
The Pot Limit Omaha world has a new champion to celebrate! Dutch high-stakes cash game specialist Marcus Dieleman has claimed the prestigious $51,000 Onyx SHRS PLO Championship title, securing a massive $750,000 payday. This breakthrough victory at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa in Northern Cyprus marks Dieleman’s explosive entrance into the elite tournament scene.
Starting Day 2 as the chip leader, Dieleman maintained an epic performance throughout the final table, showcasing the skills he’s perfected through years of online PLO cash games. His victory came after a marathon heads-up battle with Russia’s Sergei Nesterenko that lasted over 60 hands, with multiple lead changes before Dieleman finally secured the win.
“It was pretty steady,” Dieleman said of his tournament run. “I didn’t really get into any all-ins until we were three-handed. Then it got intense.”
Final table payouts:
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marcus Dieleman | Netherlands | $750,000 |
| 2 | Sergei Nesterenko | Russia | $522,000 |
| 3 | Daniel Dvoress | Canada | $380,000 |
| 4 | Fahredin Mustafov | Bulgaria | $276,000 |
| 5 | Espen Myrmo | Norway | $202,000 |
| 6 | Jesse Lonis | United States | $146,000 |
| 7 | Artur Martirosian | Russia | $100,500 |
The notable presence of Jesse Lonis, who had previously won the Onyx SHRS NLH Invitational, and Fahredin Mustafov, recent winner of the Onyx SHRS Main Event, highlighted the caliber of competition Dieleman had to overcome.
Tournament Structure and Format
The $51,000 Onyx SHRS PLO Championship featured:
- Two-day structure
- 40-minute blind levels
- Seven-handed play, expanding to nine-handed at the final table
- $2,000,000 guaranteed prize pool (ultimately reaching $2,376,500)
- Late registration until the end of Level 11 on Day 2
- Unlimited reentries during the late registration period
From Online Cash Games to Tournament Glory
What makes Marcus Dieleman’s victory at the Onyx SHRS PLO Championship truly remarkable is his background as primarily an online cash game specialist. For years, Dieleman built his reputation grinding high-stakes PLO cash games online, where he developed the fundamental skills that would later translate to tournament success.”I’ve only been playing tournaments seriously for about 1.5 years,” Dieleman revealed after his victory. This recent transition from the cash game arena to the tournament circuit makes his $750,000 score all the more impressive.
The Cash Game Foundation
Dieleman’s extensive experience in high-stakes online PLO cash games provided him with several advantages that proved valuable in the tournament setting:
- Deep postflop expertise: Years of playing deep-stacked cash games developed his ability to navigate complex postflop situations
- Emotional resilience: Experiencing the swings of high-stakes cash play built mental toughness
- Hand reading skills: Cash game volume refined his ability to put opponents on ranges
- Comfort with large pots: Being “somewhat used to the money” helped him remain composed when playing for significant sums
Key Adjustments in His Tournament Approach
The transition from cash games to tournaments wasn’t automatic for Dieleman. He credits close friends and fellow professionals, particularly Tom Vogelsang, with helping him adapt his strategy for tournament play. These adjustments included:
- Stack awareness: Learning to navigate the constantly fluctuating stack sizes unique to tournaments
- Survival mindset: Recognizing the importance of tournament life versus the reload option in cash games
- Pressure points: Understanding bubble dynamics and pay jump considerations
- Blind adaptation: Adjusting to increasing blind levels that force more aggressive play as tournaments progress
Key Strategic Shift: “In cash games, you can wait for premium spots. In tournaments, you have to create opportunities and take calculated risks as the blinds increase.”
Tournament Results Building Momentum
Dieleman’s tournament resume has shown steady improvement leading up to his breakthrough victory. According to the Hendon Mob database, his results include:
- April 13, 2025: 3rd place in €25,000 + 500 Pot Limit Omaha High Roller at the Diamond Poker Series PLO Grand Slam in Tallinn for $120,739
- November 17, 2024: 6th place in Master Classics of Poker (MCOP) 2024, Pot Limit Omaha for $12,828
With $225,054 in total live tournament earnings before his Onyx SHRS PLO Championship victory, the $750,000 score represents more than a 6x increase over his previous largest cash and approximately triple his total recorded tournament earnings to date.
Conclusion
Marcus Dieleman’s triumph at the $51,000 Onyx SHRS PLO Championship represents not just a personal milestone but an inspiring story of successful transition from cash games to tournaments. His calm demeanor, strategic adaptability, and deep understanding of PLO fundamentals propelled him to this career-defining win against world-class competition.For you as a PLO player, Dieleman’s journey offers valuable lessons about patience, strategic flexibility, and the importance of fundamentals. Whether you’re a cash game player considering tournaments or a tournament specialist looking to improve, his performance demonstrates that mastering the core concepts of PLO can lead to success at even the highest stakes.
FAQs
Dieleman was primarily a high-stakes online PLO cash game specialist who began transitioning to live tournaments about 1.5 years ago.
Dieleman won $750,000 for his first-place finish, representing his largest tournament score by a significant margin.
He defeated Russia’s Sergei Nesterenko after a lengthy heads-up battle that lasted over 60 hands.
The tournament attracted 49 entries, creating a prize pool of $2,376,500.
The tournament was held at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa in Northern Cyprus as part of the 2025 Onyx Super High Roller Series.
The buy-in was $51,000, making it a high-roller event for serious professionals.
PLO tournament strategy requires more attention to stack-to-pot ratios, blind level timing, and shifting table dynamics compared to cash games. Tournament players must also be more willing to take calculated risks as blind levels increase.
As a PLO enthusiast with nearly 12 years of experience, I’m passionate about breaking down the complexities of Pot Limit Omaha, helping you sharpen your strategy and grow your bankroll – no matter your current level. I also share exclusive bonus and rakeback deals, along with discounts on poker courses and tools, so you can get an extra edge. When I’m not writing, you’ll usually find me online, playing PLO cash games and turbo MTTs.
