The 2026 PokerStars European Poker Tour Monte Carlo festival featured a high-stakes invitational unlike any other, bringing together nine of poker’s biggest names for a €100,000 buy-in winner-take-all no-limit hold’em battle. Tournament organizers sweetened the prize pool with an additional €100,000 contribution, creating a massive €1,000,000 payday for the eventual winner.
The exclusive field showcased some of the most accomplished tournament professionals in modern poker. Collectively, the participants had earned more than $448.9 million in live tournament winnings entering the event. Leading the list was Stephen Chidwick with over $79.5 million in career earnings, followed closely by Jason Koon and Mikita Badziakouski. Other elite contenders included Daniel Dvoress, Aleksejs Ponakovs, Artur Martirosian, Ben Tollerene, Patrik Antonius, and Kayhan Mokri.
Jason Koon Claims Another Seven-Figure Victory
After hours of intense action, it was Jason Koon who emerged on top of the star-studded field. The victory marked another milestone in the decorated career of the 12-time Triton Poker champion and two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner.
Koon collected $1,174,900 for the win, increasing his lifetime live tournament earnings beyond $73.8 million. The score further solidified his position near the top of poker’s all-time money rankings, where he currently trails only Stephen Chidwick and Bryn Kenney.
Prior to the event, Koon shared his excitement on social media, acknowledging the incredible level of competition assembled for the invitational. Facing a table packed with elite professionals, the American poker star delivered yet another dominant performance under pressure.
Early Eliminations Set The Tone
Despite the turbo-charged format, the tournament took more than two hours before the first player was eliminated. Mikita Badziakouski became the first casualty in ninth place after his pocket kings ran into a flopped set held by Aleksejs Ponakovs.
Ponakovs continued his strong run shortly afterward, eliminating Daniel Dvoress in eighth place when his pocket aces held against pocket nines. The Latvian pro looked poised for a deep run, but momentum shifted dramatically during a key clash with poker legend Patrik Antonius.
Holding pocket tens, Ponakovs found himself dominated by Antonius’ pocket aces. Antonius improved further by making a wheel, leaving Ponakovs with only a short stack. Although Ponakovs managed a brief comeback, he eventually survived long enough to outlast Ben Tollerene, who exited in seventh place after failing to improve with queen-jack suited against Stephen Chidwick’s pocket kings.
The Final Table Intensifies
Ponakovs briefly revived his tournament hopes after doubling through Koon with trip sevens that improved to a full house. However, his comeback eventually ended in sixth place when pocket deuces failed to hold against Chidwick’s suited ace-queen.
Patrik Antonius was the next player eliminated. The Finnish Hall of Famer moved all-in holding queen-jack but could not overcome Artur Martirosian’s ace-five. Martirosian himself soon fell in fourth place after running top pair into two pair made by Koon.
Stephen Chidwick’s deep run concluded in third place. After losing a crucial pot to Kayhan Mokri, Chidwick was left short-stacked and ultimately lost a coin flip with pocket tens against Mokri’s queen-jack.
Koon Finishes The Job Heads-Up
The final duel began with Koon holding a commanding chip advantage over Mokri. It took only a single hand for the match to conclude.
Mokri shoved from the button holding king-four suited, while Koon called with king-two suited. The flop paired both players’ kings, making a split pot appear likely. However, the turn gave Koon a flush draw, and the river completed it, securing the championship in dramatic fashion.
With the victory, Jason Koon added another prestigious title to his already remarkable poker résumé, proving once again why he remains one of the most feared competitors in the high-stakes tournament scene.
