The waterworks started coming a little and I only just held it back

ERICK LINDGREN: It was a very stacked final table and I really wanted the bracelet. I know to value those opportunities more so than the average person, because some of my efforts at final tables haven’t been as good as I would have liked.

Just two hands in Erick Lindgren increased his stack to 439,000 when his Queens held up against Isaac Haxton’s A-K. Haxton was the first out, but three others dropped in quick succession and, noticeably, Bonomo and Lindgren kept out of each other’s way.

EL: It was an interesting dynamic because it was half limit and half no-limit, but the really good limit players busted out early and that’s where my background is. I played as tight as I’ve ever played in no- limit and played every hand in the limit!

UK hope, Roland de Wolfe, went out in fourth after Bonomo check-raised all-in on a flush draw which hit on the turn. And then Bonomo busted Andrew Robl to find himself heads-up against Erick Lindgren for the coveted bracelet.

JUSTIN BONOMO: At the start Erick said to me, ‘I wish I didn’t like you so much’, and my response was, ‘I wish you sucked at poker!’ There really was no soft spot at the table that I would have loved to have played heads-up against, but Erick and Isaac were the ones I wanted to play least.

EL: At the start of heads-up there was 15 minutes left of no-limit and I changed my game and started playing hard. Because I’d played tight, I knew Justin felt he could bluff me, and I picked off a pretty good bluff when I flopped top pair and he tried to move me off it. That was a turning point.

JB: He got hit in the face by the deck and I couldn’t hit anything. He played well, but the blinds were big and I had exactly two hands where I hit the flop, hitting two-pair both times, and I lost both hands.

On the 40th heads-up hand Lindgren raised to 80k with A-2, and Bonomo called with 4♠-5♠. The 10♣-5♣-3♦ flop brought middle pair for Bonomo and a gutshot for Lindgren, who check-called Bonomo’s bet. The 4♥ turn brought two-pair for Bonomo and the wheel for Lindgren. Bonomo bet, Lindgren raised and Bonomo moved all-in.

JB: At the time I was pretty miserable, but now I’m okay. If there’s anyone I could have lost to, then it would be Erick – he’s a great player and definitely deserves it.

EL: I raised with A-2 and Justin defended with 4-5 when he probably should have folded. The flop came 5-3-K, he checked, and I checked behind. The Four came off and my heart started beating. I didn’t think it would be a big deal for me because I don’t really get that high or low, but the waterworks started coming a little and I only just held it back!

Justin Bonomo is one of the toughest young players out there and I was proud to beat him rather than some random guy like Phil Hellmuth in a $1,500 event...