The second event of Triton Poker‘s Super High Roller Series in Montenegro saw a new name get their breakout moment on the iconic black and gold tables, as Andy Ni reigned supreme over a field of poker’s bright talents in Event #2: $25K NLH 8-Handed.
Ni, a self-confessed recreational player, sealed the triumph in unprecedented fashion on the Triton felt, holding out in a three-way all-in to down Nicolas Chouity and Chris Brewer. This victory not only earned him his first Triton trophy but also a substantial prize of $785,000. This impressive performance is even more notable, considering it was only Ni’s second time attending a Triton festival.
Reflecting on his success, Ni admitted that fortune played a significant role in his journey, citing several key moments where luck was on his side, including hitting critical three and two outers en route to the final table.
Overall, the event saw 135 entries, creating a $3,375,000 prize pool that was shared among the top 23 players. Notables who saw a return on investment but fell before the final hurdle included Steve O’Dwyer (17th, $47,300), Nick Petrangelo (14th, $52,300) and Patrik Antonius (12th, $57,500).
Event #2: $25K NLH 8-Handed Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andy Ni | China | $785,000 |
| 2 | Nicolas Chouity | Lebanon | $531,000 |
| 3 | Chris Brewer | United States | $354,000 |
| 4 | Aram Sargsyan | Armenia | $290,000 |
| 5 | Viacheslav Buldygin | Russia | $233,000 |
| 6 | Danny Tang | Hong Kong | $180,500 |
| 7 | Nacho Barbero | Argentina | $133,600 |
| 8 | Alex Kulev | Bulgaria | $98,500 |
Click here to see a full list of payouts.
Ni, Chouity and Brewer Battle for the Title
After the eliminations of Paulius Vaitiekunas (10th, $72,150) and Ben Heath (9th, $72,150), the remaining eight players convened around the final table, where Ni maintained his start-of-day chip lead.
Early on, the eventual champion widened the gap between his closest rivals after picking up aces to see off Alex Kulev, who held ace-queen suited. Kulev booked his 11th Triton cash, and his $98,500 prize took his Triton earnings over the $2.6 million mark.
The Bulgarian prodigy only recorded his first-ever live score in 2018 which came in a €60 buy-in, a far cry away from the stakes he’s now usually found at. Since then, he’s been on a meteoric rise and already sits atop his country’s All-Time Money List, dethroning veteran grinder Dimitar Danchev.
Another preflop cooler was the main ingredient for the next departure. This time, it was Brewer’s turn to pick up pocket rockets, and they remained best against Nacho Barbero‘s Big Slick. The latter picked up another six-figure cash and followed the $1,156,770 payout he received for taking down the €50K Super High Roller at EPT Monte Carlo.
Chouity started getting into the mix, picking up several modest pots to stay on an upward trajectory before increasing his chances of a first Triton title after flipping out Danny Tang in sixth place for $180,500.
Short stacks Viacheslav Buldygin (5th, $233,000) and Aram Sargsyan (6th, $290,000) quickly made way, leaving Ni, Chouity, and Brewer to duke it out for the winner’s spoils.
The trio traded chips back and forth and jostled for the chip lead that was ever-changing, so it was fitting that the tournament ended in a bang, where all three players had their stacks committed.
Brewer opened with a virtual all-in, having less than a big blind behind. Ni jammed as the bigger stack before Chouity called off in the big blind. Brewer was facing a huge ICM decision, as he was the player with the fewest chips.
Third-place paid out $354,000, with the next pay jump being $531,000. Should Brewer fold and Ni win, the American would guarantee himself essentially another $200K, but he opted to put in his last chip, a decision that would prove to be costly in the end.
Chris Brewer: A♣8♠
Nicolas Chouity: A♠10♦
Andy Ni: A♥J♣
Brewer and Chouity were dominated and failed to connect on the runout for Ni to be confirmed as the champion.
Czech Mate: Roman Hrabec Wins Biggest Ever $100K Tournament at Triton Poker Jeju ($4.33M)
What’s Next in Montenegro?
Another poker superstar will soon taste poker glory as Event #3: $30,000 NLHE wraps up its proceedings later today. Poker fans can stay tuned to all the action on Triton Poker’s YouTube channel, which starts its cards-up coverage at 1 p.m. BST.
Wai Kiat Lee leads the pack of 25 survivors, and has more than double the stack of his nearest competitor. WSOP Main Event champion Hossein Ensan is also one of the chip leaders.
The tournament is already in the money, with the remaining field locking up paydays of at least $46,200. The first seven-figure first-place prize of the series is up for grabs as $ 1,023,000 awaits the winner.
Event #3: $30,000 NLHE Top 10 Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wai Kiat Lee | Malaysia | 5,710,000 | 95 |
| 2 | Biao Ding | China | 2,610,000 | 44 |
| 3 | Mike Watson | Canada | 1,975,000 | 33 |
| 4 | Hossein Ensan | Germany | 1,870,000 | 31 |
| 5 | Stephen Chidwick | United Kingdom | 1,680,000 | 28 |
| 6 | Dylan Weisman | United States | 1,580,000 | 26 |
| 7 | Daniel Rezaei | Austria | 1,375,000 | 23 |
| 8 | Morten Klein | Norway | 1,200,000 | 20 |
| 9 | David Yan | New Zealand | 1,175,000 | 20 |
| 10 | Justin Saliba | United States | 1,165,000 | 19 |
Remaining Schedule
Photography by Joe Giron/Poker Photo Archive
Editor & Live Reporter
Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum’s proudest poker achievement is winning the only tournament he has ever played in Las Vegas, the prestigious $60 Flamingo evening event.
