3-Bet: Daniel Thaller, Gytis Lazauninkas & Xiaoqing Ji Win Live Titles!

From the chandelier-lit ballrooms of Cyprus to the turbo-charged grind in Jeju, this 3-Bet edition captures three standout runs that delivered the kind of poker drama we live for — career-best scores, high-stakes glory, and a fairytale freeroll finish.

First up, under the glittering lights of the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa, Austria’s Daniel Thaller (cover image – left) pulled off the biggest win of his poker life in the $5,300 Mediterranean Poker Party Main Event. The unassuming Austrian outlasted a world-class 1,196-entry field and stayed composed through four starting flights and three intense days of action to lock up a massive $786,670 payday — a new career high — and putting him firmly on the international poker map.

Meanwhile, in the swanky Onyx High Roller Room, Lithuania’s Gytis Lazauninkas (cover image – right top) was busy slaying giants in the $10,400 High Roller. The two-day battle drew 149 entries and some of the sharpest minds in the game, but Lazauninkas held strong. He entered a four-way ICM deal as chip leader, guaranteeing himself a personal-best $227,085, and then closed it out with a clean flip win to officially claim the title. After a string of deep runs, this one was overdue — and oh-so-sweet.

And flying east to South Korea, Xiaoqing Ji (cover image – right bottom) pulled off what may be the rarest feat in live poker: turning nothing into six figures. Ji freerolled his way into the $600K GTD TLPT Jeju Opening Event and proceeded to outlast 445 opponents in the turbo-format shootout. After a tough Red Dragon series just weeks earlier, this was the comeback story of the festival. The result? $100,000, a TLPT trophy, and a reminder that all it takes is one shot — and Ji took it all the way.

From Cyprus With a Crown – Daniel Thaller Wins $786,670 in the MPP $5,300 Main Event

Cyprus has always been a destination for sun, sea, and high-stakes poker — and this past week, the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa once again delivered the goods with the Mediterranean Poker Party’s $5,300 Main Event. While the field brimmed with big-name crushers and familiar faces from the international circuit, it was Austria’s Daniel Thaller who quietly carved out the run of his career, walking away with a life-changing $786,670 and the spotlight on one of the most glamorous poker stages of the year.

For a player better known in Central European mid-stakes and cash game circles, Thaller’s ascent to the top wasn’t just unexpected — it was layered with patience, timing, and a late-tournament surge that saw him hit his stride when it mattered most.

The Main Event was spread across four starting flights — three regular and one turbo — and pulled in a hefty 1,196 entries. Day 1A set the pace with 227 entries, and it was Armenia’s Aren Bezhanyan who ended that flight on top. Day 1B belonged to Russia, with Dmitry Kataev and Viktor Mukhin stacking up big. Day 1C was topped by Ryhor Karapanau, while the turbo flight on Day 1D offered late registrants one final shot at making Day 2.

The combined Day 2 field brought together 346 hopefuls, including heavy hitters like Hossein Ensan, Daniel Smiljkovic, and Niall Farrell. As the bubble approached, stacks fluctuated and emotions ran high. It was Arsen Grigoryan who left empty-handed in the most painful fashion — his pocket jacks beaten by a rivered two pair that sent him out as the bubble boy.

With the bubble burst, 175 players locked up a minimum payday of $8,500. The chip lead changed hands frequently, but by the end of the day, it was Dmitry Kataev leading the charge with a 15.63 Million stack, overtaking Bezhanyan and Moshe Ory Refaelowitz. Sam Trickett, in the hunt for his first major score in years, managed to double up near the bubble with pocket kings and ended the day with 6.44 Million in chips.

Not everyone made it through. Several well-known names bowed out with smaller cashes, including Patrick Kallas (102nd for $8,500), EPT champ Ognyan Dimov (103rd for $9,500), and Indian pro and former EPT champion Ankit Ahuja (1115th for $9,500; ~₹8.12 Lakhs). On the flip side, WSOP Main Event winner Alexandros Kolonias, defending champion Azamat Lamkov, and the $1,100 Mystery Bounty champion Alex Goulder all found bags and returned for Day 3.

For Thaller, the earlier days hadn’t gone according to plan. In an interview, Thaller revealed that Day 2 went slow for him and he struggled to gain momentum. But from Day 3 onwards, there was a shift in tempo that made all the difference.

That shift in tempo made all the difference. Day 3 began with 96 players left, and the pace only picked up from there. One elimination followed another as the field thinned rapidly. Romania’s Razvan Sabau emerged as the final table chip leader, bagging 66 Million, followed closely by Italo Modena and Timothy Chung. Milad Oghabian Langar, Andreas Mavromoustakis, and Thaller also secured final table seats, with Dawid Smolka eliminating Daniel Heredi in 10th place ($51,500) to officially lock in the nine-handed finale.

The list of Day 3 casualties included several big names. Sam Trickett’s deep run came to an end in 34th place ($25,000), while WSOP bracelet winner Anthony Spinella exited in 41st ($21,500). Russia’s Natalia Nikitina, a force throughout the series, bowed out in 56th for $18,000.

By the time the final table was set, over $3 million remained up for grabs — and the pressure was real.

Thaller, who had spent much of the early tournament playing from behind, now found himself in prime position. A tense final table led to a three-way deal between him, Timothy Chung, and Cyprus’ Andreas Mavromoustakis. The agreement locked in the largest payout for Thaller, giving him the lion’s share of the prize pool along with his first international live title and a moment that may very well reshape the trajectory of his poker career.

You can watch the final table replay below.

Final Table Recap

Nine players, one crown. The final table of the 2025 Mediterranean Poker Party Main Event was stacked with potential — but it was Austria’s Daniel Thaller who took the slow burn route to glory, dismantling his opponents one by one to capture the biggest payday of his career.

The action kicked off with Italy’s Italo Modena looking to turn things around after an early laydown with pocket queens. But momentum never swung back his way. Short-stacked and looking for a spot, he jammed from the hijack with , only to run straight into Timothy Chung’s in the small blind. The board gave both players top pair, but Chung’s kicker played, and Modena hit the rail in ninth.

Chung wasn’t done dealing damage. Not long after, Hassanin Hashim open-shoved from the hijack with , and Chung instantly called from the small blind with . The board was clean for the eights, sending Hashim out in eighth.

Next to fall was Milad Oghabian Langar. With just over 13 million behind, he shoved over Chung’s early position raise holding . Chung snapped him off with , and the flop couldn’t have been worse for Langar — . Trips for Chung left Langar nearly dead, and the turn and river brought no help. Langar exited in seventh.

Poland’s Dawid Smolka was next on the chopping block. Chung opened from the cutoff with , and Smolka, holding , jammed his final 24.3 Million from the big blind. The board came , giving Chung top pair and punching Smolka’s sixth-place ticket.

Garik Tamasian’s journey ended in fifth. Sitting on a short stack, he shoved from the button with , only to be looked up by Andreas Mavromoustakis in the big blind with . The flop offered Tamasian straight and flush draw possibilities, but the turn and river didn’t cooperate. The nines held, and Tamasian was gone.

Then came one of the wildest swings of the night. Razvan Sabau, who’d come in as the chip leader, made an aggressive move from the button with , jamming into Mavromoustakis’ . Sabau looked golden on the flop — trip nines in full control. The turn meant only a ten on the river would eliminate Sabau. A on the river completed a gutshot straight for Mavromoustakis, flipping the script and sending Sabau out in fourth in brutal fashion.

With three left and millions still in play, the trio agreed to a deal to smooth out the payouts, leaving the title and the trophy still on the line.

Then came the hand that turned everything on its head. On a board of , Andreas Mavromoustakis led out with top two pair holding , but Thaller — sitting on — had turned a set. He flatted the bet, then called a massive shove. The river was irrelevant. Thaller doubled through, vaulting into a commanding chip lead, while Mavromoustakis was left nursing scraps.

Moments later, the Cypriot local shoved his final 34.6 Million with , and Thaller called from the big blind with . The runout gave Thaller middle pair and sealed Mavromoustakis’ exit in third.

Heads-up began with Thaller holding a near 2:1 chip lead over Timothy Chung. The duo traded pots for a while, but Thaller soon widened the gap with a subtle trap. He flopped bottom pair and a flush draw holding on a board. Chung, with , floated the flop but couldn’t catch up. Thaller took it down at showdown and tightened his grip.

The final hand came soon after. Chung limped the button with , and Thaller moved all in with . Chung made the call for his last 84 million. The flop ran — top pair for Thaller. The completed the board.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Daniel Thaller – $786,670*
2. Timothy Chung – $637,250*
3. Andreas Mavromoustakis – $651,080*
4. Razvan Sabau – $316,000
5. Garik Tamasian – $229,000
6. Dawid Smolka – $162,000
7. Milad Oghabian Langar – $113,000
8. Hassanin Hashim – $80,100
9. Italo Modena – $63,000

*denotes a 3-way deal

Gytis Lazauninkas Tops Stacked Field to Win $10,400 Onyx High Roller for $227K at MPP 2025

Gytis Lazauninkas stepped into the spotlight at the 2025 Mediterranean Poker Party, capturing the biggest win of his poker career in the $10,400 Onyx High Roller. After two days of high-pressure play at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa, the Lithuanian pro came out on top of a fiercely competitive 77-entry field, pocketing a career-best $227,085 following a four-way deal.

GYTIS LAZAUNINKAS – ONYX HIGH ROLLER CHAMPION

The two-day $10.400 #HighRoller Onyx tournament has come to an end.
A total of 149 players entered the event and the winner is GYTIS LAZAUNINKAS!

Following a 4-way deal, Gytis secured $227.085. The trophy was decided with a flip!… pic.twitter.com/wVKaUI411C

— Merit Poker (@meritpokerlive) May 13, 2025

For Lazauninkas, the win wasn’t just about the payday. In a field brimming with high-stakes talent, the victory was a statement. From navigating the minefield of elite competition to claiming the trophy, his performance was a blend of patience, precision, and perfectly timed aggression.

The $10,400 Onyx High Roller kicked off with a bang, attracting 149 total entries—well past the $1 Million guaranteed prize pool. After 12 levels of intense play, just 35 players remained in contention for the title.

Topping the overnight chip counts was Russia’s Konstantin Voronin, who bagged 4.625 Million—his second time ending Day 1 as chip leader at MPP. Hot on his heels was Belarus’ Maksim Shornikau (4.23 Million ), followed by Vedat Yilmaz (3.83 Million) and Aren Bezhanyan (3.78 Million), who had just wrapped up a deep run in the Main Event.

The day wasn’t kind to everyone. Several heavyweights fell short, including WSOP bracelet winner Keith Lehr, former EPT champ Niall Farrell, PokerOK CEO Ivan Bryksin, India’s Ankit Ahuja, and France’s Maxime Chilaud. But many others—Mikalai Vaskaboinikau, Alessio Isaia, and Jessica Teusl, among them—made it through, keeping the Day 2 field filled with proven crushers.

Day 2 resumed with 35 players eyeing a slice of the $1,430,400 prize pool. But with only 23 spots paid, the early action was tense. The bubble burst in brutal fashion for Ami Barer, whose pocket tens got cracked by an ace-high hand that connected with the flop, ending his run as the last player to walk away empty-handed.

Once in the money, eliminations came quickly. The likes of Andrey Pateychuk (20th for $17,500), and Roman Stoika (19th for $17,500) were among the first to fall. Lazauninkas started building momentum around this phase, first knocking out Ravil Khamatgareev (21st for $17,500), then winning a critical flip against Nichan Khorchidian—his pocket nines holding up against ace-six—to shoot into the chip lead.

Meanwhile, Italy’s Alessio Isaia went on an elimination spree. He took out Natan Chauskin (18th for $20,000), Aren Bezhanyan (12th for $27,000), and Nikita Kalinin—the 2024 Onyx High Roller finalist—who bubbled the final table in ninth place for $32,900. Kalinin’s run came to a frustrating end when Isaia’s ace-nine outdrew his pocket tens in a coin-flip showdown.

The final table was set with eight battle-tested contenders, each guaranteed at least $40,000. Konstantin Voronin, the Day 1 chip leader, remained in the mix, as did Khorchidian and Yiannis Liperis, both of whom had consistently built stacks throughout Day 2.

Final Table Recap

The final eight had barely settled in when the first casualty struck. Vedat Yilmaz, short-stacked but swinging, jammed his last 3.5 million from the cutoff with . Gytis Lazauninkas didn’t hesitate — he looked down at in the big blind and made the snap-call. The board rolled out , teasing Yilmaz with a gutshot and a few chop outs. But it wasn’t to be. Yilmaz was out in eighth place.

Ramzi Karam followed next, falling in seventh. Lazauninkas opened to 600K, and Karam shoved for 2.75 Million with , only to get looked up by Konstantin Voronin in the small blind with . The flop looked good for the jacks. The on the turn didn’t shift the needle. But the on the river? That ace cut like a blade, ending Karam’s deep run.

Then came a classic cooler. Oshri Lahmani got it all in preflop after Lazauninkas opened to 1 Million. Lahmani jammed for 6.7 Million holding , and Lazauninkas snap-called with the nuclear . The board — — offered no escape. Lahmani was drawing dead by the turn and had to settle for sixth place.

Konstantin Voronin, the Day 1 chip boss, was down to fumes and couldn’t dodge the inevitable. Forced all-in from the big blind with , he found himself up against Yiannis Liperis, who raised it up and flipped over . The runout — — gave Liperis a boat, sending Voronin out in fifth.

With four left, the table paused for deal discussions. Lazauninkas wanted $30K more than the ICM number, but the rest weren’t buying it. Shortly after, he doubled up Alessio Isaia, and the chip stacks started to even out. That was enough for Lazauninkas to shift gears — the four eventually shook on a straight ICM chop, each locking up a six-figure payday.

The trophy, though? That would be settled the old-fashioned way — a flip.

Here’s how the final hand stacked up:

Gytis Lazauninkas

Alessio Isaia

Yiannis Liperis

Nichan Khorchidian

The dealer fanned out , and just like that —Lazauninkas’ spiked trips to seal the deal.

With that river nine, Gytis Lazauninkas clinched his first title at a Merit event, claimed the crown, and walked away with $227,085 — his biggest live score yet, and a moment he’ll never forget.

Final Table Results

1. Gytis Lazauninkas – $227,085*
2. Nichan Khorchidian – $189,963*
3. Yiannis Liperis – $216,084*
4. Alessio Isaia – $226,858*
5. Konstantin Voronin – $85,000
6. Oshri Lahmani – $65,000
7. Ramzi Karam – $50,000
8. Vedat Yilmaz – $40,000

*denotes four-way ICM deal.

From Freeroll to Fortune: Xiaoqing Ji Turns Zero Into $100K at TLPT Jeju Opener

Poker doesn’t always start with a buy-in. Sometimes, it just takes a seat—and a lot of heart. That’s the story of China’s Xiaoqing Ji, who pulled off one of the most memorable runs at the inaugural The Lord Poker Tournament (TLPT) Jeju series, turning a freeroll entry into a commanding $100,000 payday.

Ji, a familiar face on the Asian circuit, topped a 446-player field in the turbo-paced TLPT Opening Event, a $600,000 GTD freeroll hosted at the stunning Landing Casino in Jeju. The series opener set the tone with its rapid-fire structure and dramatic shifts, but it was Ji who dictated the tempo when it mattered most.

With a brisk 11-hour run from start to finish, the event wasted no time separating contenders from the crowd. By the time the final nine were locked in, Ji sat on top with 1.375 Million in chips, with Jiawei Yuan close behind at 1.265 Million.

The money bubble burst before dinner, and then things moved quickly. Notable names fell along the way—Christian Harder was ousted in 16th for $5,000 after his ace-king couldn’t hold in a flip. Taiwanese pro Nevan Chang bowed out in 51st ($3,300), while high-stakes regular Quan Zhou made a deep run before busting in 71st ($3,100).

Ji’s momentum never dipped. He closed out Day 1 by knocking out “Yoyo” on the final table bubble, giving him the final table chip lead and the perfect setup for a clean run through the finish line. With short stacks everywhere and the pay jumps growing larger by the minute, Ji kept his cool and controlled the pace like a seasoned pro.

The TLPT series couldn’t have asked for a more dramatic kickoff. And Ji? He didn’t just win the first title—he made it look effortless, turning a $0 start into a six-figure story that’s bound to inspire the poker dreamers still waiting for their shot.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Xiaqing Ji – 1,375,000
2. Jiawei Yuan – 1,265,000
3. Jia Wang – 895,000
4. Yang Chen – 785,000
5. Xinyuan Yang – 610,000
6. Jiaman Sun – 580,000
7. Jinsui Fan – 500,000
8. Yawen Ren – 460,000
9. Xiaoyan Xu – 190,000

Final Table Recap

The final table of the TLPT Jeju Opening Event had no shortage of fireworks—and Xiaoqing Ji lit most of the fuses himself.

The first to fall was Xiaoyan Xu, who moved all-in with her final 190,000 holding , only to run into Ji’s . The board gave Ji a rivered pair, sending Xu out in ninth.

Not long after, Yawen Ren headed to the rail in eighth. She jammed with over an open from Xinyuan Yang, who snap-called with . The board offered no help, and Ren’s run was over.

Jia Wang hit the door in seventh. Ji opened, Wang jammed for less than 300K with , and Ji looked her up with . The queens stood tall on a runout.

In sixth place was Jiaman Sun, who ran headfirst into a cooler. She shoved with but got looked up by Jinsui Fan with . The board ran , giving Fan top pair and leaving Sun on the sidelines.

Coming back from break, Xinyuan Yang wasted no time shoving with , but ran into Fan’s . The board gave Fan two pair, and Yang was done in fifth.

In fourth place, Yang Chen walked into a wall. He jammed with , only to get snapped off by Ji’s . The board changed nothing—Chen was out, and Ji padded his stack further.

Then came the hand that flipped the script. Ji opened with , and Jiawei Yuan moved in with . Ji tank-called, and the board kept the sevens ahead. That pot gave Ji a massive double and knocked Yuan down to fumes.

A few hands later, Yuan took a stand with , but Fan had . The board gave Fan the better two pair, and Yuan was out in third.

Heads-up began with Ji holding a strong chip lead against Jinsui Fan—and he wasted no time widening the gap. In one of the boldest plays of the match, Ji ran a triple-barrel bluff with just on a king-high board. Fan folded, and Ji stretched his advantage to 3:1.

The final hand was a clean finish. Ji jammed with , and Fan called with . The board ran out , sealing the deal for Ji and wrapping up his jaw-dropping freeroll-to-$100K triumph as the first-ever TLPT champion.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Xiaqing Ji – $100,000
2. Jinsui Fan – $78,000
3. Jiawei Yuan – $54,000
4. Yang Chen – $37,000
5. Xinyuan Yang – $27,000
6. Jiaman Sun – $19,000
7. Jia Wang – $14,000
8. Yawen Ren – $11,100
9. Xiaoyan Xu – $8,000