Poker player wins his first career title at King's Million EPC, taking home a large sum of money.

Vasilis Nikolas won his first career title in the 2026 King's Million European Poker Championship €1,000 Mystery Bounty event, emerging victorious from 1,863 entries to claim €123,850 plus additional prize money.

Vasilis Nikolas won his first live tournament victory in his poker career, emerging victorious from 1,863 entries to lift the King's Scepter and claim a €123,850 first-place prize, plus a five-figure bounty.

The €1,000 Mystery Bounty event at the 2026 King's Million European Poker Championship featured eight preliminary rounds with a total prize pool of €1,583,550. Nikolas emerged victorious after three days of intense poker competition.

Nikolas' first live winnings came in 2022 with a €1,000 buy-in, the highest buy-in tournament of his poker career, and today's winnings surpass his total live earnings to date.

€1,000 Mystery Bounty Tournament Final Table Results

* Indicates a four-person ICM protocol

Champion's reaction

"This is my first trophy. I've played at many final tables here, but this is my first ever trophy. And this is just the beginning. I promised myself this. This is just the beginning!"

Nikolas remained humble in victory, quickly attributing part of his success to the endless support he received during the match.

"I don't know where to begin. From my Greek friends, my Swedish friends, my family. I get a lot of support from my family. That's very, very, very important for being a poker player. If you have family support, you're free to do whatever you want. I get a lot of support from my wife. She trusts me, and today, she knows I deserve all of this."

Bounty Operation

The second day introduced mystery bounties, giving the player responsible for each elimination a chance to win an unknown prize. Each bounty was worth at least €300, but the most coveted prize was the €150,000 jackpot, attracting those lucky enough to spin the wheel.

Midway through the second day, Axel Bayout broke the hearts of the remaining entrants as he became the winner of the biggest prize. With a single draw, the French pro nearly matched the champion's prize money, guaranteeing a substantial income regardless of his final ranking.

However, Bayout didn't stop there. He channeled his big prize momentum into a performance deep into the final table, ultimately finishing fourth and earning an extra €89,280, ensuring he was the biggest winner of the entire tournament.

The only other player to turn his bounty into a five-figure result on the second day was Leonidas Georgopoulos, who took home the second-largest prize of €75,000 during the subsequent break. However, Georgopoulos couldn't replicate Bayout's performance, finishing in 54th place and earning €1,970.

Final Day Match Results

On the third day, 24 hopeful players returned, all with two clear goals: to win the tournament and become the final recipient of the five-figure prize of €30,000.

This bounty remained unclaimed throughout the day and was still up for grabs late in the final table, adding another layer of dynamism to the competition. Players were willing to invest a wide range of chips in a final gamble for the prize.

With Andrea Marchi eliminated in fifth place, the remaining four players opted for an ICM deal, considering the bounty's value represents a significant portion of the remaining prize money.

With the prize pool leveled out, the action became intense and rapid. Bayout was the first to be eliminated after his huge big blind-to-big blind bluff was exposed by the eventual champion, who heroically called with pocket kings on an Ace-high board, defeating his French tablemate's bluff and sending him out of the tournament.

Shortly after, Luca Beretta lost his final race in the deep playoffs to Loris Greco, triggering a heads-up duel.

The battle ended before it even began.

The heads-up duel lasted only two hands; Greco's pocket eights against Nikolas' AK were initially in a good position. But when an Ace appeared on the turn, Nikolas' boisterous friends and family erupted in cheers. After a blank river card, the two shook hands one last time, and Nikolas rejoined his enthusiastic entourage for an explosive celebration; his first ever tournament victory.

There was one final twist. In the final prize draw of the night, Nikolas won the remaining €30,000, bringing his total earnings to over €150,000, concluding a tournament he would never forget.

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