The Bulgarian player is continuing a strong run he began last year
Bulgarian poker pro Alex Kulev has established himself as one of the world’s top high-stakes players since 2023. The 29-year-old earned the biggest score of his career, taking the $2,566,000 top prize at the 2024 Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Montenegro $100,000 No-Limit Hold ’em eight max event.
Kulev was the last man standing among the 102 players who sat down at the Maestral Resort & Casino in Montenegro, securing his first Triton title and moving up to ninth place in the 2024 POY standings presented by Global Poker.
The top 17 players split the $10,200,000 prize pool, with each guaranteed at least $160,000 and the top three taking home a minimum seven-figure payday. Several big names made it to the final day, including Stephen Chidwick (11th), Sean Winter (10th), and Bryn Kenney (9th).
Danny Tang held the biggest chip stack at the final table before Aleksejs Ponakovs (8th for $342,000) and Dylan Linde (7th for $454,000) were eliminated.
Two-time bracelet winner Daniel Dvoress bowed out in sixth place ($594,000), and Tang ended his tournament in fifth place ($752,000). Maher Nouira secured the final six-figure payday of $933,000 for his fourth-place showing.
Kulev got the next elimination after flopping a set of kings to take a big pot against Xu Liang’s pocket sevens. Liang secured the third-place prize of $1,127,000. The chip count was nearly even when heads-up play started. Thomas Santerne had the early momentum, but Kulev overtook the lead before the final showdown.
Santerne shoved all-in with pocket sevens on the deciding hand, and Kulev called holding ace-ten offsuit. The runout gave Kulev a set of tens, earning Santerne $1,735,000 for second place.
