The Triton Invitational set a new record in Montenegro, with the 200K event offering a champion's prize of [amount missing].
The 200K race winner receives a prize of $6,370,000. Christopher Nguyen and Mike Watson achieved remarkable results, winning the 50K and 30K races respectively.
Ten years after its first appearance in Montenegro, the 1T P4T200K No-Limit Texas Hold'em Triton Invitational returned to its birthplace and immediately broke all records.
The 2026 edition of the Triton SHRS Montenegro Series attracted 137 entries, the largest field in the history of the Triton Invitational, creating a total prize pool of $27,400,000, the fifth highest in Triton history.
That's not all. The champion's prize money is as high as **6,370,000*, this is one of the largest tournament poker prizes in history, and the fifth largest prize offered by Triton. With 23 players vying for the prizes, the minimum prize is...318,000 is an extremely large bet, regardless of the level.
When the second day of competition began, 88 players returned from the initial field (bringing the total to 137 after the late registration deadline). If the Triton Invitational has always been known for its drama, today's event quickly proved that it lived up to its reputation.
Popular poker video blogger Ethan “Rampage” Yau took the chip lead on Day 1 with 1,250,000 chips (156 big blinds). Yong Wai Kin (1,099,000) and Igor Yaroshevskyy (978,000) finished in the top three.
However, after a few hours on the second day, the leaderboard underwent a dramatic shift. Anatoly Zlotnikov, the $25K No-Limit Hold'em champion, had surged to the top, ahead of Isaac Haxton and Adrian Mateos.
Football club owner Haralabos Voulgaris is also still in contention. The poker star, currently with 784,000 chips, survived a seemingly early exit crisis. Voulgaris landed a perfect river card in a three-way all-in, putting him back in the lead and keeping his hopes alive.
A former poker pro's perfect river card
Early on Day 2, Alex Theologis (the "Bubble Boy" of the $40K Mystery Bounty) raised to 25,000 from the crucial position with A♠Q♦. Voulgaris, in the small blind, went all-in for 198,000 with K♣Q♥. Mike Watson, in the big blind with A♦Q♠, called with 196,000 chips. Theologis also called, leading to a three-way showdown.
After the flop of J♣9♠7♦ and the turn of J♠, Watson and Theologis remained the favorites to take down Voulgaris's chips. However, the river card, 10♥, gave Voulgaris a straight, allowing him to triple his chips and remain in the tournament, while Watson was eliminated.
In the same level, a straight flush also appeared, allowing the former poker pro to double his chips against Kristen Foxen.
$200K No-Limit Texas Hold'em Triton Invitational Tournament Prize Distribution
| Ranking | bonus |
|---|---|
| 1 | $6,370,000 |
| 2 | $4,316,000 |
| 3 | $2,877,000 |
| 4 | $2,357,000 |
| 5 | $1,890,000 |
| 6 | $1,466,000 |
| 7 | $1,085,000 |
| 8 | $797,000 |
| 9 | $635,000 |
| 10-11 | $534,000 |
| 12-13 | $466,000 |
| 14-15 | $425,000 |
| 16-17 | $384,000 |
| 18-20 | $345,000 |
| 21-23 | $318,000 |
It's not all bad news for Watson.
Although he lost that hand, it wasn't all bad news for Watson's experience at the Maestral Resort & Casino. On Monday, the three-time poker champion... He emerged victorious in the 30,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em Turbo tournament, winning his sixth Triton title in three years and taking home...659,000 in prize money.
Watson's victory puts him tied with Punnat Punsri and Matthias Eibinger for the most Triton titles. His $659,000 prize from this event pushes his Triton winnings to approximately $19.5 million. Watson may be a veteran of the high-stakes arena, but he remains a formidable opponent for anyone who faces him.
"Lifting a Triton Trophy at any time is absolutely significant," Watson said in a post-match interview. "I'm back in second place with a tie for Triton Trophys, which is really cool."
$30,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em Turbo Final Table Results
| Ranking | player | country | bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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's path to the championship was blocked by a rising poker star: 1TP 4T 50K
It's incredible to think that Christopher Nguyen's first live tournament winnings came in December 2022, as the 26-year-old now boasts over $10 million in live tournament winnings and five over $1 million prizes in The Hendon Mob's profile. The fifth of these seven-figure winnings, $1,535,000, came on May 18th when he defeated Kristen Foxen in the $50,000 No-Limit Hold'em 8-Max event.
This talented German player's first million-dollar winnings came in December 2024 when he finished fifth in the $25,000 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise Main Event, winning $2,100,000. Six months later, Nguyen won the €100,000 EPT Monte Carlo Super High Roller, taking home €2,022,000.
He then won the 2026 WSOP Europe €20,000 Super High Roller 8-Max event, becoming a WSOP bracelet winner (prize of €1,100,000), and earlier this month he also finished third in the €250,000 EPT Monte Carlo Super High Roller, winning €1,443,100.
Shortly after winning his latest huge prize, Nguyen told Triton commentator Henry Kilbane: "I'm very happy. This is one of the most competitive tournaments. All Triton events are very difficult, so I'm very pleased with this."
$50,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em 8-Handed Final Table Results
| Ranking | player | country | bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Grand Prix Winner to date
| Event Name | Number of participants | Total prize pool | champion | bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 Golden Decade No-Limit Texas Hold'em | 146 | $3,650,000 | Daniel Dvoress | $849,000 |
| $25,000 8-Player No-Limit Texas Hold'em | 119 | $2,975,000 | Anatoly Zlotnikov | $715,000 |
| $30,000 8-Player No-Limit Texas Hold'em | 133 | $3,990,000 | Mario Mosböck | $928,000 |
| $40,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em Mystery Bounty Tournament | 111 | $4,440,000 | Fedor Holz | $528,811 |
| $50,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em 8-Player Table | 132 | $6,600,000 | Christopher Nguyen | $1,535,000 |
| $30,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em Speedrun | 84 | $2,520,000 | Mike Watson | $659,000 |
Want to transform your strategy from "knowing how to use it" to "making stable profits"?
If you have already mastered the basics, the following practical strategies will truly impact your profitability:
How to play Texas Hold'em after the flop? A complete guide to PFR heads-up pot C-bet and turn strategies.
Texas Hold'em Defense Tutorial: How can a Pre-Flop Caller (PFC) counter a C-bet? Complete Practical Strategy Analysis
Texas Hold'em Double Barrel Strategy: When is the second shot most profitable?
Texas Hold'em Bluff Strategy: When to Bluff? A Complete Semi-Bluff Guide
Texas Hold'em Delay C-bet Strategy: When Should You Delay Your Attack?
Texas Hold'em Check-Raise Strategy: The Core Skills of Offensive Defense
Texas Hold'em Multi-Player Pot Strategies: Correct Playing Techniques and Avoidance Guidelines for Pots with 3 or More Players
Texas Hold'em 3-bet pot strategy: How to simplify decision-making and control SPR after the flop?
Texas Hold'em Pot, Effective Stack, and SPR Judgment: A Complete Strategy Tutorial on Pot and Effective Stack
Texas Hold'em Range Tutorial: How to use Range to judge your opponents and make decisions?
Hunter Poker offers comprehensive strategy tutorials and hand analysis to help players upgrade from "reading cards" to "reading ranges" and "making decisions," truly achieving long-term profitability.
▶️ In Facebook Follow Hunter Poker.
📘 In Youtube Follow Hunter Poker.