Poker Champions: Who Will Top the 2025 Prize Rankings?

In 2025, Jesse Lonis, Seth Davies, and Kayhan Mokri earned record amounts in poker tournaments. We analyze their major victories and their path to the top.

In 2025, three players achieved extraordinary success on the international tournament circuit, each earning eight-figure winnings over the course of the year. Americans Jesse Lonis and Seth Davies, along with Norwegian Kayhan Mokri—who recently captured the prestigious $250,000 Triton Invitational title at WSOP Paradise—emerged as the standout players of the season. In this article, we take an in-depth look at their rise to the top of the tournament rankings, their key victories and cashes, and explore what lessons players from PPPoker clubs can draw from these headline-making achievements. Kayhan Mokri: A Decisive Push to the Top For Kayhan Mokri, 2025 was nothing short of triumphant. Despite cashing only ten times throughout the year, he turned six of those deep runs into outright wins, amassing an impressive $13,100,000 in total prize money. Remarkably, more than $11,500,000 of that came from just two tournaments, allowing Mokri to overtake Jesse Lonis late in the year and finish as the most profitable player of 2025. Mokri himself admits he prefers to stay in Norway to be close to his family and fiancée, making European series especially convenient for him. He is a regular at European Poker Tour (EPT) stops, where he previously finished sixth in the EPT Barcelona 2022 Main Event and has claimed high roller titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Cyprus. According to Mokri, the EPT is every bit as appealing to him as the Triton Series, and the atmosphere and tournament staff make these events truly special. In 2025, Mokri added two more EPT trophies to his collection: first, he took down the €10,000 Mystery Bounty in Monte Carlo, then followed it up with a win in the €50,000 Super High Roller Second Chance in Barcelona. He also secured titles in Estonia and Slovakia, further cementing his status as one of the year’s most successful players. His victory at Triton Jeju, where Mokri won $3,800,000 in the $150,000 buy-in event, drew particular attention—it was the biggest cash of his career at that point. But that achievement was eclipsed in December, when Mokri became champion of the $250,000 Triton Invitational at WSOP Paradise, defeating Gabriel Andrade heads-up for $7,725,000. Mokri himself noted that receiving an invitation to the Triton Invitational is one of the highest professional honors for a modern tournament player. Kayhan Mokri’s Key Achievements in 2025: 6 tournament wins, total winnings — $13,100,000 Winner of $250,000 Triton Invitational at WSOP Paradise — $7,725,000 Winner of $150,000 Triton Jeju — $3,800,000 Victories at EPT Monte-Carlo (€10,000 Mystery Bounty) and EPT Barcelona (€50,000 Super High Roller Second Chance) Titles in Estonia and Slovakia Jesse Lonis: Master of Main Events Measured by consistency and number of cashes, Jesse Lonis was the most successful tournament player of 2025. He notched nearly 50 cashes and 9 wins, demonstrating remarkable consistency throughout the season. Interestingly, even his first-ever WSOP Circuit championship ring wasn’t the highlight of the year for Lonis—he won it in February while also attending a rap battle. In the spring, he was active on the PokerGO Tour and at EPT Monte-Carlo, before claiming his first Triton Series victory in Montenegro. Lonis took down the Triton Montenegro Main Event with a $100,000 buy-in, earning $3,446,298. In an interview with PokerNews, he emphasized that he strives to remain humble, focused, and never lose concentration, even after major successes. At the 2025 WSOP, Lonis had a relatively modest showing by his standards: his only six-figure cash came from a 33rd-place finish in the $50,000 High Roller. However, outside Las Vegas, he continued to rack up wins—claiming the Wynn $25,000 High Roller title and winning the $15,000 ARIA High Roller on the PokerGO Tour. During the Onyx Super High Roller Series, Lonis made headlines again by winning the $102,000 Onyx SHRS NLH Invitational for $1,745,625, defeating Phil Ivey on his way to the title. In the fall, he traveled to EPT Barcelona, finishing third in the €100,000 Super High Roller (prize — $823,527), and then made another deep run at the Triton Poker Series, finishing third in the $100,000 Triton PLO Main Event in Jeju ($1,261,000)—his sixth seven-figure cash to date. Jesse Lonis’s Key Achievements in 2025: Nearly 50 cashes, 9 wins Winner of $100,000 Triton Montenegro Main Event — $3,446,298 Winner of $102,000 Onyx SHRS NLH Invitational — $1,745,625 Third place in €100,000 EPT Barcelona Super High Roller — $823,527 Third place in $100,000 Triton PLO Main Event Jeju — $1,261,000 Victories on the PokerGO Tour (ARIA High Roller $15,000) and Wynn $25,000 High Roller Seth Davies: A Year of Major Titles and His First WSOP Bracelet Seth Davies’s year can be roughly divided into three phases. Early on, he was determined to shed the label of “best player without a Triton title,” actively competing at Triton Jeju. That was followed by his only cash at EPT Monte-Carlo—a third-place finish in the €100,000 Super High Roller for €931,900. Returning to the Triton Series in Montenegro proved to be a real breakthrough for Davies: victory in Event #6 earned him $1,490,741 and the long-awaited Triton title, which he described as an unforgettable moment thanks to his relationship with the tournament team. Immediately after, he finished runner-up in the Triton Invitational ($4,190,000), and wrapped up the festival with another second-place finish in the Quattro Bounty Turbo ($296,824). Heading into the WSOP, Davies was already one of the most talked-about players of the year, but the World Series brought a new milestone—his first gold bracelet. He won the $250,000 Super High Roller, defeating Alex Foxen heads-up and topping a field of 63 entrants, which earned him $4,752,551—the biggest cash of his career. After the WSOP, Davies entered a quieter period. He became more active on social media, posting updates about his wins and losses. However, the Triton Series at WSOP Paradise didn’t go well for him: by his own admission, he wasn’t able to play his best game and made several costly mistakes. Davies noted that the packed Triton schedule, overlapping with other WSOP Paradise events, made the week extremely intense and draining. Nevertheless, Davies remains optimistic and plans to play the remaining major high rollers at WSOP Paradise, including the $25,000 Super Main Event, another $25,000 tournament, and the $50,000 PLO. He hopes to “pull a rabbit out of the hat” and partially make up for the week’s setbacks. Seth Davies’s Key Achievements in 2025: Winner of Triton Montenegro Event #6 — $1,490,741 Runner-up in Triton Invitational — $4,190,000 Runner-up in Triton Quattro Bounty Turbo — $296,824 Winner of $250,000 WSOP Super High Roller — $4,752,551 Third place in €100,000 EPT Monte-Carlo Super High Roller — €931,900 Tournament Results and Prize Money Below are the key results and prize amounts for each of the three leaders of 2025: Kayhan Mokri: $250,000 Triton Invitational (WSOP Paradise) — 1st place, $7,725,000 $150,000 Triton Jeju — 1st place, $3,800,000 EPT Monte-Carlo €10,000 Mystery Bounty — 1st place EPT Barcelona €50,000 Super High Roller Second Chance — 1st place Victories in Estonia and Slovakia Total: 6 wins, $13,100,000 in prize money Jesse Lonis: $100,000 Triton Montenegro Main Event — 1st place, $3,446,298 $102,000 Onyx SHRS NLH Invitational — 1st place, $1,745,625 €100,000 EPT Barcelona Super High Roller — 3rd place, $823,527 $100,000 Triton PLO Main Event Jeju — 3rd place, $1,261,000 Wynn $25,000 High Roller — 1st place ARIA High Roller Series $15,000 — 1st place Nearly 50 cashes, 9 wins Seth Davies: Triton Montenegro Event #6 — 1st place, $1,490,741 Triton Invitational — 2nd place, $4,190,000 Triton Quattro Bounty Turbo — 2nd place, $296,824 $250,000 WSOP Super High Roller — 1st place, $4,752,551 €100,000 EPT Monte-Carlo Super High Roller — 3rd place, €931,900 Reasons for Success and Key Quotes from the Players Kayhan Mokri attributes his success to being able to balance poker with life at home in Norway and to regularly playing European series. He notes that the EPT is especially convenient for him in terms of logistics and atmosphere, and considers an invitation to the Triton Invitational the highest professional honor. Jesse Lonis emphasizes the importance of humility and focus, even after major victories. Despite his huge number of cashes and titles, he strives to maintain a working mindset and never rest on his laurels. Seth Davies is open about his emotions with his followers: he admits that he can’t always play his best, especially with a packed schedule and tough competition. Nevertheless, Davies notes that 2025 has been a truly successful year for him, and setbacks at individual stops are part of professional growth. What This Means for Players from PPPoker Clubs The success stories of Kayhan Mokri, Jesse Lonis, and Seth Davies clearly show that in modern poker, it’s not just technical skills that matter, but also the ability to build a smart tournament schedule, choose the right formats, and find a balance between poker and personal life. For players from PPPoker clubs, this means you don’t have to chase sheer volume—sometimes a strategic approach focused on key events can yield far greater results. Paying attention to different tournament formats—from Mystery Bounty to Super High Roller and PLO—shows that versatility and a willingness to master new disciplines can be your competitive edge. The PPPoker platform regularly hosts club series and tournaments with a variety of structures, and the experience of top professionals confirms: the broader your arsenal, the higher your chances of success. Finally, openness and honesty in evaluating your own results, the ability to analyze setbacks and learn from them, are crucial traits for any player striving for growth. Track your progress, participate in club discussions, share your experiences—and perhaps your story will be the next one featured in the poker media.