High Roller and Super High Roller poker tournaments are nothing new; they appear on the schedules of almost every major live tour. However, when you think about Super High Roller events, one name immediately springs to mind: the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series.
Triton Poker ran its first event in 2016, a single HK$490,000 No-Limit Hold'em tournament in Manila. The series has since gone from strength to strength, adding more stops and events each year, culminating in an incredible 2024 that saw the world's best players head to four destinations and battle it out across 47 events.
Despite its relevant infancy (remember that the tour is only eight years old), nobody in the poker industry does Super High Rollers better than Triton Poker. The tour attracts the biggest names, generates the biggest prize pools, has the best streaming coverage, and is now undoubtedly the de facto global Super High Roller series.
Massive prize pools aside, the best thing about Triton Poker is it treats its players like poker royalty. Festivals take place in the most luxurious settings, and the players are left wanting for nothing. Everyone who plays on the Triton Poker circuit is considered a VIP. Kate Badurek is the Triton Poker VIP Players Services guru. Badurek arranges complimentary accommodation, food and drink, airport transfers, and more.
Speaking to the Triton Poker blog, Budarek said, "These players spend so much money, and the deal they get is something they deserve. I was to make sure that they're super happy. They're here for a long time, and they have a right to be comfortable. Some of the players have PAs, but many of them don't. So that's what I am. I hope they see me as their PA. They can ask me for anything they need. Everyone is super appreciative of what our VIP services do."
Triton Poker awarded an incredible $392,025,000 across 47 events in 2024 alone. Compare that to the 2024 WSOP, which paid out $437,278,354 across 99 live events, and you can see why Triton is so highly thought of in the poker community.
The 2024 Triton Poker Super High Roller Series kicked off in March in Jeju, South Korea. The 17-event schedule paid out over $104.6 million, including ten tournaments awarding seven-figure prizes.
Two players reeled in top prizes worth over $4 million. Elton Tsang banked $4,210,000 for his victory in the $150,000 No-Limit Hold'em 8-Max event, which drew in 117 entries. A few days later, Roman Hrabec took down the $100,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event, outlasting 215 opponents on his way to capturing a $4,330,000 score.
| Event | Entrants | Prize Pool | Champion | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 - $15,000 NLHE 8-Max | 269 | $4,035,000 | Fedor Hoz | $786,000 |
| #2 - $20,000 NLHE 8-Max | 225 | $4,500,000 | Roland Rokita | $904,000 |
| #3 - $25,000 NLHE 8-Max | 298 | $7,450,000 | Paulius Vaitiekunas | $1,077,499 |
| #5 - $30,000 NLHE 8-Max | 185 | $5,550,000 | Adrian Mateos | $1,175,000 |
| #6 - $25,000 NLHE GGMILLION$ Live | 305 | $7,625,000 | Anonymous | $1,191,196 |
| #7 - $40,000 NLHE Mystery Bounty | 190 | $3,800,000 | Dimitar Danchev | $1,344,000* |
| #8 - $50,000 NLHE 8-Max | 180 | $9,500,000 | Punnat Punsri | $2,010,000 |
| #9 - $150,000 NLHE 8-Max | 117 | $17,550,000 | Elton Tsang | $4,210,000 |
| #10 - $50,000 NLHE Turbo Bounty Quattro 6-Max | 108 | $5,400,000 | Dan Smith | $1,251,000* |
| #11 - $100,000 NLHE Main Event | 216 | $21,600,000 | Roman Hrabec | $4,330,000 |
| #12 - $25,000 PLO 6-Max | 80 | $2,000,000 | Quan Zhou | $530,000 |
| #13 - $30,000 PLO Bounty Quattro 6-Max | 84 | $2,520,000 | Nacho Barbero | $763,000* |
| #15 - $50,000 PLO 6-Max | 84 | $4,200,000 | Biao Ding | $1,107,000 |
| #16 - $25,000 NL Short Deck Ante Only | 52 | $1,300,000 | Mike Watson | $380,000 |
| #17 - $50,000 NL Short Deck Main Event | 67 | $3,350,000 | Xuan Tan | $922,000 |
| #18 - $100,000 NL Short Deck Ante Only | 34 | $3,400,000 | Mikita Badziakouski | $1,153,000 |
| #19 - $20,000 NL Short Deck Ante Only | 42 | $840,000 | Stephen Chidwick | $265,000 |
*includes bounty payments
The Triton Poker Super High Roller trains continued rolling in May when it headed to Budva, Montenegro. Another 14 events with buy-ins between $25,000 and $200,000 adorned the schedule, and eight of them awarded top prizes of over $1 million.
Artisom Lasouskii bagged $1,349,000 (including bounties) when he took down the $40,000 NLHE Mystery Bounty on his Triton debut, with Igor Yaroshevskyy helping himself to $1,172,000 (again, including bounties) in the $40,000 NLHE Bounty Quattro.
Spanish legend Adrian Mateos ($1,761,000), Alex Kulev ($2,566,000), and Christopher Frank ($2,008,910) also won seven-figure sums. However, the Montenegro stop belonged to Mikalai Vaskaboinikau who won $4,737,000 for his $125,000 NLHE Main Event victory, and Wiktor Malinowski who padded his ample bankroll with $4,789,000 after being the last player standing n the $200,000 NLHE 8-Max event.
| Event | Entrants | Prize Pool | Champion | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 - $25,000 NLHE GGMILLION$ Live | 163 | $4,075,000 | Chris Moneymaker | $903,000 |
| #2 - $25,000 NLHE 8-Max | 135 | $3,375,000 | Ni Liangace | $785,000 |
| #3 - $30,000 NLHE 8-Max | 154 | $4,620,000 | Mike Watson | $1,023,000 |
| #5 - $40,000 NLHE Mystery Bounty | 151 | $6,040,000 | Artsiom Lasouskii | $1,349,000* |
| #6 - $40,000 NLHE Bounty Quattro | 126 | $6,300,000 | Igor Yaroshevskyy | $1,172,000* |
| #7 - $50,000 NLHE 8-Max | 159 | $7,950,000 | Adrian Mateos | $1,761,000 |
| #8 - $100,000 NLHE 8-Max | 102 | $10,200,000 | Alex Kulev | $2,566,000 |
| #9 - $125,000 NLHE Main Event | 171 | $21,375,000 | Mikalai Vaskaboinikau | $4,737,000 |
| #10 - $50,000 NLHE Turbo 8-Max | 53 | $2,650,000 | Nick Petrangelo | $775,000 |
| #11 - $200,000 NLHE 8-Max | 93 | $18,600,000 | Wiktor Malinowski | $4,789,000 |
| #12 - $25,000 PLO | 82 | $2,050,000 | Samuli Sipila | $535,000 |
| #13 - $100,000 PLO Main Event | 83 | $8,300,000 | Christopher Frank | $2,008,910 |
| #15 - $50,000 PLO | 61 | $3,050,000 | Samuli Sipila | $839,000 |
| #16 - $30,000 PLO Quattro Bounty | 41 | $1,230,000 | Martin Dam | $530,000* |
*includes bounty payments
Monte Carlo was the next stop for the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series; the tour headed there in November and ran another 14 events. Monte Carlo is the home of high rollers, and this leg did not disappoint. Eleven events paid out over $1 million, with a trio awarding top prizes of over $4.3 million!
Poker's leading all-time money leader, Bryn Kenney, received $4,410,000 when he triumphed in the $125,000 NLHE Main Event. Vladimiar "Gambledore" Korzinin banked a cool $4,350,000 for his victory in the $150,000 NLHE 8-Max event. However, it was Patrik Antonius, fresh from his induction into the Poker Hall of Fame, that won the largest single sum. The Finnish superstar reeled in $5,130,000 for his $200,000 NLHE Triton Invitational victory.
| Event | Entrants | Prize Pool | Champion | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 - $25,000 NLHE WPT Global Ultimate Slam | 170 | $4,250,000 | Brian Kim | $941,000 |
| #2 - $30,000 NLHE 8-Max | 144 | $4,320,000 | Kayhan Roshanfekr | $1,005,000 |
| #3 - $40,000 NLHE Mystery Bounty | 155 | $6,200,000 | Roman Hrabec | $1,182,019* |
| #5 - $50,000 NLHE 8-Max | 147 | $7,350,000 | Alex Foxen | $1,470,000 |
| #6 - $100,000 NLHE 8-Max | 131 | $13,100,000 | Pieter Aerts | $2,234,587 |
| #7 - $30,000 NLHE Turbo Quattro Bounty | 105 | $3,160,000 | Artur Martirosian | $891,000* |
| #8 - $200,000 NLHE Triton Invitational | 102 | $20,400,000 | Patrik Antonius | $5,130,000 |
| #9 - $50,000 NLHE 7-Max | 125 | $6,250,000 | Jesse Lonis | $1,502,000 |
| #10 - $125,000 NLHE Main Event | 159 | $19,875,000 | Bryn Kenney | $4,410,000 |
| #11 - $60,000 NLHE Turbo | 61 | $3,660,000 | Igor Yaroshevskyy | $862,357 |
| #12 - $150,000 NLHE 8-Max | 121 | $18,150,000 | Vladimir Korzinin | $4,350,000 |
| #13 - $50,000 PLO 6-Max | 82 | $4,100,000 | Ben Tollerene | $1,070,000 |
| #15 - $100,000 PLO Main Event | 87 | $8,700,000 | Eelis Parssinen | $2,270,000 |
| #16 - $25,000 PLO Turbo Bounty Quattro | 75 | $1,875,000 | Artur Martirosian | $525,000* |
*includes bounty payments
Two more Triton Poker events rounded off an exceptional 2024, both running at the World Series of Poker Paradise (WSOPP). PokerStars' Alejandro Lococo was one of 96 entrants in the Triton Million, and he was the last player standing in this huge event. His reward? A life-changing $12,000,000!
Alex Foxen won the $100,000 NLHE Triton Main Event, taking home $3,850,000, after finishing sixth in the Triton Million for $2,795,000. The victory pushed Foxen's winnings north of $42.5 million, ranking him 15th overall in the all-time money list.
| Event | Entrants | Prize Pool | Champion | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500,000 NLHE Triton Million | 96 | $48,000,000 | Alejandro Lococo | $12,070,000 |
| $100,000 NLHE Triton Main Event | 149 | $14,500,000 | Alex Foxen | $3,850,000 |
Three Triton Poker stops are already confirmed for 2025. Currently, the tour heads to Jeju (February 26 to March 14), Budva in Montenegro (May 13-27), and back to Jeju (September 3-23) but PokerNewswould not be surprised to see more added throughout the next 12 months to capitalize on its hugely successful and popular format.
Image courtesy of Triton Poker and Tomas Stacha
