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$8,000 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2026 Triton ONE North Cyprus
$8,000 Main Event
Day: 1a
Players Left 169 / 395
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Chip Counts
Chip Counts
High-Stakes Mainstay Isaac Haxton Second in Chips After Day 1a of Triton ONE North Cyprus Main Event
Level 15
: Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
Isaac Haxton is no stranger to Triton Poker events. With 75 cashes in Super High Roller Series events, the first of which dates back all the way to 2017, Haxton has the fourth-most in-the-money finishes of all time. Still lacking on his resume, though, is a title in a Triton ONE event, the lower buy-in series Triton Poker introduced last year.
But on Day 1a of the Triton One North Cyprus $8,000 Main Event, Haxton has taken his first steps in changing that. After the 263 entries had been whittled down to just 46 contenders after fifteen levels of play, he ended the day with 3,440,000, worth just under 14 starting stacks, mostly due to a big double knockout near the end of the night. His stack nets him 86 big blinds when play resumes on Day 2, giving him ample ammunition to take advantage of the bubble dynamics.
The only player who amassed more than Haxton at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel & Spa was Damir Gabdullin. Unlike Haxton, Gabdullin sat down from the very start of play, and he actually scored the very first elimination of the day only a few minutes into Level 1. His momentum never stopped since, and he bagged 4,515,000 for a sizable chip lead.
Top European regulars Axel Hallay and Fahredin Mustafov also secured a big stack for Day 2, concluding Day 1a with 2,900,000 and 2,060,000, respectively. The ever-eccentric Ren Lin finished with 1,995,000, on the cusp of reaching his fourth cash in four events this series and cashing all three Triton ONE Main Events, while Congya Zhang rounds out the top ten with a stack of 1,875,000.
End of Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Day 2 Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Damir Gabdullin | Russian Federation | 4,515,000 | 113 |
| 2 | Isaac Haxton | United States | 3,440,000 | 86 |
| 3 | Axel Hallay | France | 2,900,000 | 73 |
| 4 | Ignas Jasinevicius | Lithuania | 2,750,000 | 69 |
| 5 | Fahredin Mustafov | Bulgaria | 2,060,000 | 52 |
| 6 | Mahmoud Bedoui | Germany | 2,000,000 | 50 |
| 7 | Choon Tong Siow | Malaysia | 1,995,000 | 50 |
| 7 | Ren Lin | China | 1,995,000 | 50 |
| 9 | Nang Quang Nguyen | Viet Nam | 1,900,000 | 48 |
| 10 | Congya Zhang | China | 1,875,000 | 47 |
Other high-stakes regulars who made it through on the first starting flight include Wai Kiat Lee (1,750,000), Triton Poker founder Paul Phua (1,565,000), Sergio Aido (1,450,000), Thomas Boivin (1,005,000), Samuel Mullur (695,000), Biao Ding (680,000), and Daniel Dvoress (380,000). Meanwhile, the only player on Earth who has two Triton ONE titles to his name, Khoa Anh Ngo, bagged 690,000 as he hunts a record-extending third trophy and his first-ever Main Event victory.
Meanwhile, players like Eric Tsai, Ognyan Dimov, Winfred Yu, Leon Sturm, Aleksejs Ponakovs, Jessica Teusl, Dimitar Danchev, Aliaksei Boika, Thomas Eychenne, Ole Schemion, and Emilien Pitavy all contributed to the $1,934,618 collected in the prize pool on Day 1a, but will have to spend at least one more buy-in to see a return on their investment.
The next opportunity to enter the Triton ONE Main Event is on November 11, when Day 1b starts at noon local time. It follows the same structure as Day 1a, playing 15 40-minute levels. After Day 1b, there is one more starting flight with Day 1c, which takes place on November 12. Only one reentry is permitted per flight. The survivors of the three starting days will combine for Day 2 on November 13, while the eventual winner will be crowned on Day 4, November 15.
PokerNews will be back on the floor tomorrow to live report another exciting starting flight, so make sure to tune back in for all the latest action from Triton ONE.
Level 15
: Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
Level 15
: 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
All tables have finished play, concluding the exciting first starting flight of the Triton ONE North Cyprus Main Event.
Out of 266 entries, only 46 players secured a spot for Day 2, which will start on November 13 at noon local time. Stay tuned for the chip counts and a recap of the day.
Level 15
: Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
During the final minutes of play, Daniel Gavish open-shoved for 520,000 from early position, and was called by Sergey Moiseev in the cutoff.
Daniel Gavish: A♦10♥ 
Sergey Moiseev: Q♠Q♥
The Q♣K♦8♠ flop gave Gavish a gutshot, but it also made Moiseev a set. The A♥ turn did nothing, and neither did the 6♦ river.
Gavish lost his stack to Moiseev and would have to try again on Day 1b or Day 1c.
Level 15
: 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
Day 1a will conclude once each table has played five more hands.
Level 15
: Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
Level 15
: Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
Shuang Luo opened to 60,000 in the hijack. Small blind Oleg Silin then jammed all in for 625,000, and Luo looked him up with the covering stack.
Oleg Silin: Q♣9♦
Shuang Luo: A♠K♦
Neither player connected with the J♦6♦3♣4♥7♠ runout, meaning Silin was sent home with just a few hands left to play on Day 1a.
Level 15
: Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
Ehsan Amiri open-raised to 60,000 from middle position, and Ren Lin defended once it folded to him in the big blind.
Lin check-called Amiri's bets of 55,000 on the 8♠2♠4♥ flop and 150,000 on the A♥ turn. The A♦ river then completed the board, prompting Lin to lead out for a sizable 475,000.
Amiri quickly called, but his A♠6♦ was outkicked by Lin's A♣10♠. Amiri was left with just under 12 big blinds during the final stages, while Lin chipped up to a stack worth nearly 100 big blinds.
Level 15
: Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
Akihiro Konishi moved in his last 85,000 from the cutoff. Isaac Haxton called on the button before Anatoly Filatov three-bet to 300,000 in the big blind.
Haxton back-jammed, and Filatov called off his stack of 1,600,000 after some thought.
Akihiro Konishi: A♦7♥
Anatoly Filatov: 10♥10♣
Isaac Haxton: A♠Q♣
Haxton paired up on the 2♦A♥J♠ flop, granting him a big lead. Filatov was down to two outs after the 3♥ turn, and neither of them arrived on the 2♠ river.
Konishi and Filatov exited during the final stages of the night, while Haxton shipped the pot and contested for the chip lead.