Lonis Makes History
Merit Royal Diamond in Northern Cyprus once again affirmed its status as a destination for the world's poker elite. The week-long high-stakes action culminated in the NLH Invitational event with a $102,000 buy-in. With 88 entries, it was clear from the start this would be one of the most prestigious events of the year. The atmosphere was like a chessboard, where every move could spell the difference between heading home or securing a seven-figure payout.
Jesse Lonis, known for his aggressive style on the high-stakes scene, delivered a dream performance. Even as he entered the loaded final table as the short stack, his performance was nothing short of dominance: eliminating seven out of eight opponents, thus practically deciding the tournament’s fate by himself.
The path through this final table was no walk in the park – his competitors were giants like Jamil Wakil, Matt Moss, Rob Yong, and the G.O.A.T. Phil Ivey. Spectators were particularly captivated by Phil Ivey, who also fell at the hands of Lonis after his all-in with A c 6 d met A h 9 h . The board offered no help, and Ivey finished third with $1,080,000.
The battle for the title narrowed down to Lonis and Tunisian champion Maher Nouira. The players agreed on a heads-up deal, securing $1.7 million each. Yet, Lonis maintained total dominance in the heads-up phase, clinching the title and a prize of $1,745,625. This marked Onyx SHRS's highest-ever single tournament prize, pushing the American pro's Hendon Mob earnings past $23 million.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
| 1 | Jesse Lonis | USA | $1,745,625* |
| 2 | Maher Nouira | Tunisia | $1,704,375* |
| 3 | Phil Ivey | USA | $1,080,000 |
| 4 | Rob Yong | UK | $856,000 |
| 5 | Jamil Wakil | Canada | $670,000 |
| 6 | Matthew Moss | UK | $520,000 |
| 7 | Dejan Kaladjurdjevic | Montenegro | $400,000 |
| 8 | Rahul Byrraju | India | $310,000 |
| 9 | Markkos Ladev | Estonia | $250,000 |
Rezaei's Austrian Triumph
Equally riveting was yesterday’s Championship Event with a $51,000 buy-in and a $5 million guarantee. Organizers agreed with players to shorten the originally planned two-day tournament to one marathon night, testing patience and psyche to reveal who can withstand the pressure.
With 100 entries, the guarantee was nearly collected in full. The standout performer was Austrian pro Daniel Rezaei, who secured a prize of $1,043,530 after a heads-up deal with David Nicholson. Post-tournament, Rezaei admitted that despite his experience in major global series, nearly 17 hours of play posed one of the toughest challenges of his career.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
| 1 | Daniel Rezaei | Austria | $1,043,530* |
| 2 | David Nicholson | United Kingdom | $1,101,570* |
| 3 | Jamil Wakil | Canada | $585,000 |
| 4 | Armin Ghojehvand | United Kingdom | $445,000 |
| 5 | Manuel Fritz | Austria | $360,000 |
| 6 | Aram Oganyan | United States | $290,000 |
| 7 | Johan Guilbert | France | $230,000 |
| 8 | “Loopoo” | France | $180,000 |
| 9 | Markkos Ladev | Estonia | $140,000 |
The Largest Streamed Heads-Up in History
If anyone doubted that the Onyx Super High Roller Series could push the boundaries of what's possible in the poker world, the showdown between Kayhan Mokri and Ossi Ketola proved them wrong. Both players are stalwarts of the high-stakes community, and their decision to engage in a heads-up match with a $2,000,000 buy-in per player caused a significant stir not just among those present at Merit Royal Diamond, but also online. The livestream quickly attracted thousands of viewers who knew they were witnessing a historic moment. This heads-up surpassed all previous records, including the iconic Jason Koon vs. Phil Hellmuth duel on High Stakes Duel, where $1.6 million was on the line.
The heads-up extended over five hours of pure play. It featured technical maneuvers, aggressive 3-bets, and long tanks as each player attempted to exploit any weakness in the other. Viewers in the chat compared the duel to a knife-edge chess match, albeit with each pot worth a luxury beachside villa.
The decisive hand was a cooler on the flop A d 6 d 4 h, with Ketola holding 6 c 4 c and Mokri with A s 6 s. In the all-in/call situation, only two fours could save Ketola, but instead, the turn brought 6 d, sealing the deal.
The action didn’t have to end there. Ketola immediately challenged Mokri to a rematch for $5 million, but the Norwegian declined, citing an early flight from Cyprus. Ketola sought challenges with other players like Darren Elias and Paul Phua but found no willing opponents.
Sources – YouTube, PokerNews, X, Onyx Poker Club
