Wiktor Malinowski Wins Triton Montenegro $200,000 Event For $4.8 Million

Wiktor Malinowski has only 38 recorded poker tournament scores to his name. The professional player from Poland is a fixture in the biggest cash games in the world, but only intermittently shows up to clash in the MTT streets. Despite his limited appearances on the circuit, the 29-year-old known to many by his online screen name ‘limitless’ has accrued more than $12.7 million in career tournament earnings, resulting in an average cash of $334,000. The largest chunk of that total came when Malinowski took down the 2024 Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Montenegro $200,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em eight-max event- for a career-best score of $4,789,000.

“It’s the best feeling. There are so many moments in poker when it’s not so good, so when you win it feels very special,” Malinowski told Triton reporters after coming out on top.

Malinowski bested a field of 93 entries that turned out to the Maestral Resort & Casino to secure his second multi-million-dollar payday on the circuit. His first came when he took down the 2021 Super High Roller Bowl Europe main event for $3.7 million.

This win also conveyed 1,080 Card Player Player of the Year points upon Malinowski. This was his first POY-qualified score of 2024.

The strong turnout for this event resulted in a prize pool of $18,600,000 that was paid out among the top 15 finishers. Santhosh Suvarna was knocked out on the bubble, ensuring that the remaining players all cashed for at least $317,000. Paul Phua (15th), Patrik Antonius (14th), Biao Ding (13th), Bryn Kenney (12th), Christoph Vogelsang (11th), and Stephen Chidwick (10th) all busted inside the money late on day 2.

The third and final day of action began with Malinowski in the lead and nine players remaining. Matas Cimbolas (9th – $483,000) was the first to fall, with his A-K being outrun by the K-Q suited of Michael Watson. The World Poker Tour champion now has nearly $6.8 million in recorded scores to his name.

Two-time bracelet winner Nick Petrangelo soon got his last eight big blinds in preflop with A-10 leading the A-7 suited of Malinowski. A seven on the flop turned the tables, and Malinowski held from there to narrow the field to seven. Petrangelo walked away with $661,000 for his eighth-place showing, increasing his lifetime haul to more than $45.5 million in the process.

A dominated K-Q suited once again managed to upset a superior preflop holding in an elimination showdown. This time around, it was WPT champion Jonathan Jaffe who was ahead with A-Q. Adrian Mateos flopped a king and held from there to knock Jaffe out in seventh place ($865,000).

All-time Triton Poker title leader Jason Koon fell a handful of spots short of yet another big win on tour. The ten-time champion ultimately bowed out in sixth place when his A-5 (shoved from the cutoff for 7.5 big blinds was unable to come from behind against the A-J of Malinowski, who called from the big blind. Malinowski flopped top pair of jacks and held through the river. Koon was awarded for his $1,098,000 for his 49th Triton cash. More than $28.3 million of his $57.4 million total tournament earnings have come from his success on this high-stakes-centric tour.

Five-time Triton winner Mikita Badziakouski’s run concluded in fifth place. The Belarusian crusher committed the majority of his stack preflop with A-7 from the hijack and ran into pocket queens for Adrian Mateos. Badziakouski’s final few blinds went in after the flop, with him needing an ace or flush or straight cards to remain in the tournament. The turn and river were no help, though, and he was eliminated in fifth place ($1,405,000). Badziakouski now has more than $57 million in career earnings after this latest deep run.

Recent $30,000 eight-max event champion of this series Michael Watson lost a big clash with Mateos to find himself with just a couple big blinds left in his stack. The WPT main event winner and two-time European Poker Tour champion was soon all-in and at risk with K-7 leading the J-5 of Mateos, who called from the big blind. Mateos drilled a jack on the turn to take the lead in the hand and faded a king on the river to knock Watson out in fourth place ($1,748,000). This was the second-largest score of the Canadian pro’s career. Watson has won three titles and made ten POY-qualified final tables so far this year. As a result, he moved into second place in the standings with 4,585 points and more than $6.3 million in to-date POY earnings.

Steve O’Dwyer eked into the final three with just a few big blinds in his stack. His case chips eventually found their way into the middle with 9-4 suited from the big blind. He was up against A-3 for Malinowski. Neither player connected with the board and ace high was enough to send O’Dwyer home in third place ($2,157,000). This was the largest score yet for the accomplished American-born pro, who is now based out of Ireland. His career earnings now sit at $44.6 million.

Heads-up play began with Malinowski holding a 3:1 chip lead over Mateos. The Spaniard steadily chipped away at that advantage, though, and was soon out in front. Mateos added to his lead with a massive triple-barrel bluff that concluded with a river shove. The move ended up forcing Malinowski off of his flopped top two pair, giving Mateos almost a 2:1 lead of his own. Malinowski then won a preflop raising war with A-Q, forcing Mateos off of A-6 with a four-bet shove to edge his way in front. Malinowski then pulled away again thanks to a big win with fives full of queens against the flopped top pair and flush draw of Mateos.

In the final hand, Malinowski limped in from the button with 83 and Mateos checked his option in the big blind with 86. The flop came down 843 and Mateos checked with top pair. Malinowski bet a single big blind of 300,000 with top and bottom pairs and Mateos called. The 7 turn drew another check from Mateos. Malinowski bet 1,000,000 and Mateos check-raised all-in for 3,575,000. Malinowski called and the river brought the 10 to bring the event to an end. Mateos earned a career-best payday of $3,292,000 as the runner-up, narrowly topping the $3,265,362 he secured as the champion of the 2021 World Series of Poker $250,000 buy-in tournament. This latest multi-million-dollar payday increased Mateos’ career earnings to nearly $47.9 million.

This was Mateos’ tenth final-table finish of the year, with two titles won so far. With 5,765 points and more than $7.6 million in POY earnings accrued in 2024, Mateos has overtaken the lead in the overall standings presented by Global Poker.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the final table:

Photo credits: Triton Poker / Joe Giron.

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