2026 King's Million European Poker Championship

€1,000 Mystery Bounty
Day: 3
23
Event Info
2026 King's Million European Poker Championship
Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a♠k♥
Prize
€123,850
Event Info
Buy-in
€1,000
Prize Pool
€1,583,550
Total Entries
1,863
Places Paid
233
Level Info
Level
36
Blinds
500,000 / 1,000,000
Ante
1,000,000
Players Info - Day 3
Entries
24
Players Left
1
Players Left 1 / 1,863
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€1,000 Mystery Bounty

Day 3 Completed

Vasilis Nikolas Doubles Live Career Earnings After Taking Down King's Million EPC €1,000 Mystery Bounty

Level 36 : Blinds 500,000/1,000,000, 1,000,000 ante
Vasilis Nikolas
Vasilis Nikolas

Vasilis Nikolas has secured the first live tournament win of his poker career, emerging from a field of 1,863 entries to lift the King’s Royal Scepter and claim the first-place prize of €123,850, alongside a five-figure haul of bounties.

The 2026 King's Million European Poker Championship featured eight starting flights for the €1,000 Mystery Bounty, generating a €1,583,550 prize pool, with Nikolas navigating three full days of poker action to secure the title.

With Nikolas’ first recorded live cash coming in 2022, the €1,000 price tag represents the highest buy-in tournament of his poker journey, with today’s payday exceeding his total live earnings to date.

Vasilis Nikolas
Vasilis Nikolas

Winner's Reaction:

"It is my first trophy. It’s been many final tables here, but it’s my first trophy ever. And it’s just the beginning. I have promised it to myself. It’s just the beginning!"

Humble in victory, Nikolas was quick to attribute a portion of his success to the unbounded support he had alongside his tournament run.

"I don’t know where to start. From my Greek friends, from my Swedish friends, from my family. I have big support from my family. And this is very, very, very important to be a poker player. If you have support from the family, you are free to do whatever you want. I have big support from my wife. She trusts me, and today, she knows I deserve this."

€1,000 Mystery Bounty Final Table Results

PlacePlayerCountryPrize
1Vasilis NikolasSweden€123,850*
2Loris GrecoItaly€103,000*
3Luca BerettaItaly€84,770*
4Axel BayoutFrance€89,280*
5Andrea MarchiItaly€41,600
6Leandro GaoneBelgium€31,100
7NikRomania€23,600
8Xerxes IGermany€17,800
9Emmanouil ChalkiotisGreece€13,395

*Denotes four-way ICM deal

Bounty Action:

Day 2 saw the introduction of the Mystery Bounties, with each elimination giving the player responsible for the knockout an opportunity to draw for a prize of unknown value. Each bounty was worth at least €300, but it was the top prize of €150,000 that caught the attention of those fortunate enough to have a spin at the wheel.

Midway through Day 2, it fell to Axel Bayout to break the hearts of the remaining field as he became the recipient of the maximum bounty. With one pull, the French professional nearly matched the first-place prize, guaranteeing himself a hefty payday regardless of where he finished.

Axel Bayout bounty 150000
Axel Bayout bounty 150000

However, Bayout wasn't done there. He converted his big bounty momentum into a deep final-table run, eventually finishing fourth for an additional €89,280, ensuring he had the largest financial gain of the entire tournament.

Axel Bayout
Axel Bayout

The only other player to turn their bounty into a five-figure result on Day 2 was Leonidas Georgopoulos, who secured the second-largest prize of €75,000 during the following break. However, Georgopoulos couldn't replicate Bayout's run, crashing out in 54th place for €1,970.

Final Day Action; the Hunt for €30,0000

Day 3 saw the return of 24 hopefuls, all with two clear objectives: win the tournament and become the recipient of the final five-figure bounty of €30,000.

The bounty remained unclaimed throughout the day and was still up for grabs deep into the final table, adding another dynamic to the action as players were willing to get their chips in wide for one last shot at the prize.

With the departure of Andrea Marchi in 5th place, the remaining four players elected to make an ICM deal, under the consideration that this one bounty was worth a substantial fraction of the remaining pay jumps.

With the payouts flattened by the deal, the action came thick and fast. Bayout was first to exit as his huge blind-versus-blind bluff was sniffed out by the eventual champion, who correctly hero-called with pocket kings on the ace-high board, besting the bluff of his French tablemate and sending him to the rail.

Shortly after, Luca Beretta lost the last flip of his deep run, falling to Loris Greco and triggering heads-up play.

Vasilis Nikolas Loris Greco
Vasilis Nikolas Loris Greco

The Battle Was Over Before It Had Begun

The heads-up match lasted all but two hands; the pocket eights of Greco were in good shape against the ace-king of Nikolas. That was, until a turned ace saw Nikolas’ boisterous rail of friends and family erupt in cheers. With a blank falling on the river, the pair exchanged one last handshake before Nikolas rejoined his animated rail in explosive celebration; the first tournament win of his life.

Vasilis Nikolas
Vasilis Nikolas

There was one final twist. In the last bounty pull of the night, Nikolas claimed the remaining €30,000 prize, taking his total haul beyond €150,000 and capping off a tournament he'll never forget.

That concludes our coverage of the €1,000 Mystery Championship, but the action doesn’t stop here. Stay tuned as our live reporting team continues to bring you inside the ropes at the 2026 King's Million European Poker Championship.

Tags: Andrea MarchiAxel BayoutEmmanouil ChalkiotisLeandro GaoneLeonidas GeorgopoulosLoris GrecoLuca BerettaNikVasilis Nikolas

Loris Greco Eliminated in 2nd Place (€103,000)

Level 36 : Blinds 500,000/1,000,000, 1,000,000 ante
Loris Greco
Loris Greco

On the second hand of heads-up play, Vasilis Nikolas raised to 2,500,000 from the button. Loris Greco, in the big blind, three-bet to 6,800,000. Nikolas moved all-in, and Greco snap-called for his last 29,500,000.

Loris Greco: 8♥8♣ All in
Vasilis Nikolas: A♠K♥

Greco was ahead on the 6♥Q♣Q♠ flop. However, the A♦ turn saw Nikolas' rail erupt in cheers. The 6♦ confirmed Greco's departure, and Nikolas was the victor.

Vasilis Nikolas
Vasilis Nikolas
Vasilis Nikolas Loris Greco
Vasilis Nikolas Loris Greco
Vasilis Nikolas
Vasilis Nikolas

Tags: Loris GrecoVasilis Nikolas

Luca Beretta Eliminated in 3rd Place (€84,770)

Level 36 : Blinds 500,000/1,000,000, 1,000,000 ante
Luca Beretta
Luca Beretta

Luca Beretta moved all in from the button for 9,850,000. Loris Greco, in the big blind, made the call.

Luca Beretta: 6♥6♣ All in
Loris Greco: A♠8♦

Beretta needed to win this flip, but his chances seemed unlikely on the A♦A♥5♦ flop. The Q♣ turn and 2♣ river changed nothing, sending Beretta to the rail.

Luca Beretta
Luca Beretta
Luca Beretta
Luca Beretta

Tags: Loris GrecoLuca Beretta

Nikolas Tries to Crack Aces

Level 36 : Blinds 500,000/1,000,000, 1,000,000 ante

Vasilis Nikolas raised to 3,000,000 from the small blind. Loris Greco, in the big blind, called.

The 10♣3♣4♣ flop saw Nikolas continue for 1,500,000. Greco raised to 7,000,000, and Nikolas moved all-in, asking for Greco's full stack of 12,800,000. Greco called.

Loris Greco: A♠A♥ All in
Vasilis Nikolas: Q♣4♥

Greco's aces weren't safe yet, with Nikolas having plenty of outs to eliminate him. However, the 10♥ turn and 8♠ river came clean for Greco, and he stayed alive.

Tags: Loris GrecoVasilis Nikolas

Level: 36

Blinds: 500,000/1,000,000

Ante: 1,000,000

Well Timed Aggression from Greco

Level 35 : Blinds 400,000/800,000, 800,000 ante

Luca Beretta raised to 1,600,000 from the button, with 7♥7♣. Loris Greco, in the big blind, defended with Q♦J♣.

The 10♥K♦6♠ flop saw Greco play in flow. Beretta continued for 1,300,000, and Greco check-raised to 4,300,000, forcing the best hand to fold.

Tags: Loris GrecoLuca Beretta

Axel Bayout Eliminated in 4th Place (€89,280)

Level 35 : Blinds 400,000/800,000, 800,000 ante
Axel Bayout
Axel Bayout

Vasilis Nikolas raised from the small blind to 1,600,000. Axel Bayout, in the big blind, called.

The A♦5♦J♠ flop slowed down Nikolas, check-calling a bet of 1,200,000 from Bayout.

The 6♠ turn saw a repeat of the action; this time Bayout sized up to 5,050,000.

The 2♥ prompted a check from Nikolas. Bayout emptied the clip, moving all in for his tournament life and his remaining 15,350,000. Nikolas tanked for a considerable amount of time before making a big call.

Axel Bayout: 8♠5♣ All in
Vasilis Nikolas: K♦K♣

Bayout's bold bluff didn't pay off, ending his deep run in fourth place

Tags: Axel BayoutVasilis Nikolas