button in Safari$50K NLH 7-Handed Sees Maue Bag Best with Bubble Approaching
Another champion will be crowned at the 2026 Triton Poker Series Montenegro today as the $50K NLH 7-Handed resumes at 1 p.m. local time inside Maestral Casino & Resort.
The event drew another huge high roller turnout, with 118 entries building a $5,900,000 prize pool, currently the third-largest of the festival. Just 23 players remain from that field, with only 20 spots getting paid. A min-cash is worth $77,000, while the winner will take home $1,416,000.
All eyes will be on Leonard Maue, who returns with the chip lead and perhaps his best chance yet to finally turn his Triton fortunes around. The German pro bagged 2,400,000 chips, good for 80 big blinds, after navigating the opening day better than anyone else.
Despite being regarded as one of the toughest online tournament players in the world, Maue's results on the Triton circuit haven't reflected his reputation. Since making his debut in London in 2023, he's cashed just six times across eight festival stops and has gone scoreless at five separate Triton series.
There have been flashes along the way, but the breakthrough result has continued to evade him. His lone cash so far in Montenegro this week brought $323,000, but a much bigger opportunity now sits directly in front of him.
Maue's Triton Poker Results
| Stop | Events Played | Events Cashed | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| London 2023 | 10 | 0 | $0 |
| Monte-Carlo 2023 | 7 | 2 | $549,080 |
| Montenegro 2024 | 6 | 0 | $0 |
| Monte-Carlo 2024 | 10 | 3 | $885,000 |
| Paradise 2024 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Montenegro 2025 | 4 | 0 | $0 |
| Paradise 2025 | 3 | 0 | $0 |
| Montenegro 2026 | 4 | 1 | $323,000 |
Standing in his way is another stacked final-day lineup. Jesse Lonis starts second with 2,005,000 chips (67 big blinds), while China's Wang Ye sits third with 1,670,000 (56 big blinds).
End of Day 1 Chip Counts
The chasing pack is filled with established Triton crushers and champions, including Bryn Kenney, Wiktor Malinowski, Mikita Badziakouski, Christoph Vogelsang, and Espen Jorstad.
The bubble will be one of the first major storylines of the day, with three more eliminations needed before the money is reached. Short stack Punnat Punsri returns with just nine big blinds, while several others hover in the danger zone with fewer than 20 big blinds.