Triton Poker SHRS Montenegro: Rising Star Alex Kulev Celebrates Maiden Triton Victory With Family By His Side in Event #8: $100K NLH 8-Handed ($2,566,000)
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- Indrakshi Mukherjee May 21, 2024
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5 minutes Read
The vibrant coastal town of Budva, Montenegro, recently witnessed the coronation of a new poker king as Bulgaria’s Alex Kulev (cover image) etched his name in the annals of Triton Poker history. The young prodigy, who has rapidly transitioned from an online sensation to a live poker powerhouse, captured his first Triton title in Event #8: $100K NLH 8-Handed of the 2024 Triton Poker High Roller Series Montenegro, a monumental achievement that netted him a career-best $2.56 million and a place among the poker elite.
Kulev’s victory was a storybook ending, made even sweeter by the presence of his parents, who embarked on a six-hour journey to witness their son’s extraordinary feat just as the heads-up match leaned towards France’s Thomas Santerne.
“I’m a little bit overwhelmed, to be honest,” an emotional Kulev confessed after his victory. “This means a lot to me. To accomplish this in front of my family is very special to me. I will cherish this for a long time.”
Kulev’s meteoric rise to poker stardom is nothing short of remarkable. The 29-year-old Bulgarian, now based in Dublin, has already established himself as a dominant force in the online poker world. However, his recent triumph at the Triton Poker High Roller Series Montenegro marked a significant milestone in his career, cementing his status as a world-class live poker talent. This WSOP bracelet winner has quickly become a fixture on the Triton Series, a playground for the world’s best poker talents.
With this victory, Kulev’s live tournament earnings have soared to an impressive $13.21 Million, making him the top-ranked player on Bulgaria’s all-time money list. His sixth live title and second major win this year, following his PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo Event #10: NLHE Warm-Up victory in April, underscore his exceptional skill at the poker table.
After several close calls, Kulev finally snagged his first title and showed no signs of slowing down. “I won’t miss another one for a long time,” he declared.
Story of his incredible journey ⬇️https://t.co/mfjRQX0FwV
— Triton Poker (@tritonpoker) May 20, 2024
Thomas Santerne, who fought fiercely, earned $1.735 Million for his runner-up finish, cementing his reputation as a poker force to be reckoned with at just 25 years old.
The $100K buy-in Event #8 was the first six-figure buy-in tournament of the festival, drawing a field of 102 of the world’s most accomplished poker players. The two-day event generated a prize pool exceeding $10 Million, creating a high-stakes battleground where fortunes were made and dreams were shattered, especially as the bubble loomed.
Legends like Sean Winter (10th for $209,000), Stephen Chidwick (11th for $209,000), Wiktor Malinowski (12th for $184,000), Masashi Oya (13th for $184,000), Nacho Barbero (14th for $168,000), Brian Kim (15th for $168,000), Seth Davies (16th for $160,000), and Ben Heath (17th for $160,000) battled valiantly but ultimately fell short of the final table.
Final Table for Event #8 $100K NLH. With the first six-figure buy-in at Triton Poker SHRS Montenegro 2024, all eyes are on the jaw-dropping $2,566,000 first-place payout. The tension in the air is palpable as these competitors play down to a winner.
Join 🇭🇰 @DannyTang2, 🇨🇳 Xu… pic.twitter.com/EYLjISC3jB
— Triton Poker (@tritonpoker) May 19, 2024
Final Table Chip Counts
- Danny Tang – 3,775,000 (76 BBs)
- Xu Liang – 3,695,000 (74 BBs)
- Dan Dvoress – 3,290,000 (66 BBs)
- Alex Kulev – 2,757,000 (52 BBs)
- Thomas Santerne – 2,170,000 (43 BBs)
- Dylan Linde – 1,905,000 (38 BBs)
- Maher Nouira – 1,300,000 (26 BBs)
- Bryn Kenney – 1,195,000 (24 BBs)
- Aleks Ponakovs – 500,000 (10 BBs)
Final Table Recap
The final table was a dazzling mix of poker elites and Triton newcomers, with some seasoned players chasing their breakthrough moment.
Leading the all-time Triton Series money list, Bryn Kenney was back in the spotlight. However, his stay was short-lived. Kenney doubled through Danny Tang with pocket nines, but his queens soon met Tang’s kings, ending his run in ninth place.
Aleks Ponakovs, with 14 cashes and over $8 Million in prize money, still seeks his first Triton title. Despite his efforts, his short stack couldn’t convert to a deep finish. Ponakovs went all-in with against Dylan Linde’s pocket jacks but fell short, exiting in eighth place.
This final table saw many deep stacks, with an average stack nearing 40 big blinds, allowing for strategic manoeuvres. Maher Nouira doubled through Dylan Linde, who struggled to stay afloat. Linde’s final stand with couldn’t hold against Liang’s , sending him out in seventh place.
Daniel Dvoress, Super High Roller Series Europe 2022 Event #6: $50K NLHE champ, met his end soon after. He opened with , faced a three-bet from Thomas Santerne, and jammed for 20 BBs. Santerne’s pocket queens held strong, and Dvoress finished in sixth place.
Santerne briefly reclaimed the chip lead until Alex Kulev doubled through Tang with pocket aces against Tang’s jacks. Danny Tang‘s queens fell to Kulev’s ace-king with an ace on the flop, sealing Tang’s fate. Tang, the Triton Player of the Year frontrunner, finished fifth, adding valuable points to his tally.
With no previous Triton titles among the final four, a new champion was inevitable. Maher Nouira picked up pocket queens but ran into Thomas Santerne’s pocket aces, finishing fourth for $933,000, nine times his combined total Triton Series winnings to date.
The final three were guaranteed seven-figure payouts. Thomas Santerne and Alex Kulev were neck-and-neck, with Xu Liang holding about half their chips. As luck would have it, Liang’s pocket sevens couldn’t withstand Kulev’s , with two kings on the flop sealing Liang’s third-place finish.
As heads-up play began, Alex Kulev and Thomas Santerne were almost evenly matched, with Kulev holding 10.25 Million chips (68 BBs) and Santerne 10.15 Million (68 BBs). Santerne initially took the lead through a series of pots without a showdown, but Kulev’s pocket queens doubled him back into contention.
With momentum on his side and his parents cheering him on, Kulev surged ahead. He won a crucial pot with against , and the final hand saw Santerne’s pocket sevens fall to Kulev’s . A ten on the flop and another on the turn secured Kulev’s victory.
With his family watching anxiously, Kulev claimed the Event #8 champion title. Fellow champion Adrian Mateos (Event #7 $50K 8-Handed) congratulated him, marking the end of a memorable tournament.
Final Table Results (USD)
- Alex Kulev – $2,566,000
- Thomas Santerne – $1,735,000
- Xu Liang – $1,127,000
- Maher Nouira – $933,000
- Danny Tang – $752,000
- Daniel Dvoress – $594,000
- Dylan Linde – $454,000
- Aleksejs Poankovs – $342,000
- Bryn Kenney – $255,000
Content & Images Courtesy: Triton Poker
Images by Joe Giron/Poker Photo Archive
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