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Impulsive Entry Turns Into €46,200; DENNO0211 Claims the Final King’s Royal Scepter in the EPC €500 Closer
As the 2026 King’s Million European Poker Championship neared its conclusion and the King’s Resort began to empty, just one final Royal Scepter remained up for grabs.
DENNO0211 was already on his way home when he made the decision that would ultimately lead to the biggest tournament victory of his career.
After finishing up his time at the 2026 King’s Million European Poker Championship, DENNO0211 and his friends had packed their belongings into the car and were preparing to make the 600-kilometer journey home.
“We were in the car. We put our stuff in the car and wanted to go home,” DENNO0211 told PokerNews after his victory. “Then my friend said, ‘Let’s just ask, maybe we get a room for one more night, and we can play this tournament before we go home.’
“And I said, ‘OK, why not?’ We’re here already, 600 kilometers away, so let’s try.”
That last-minute decision proved to be an inspired one, as DENNO0211 overcame a field of 565 entries in the €500 Closer to claim €46,200. The event far exceeded its €100,000 guarantee, with the prize pool swelling to €240,125.
DENNO0211 went on to defeat Davide Muccini in heads-up play to claim the trophy he had wanted from the moment he entered the tournament.
“It’s really nice. This is all I wanted. I just wanted the scepter, and now I have it,” he said. “It’s heavy, it’s nice, it’s really good.”
The victory marked the biggest tournament win of DENNO0211’s career; the culmination of more than two decades spent playing poker.
“I started playing when I was like 16, 17 years old in the living room of my friends, just with friends, and so now it’s like 22 years,” he explained.
For DENNO0211, however, the money was not the main motivation. The competitive aspect of poker was what made the victory so satisfying.
“The main thing is just the competition. You win the competition, everyone wants to win, no one wants to lose,” he said. “And to take the win makes a good feeling. It makes dopamine, and that’s the thing, I think.”
King's Million €500 Closer Final Table Results:
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DENNO0211 | Germany | €46,200 |
| 2 | Davide Muccini | Italy | €30,700 |
| 3 | Nicholas Scott | United States | €20,900 |
| 4 | Marcos Rocha | Portugal | €14,500 |
| 5 | Ivan Izzillo | Italy | €10,200 |
| 6 | B.S. | Italy | €7,400 |
| 7 | Rafael Griman | Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) | €5,500 |
| 8 | Kevin Kevinov | France | €4,100 |
| 9 | TheCallinator | Germany | €3,205 |
Day 2 Action:
With all 84 returning players already guaranteed a €1,020 payday, the afternoon's action came thick and fast, with a flurry of eliminations. One of the most surprising was that of Davit Mikhanashvili, who entered the day as the chip leader with 116 big blinds. However, he was unable to convert his commanding stack into a deep run, busting within the first 15 minutes of play.
Another familiar face in the field was Samuel Ju, who has enjoyed an impressive series, cashing in all four events he has played. Most notably, Ju has made deep runs in both the €2,000 EPC Masters, finishing 13th out of 346, and the €600 Monster Stack, where he placed 13th in a field of 2,903. Today, however, he had to settle for 42nd place, adding another €1,156 to his series earnings.
Kevin Kevinov was quick to build his stack, first showing a huge bluff in a six-figure pot before turning a straight flush the very next hand. He converted that momentum into a spot at the final table, but his run ended in 8th place in a hand that left a sour taste. Facing the young Frenchman's all-in, DENNO0211 acted pained, rose from his seat, and looked to his rail in frustration, muttering to himself in German. After making a "crying call," he rolled over aces. Karma didn't change the runout, and Kevinov was out. As DENNO0211 stacked his chips, he blew Kevinov a sarcastic kiss.
DENNO0211 later explained in his post-tournament interview "It’s nothing personal,” he said with a smile. “It’s just in our private rounds where we are playing; we’re doing this like, ‘Oh, should I call? Should I do this?’
“So I just did the thing that we do normally in our private rounds with our friends. It’s nothing personal; it’s not bad or something. We do this between our friends, and this is why I did it.”
Seven-handed play quickly became Davide Muccini’s show as he claimed the next five knockouts, finally dispatching Nicholas Scott to trigger heads-up play.
After a brief pause for unsuccessful deal discussions, the final two players were ready for their final battle. DENNO0211 was the first to exercise his rungood, getting it all in with the inferior ace-six against Muccini’s pocket jacks before making trips to claim a huge double-up.
The momentum switch was retained by DENNO0211, who continued to win pot after pot before eventually getting all the money in with a flush draw against Muccini’s trip fours. With the poker gods on his side, the dealer delivered a fifth heart on the river, and the victory was his.
That concludes PokerNews’ coverage of the 2026 King’s Million European Poker Championship, but the action doesn’t stop here. Stay tuned as our live reporting team continues to bring you all the action from tournaments around the globe!