Seat 2: Nikolai Mamut, United Kingdom – 8,800,000
Professional poker player Nikolai Mamut took down the $1,100 PokerStars Open event at NAPT Las Vegas just last month for $158,700 and followed it up with a cash in the €1,650 version in Prague; it’s fair to say he is on a roll this year. Plus, as the last remaining PokerStars Qualifier, he won his seat into this Main Event online.
The 28-year-old lives in the UK and had in prior years focused on cash games. However, after Covid, he switched to tournaments. “The cash game scene deteriorated a bit,” he said, “But in tournaments, no one is rejected – you have the buy-in, you can play. The mind sport of poker is tournaments.”
He said he joked with friends after his Vegas victory that, “I’ll go for the back-to-back,” but now that is a serious possibility. He said he would continue “taking it hand by hand” and hoped to continue “getting lucky”, as he described his experience so far.
Tournament progression
Day 1: 298,000 (2/350, 1a)
Day 2: 355,000 (46/65)
Day 3: 8,800,000 (2/7)