Triton Jeju Main Event Won by Nick Schulman as Jessica Teusl Runs Deep
Poker Hall of Famer and eight-time WSOP bracelet winner Nick Schulman won the latest Triton Main Event in Jeju for a top score of over $3.85m, a personal record in his career. Beating the WSOP Paradise Main Event winner Bernhard Binder heads-up in South Korea after a heads-up deal, Schulman’s win came after a mammoth 196 entries created a $19.6 million prize pool and paid 32 players.
A Star-Studded Main Event
In the latest Triton Main Event to take place this year, just 32 players made the money places, with both the Austrian PokerStake seller Samuel Mullur and the German pro Hannes Jeschka splitting the first prize of $173,000, each of them taking home $86,500 after busting simultaneously on the bubble.
Once inside the money places, plenty of big names departed. Patrik Antonius (28th for $173,000), Jean-Noel Thorel (25th for $192,000), and Alex Foxen (17th for $260,000) were all busted before the Austrian PokerStake seller Jessica Teusl moved all-in with pocket nines pre-flop for around 13 big blinds. Up against Roberto Perez’s pocket aces, a board of 
sent Jessica (below) to the rail, albeit after another deep run in a high roller event.
After Jessica’s exit, the final table loomed nearby. For some, it was a dream that was snatched away from them late. Jesse Lonis had already avoided finishing outside the money places by hitting a two-outer seven when his pocket pair was crushed pre-flop by queens. The reverse fate eventually befell the man they call ‘Gorilla’, as he cashed in 13th place for $320,000.
With ten players remaining, it was the former Triton Main Event winner Danny Tang who bubbled the final table, cashing for $359,000. The British-based Hong Kong player called off his final chips with pocket kings when Gytis Lazauninkas shoved with ten-seven of clubs from the small blind. A seven on the flop and another on the river came to send Tang home in tenth place as the final table was set.
Haxton Among Early Exits
No sooner had nine players sat down at the final table was one of them leaving. Roberto Perez was all-in and at risk with ace-ten but lost a slop when Bernhard Binder’s pocket fours survived all five community cards to reduce the field to eight and send Perez packing with $424,000.
Next to go was the Chinese player Wesley Fei, who was knocked out in eighth place for $512,000 when his pocket fours couldn’t survive. Up against his fellow countryman Xu Yang’s pocket kings, no help came to save Fei and his departure was followed by that of the former chip leader, Danilo Velasevic. The Serbian lost in seventh place for $700,000 when his king-deuce was dominated to defeat by Bernhard Binder’s ace-deuce in the very next hand.
Isaac Haxton’s event came to an end soon after. Trading double-ups with Nick Schulman, Haxton was still short of his fellow American when he was all-in with ace-deuce but his opponent in the ha4nd, Bernhard Binder, managed to hit with king-three when a three landed on the flop and Haxton departed with $958,000 in sixth place.
Binder Beaten as Schulman Shines
After the Japanese player Ryuta Nakai busted in fifth for $1,263,000, the Chinese player Xu Yang followed him from the felt for $1,596,000. All-in with king-eight, he lost out to Gytis Lazauninkas’ pocket nines as the Lithuanian scored his first knockout of the final table.
Soon, however, the Lithuanian was on the outside looking in too. All-in pre-flop with pocket eights, he lost to Nick Schulman’s pocket tens, and left in third place for $1,968,000, with Schulman taking a better than 3:1 lead into the final duel. A deal was agreed between the eight-time WSOP bracelet winner Schulman and the WSOP Paradise Main Event winner Binder (above), guaranteeing that each man would take home over $3m.
In the end, a hero call gone wrong decided it. With Schulman’s lead at the start of heads-up replicated by his advantage at the end, he moved all-in on a board of 
. Holding pocket kings, Schulman’s shove was called by Binder with just king-jack. That was an incorrect hero call and guaranteed that Binder took home $3,080,112 as runner-up, with Schulman claiming $3,854,888 as the latest Triton winner.
Schulman’s Greatest Win
“Poker has been such a big part of my life since I was 15. I really do love to play.”
Just eight short years ago, the Triton Poker Series was in its infancy when Schulman took home his first trident trophy in a $13,000-entry Short Deck event. With just 61 entries, it was a far cry from what the event series is now, with millions on the line and big names in virtually every seat.
The top prize of $3.85 million was Schulman’s best ever, and he was delighted with victory.
“This is basically the final level of the game, playing Bernie heads up in a Main Event,” he said. “He’s unbelievable. You could just feel it playing with him. It’s no secret that when you look at this Triton scene, sometimes you see truly great players get wrecked for a year or two.”
The demands of poker at home in America and around the world mean Schulman has to juggle his time at the felt. But if he’s playing, and locked in as ever, you’re in for a hell of a game as he showed here again.
“When you make a big score like this, you just have to be very, very grateful because it can be really hard out here. Things have to go right. I’ve been playing since I was 15; it’s been such a big part of my life. I really do love to play.”
Declaring himself ‘not goal-oriented as far as wins’ go, Schulman feels he can hold his head high win or lose, if he gives his best. Once again his best was more than good enough to win millions of dollars playing the game he loves.
“That’s a good feeling for me because I haven’t always had it. I feel I have it now and I just want to keep that going as long as I enjoy it, which I think will be for a while. I’m over the moon.”
| Triton Poker Series 2026 Jeju $100,000 Main Event Final Table Results: | |||
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
| 1st | Nick Schulman | United States | $3,854,888* |
| 2nd | Bernhard Binder | Austria | $3,080,112* |
| 3rd | Gytis Lazauninkas | Lithuania | $1,968,000 |
| 4th | Xu Yang | China | $1,596,000 |
| 5th | Ryuta Nakai | Japan | $1,263,000 |
| 6th | Isaac Haxton | United States | $958,000 |
| 7th | Danilo Velasevic | Serbia | $700,000 |
| 8th | Wesley Fei | China | $512,000 |
| 9th | Roberto Perez | Spain | $424,000 |
*after heads-up deal