Pure Poker Tour Heads to Yellowhead This September
12 Sep 2026Read More
Triton Poker Jeju II: Padilha, Anton and Simao Claim Latest Titles
- Joao Simao wins record $200K Triton Invitational for $7.25M
- Pedro Padilha takes $50K NLH; Alex Anton wins $30K Turbo
- Jeju II event saw massive fields and stacked final tables
Alex Anton, Pedro Padilha and Joao Simao captured the latest Triton Poker Jeju II titles. Anton won the $30K NLH Turbo, Padilha took the $50K NLH, and Simao claimed the record $200K Triton Invitational for $7.25 million at Jeju II.
Pedro Padilha, Alex Anton and Joao Simao have emerged as the latest champions at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Jeju II.
Padilha won the $50,000 NLH event, defeating Nick Petrangelo heads-up. Anton followed with his first Triton title in the $30K NLH Turbo, overcoming Artur Martirosian. Simao then captured the $200,000 Triton Invitational for $7.25 million.
Pedro Padilha became the fourth player from Brazil to win a Triton Poker Super High Roller Series title in Jeju after taking down the $50,000 NLH event.
The tournament attracted 129 entries and created a $6.45 million prize pool. Padilha defeated Nick Petrangelo heads-up for $1,400,860 after the pair agreed to an ICM chop and left $50,000 to play for the title.
The victory came after Padilha finished runner-up to Aleks Ponakovs in the $100K Triton Main Event in the Bahamas in 2025.
Padilha was 39 at the time of the victory and had built his poker background through online poker in Brazil before expanding his live tournament schedule. Petrangelo finished second for $1,201,140.
Padilha Outlasts a Strong Final Table
The final table included several previous Jeju II champions. Alex Boika and Kiat Lee were among the final nine, alongside Phil Ivey, Petrangelo, Eelis Parssinen, Sasaki Yoko, Aren Bezhanyan and Wang Yang.
Kiat Lee was seeking to become the first player to win consecutive Triton events, but finished sixth for $361,000.
Alex Boika took third for $697,000 after his attempt to win a second title in three days ended against Padilha.
Padilha entered heads-up play with a 35-big-blind to 17-big-blind advantage. The players then agreed the ICM deal, leaving $50,000 to be played for the title, with Padilha winning the final pot.
Alex Anton Claims First Triton Poker Title
Alex Anton became the next Jeju II champion, winning the $30K NLH Turbo for $577,000. The September 11 event attracted exactly 70 entries and generated a $2.1 million prize pool. Anton defeated reigning Triton Player of the Year Artur Martirosian heads-up after a final table defined by extremely short stacks.
The 25-year-old American had previously played Triton events earlier in the year, primarily competing in Triton ONE in Jeju and entering two smaller Super High Roller Series events. During the current trip, he had already reached a final table in the $40K Mystery Bounty.
His final table opponents included Stephen Chidwick, Adrian Mateos, Martirosian, Mikita Badziakouski, Alisson Piekazewicz, Winfred Yu, Byron Kaverman and Chen Mingcong.
Short Stacks Define the $30K Turbo
The rapid structure saw the average stack fall to just six big blinds. Chen Mingcong finished ninth for $60,000, followed by Winfred Yu in eighth for $79,000. Five-time Triton champion Mikita Badziakouski took seventh for $101,000.
Byron Kaverman finished sixth for $128,000, while Adrian Mateos took fifth for $164,000. Stephen Chidwick then finished fourth for $207,000.
Alisson Piekazewicz completed a notable comeback by reaching third after previously falling below one big blind. He earned $269,000.
Anton and Martirosian began heads-up play with 16 and 12 big blinds respectively. The lead changed hands repeatedly before Anton secured the championship.
Anton held K-6 in the deciding hand and defeated Martirosian's hand to claim his first Triton title.
The victory made Anton the second player born in the 21st century to win on the Triton Poker Series. He was 25 at the time and was due to turn 26 in November.
Joao Simao Wins Record Triton Invitational
Joao Simao then won the biggest Triton Invitational field ever assembled for a $200,000 event.
Simao defeated Ding Biao heads-up to collect $7.25 million.
It was his second Triton title after his $3 million victory in the Bahamas in December 2025, taking his lifetime Triton earnings past $13 million.
The Invitational attracted 173 entries and generated a $34.6 million prize pool, with 120 unique players before re-entries were counted.
The event used Triton's format in which elite professionals are invited to participate by players from the recreational side of the field. Simao's official Invitee was Winfred Yu, who finished sixth.
Simao Completes the Comeback Against Ding Biao
The field had surpassed the previous record of 48 pairings from Montenegro in May, with registration eventually reaching 60 pairings. That produced 120 unique players and a $24 million prize pool before re-entries.
The final field reached 173 entries, with 31 places paid and $7.25 million reserved for the winner.
Phil Ivey, Dan Dvoress, Nick Petrangelo, Paul Phua and Richard Yong were among those who failed to reach the money.
Simao reached the final stages alongside Ding Biao, Seth Davies and Wang Yang. Davies finished third for $3.47 million, Wang Yang took fourth and Winfred Yu finished sixth.
Heads-up began with Simao holding 66 big blinds and Ding 38. The players discussed a potential deal but could not reach an agreement, continuing to play for the $7.25 million first prize and $4.94 million second-place payout.
Ding initially moved ahead, reaching 71 big blinds while Simao had 15. Simao survived two all-in situations that resulted in split pots before starting his comeback.
After a tournament break, Simao built a 41-big-blind to 11-big-blind lead. He then found pocket kings
against Ding's top pair and collected the remaining chips to secure the title. Ding Biao finished runner-up for $4.94 million.
Ossi “Monarch” Ketola Defeats Patrik Antonius in Record $20M Poker Match
Ossi “Monarch” Ketola defeated Poker Hall of Famer Patrik Antonius in a record $20 million heads-up poker match at Triton Jeju II. Both players entered with $10 million, creating the largest single-match defeat in livestream poker history for Antonius.
Ketola built momentum through aggressive play and several major bluffs before completing a straight flush against Antonius.
The Finnish high-stakes player ultimately secured the match after Antonius lost a final preflop all-in with AKsuited against Ketola’s KJs, with a turn J giving Ketola the winning hand. The result added another major chapter to Ketola’s high-stakes heads-up poker career.
Upcoming Events
14 September 2026
WPT Australia 2026 Poker
Cards in the Air in Sydney: WPT Australia 2026 Announces Massive Three-Week Schedule
Unibet Open Marrakech Poker
Unibet Open Marrakech 2026 Set to Ignite Eleven-Day Autumn Poker Festival
Malta Poker Festival Autumn Edition Poker
Massive €3 Million Prize Pool Guaranteed for Autumn Edition of Malta Poker Festival
WSOP Circuit Playground November 2026 Poker
WSOP November Circuit Stop at Playground Kicks Off on November 2
APT Championship Taipei 2026 Poker
APT Championship 2026 to Feature 210 Tournaments and Massive Guarantees
30 October 2026
Poker EventsStarts in
Latest News
-
Pure Poker Tour 2026 -
CoinPoker GOPCCoinPoker GOPC 2026: $50M Online Poker Championship15 Aug 2026Read More
-
888poker freerollA $300 GTD Freebuy Lands on the 888poker Schedule10 Sep 2026Read More
-
WPT Australia 2026Cards in the Air in Sydney: WPT Australia 2026 Announces Massive Three-Week Schedule21 May 2026Read More
-
No Entry FeeGrind in Stake Poker's $250 GTD Freebuy3 hours agoRead More
