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Ten years on from its debut in Montenegro, the $200K NLH Triton Invitational has returned to where it all began and promptly broken every record in the book.
The 2026 edition at the Triton SHRS Series Montenegro attracted 137 entries, the largest field ever assembled for a Triton Invitational, generating a $27,400,000 prize pool, the fifth largest in Triton history.
And that’s not all. Up top sits $6,370,000, one of the biggest winner payouts in tournament poker history and the fifth-largest first-place prize Triton has ever offered. With 23 players set to be paid and a min-cash worth $318,000, the stakes are enormous at every level of the money.
Day 2 resumed with 88 survivors from a starting field that grew to 137 once late registration closed, and if the Triton Invitational has always been known for delivering drama, it didn’t take long for the action to live up to its reputation today.
Popular poker vlogger Ethan “Rampage” Yau came into Day 2 as chip leader after bagging 1,250,000 (156 big blinds) on Day 1. Yong Wai Kin (1,099,000) and Igor Yaroshevskyy (978,000) completed the overnight top three.
Several hours into Day 2, however, the leaderboard looks very different. $25K NLH winner Anatoly Zlotnikov has surged into the lead, ahead of Isaac Haxton and Adrian Mateos.
Also still firmly in contention is soccer club owner Haralabos Voulgaris. The poker boom-era star sits on 784,000 after surviving what looked set to be an early exit. Voulgaris found a perfect river card in a three-way all-in to vault back up the counts and keep his hopes alive.
Perfect River Card for Former Poker Pro
Early on in Day 2, Alex Theologis — the $40K Mystery Bounty bubble boy — opened the action with a raise to 25,000 with A♠Q♦ from the hijack. Voulgaris shoved for 198,000 from the small blind after looking fown at K♣Q♥. Mike Watson woke up with A♦Q♠ in the big blind and then called off his stack of 196,000. Theologis put in calling chips for the cards to go on their backs.
Watson and Theologis remained the favorite to split Voulgaris’ stack after the J♣9♠7♦ flop and J♠ turn. However the 10♥ river gave Voulgaris the straight to book the triple to stay alive, while Watson hit the rail.
A straight flush in the same level also saw the former poker pro get a double up through Kristen Foxen.
$200K NLH Triton Invitational Payouts
Not All Bad Beats for Watson
While on the wrong end of that hand, it hasn’t all been bad beats for Watson at the Maestral Resort & Casino. On Monday, the Poker Triple Crown winner captured his sixth Triton title in three years when he came out on top in the $30,000 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo event and walked away with $659,000.
Watson’s victory ties him with Punnat Punsri and Matthias Eibinger in terms of Triton wins. The $659,000 he collected from this event pushed his Triton earnings toward $19.5 million. Watson may be a veteran of the high roller scene, but he is still a formidable opponent for anyone who crosses his path.
“Any time you get to lift a Triton trophy, it’s definitely meaningful,” Watson said during his post-victory interview. “I’m now back in a tie for second in the most Triton trophies, so it’s pretty cool.”
$30,000 NLH Turbo Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Watson | Canada | $659,000 |
| 2 | Mehdi Chaoui | Morocco | $450,000 |
| 3 | Anatoly Zlotnikov | Russia | $299,000 |
| 4 | Tom Fuchs | Germany | $241,000 |
| 5 | Samuel Mullur | Austria | $193,000 |
| 6 | Thomas Boivin | Belgium | $151,000 |
| 7 | Patrik Antonius | Finland | $118,000 |
| 8 | Cong Pham | United States | $91,000 |
| 9 | Maher Nouira | Tunisia | $66,000 |
Foxen Denied $50K Title by Rising Poker Star
It’s quite ridiculous to think that Christopher Nguyen‘s first live tournament cash came in December 2022 because the 26-year-old now has more than $10 million in live earnings, and five $1 million+ prizes on his Hendon Mob profile. The fifth of those seven-figure scores, $1,535,000, came on May 18 when he took down the $50,000 NLH 8-Handed event, defeating Kristen Foxen in heads-up.
The talented German’s first million-dollar score came in December 2024 when he finished fifth in the $25,000 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise Main Event for $2,100,000. Six months later, Nguyen won the €100,000 EPT Monte-Carlo Super High Roller for €2,022,000.
He then became a WSOP bracelet winner courtesy of triumphing in the €20,000 Super High Roller 8-Max (€1,100,000) at the 2026 WSOP Europe festival before finishing third in the €250,000 EPT Monte Carlo Super High Roller for €1,443,100 earlier this month.
Speaking to Triton commentator, Henry Kilbane, shortly after securing his latest massive core, Nguyen said, “I’m very happy. It was one of the toughest fields. All Tritons are very tough, so I’m very happy with it.”
$50,000 NLHE 8-Handed Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christopher Nguyen | Germany | $1,535,000 |
| 2 | Kristen Foxen | Canada | $1,039,000 |
| 3 | Daniel Rezaei | Austria | $693,000 |
| 4 | Daniil Kiselev | Armenia | $568,000 |
| 5 | Thomas Muehloecker | Austria | $456,000 |
| 6 | Alisson Piekazewicz | Brazil | $353,000 |
| 7 | Patrik Antonius | Finland | $261,000 |
| 8 | Jason Koon | United States | $192,000 |
| 9 | Joao Simao | Brazil | $153,000 |
Triton Montenegro Winners So Far
| Event | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 Golden Decade No-Limit Hold’em | 146 | $3,650,000 | Daniel Dvoress | $849,000 |
| $25,000 Eight-Handed No-Limit Hold’em | 119 | $2,975,000 | Anatoly Zlotnikov | $715,000 |
| $30,000 Eight-Handed No-Limit Hold’em | 133 | $3,990,000 | Mario Mosboeck | $928,000 |
| $40,000 No-Limit Hold’em Mystery Bounty | 111 | $4,440,000 | Fedor Holz | $528,811 |
| $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em 8-Handed | 132 | $6,600,000 | Christopher Nguyen | $1,535,000 |
| $30,000 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo | 84 | $2,520,000 | Mike Watson | $659,000 |
Senior Editor & Live Events Executive
Senior Editor