International news

    On August 16, 2026, the Onyx High Roller Series concluded at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa in Northern Cyprus. The $10,200 Bounty event attracted only seven players, but the pace was incredibly fast. Lithuanian player Paulius Vaitekunas, who only entered at Level 4, ultimately won the tournament in just over three hours, taking home $52,200. For Vaitekunas, this was arguably the fastest-paced live tournament he had ever played. He noted that he joined at Level 4, and the tournament ended at Level 11; compared to players who started from the beginning, he actually played for more than an hour less. Seven players competed for the title, with the winner taking home $32,200. This $10,200 Bounty featured a fairly straightforward reward structure. Since only 7 players participated, the regular prize pool of $32,200 was not distributed among multiple rankings but was entirely reserved for the final champion. In addition, each elimination earned an additional $5,000 bounty. Tournament Data: Tournament: Onyx HRS; $10,200 Bounty; 7 Players; Regular Prize Pool: $32,200; Bounty per Elimination: $5,000; Champion: Paulius Vaitekunas; Champion Regular Prize: $32,200; Champion Elimination Bounty: $15,000; Retained Bounty: $5,000; Total Champion Earnings: $52,200. Vaitekunas eliminated 3 opponents, earning an additional $15,000 bounty. He also retained his own $5,000 bounty as the last survivor, bringing his total earnings to $52,200. Vaitekunas entered at Level 4 and immediately claimed the first bounty. The tournament started with only 5 players, but two more joined at Level 4, bringing the final number to 7. Vaitekunas was one of those two late entrants. Despite his late entry, he became the first to claim the bounty. Vaitekunas eliminated German veteran Manig Loeser in 7th place, immediately taking home the $5,000 bounty, essentially recouping nearly half his buy-in cost shortly after entering the tournament. Meanwhile, Moussa Ahmad lost to Aleksandr Kirichenko in a pre-flop challenge, becoming the next player to leave. After the five players returned, the tournament officially entered the Winner-Take-All mode. At the end of the break, only 5 players remained, and no other players chose to delay their entry. This confirmed that the $32,200 regular prize pool would be entirely won by the last survivor. From this point onward, in addition to the champion's prize, every...