Event #9: $100,000 Triton Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2025 WSOP Paradise
Event #9: $100,000 Triton Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
2025 WSOP Paradise
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
Buy-in
$100,000
Prize Pool
$23,700,000
Entries
237
Level
30
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
800,000
Entries
140
Players Left
11
Players Left 1 / 237
Filter
Level 22
: Blinds 50,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
Aleksejs Ponakovs and Pedro Padilha stole the show on Day 2 of Event #9: $100,000 Triton Main Even at the World Series of Poker Paradise. Just 11 players survived a long 12-level session inside Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas, and the story of the day belonged to the two players who traded the chip lead for hours.
The duo spent most of the afternoon and evening wrestling control of the counts from one another, but once the final hands were dealt, it was Triton veteran Ponakovs who finished on top. He bagged 13,250,000 to Padilha’s 10,400,000 as both players continue their push toward a first Triton trophy.
Padilha and Ponakovs come into the final day on opposite ends of the Triton experience spectrum. Ponakovs has been a series staple for years, first appearing in 2022 and building a résumé that includes 31 cashes and more than $19.5 million in Triton earnings. He’s widely regarded as one of the best players without a Triton title, finishing runner-up twice but never managing to close one out.
Padilha, meanwhile, only made his Triton debut this week. The online crusher announced himself quickly, impressing by finsihing tenth in the $125,000 NLH 7-Handed for $254,000. Despite the huge difference in Triton mileage, the two now find themselves on the same path, and both are well positioned to make a run at the title when play resumes at 1 p.m. on Thursday December 11.
But nothing is guaranteed. Adrian Mateos, a two-time Triton champion, sits third with 9,750,000. Two spots behind him is Eelis Parssinen, another Triton title winner. And then there is Jason Koon, the most decorated player in Triton history. Koon brings a below-average 3,000,000 into the finale, but with 12 Triton titles and the second-highest total earnings on the tour, he is never out of contention. If anyone can turn a short stack into a run at the trophy, it is Koon.
The rest of the field includes several players hunting for their first Triton win: Ye Wang, Jean-Noel Thorel, Triton debutant Kelvin Kerber, Yang Wang, Klemens Roiter and Manuel Fritz all remain in the mix.
$100,000 Triton Main Event Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aleksejs Ponakovs | Latvia | 13,250,000 | 106 |
| 2 | Pedro Padilha | Brazil | 10,400,000 | 83 |
| 3 | Adrian Mateos | Spain | 9,750,000 | 78 |
| 4 | Ye Wang | China | 5,475,000 | 44 |
| 5 | Eelis Parssinen | Finland | 4,700,000 | 38 |
| 6 | Jean-Noel Thorel | France | 3,850,000 | 31 |
| 7 | Kelvin Kerber | Brazil | 3,350,000 | 27 |
| 8 | Jason Koon | United States | 3,000,000 | 24 |
| 9 | Klemens Roiter | 2,300,000 | 18 | |
| 10 | Manuel Fritz | Austria | 1,700,000 | 14 |
| 11 | Yang Wang | China | 1,500,000 | 12 |
Day 2 Recap
With late registration open until the start of the day, another 38 players joined the 102 who bagged on Day 1. That pushed the total field to 237 entries, 55 more than last year, creating the second-largest Triton Main Event in history. The top 39 players would take a share of the $23,700,000 prize pool.
Some of the biggest names in poker fell before the money, including Daniel Negreanu, Patrik Antonius, Jesse Lonis and Kristen Foxen.
The stone bubble belonged to this year’s WSOP Hall of Fame inductee Nick Schulman, who got his last 21 big blinds in with ace-queen suited but ran into Stephen Chidwick’s ace-king. Schulman could not find a lifeline, and his exit locked up at least $164,000 for everyone else.
2022 WSOP Main Event champion Espen Jorstad, who skipped the summer WSOP, made a deep run that ended in 31st place. He finished just behind defending champion Alex Foxen. David Coleman, fresh off his win in the $125K event, bowed out in 17th to set up the final two tables.
Chidwick exited in 16th and Masato Yokosawa fell in 15th after Koon flopped quads. Alex Kulev, Hannes Jeschka and Jun Obara were the final eliminations of the night.
All remaining players have secured $415,000 and are just three knockouts away from the final table, where the minimum payout rises to $597,000. The top six will earn seven-figure prizes with a massive $4,750,000 set aside for the winner, along with the WSOP bracelet and the Triton trophy.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $4,750,000 |
| 2 | $3,160,000 |
| 3 | $2,311,000 |
| 4 | $1,865,000 |
| 5 | $1,462,000 |
| 6 | $1,107,000 |
| 7 | $813,000 |
| 8 | $597,000 |
| 9 | $495,000 |
| 10 | $415,000 |
| 11 | $415,000 |
Play resumes on Thursday, December 11 at 1 p.m. local time on Level 23 with blinds at 75,000/150,000 and a 150,000 big blind ante. STream coverage and live updates will begin at 2 p.m.
As always, stay with PokerNews throughout Thursday as we bring you coverage of the finale and crown the next Triton Main Event champion at WSOP Paradise.
Level 22
: Blinds 50,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
| Table | Seat | Player | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Ye Wang | 5,900,000 | 39 |
| 1 | 3 | Kelvin Kerber | 4,450,000 | 30 |
| 1 | 5 | Eelis Parssinen | 4,025,000 | 27 |
| 1 | 6 | Klemens Roiter | 2,000,000 | 13 |
| 1 | 7 | Jason Koon | 2,100,000 | 14 |
| 1 | 8 | Manuel Fritz | 2,050,000 | 14 |
| 2 | 1 | Pedro Padilha | 12,250,000 | 82 |
| 2 | 3 | Adrian Mateos | 7,475,000 | 50 |
| 2 | 5 | Jean-Noel Thorel | 4,150,000 | 27 |
| 2 | 6 | Yang Wang | 1,925,000 | 13 |
| 2 | 8 | Aleksejs Ponakovs | 12,950,000 | 86 |
Level 22
: Blinds 50,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
13,250,000
350,000
|
350,000 |
|
||
|
10,400,000 | |
|
9,750,000 | |
|
||
|
5,475,000
425,000
|
425,000 |
|
||
|
4,700,000
675,000
|
675,000 |
|
||
|
3,850,000
350,000
|
350,000 |
|
3,350,000
800,000
|
800,000 |
|
|
||
|
3,000,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
|
||
|
2,300,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
|
||
|
1,700,000
600,000
|
600,000 |
|
1,500,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Level 22
: Blinds 50,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
Day 2 of the $100,000 Triton Main Event has ended, with 11 players making it through to Thursday's finale. Play starts 1 p.m. with stream coverage and live updates taking place from 2 p.m.
Chip counts and recap to follow shortly.
Level 22
: Blinds 50,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
Pedro Padilha raised to 250,000 from the hijack with 7♥7♦, and was just called by Adrian Mateos in the cutoff with J♠J♥.
After the 3♣4♠4♣ flop, Padilha check-called a bet of 250,000, then check-called another bet from Mateos for 850,000 after the 2♦ on the turn.
The river brought the 5♠ and both players checked to showdown, and Mateos took the pot when he tabled his jacks.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
10,400,000
2,000,000
|
2,000,000 |
|
|
9,750,000
1,250,000
|
1,250,000 |
|
|
||
Level 22
: Blinds 50,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
In a limp pot between the small blind Pedro Padilha holding Q♣2♣ and the big blind Adrian Mateos with 7♣4♥, the flop came 7♠4♠J♣. Padilha then bet out 150,000, which Mateos just called with his two pair.
After the 6♦ on the turn, Padilha shut it down, and check folded to the 500,000 bet from Mateos, giving him the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
12,400,000
275,000
|
275,000 |
|
|
8,500,000
800,000
|
800,000 |
|
|
||
Level 22
: Blinds 50,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
Aleksejs Ponakovs K♣9♠ raised to 250,000 from the hijack. Pedro Padilha K♥Q♥ and Yang Wang 9♦8♣ called from the cutoff and big blind.
Ponakovs continuation bet of 225,000 folded out both opponents on the A♠2♣3♦ flop.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
13,600,000
1,200,000
|
1,200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
12,200,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
1,600,000
625,000
|
625,000 |
Level 22
: Blinds 50,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
Aleksejs Ponakovs limped in from the small blind and Pedro Padilha checked his option in the big blind.
The J♣10♦5♣ checked through to the 7♦ turn. Padilha called a bet of 275,000, bringing in the 6♥ river. Both players checked, with Ponakovs J♦10♣ being good for two pair and the pot. Padilha's Q♦7♣ went into the muck
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
12,400,000
275,000
|
275,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
12,300,000
375,000
|
375,000 |
Level 22
: Blinds 50,000/125,000, 125,000 ante
Jun Obara made it 250,000 from under the gun and called when Adrian Mateos made it 700,000 from the cutoff.
The dealer fanned the K♣10♣5♠ flop and Obara check-called for 425,000. There was 2,550,000 in the pot on the 9♣ turn and Obara, who had 2,300,000 behind, checked. Mateos jammed as the bigger stack,
Obara mulled over his options, using timebanks before settling on a call.
Jun Obara: K♦Q♦
Adrian Mateos: 10♦10♠
Obara top pair was behind middle set but he was still live to the straight. Unfortunately for Obara, the 5♦ river confirmed his departure instead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,700,000
3,675,000
|
3,675,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
