Adrian Mateos Wins $200K Triton Invitational for $6.37 Million as Record 137 Players Battle in Montenegro
Spanish poker legend Adrian Mateos won the $200,000 Triton Invitational — the marquee event of the Triton Super High Roller Series (SHRS) Montenegro — on May 21, banking $6,370,000. Held at the Maestral Resort & Casino in Budva, this year's Invitational drew 137 entries, the largest field in Triton Invitational history, and its $27,400,000 prize pool ranked as the fifth-largest in Triton history. Malaysia's Kiat Lee carried the flag for Asia, finishing seventh at the final table.
A Unique Format: Invitees Paired with Pros
The Triton Invitational is a one-of-a-kind event in which specially invited wealthy amateurs (Invitees) compete in the same field alongside the elite professionals they each select as partners. Despite the $200,000 buy-in, it is regarded as the biggest draw of every Triton season. This year's 137 entries set a new all-time record, and the $6,370,000 top prize ranks among the largest first-place payouts in the history of tournament poker. The event is also a season highlight that global stars such as Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Hellmuth confirm their participation in year after year.
Kiat Lee Flies the Asian Flag in Seventh
Day 2 began with 12 players, and Tunisia's Maher Nouira held the starting chip lead. The only Asian player to reach the final table was Malaysia's Kiat Lee, who busted in seventh for $1,085,000. Lee had shown consistent deep runs throughout the Montenegro series, having also featured in a key money-bubble hand at the event Fedor Holz went on to win. Ninth place went to Isaac Haxton, who could have become only the fourth player in history to surpass $70,000,000 in lifetime Hendon Mob cashes had he won — but his ninth-place finish ($635,000) means that milestone will have to wait for another day.
A Heads-Up Bad Beat Crowns Mateos
The closing stages were intense. Sixth-place Nouira ran J-9 into A-9 to bust, while fifth-place Anatoly Zlotnikov saw his hopes of a second Triton title of the series end as he banked $1,890,000. Heads-up play began with Alexey Lozuyk holding a slim chip lead, but Mateos quickly built a commanding advantage. On the final hand, Mateos moved all in with A♦6♦ — dominated by Lozuyk's A♣J♥ — but the board ran 6-9-A-Q-3, pairing Mateos' six on the flop to seal the victory. Lozuyk had to settle for second place and $4,316,000.
Mateos Climbs to Seventh on the All-Time Money List
With this win, Mateos surpassed $62,000,000 in lifetime live tournament earnings. The four-time WSOP bracelet winner nearly doubled his previous personal best score and vaulted from 10th to seventh on Hendon Mob's all-time money list — adding another decisive line to a résumé already bound for the Poker Hall of Fame.
Triton Montenegro 2026 continues through May 28, with two more of the season's defining events still to come: the $100K NLH Main Event opening May 21 and the $100K PLO Main Event on May 24. Both Main Events carry Triton's most prestigious Trident trophies, leaving the door open for further Asian success as one of the storylines to watch in the back half of the festival.
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