Triton Champion Mikalai Vaskaboinikau Wins $50,500 Onyx High Roller

Mikalai Vaskaboinikau has once again proven his skill by winning the prestigious $50,500 Onyx High Roller Championship tournament in Cyprus. Find out all the details of this thrilling competition.

Triton Champion Shines Again: Mikalai Vaskaboinikau Wins the $50,500 Onyx High Roller Championship Overview of the $50,500 Onyx High Roller Championship The prestigious $50,500 Onyx High Roller Championship , held at the luxurious Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa in Cyprus, saw an intense battle between the top players from Europe and the CIS. The tournament was part of the Onyx High Roller Series and attracted 18 participants, creating a prize pool of $864,000 . The winner of the event was renowned Belarusian pro Mikalai Vaskaboinikau , who managed to register for the tournament at the very last moment. His victory earned him the main trophy and a hefty prize of $450,000 . The final table was filled with dramatic moments and unexpected twists, and Vaskaboinikau’s path to the title was especially challenging. Mikalai Vaskaboinikau’s Road to Victory: From Last-Minute Registration to Champion Mikalai Vaskaboinikau’s journey in this tournament began with a twist: he almost missed registration, but noticing there were only two minutes left before it closed, he quickly paid the buy-in and took his seat. He later admitted that he was already making plans for the evening with friends, expecting an early bustout, but fate had other plans. The tournament started off poorly for Vaskaboinikau. In one of the first hands, he triple-barreled with bottom pair against Aleksejs Ponakovs , who hit a Broadway straight on the river and severely reduced the Belarusian’s stack. Despite this setback, Vaskaboinikau managed to recover and stay in the fight. The first to leave the final table was Austrian Thomas Alfred Mayer . He was followed by Aleksejs Ponakovs , Artur Martirosian , and Manuel Fritz . After their eliminations, five players remained, and the tension at the table rose — the money bubble was looming, with third place paying $164,000 , more than triple the buy-in. The key moment for Vaskaboinikau was doubling up against Rob Yong — the Belarusian made a flush on the flop. He then knocked out Zorlu Er , his ace-queen holding up, and the tournament entered the bubble stage — the point where the next elimination determines who leaves empty-handed. Dramatic Bubble: Mikita Badziakouski Busts With four players left, the battle for the money intensified. At this point, it seemed that Mikita Badziakouski — fourth on TheHendonMob’s all-time money list — was in the best position. He started the day with a short stack but soon took the lead, including a key win with aces against queens. However, things quickly changed. Using his big stack, Badziakouski tried to apply pressure, shoving with ace-nine against Rob Yong ’s tens, but lost and surrendered the chip lead. His situation worsened further in a hand against Vaskaboinikau: Badziakouski shoved king-high from the small blind, and Vaskaboinikau called from the big blind with ace-jack. The board didn’t help either player, and Badziakouski’s stack was reduced to almost nothing. In the next hand, Rob Yong finished Badziakouski off when he shoved again with king-high but lost to Yong’s pocket eights on the flop. Thus, Badziakouski became the tournament’s bubble boy, leaving without a payout. After that, Mikalai Vaskaboinikau , Rob Yong , and the day’s starting chip leader Alexey Borovkov secured payouts and continued to battle for the top prize. Final Table Climax: The Fight for the Trophy After the bubble burst, play sped up considerably. Rob Yong first doubled up Alexey Borovkov, then tried to recover in a hand against Vaskaboinikau, but ran into domination and was left with a short stack. Yong survived one all-in, but the second was fatal: Vaskaboinikau held ace-ten against Yong’s king-nine, hit a ten on the flop, and sent Rob Yong out in third place for $164,000 . In heads-up, Vaskaboinikau faced Russian cash game specialist Alexey Borovkov . Despite a significant chip lead, Vaskaboinikau allowed his opponent to double up, but quickly regained control, methodically whittling down Borovkov’s stack. In the decisive hand, Borovkov shoved with king-six, and Vaskaboinikau quickly called with ace-eight. An ace on the flop and another on the river gave Vaskaboinikau trips and the tournament victory. Notably, Vaskaboinikau admitted he is not a regular on the high roller circuit, playing no more than four or five such events a year, so every trophy is a special achievement for him. He noted that his collection is now almost complete: “I have almost every trophy from the major poker series, but there was one I hadn’t won yet. Today was the day... Mission accomplished.” Payout Table for the $50,500 High Roller Championship Place Player Prize 1 Mikalai Vaskaboinikau $450,000 2 Alexey Borovkov $250,000 3 Rob Yong $164,000 Key Final Table Players and Their Journeys Mikalai Vaskaboinikau (Belarus) — tournament champion, holder of many major series trophies, won this time despite a rough start and almost missing registration. Alexey Borovkov (Russia) — well-known cash game specialist, started the final day as chip leader, finished second. Rob Yong — owner of Onyx Club, finished third, played key hands against Badziakouski and Vaskaboinikau. Mikita Badziakouski (Belarus) — one of the world’s top earners, became the tournament’s bubble boy. Aleksejs Ponakovs — played an important role early in the tournament, took a chunk of Vaskaboinikau’s stack. Artur Martirosian — one of Russia’s strongest tournament players, busted before the money. Manuel Fritz — also exited before the payout stage. Thomas Alfred Mayer — first to bust at the final table. Zorlu Er — finished fifth, lost to Vaskaboinikau. Emotions and Atmosphere: Support, Jokes, and Recognition Vaskaboinikau shared his victory with friends who were present in the room. In an interview, he joked: “A professional support team — one dancer, one singer.” The champion also praised the tournament organization and the conditions at Merit Royal Diamond, where he’s been playing for over ten years. He especially highlighted the free meals for players, noting that even after winning $450,000, it’s nice to save on lunch. Tournament Format and Features The $50,500 Onyx High Roller Championship was held in a High Roller format — events with very high buy-ins, attracting top professionals and businessmen willing to play for big money. In this case, there were only 18 entries, making the competition especially tough and the prizes large. The tournament structure featured deep stacks and long play, with the money starting at just three players, increasing the pressure on the bubble stage. The Onyx High Roller Series is a prestigious lineup of high roller tournaments held at top casinos, bringing together the poker elite. Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa in Northern Cyprus has long established itself as one of the main venues for such events. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, this news can be a great source of motivation and practical lessons. First, Mikalai Vaskaboinikau’s story shows that even if a tournament starts badly, it’s important to stay calm and look for comeback opportunities — making the most of your chances and staying mentally strong can lead to big results. Second, a tournament structure with deep stacks and a tough bubble requires a special approach: you need to know how to play a short stack, make decisions under pressure, and not be afraid to make aggressive moves when justified. These skills can be developed in PPPoker club tournaments, especially in events with high buy-ins or a short payout zone. Finally, Vaskaboinikau’s experience is a reminder that participating in major events is possible even for those who don’t play professionally every week. The main thing is not to miss your chances, be ready to fight, and remember to enjoy the game and the poker community atmosphere, whether offline or online in PPPoker clubs.