button in SafariWho is the High Roller Newcomer Crushing the WSOP $50K Final Table?
As players gathered around the feature table for the restart of the $50,000 High Roller final table, Anatoly Zlotnikov had one last item on his pre-game checklist.
A few minutes before cards went in the air, the Russian wandered over to Phil Hellmuth and asked the WSOP's all-time bracelet winner for a good-luck fist bump.
Given the heater he's been on lately, it's hard to imagine Zlotnikov needing any extra luck.
The 32-year-old returns to the final six with more than half the chips in play and nearly three times as many as his closest challenger, Santhosh Suvarna. Yet despite sitting in one of the most commanding positions of the summer, plenty of poker fans are still asking the same question:
Who exactly is Anatoly Zlotnikov?
Online players have known the name for years. In 2025, Zlotnikov banked $3 million after finishing runner-up to Benjamin Rolle in the 2025 WSOP Online Main Event, the biggest score of his career. But it wasn't until Triton Montenegro last month that the wider poker world were shown who Zlotnikov is.
Across six cashes and five final tables, Zlotnikov banked $3.385 million, won his second Triton title, and finished as one of the biggest winners of the stop. His haul was larger than those of Triton regulars such as Mike Watson and Jason Koon.
It was a breakout for Zlotnikov but to him, it was just the latest chapter in a journey that started almost a decade ago.
From Fighter to Grinder
Before poker became his profession, Zlotnikov was competing in a different kind of combat sport.
"I was a professional fighter in my past," he told PokerNews. "MMA background of Thai boxing and wrestling."
Born and raised in Russia, Zlotnikov later studied economics at university. It was during those years that he first discovered poker, initially through small-stakes games before taking the game more seriously.
He began playing professionally in 2017, though there was one brief interruption along the way.
"I quit poker for a year, but I love the game and I decided to go back and crush these guys."
It's fair to say that the decision has worked out pretty well.
Building a Name Online
Long before he was battling for seven-figure prizes on the Triton circuit, Zlotnikov was making his mark online.
While many fans are only now becoming familiar with his name, he has quietly accumulated an impressive list of achievements over the last several years.
"I have 24 trophies on me," he said. "I have two WSOP Circuit rings, two Triton trophies, two EPT trophies, and a Wynn trophy. And a lot of Russian series. They are tough players, you know."
His first major breakthrough on the international live stage came in 2023 when he captured a Triton Poker turbo title in Cyprus. At the time, it was his first recorded cash in a live event with a buy-in of at least $25,000.
Later that year, he picked up a min-cash in the inaugural WSOP Paradise Main Event.
The following summer brought his first live WSOP cashes. The highlight was a runner-up finish in the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha, where he narrowly missed out on a bracelet and collected $179,689.
Away from Las Vegas, he also added a pair of WSOP Circuit rings. The first came online in a $800 Pot-Limit Omaha event in 2024. The second followed at WSOP Super Circuit Cyprus in 2025, where he won the $10,000 High Roller Turbo for $145,000.
Then came the biggest score of his career. In the 2025 WSOP Online Main Event, Zlotnikov outlasted all but Benjamin Rolle before eventually finishing runner-up for $3 million.
It was another huge payday, but also another near miss. Between the Online Main Event and the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha, Zlotnikov had already finished second in two bracelet events.
Bookmark this page! All you need to know about the 2026 WSOP is here.
The Triton Montenegro Breakthrough
Although Zlotnikov already owned a Triton title before arriving in Montenegro, the stop felt like a turning point.
He entered 11 tournaments and cashed six times, reaching five final tables and winning another title along the way.
"This was insane," he said. "I have 12 bullets, six cashes, five final tables and one title."
His biggest result came in the $200,000 Triton Invitational.
At one stage, Zlotnikov held a commanding chip lead and looked like he would claim one of Triton's most prestigious titles. Instead, the momentum shifted and Adrian Mateos eventually went on to win the tournament, while Zlotnikov settled for fifth place and a career-best live score of $1.89 million.
Despite the disappointment, Montenegro firmly established him as one of poker's newest high-stakes stars.
His recorded live earnings now stand at more than $5.7 million, with roughly $4.5 million of that coming on the Triton circuit.
"We Should Make Poker Great Again"
The results tell one story but the way Zlotnikov plays tells another.
Whether it's three-betting raggy hands like eight-deuce, celebrating pots, or putting opponents in uncomfortable spots with unconventional lines, he has quickly become one of the more entertaining personalities.
"We should make poker great again," he said. "People don't want to look at who is three-betting more, who has more of an edge,"
"They don't want to watch guys who are silent, who are just hiding masks, sunglasses and shit like this. People like to see stuff like I do."
Now, with a mountain of chips in front of him and a bracelet within touching distance, Zlotnikov has the opportunity to complete what has already been a remarkable few weeks.
And if he does, plenty more poker fans will know exactly who Anatoly Zlotnikov is.
Watch $50,000 High Roller Here
The livestream for the $50,000 High Roller finale begins at 5:30 p.m. local time, with cards-up coverage on the WSOP YouTube channel. You can also sweat the final table action in the PokerNews live reporting blog.
The final six players have locked up $340,905, with the champion set to walk away with the bracelet and $1,922,870, the biggest payout of the 2026 WSOP so far.
$50,000 High Roller Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anatoly Zlotnikov | Russia | 26,900,000 | 135 |
| 2 | Santhosh Suvarna | India | 8,770,000 | 44 |
| 3 | Chris Brewer | United States | 7,245,000 | 36 |
| 4 | Chang Lee | South Korea | 4,685,000 | 23 |
| 5 | Colin Robinson | United States | 1,380,000 | 7 |
| 6 | Brandon Wilson | United States | 1,120,000 | 6 |
