Ponakovs Shakes Off Triton Hoodoo w/ $100K Main Event Win at WSOP Paradise
The big question for Aleksejs Ponakovs heading into the final day of the $100,000 Triton Main Event at World Series of Poker Paradise was whether he could finally shake his Triton hoodoo. He entered the finale as chip leader, but history suggested that closing the deal would be anything but straightforward.
Since first appearing on the Triton Poker Tour in 2022, Ponakovs had built one of the strongest résumés on the circuit, with more than 30 cashes and over $19.5 million in Triton earnings. What was missing was a title. Despite 19 previous final table appearances and two runner-up finishes, the Latvian had never quite managed to close one out.
On his 20th Triton final table, that question was finally answered.
Ponakovs outlasted a 237-entry field to win his first Triton title, a third WSOP bracelet, and the $4,750,000 top prize from the $23,700,000 prize pool, defeating Pedro Padilha heads-up after a final day that tested him at every stage.
WSOP Paradise Triton Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aleksejs Ponakovs | Latvia | $4,750,000 |
| 2 | Pedro Padilha | Brazil | $3,160,000 |
| 3 | Manuel Fritz | Austria | $2,311,000 |
| 4 | Ye Wang | China | $1,865,000 |
| 5 | Klemens Roiter | Austria | $1,462,000 |
| 6 | Eelis Parssinen | Finland | $1,107,000 |
| 7 | Yang Wang | China | $813,000 |
| 8 | Jean-Noel Thorel | France | $597,000 |
| 9 | Adrian Mateos | Spain | $495,000 |
From Survival to Control
“When I got to the final table, I knew I would have to work a lot,” Ponakovs said. “I lost the big pot right away, and I was just sitting there watching Pedro [Padilha] doing his job.”
Despite starting the day with the chip lead, Ponakovs found himself sliding down the counts as momentum shifted elsewhere.
“I was like, this is going to be tough,” he admitted. “Now I need to get some luck.”
That moment arrived at five-handed play when Ponakovs doubled through Ye Wang with pocket aces, a hand he described as a turning point.
“After that,” he said, “I get aces. And that was a great moment.”
Once Ponakovs regained control, the finish came quickly. After wrestling the chip lead, he eliminated Klemens Roiter, Wang, Manuel Fritz, and finally Padilha to close out the title.
While the ending reads as dominant, Ponakovs was quick to stress the quality of opposition throughout the day.
“When we play in The Bahamas, I know most of my opponents because we play online,” he said. “But when we play live, it’s a completely different story. Some of them played really good. I’m just like, where are they getting all these reps?”
For Ponakovs, finally securing a Triton title brought a sense of satisfaction rather than release.
“That’s the nicest thing,” he said. “When you’re trying to achieve your goals, it’s actually the journey. I don’t feel much when I achieve it, but the journey was a lot of fun.”
And with the Triton hoodoo finally gone, his sights are already set on what comes next.
“It hasn’t stopped,” Ponakovs added. “I need more titles. I see Jason Koon having, what, twelve? So I have high motivation to get more.”
After years of close calls, Ponakovs has finally turned consistency into a Triton Main Event title. Judging by his own words, it will not be the last.
Lead imagery courtesy of Triton Poker
