Onyx High Stakes Series | Anonymous player Goofy reverses Mikita Badziakouski to win $1 million

On August 12, 2026, the Onyx High Roller Series $10,400 Premiere concluded in Northern Cyprus. An American player, who entered the tournament under the pseudonym "Goofy" and chose not to reveal his real name, emerged victorious from a field of 507 players, ultimately defeating Belarusian high-stakes champion Mikita Badziakouski to win the $1,000,000 Premiere prize and his first Onyx title.

This event created a total prize pool of $4,765,800, with the nine-player final table featuring many international high-stakes regulars such as Sergio Aido, Badziakouski, and Giorgiy Skhulukhiya. Goofy started with the third chip in the final table and was nearly down 4-1 at the start of heads-up play, but ultimately pulled off the most important comeback of the entire tournament.

507 people competed for a $4.76 million prize pool.

The $10,400 Premiere is one of the key events in the 2026 Onyx High Roller Series, attracting 507 entries and a total prize pool of $4,765,800. The ultimate champion will receive $1 million, with a prize gap of $415,000 between the champion and runner-up.

Onyx Premiere Final Table Results

Goofy's third chip lead puts him in the final table, eliminating his roommate first.

Goofy started the tournament with the third chip in the final table, and then demonstrated his aggressive intentions with a cold 4-bet in the first pot. He then personally eliminated Ravid Garbi, who finished in ninth place.

The two were not only friends but also roommates during the series. After the match, Goofy said that Garbi is an excellent player and he believes his friend will still be happy for his victory, and he expects to see him at more final tables in the future.

However, it wasn't Goofy who quickly established a huge advantage at the final table, but Badziakouski.

Badziakouski with pocket kings on the turn, four of a kind, takes over the final table.

Damir Gabdullin, the chip leader at the start, suffered the first major setback. He had pocket queens, only to run into Badziakouski with pocket kings. To make matters worse, Badziakouski made four kings on the turn, winning a huge pot and taking the lead.

Artsiom Lasouski and Italo Modena were subsequently eliminated in eighth and seventh place, respectively. Gabdullin then obtained the Queen of Pockets again, but this time Badziakouski directly held the Ace of Pockets, and Gabdullin ultimately finished in sixth place.

Two-time WSOP bracelet winner Sergio Aido couldn't stop Badziakouski's offensive, ultimately finishing in fifth place. By the time the tournament entered the four-player stage, Badziakouski already held a significant chip lead.

Goofy's four-handed game fell to the shortest stack, with AK defeating Pocket 6 to stay alive.

Goofy's championship run was once close to ending prematurely.

In the four-player stage, he fell to the shortest stack in the game. He first escaped elimination by splitting the pot against Giorgiy Skhulukhiya, and then made a crucial double-up with AK against Skhulukhiya's pocket sixes. He was in danger again after that, but improved his situation on the river and managed to stay alive against Badziakouski.

Badziakouski continued to eliminate his opponents. He first hit a two-card overtaking hand on the river in the biggest pot of the tournament, eliminating Skhulukhiya in fourth place; then he sent Oshri Lahmani away with a backdoor straight, entering heads-up play with a huge lead.

Eighteen seven-figure scores match, marking the first attempt at a million-dollar prize.

When they joined Heads-Up, their resumes presented a stark contrast.

Badziakouski has already accumulated 18 seven-figure live tournament winnings, while Goofy is seeking his first career million-dollar prize. In terms of chips, Badziakouski leads by nearly 4-1, holding a clear advantage in both experience and chips.

After the match, Goofy revealed that he knew his opponent was one of the world's top poker players and that Badziakouski wouldn't consider a deal to split the prize money, so his only option was to keep fighting.

A-9 defeats K-7, Goofy begins his counterattack.

After the head-to-head match began, Goofy quickly found a breakthrough, doubling down with an A-9 against Badziakouski's K-7, and returning to the championship contention.

Badziakouski then widened the gap again, but Goofy didn't stop his counterattack. He first hit three 8s on the river and went all-in with a check to extract a lot of value from Badziakouski's top opponent; then, through a series of small and medium pots, he took the lead in heads-up play for the first time.

In a crucial move, Goofy bet against Badziakouski for three consecutive streets with only bottom-to-top bets, ultimately choosing to call with the hero and successfully catching a three-gun bluff, further extending his lead.

Badziakouski's K-3 comeback against Pocket J brings the championship game back to even.

Even when caught in a code shortage, Badziakouski still demonstrated remarkable resilience.

When Badziakouski had only about a quarter of Goofy's chips left, he went all-in with K-3, giving Goofy pocket Jacks. Goofy had a significant lead pre-flop, but the turn card brought a K, allowing Badziakouski to complete a crucial double-up, bringing the chip count almost back to even.

As the blinds increased, almost every pot in the championship game could change the chip lead. The two exchanged chip leaders multiple times until Goofy regained control and once again established a lead strong enough to threaten his opponent's tournament chances.

A-8's all-in turn pressured Goofy, allowing him to widen the gap again.

In the later stages of the championship game, Badziakouski limped in the BTN position with 10♠5♠, Goofy in the big blind with A♠8♥ raised to 3,000,000, and Badziakouski called.

The flop came 4♠A♦3♦, Goofy bet 3,000,000 and was called; the turn was 5♥, and Goofy went all-in, putting maximum pressure on Badziakouski's remaining 16,000,000 chips. After thinking it over, Badziakouski folded, and Goofy regained a clear lead.

Soon after, the last hand of cards arrived.

9-6 top pair followed by all-in bet, Goofy officially crowned champion.

With blinds at 500,000/1,000,000 and a big blind ante of 1,000,000, Goofy raised to 2,000,000 from the BTN position, and Badziakouski called from the big blind.

Flip the card:

9♠ 2♦ 4♣

Badziakouski checked, and Goofy bet 2,000,000 with 9♦6♥. After a brief moment of thought, Badziakouski checked all-in with his remaining 12,600,000, and Goofy quickly called.

Badziakouski：5♥4♥
Goofy: 9♦6♥

Goofy led Badziakouski with top pair of 9s against a pair of 4s. The turn 7♥ did not change the leader, and the river 2♠ also failed to allow Badziakouski to hit a 5 or 4 to complete the comeback.

Goofy successfully completed the final elimination, officially securing the $1,000,000 champion prize; Badziakouski finished as runner-up, earning $585,000.

A million-dollar dream came true a day after the family arrived in Northern Cyprus.

Although Goofy chose not to reveal his real name, he couldn't hide his emotions after winning the championship. His family happened to arrive in Northern Cyprus the day before the final, so they were able to witness this biggest victory of his career.

Goofy said he was still in shock after the match and needed a day or two to truly understand what had happened; being able to take a photo with his family holding the championship trophy made the victory even more special.

From falling to the shortest stack in the four-player stage, to trailing nearly 4-1 in heads-up play, Goofy pulled off a complete comeback in the high roller final table, relying on A-9 doubling up, a river trip of cards, a bottom pair hero call, and finally 9-6 top pair to secure the final elimination.

Following the conclusion of the $10,400 Premiere, the Onyx High Roller Series will continue, including subsequent events such as the already started $25,500 Main Event. The series is not yet over, and high-stakes poker competition in Northern Cyprus will continue.

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