The latest triumph for Michael Watson — widely known in online circles as “Sir Watts” — came at the scenic Maestral Resort & Casino in Montenegro, where the 2026 Triton Poker Series has been delivering some of the most electrifying tournament action of the year. Watson’s latest win pushes his total Triton earnings close to an eye-watering $20 million, a figure that few players in the history of the series can rival.
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A Critical Double-Up That Changed Everything
True to his reputation for composure under pressure, Michael Watson found himself in a pivotal spot during the tournament’s late stages. With the blinds eating away at stacks in the event’s turbo structure, Watson got his chips in and engineered the key double-up that shifted momentum decisively in his favor. From that point, there was no looking back for the Canadian veteran, who navigated his way through a world-class field to claim yet another Triton Trident trophy.
The event — a $30,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Turbo — drew 101 entries total and featured some of the sharpest minds in the global high-roller circuit, including Patrik Antonius, Samuel Mullur, and Anatoly Zlotnikov, all of whom fell short of the title.
Watson’s Incredible Triton Poker Journey
To fully appreciate what Michael Watson has accomplished, a look back at his Triton résumé is staggering:
- 2023 (Vietnam): Won a $50,000 Short Deck event for $695,000 — his first Triton title
- 2023 (Cyprus): Took down a $30,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event for $347,000
- 2024 (Jeju): Completed his hat trick with another Short Deck victory
- 2024 (Montenegro): Became a four-time winner, raking in $1,023,000 in the $30,000 NLH 8-Handed event
- 2025 (Jeju): Career-best payday of $2,130,812 from the $125,000 NLH 7-Handed event
- 2026 (Montenegro, Event #7): Sixth title, $659,000 for the NLH Turbo victory
- 2026 (Montenegro): Seventh title — the win that is the subject of this article
With seven Triton titles now to his name, Watson is edging ever closer to the all-time record held by 12-time champion Jason Koon. The poker world is watching closely.
A Dominant Run at the Maestral Resort
The 2026 Triton Poker Series in Montenegro has been a breakout festival by every measure. The flagship Triton Invitational event attracted 137 entries — the largest field ever assembled for a Triton Invitational — generating a $27,400,000 prize pool, the fifth largest in Triton history. The series has seen a parade of champions crowned, including Fedor Holz (fifth Triton title), Mario Mosböck (fourth), Anatoly Zlotnikov (second), and Daniel Dvoress, who became a Triton Trident winner with titles across NLH, PLO, and Short Deck.
But through it all, Michael Watson has been the name everyone keeps talking about.
“Any time you get to lift a Triton trophy, it’s definitely meaningful,” Watson said after a previous Montenegro victory — and those words ring even truer now with a seventh title in hand.
What Makes Michael Watson So Dominant?
Watson’s success at the Triton level is no accident. His ability to adapt across formats — from Short Deck and PLO to NLH and turbo structures — sets him apart from virtually every other player in the super high-roller space. He brings the aggression of an online grinder, the patience of a live tournament veteran, and the emotional resilience of someone who has been tested at the highest levels of the game repeatedly and come out on top.
In Montenegro in particular, Watson has looked at home at the Maestral. It’s become something of a hunting ground for the Canadian, who has now claimed multiple titles at the Adriatic venue across different editions of the series.
Final Table Results (Event — $30K NLH)
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Michael Watson | $659,000+ |
| 2nd | Mehdi Chaoui | — |
| 3rd | Anatoly Zlotnikov | — |
| 4th | Tom Fuchs | $241,000 |
| 5th | Samuel Mullur | — |
| 6th | Thomas Boivin | $151,000 |
| 7th | Patrik Antonius | $118,000 |
| 8th | Cong Pham | $91,000 |
| 9th | Maher Nouira | $66,000 |
The Chase for the Record
With seven Triton titles, Michael Watson now stands among an elite group of multi-title champions on the series. Only Jason Koon, with 12 titles, is clearly ahead of him on the all-time list. The gap is closing, and given Watson’s current form — two titles at this Montenegro stop alone in recent editions — another run at the record feels not just possible, but inevitable.
For poker fans, this is one of the sport’s most compelling ongoing storylines: a Canadian online grinder who made the leap to live high-roller dominance and has never looked back. Every Triton event now carries the same undercurrent of suspense — will Sir Watts do it again?
If the 2026 series is anything to go by, the answer is almost always yes.
