WSOP Paradise 2025: Ponakovs Breaks the Triton Curse, Brazil's Dominance Sealed by Simao

Ponakovs Adds a Dream Triton Trophy to His WSOP Bracelet
 

Aleksejs Ponakovs accomplished what had long eluded him. The Latvian high-stakes pro, after nineteen unsuccessful final tables on the Triton circuit, finally captured his first title. He did it in the best possible setting, the $100,000 Triton Main Event at WSOP Paradise.

The field was fierce, with 237 entries creating a massive prize pool of $23,700,000. Ponakovs entered the final day as a clear chipleader, but his path to victory was far from smooth. An early major pot loss set him back among the chasers, as Triton newcomer Pedro Padilha took control of the table.

"When I lost that big pot, I thought this was going to be very hard. I needed some luck," Ponakovs admitted. The key moment arrived with five players remaining. Ponakovs doubled up his stack with A s A c against Ye Wang's A h Q d. From that point, he regained command of the tournament, swiftly eliminating Roiter, Wang, Manuel Fritz, and finally Padilha in heads-up play.

Beyond his first Triton title, he also claimed his third WSOP bracelet, boosting his record earnings to $4,750,000. Padilha, who dominated much of the final, took second with $3,160,000, nearly doubling his career earnings. After his triumph, Ponakovs emphasized that victory wasn't the end of his journey: "It feels great, but I need more titles. I see Koon has twelve, so I have motivation to get more."

Simao Tops Brazilian Trio to Win Third Bracelet
 

Triton Paradise culminated with the highest buy-in among open events: the $150,000 No-Limit Hold'em 8-Handed, which attracted 77 entries and generated a $11,550,000 prize pool. The event concluded with a result Triton had never seen before. Joao Simao emerged victorious over compatriots Felipe Boianovsky and Yuri Dzivielski, delivering a historic Brazilian triple triumph. Simao won his third WSOP bracelet, his first Triton title, and $3,067,000.

The tournament was packed with drama, from an exceptionally long bubble phase to a massive 3-way all-in that catapulted David Coleman into the lead, and a massive double knockout move by Boianovsky, eliminating Jonathan Jaffe and Danny Tang.

The finale turned into an internal Brazilian showdown, where Boianovsky initially had a huge lead (over twice his opponents' combined stacks). Yet, Simao gradually took control, reading the dynamics masterfully, winning one critical hand after another, and ultimately capitalizing on his dominance with J c J h against T d 4 h. Commentators praised his performance as outstanding, technically flawless, without a single strategic blunder, and meticulously reading his opponent.

Super Main Event Already Halfway to Guarantee

After a record start on the opening flight, where Day 1A attracted 869 entries, Day 1B had a different vibe. It brought in just 378 entries, mostly among pros and regular high rollers, making the combined total 1,247, halfway towards the ambitious $60,000,000 guaranteed prize pool (2,400 entries).

By the day's end, 124 players bagged chips, with British WPT champion Andy Wilson leading the charge into Day 2A with a stack of 5,150,000. He even surpassed Day 1A leader Leonard Song-Carrilla (4,485,000).

Several poker stars also thrived. Jesse Lonis rebounded from Day 1A disappointment, landing in the Top 10 with 4,190,000. Good positions were also claimed by Alex Foxen (3,215,000), Isaac Haxton (2,750,000), Nick Schulman (2,375,000), and Martin Kabrhel (2,370,000). The Czech pro was again in a jovial mood, much to Christoph Vogelsang's chagrin.

Besides Martin Kabrhel, another Czech, Roman Hrabec, also pleased fans, finishing just a few spots behind his more experienced compatriot with 1,845,000. Meanwhile, Slovaks Marek Tomeš and Lukáš Pažma saw less success, ending in the conquered field.

The 124 Day 1B survivors will join the 295 players from the opening flight in Day 2A, with registration remaining open through the first three levels of Day 2A. Play continues until 7% of the field remains, advancing to Day 3. Two more starting flights and Day 2B will follow, merging again.

Top 10 Chip Counts – Day 1B

Sources: WSOP, Triton Poker, PokerNews, The Hendon Mob, X