The 2024 World Series of Poker Circuit Grand Victoria Casino $1,700 buy-in no-limit hold’em main event drew an impressive field of 757 entries, far exceeding its $750,000 guarantee to generate a prize pool of over $1.1 million.

After three starting flights and two more days of play, Jeremy Lenz of Illinois claimed victory. The 39-year-old earned the top prize of $194,977, his first WSOP Circuit gold ring, and 912 Card Player Player of the Year points—marking his first POY-qualified score of 2024. This win significantly eclipsed Lenz’s previous live tournament earnings, which totaled just over $16,000 across five recorded cashes.

Speaking with WSOP reporters, Lenz shared his practical plans for his winnings: “I am going to pay my house off, taxes, and mortgage. It’s getting pricey out here.”

The final day began with six players, led by 2019 WSOP Circuit Potawatomi main event champion Richard Bai. Early action saw Bai win a massive pot with a set-over-set cooler against two-time WSOP Circuit ring winner Dana Marie Muse, eliminating Muse in sixth place for $38,601.

The next elimination came when Caleb King’s pocket nines fell to Roland Israelashvili’s pocket queens. King exited in fifth place with $50,350. Israelashvili continued his momentum by winning a significant pot with quads against Bai. Shortly after, Bai was all-in with 10♠7♠ against Cero Zuccarello’s 10♠8♠, which improved to queens and eights, sending Bai to the rail in fourth place for $66,514.

Israelashvili’s run ended in third place for $88,976 after his K♥7♣ lost to Zuccarello’s A♠8♠, which improved to a full house. The 11-time Circuit ring winner added another strong finish to his resume, bringing his career tournament earnings to nearly $5.3 million and notching his 262nd WSOP Circuit cash.

Heads-up play began with Lenz holding a better than 2:1 chip lead over Zuccarello. The gap widened as the match progressed. The final hand saw Zuccarello shove for just over 10 big blinds with Q♥6♣, only to be snap-called by Lenz’s A♥A♣. The board ran out 9♥8♥8♦9♠A♥, giving Lenz aces full and the title. Zuccarello finished as the runner-up, earning $120,506.

Just one week after picking up his first Triton Poker title and $891,000 in the $30,000 no-limit hold’em turbo bounty event in Monte Carlo, Artur Martirosian added his second with the closing event, the $25,000 PLO turbo bounty for another $525,000.

The tournament saw a field of 75 runners enter the race, with the top 13 making the money for a cash worth at least $27,000. Familiar faces that made the money included Ronny Kaiser (6th), Stephen Chidwick (9th), Sam Greenwood (10th), Quan Zhou (11th), and Danny Tang (12th).

Martirosian was actually one of the shortest stacks left in play when the final table began, and he stayed away from the all-in confrontations as player fell aroud him.

PLO specialist Michael Duek, fresh off a runner-up finish in the $50,000 six-max PLO event, was out in fifth place for $100,000.

Then Martirosian got in on the action by busting Ren Len in fourth place. Lin earned $304,500 with his finish and bounties, putting him above $14 million in total. With 21 final tables in 2024, he sits in eighth place in the POY standings.

Martirosian kept the heat going by busting high-stakes crusher Dan Smith in third place for $279,000. Smith cashed six times during the series overall for a total of $2.3 million to bring him to $57.9 million, or fifth on the all-time money list.

The chip stacks stood at more than 2:1 in favor of Martirosian over top American pro Isaac Haxton at the start of the heads-up final. Despite all the poker talent collected between the final two players, it took just one all-in pot to decide the fate of the tournament.

The final hand saw all the chips get in with the board reading QClub Suit10Heart Suit3Club Suit6Spade Suit. Haxton was ahead with KClub SuitQDiamond Suit5Diamond Suit3Spade Suit in the hole, and Martirosian was sitting on a flush draw with KHeart Suit9Club Suit8Club Suit8Spade Suit. The flush got there when the 4Club Suit fell on the river, giving Martirosian his second win to finish off the tournament series.

Haxton was eliminated in second place, falling short of a Triton title once again after coming so close. Haxton added $270,000 to his career earnings with the cash, and his impressive career earnings are now above $52.3 million, or ninth place all time.

EVENT 7: $30K – NLH Bounty Quattro
Dates: November 6, 2024
Entries: 105 (inc. 28 re-entries)
Prize pool: $3,150,000 (inc. $1,040,000 in bounty pool)

1 – Artur Martirosian, Russia – $531,000 + $360,000 in bounties
2 – Nikita Kuznetcov, Russia – $358,000 + $80,000 in bounties
3 – Jamil Wakil, Canada – $233,000 + $120,000 in bounties
4 – Adrian Mateos, Spain – $193,000 + $120,000 in bounties
5 – Ren Lin, China – $156,000 + $80,000 in bounties
6 – David Benefield, USA – $123,000 + $40,000 in bounties
7 – Ben Tollerene, USA – $94,000 + $40,000 in bounties

Ben Tollerene captured the latest title at the Triton Super High Roller Poker Series held at Sporting Monte-Carlo, winning the $50,000 buy-in six-max pot-limit Omaha event and claiming the $1,070,000 top prize. This victory pushed his career earnings just under the $18 million mark.

“It’s great. I was having a terrible trip with a couple of bubbles, so I was just excited to play a different game, some PLO,” Ben Tollerene told reporters after his win.

The tournament drew 84 entries, with the top 14 finishers earning at least $78,000. All players who cashed returned for the final day, where 39 hands of hand-for-hand play finally burst the bubble on Day 1.

Notable names who finished in the money included Luc Greenwood (14th), Jonas Kronwitter (13th), Girk ‘VeniVidi’ Gerritse (12th), Jason Koon (11th), and Santhosh Suvarna (10th).

Starting second in chips at the final table, Ben Tollerene quickly increased his stack by eliminating Mads Amot in sixth place. Although Joni Jouhkimainen began the final table as chip leader, he ultimately exited in fifth place, with Tollerene securing the bustout. Jouhkimainen earned $217,000, boosting his career winnings to $7.6 million.

Tollerene’s momentum continued as he eliminated Zhou Quan in fourth place. Quan, a regular in high-stakes events with multiple deep runs and a previous Triton title, added $393,000 to his record, bringing his career earnings to over $10 million.

Michael Duek, a PLO specialist and 2022 WSOP Main Event third-place finisher, had been quiet at the final table until he knocked out an anonymous player in third place. This set up the final showdown, with Duek holding 23 big blinds against Tollerene’s 43.

Just three hands into heads-up play, Duek’s flush draw on the flop fell short against Tollerene’s two-pair, giving Tollerene the win. Duek earned $736,000 for his runner-up finish, pushing his career earnings to over $7.3 million.

EVENT 13: $50K – PLO 6-Handed
Dates: November 12-13, 2024
Entries: 82 (inc. 39 re-entries)
Prize pool: $4,100,000

1 – Ben Tollerene, USA – $1,070,000
2 – Michael Duek, USA – $736,000
3 – Maxi Lehmanski, Germany – $485,000
4 – Zhou Quan, China – $393,000
5 – Joni Joukemainen, Norway – $314,500
6 – Mads Amot, Norway – $244,500
7 – Espen Myrmo, Norway – $193,000

Artur Martirosian has had a successful run at the Triton Super High Roller Poker Series in Monte Carlo, cashing in five of the first six events. After four days at the tables, his big win came in the $30,000 no-limit hold’em turbo bounty event, where he earned $891,000—including $360,000 in bounties. This victory marked his first Triton title and pushed his career earnings close to $20 million, making it his 15th tournament win.

The Triton series continues to attract strong player numbers and substantial prize pools, with this tournament boasting a $3.15 million pot from 105 entries. The top 17 finishers made it into the money, including notable high-stakes pros Danny Tang (11th), Dan Smith (12th), Seth Davies (14th), and Brian Kim (15th), who all fell just short of the final table as blinds quickly escalated.

At the final table, it took two full levels for the first eliminations. Paulius Vaitiekunas and Espen Jorstad went out in ninth and eighth place, respectively, both losing to Martirosian in the same hand that vaulted him into the chip lead.

With few chips left among the remaining players, Artur Martirosian maintained control, eliminating David Benefield in sixth. He later scored another double knockout, sending Ren Lin (fifth) and Adrian Mateos (fourth) out together.

In a three-way all-in, Jamil Wakil finished in third place, while Nikita Kuznetcov claimed the main pot, entering heads-up play with 30 big blinds against Martirosian’s 58. The two Russian players dueled quietly, with Kuznetcov scoring two early double-ups before Martirosian regained his lead. With just 37 blinds in play, Kuznetcov went all-in holding K-5 offsuit against Martirosian’s 10-9 suited. A second nine on the board clinched the victory for Martirosian, who took home the title, while Kuznetcov earned $358,000 plus $80,000 in bounties.

EVENT 7: $30K – NLH Bounty Quattro
Dates: November 6, 2024
Entries: 105 (inc. 28 re-entries)
Prize pool: $3,150,000 (inc. $1,040,000 in bounty pool)

1 – Artur Martirosian, Russia – $531,000 + $360,000 in bounties
2 – Nikita Kuznetcov, Russia – $358,000 + $80,000 in bounties
3 – Jamil Wakil, Canada – $233,000 + $120,000 in bounties
4 – Adrian Mateos, Spain – $193,000 + $120,000 in bounties
5 – Ren Lin, China – $156,000 + $80,000 in bounties

The Triton Super High Roller Series kicked off its latest Monte Carlo stop with a thrilling $25,000 buy-in event, showcasing the high-stakes excitement the tour is known for. The tournament concluded with a dramatic heads-up showdown between two contrasting players: Brian Kim, a seasoned pro and recent World Series of Poker final table finisher, and Enrico Camosci, a rising star from Italy making his Triton debut. After a nail-biting back-and-forth, Brian Kim emerged victorious around 2:40 am local time, claiming the trophy and $941,000, while Camosci took home $634,000 as runner-up.

For Brian Kim, the victory was a long time coming. A Triton regular with eight prior final tables on the tour, he’d frequently come close but never managed to clinch the title until now. Speaking to Triton interviewer Marianella Pereyra, Kim expressed a mix of relief and joy, acknowledging the fierce competition he’d faced in his Triton journey. “It’s elusive,” he reflected, adding, “With all these great players, it’s possible I could have been coming to Triton for another seven years and not winning one.”

Named the WPT Global Ultimate Slam, the event marked Triton’s new sponsorship with WPT Global. Despite being the smallest buy-in of the week, the tournament drew 170 entries, generating a prize pool of $4.25 million. The action was intense, with players carefully navigating each level and scrutinizing every decision, especially as the blinds ran high.

In the final hand, after a lengthy duel in which both players faced elimination multiple times, Camosci was forced to go all-in with Q♠-7♦ against Kim’s K♣-J♠. With no miracle cards on the board, Kim finally claimed victory, visibly thrilled to take home the hard-won trophy. “I’m just so happy to be here and talking to you,” he said. “I never knew if I would have one of these conversations. I’m going to take the trophy home and put it somewhere special.”

TOURNAMENT ACTION

From a starting field of 170, just 34 players returned for Day 2, led by China’s Xu Liang, who entered with a massive chip lead. His advantage allowed him to dominate early and play aggressively, which contributed to the tournament’s bubble phase. Only 27 players would be paid, so as the short stacks maneuvered, Liang’s position helped ensure he remained safe. In a critical hand, Pieter Aerts’ queens couldn’t survive Elton Tsang’s aces, eliminating him and leaving only one more player before the bubble burst.

The tournament’s bubble saw several close calls, including a hand where Aleks Ponakovs’ pocket jacks held strong against Roberto Perez’s deuces. Ultimately, it was Liang who burst the bubble in dramatic fashion. French player Jeremy Zouari went all-in with A♠-K♠ against Liang’s J♣-3♥ and initially looked secure with top pair on a Q♦-5♥-K♣ flop. But the turn and river brought Liang an unlikely straight, sending Zouari out in 28th and marking the tournament’s official money phase.

With the bubble behind them, eliminations came quickly. Top names like Ike Haxton, Nacho Barbero, and Artur Martirosian, who’d clung to a short stack to survive the bubble, were eliminated. Liang continued to lead until structural adjustments and some bad beats ultimately sent him out in 13th.

As the tournament whittled down to its final nine, new frontrunners emerged, led by Alex Theologis, with players ready to battle it out for one of poker’s most coveted titles.

Alex Theologis – 9.325m (47 BBs)
Brian Kim – 8.075m (40 BBs)
Roberto Perez – 7.575m (38 BBs)
Tom Fuchs – 5.75m (29 BBs)
Dominykas Mikolaitis – 3.725m (19 BBs)
Aleks Ponakovs – 2.325m (12 BBs)
Enrico Camosci – 2.3m (12 BBs)
Elton Tsang – 2.05m (10 BBs)
Ranno Sootla – 1.375m (7 BBs)