Zhao Wenjie wins Triton ONE Main Event, earning $1.16M.
Aren Bezhanyan claims $990K in the $20,000 NLH event.
Austin Yang secures victory over top-earning pros for $932K.
The high-stakes poker world often feels like a closed loop of the same legendary names, but the 2026 Triton Poker Series in Jeju smashed that narrative. From a debutant's million-dollar breakthrough in the Main Event to a Malaysian newcomer taking down the two winningest players in history, the felt at Landing Casino has been less about the "old guard" and more about the "new blood" seizing the spotlight.
Zhao Wenjie: From Debutant to Triton ONE Main Event Champion
In what can only be described as a dream debut, China’s Zhao Wenjie became the second-ever Triton ONE Main Event champion this week. Zhao’s performance across the festival was all consistency, but the showpiece $8,000 Main Event was his masterpiece. Navigating a 1,230-entry field, Zhao found himself in a heads-up battle against the series' runaway chip leader, Jon Vallinas.
Zhao Wenjie While a deal was struck that saw Vallinas take home the lion’s share of the cash ($1,337,000), Zhao walked away with the title, the trophy, and a life-changing $1,160,000. This was a massive leap for Zhao, whose previous best live score was a modest $23,400.
Triton ONE Main Event Final Table Payouts
Place
Player
Payout
1
Zhao Wenjie
$1,160,000*
2
Jon Vallinas
$1,337,000*
3
Shota Nakanishi
$641,000
4
Liu Xiaohu
$475,000
5
Kai Yang
$371,000
6
Issey Maeda
$279,000
7
Zhou Quan
$213,000
8
Eguchi Takumi
$151,000
9
Jimmy Guerrero
$116,990
Aren Bezhanyan’s Armenian Trident and the POY Surge
While the Triton ONE series dominated the mid-stakes conversation, the Super High Roller side of the fence saw a long-awaited coronation. Armenian pro Aren Bezhanyan, who has been quietly accumulating nearly $4 million in earnings post-2020, finally secured his first trident trophy in the $20,000 NLH event. Bezhanyan outlasted a 247-entry field that was a literal "who’s who" of poker, including deep runs from Stephen Chidwick and Artur Martirosian.
Aren Bezhanyan at the Super High Roller Bezhanyan’s path to the $990,000 top prize involved a clinical final table performance where he eliminated WSOP Main Event finalist Luka Bojovic (4th) and Norwegian star Kayhan Mokri (3rd). Entering heads-up play as the underdog against Aleksejs Ponakovs, Bezhanyan went on an early-pot tear to seize the lead and never looked back.
Final Table Results: $20,000 NLH Event
Place
Player
Payout
POY Points
1
Aren Bezhanyan
$990,000
1224
2
Aleksejs Ponakovs
$658,000
1020
3
Kayhan Mokri
$482,000
816
4
Luka Bojovic
$389,000
612
5
Wu Jun Hao
$305,000
510
6
Calvin Lee
$231,000
408
7
Sebastian Gaehl
$170,000
306
8
Xinjing Li
$125,000
204
The Giant Slayer: Austin Yang Topples Kenney and Haxton
If you want to win your first High Roller title, you might as well do it by beating the all-time money leader. That was the scenario for Malaysian newcomer Siang Ang ‘Austin’ Yang in the $15,000 High Roller finale. Facing off against Bryn Kenney ($82M+ career earnings) and Isaac Haxton ($64M+), Yang was the definitive short stack when the final trio struck a deal to redistribute the $6.9 million prize pool.
Austin Yang in the $15,000 High Roller finale Yang, who joked about "stealing" some luck from Paul Phua before the final table, played far better than his self-deprecating comments suggested. He eliminated Kenney in 3rd place after his10♠A♠ flopped an ace against Kenney’sK♠J♦, before defeating Haxton in a heads-up battle where his10♣A♣ held through a diamond-heavy board. The win earned Yang $932,000 and a 5th-place spot in the POY standings, providing a cinematic end to a series where the underdogs consistently bit back.
WSOP WINNER
