Kayhan Mokri Wins $7,725,000 at WSOP Paradise

Record-Breaking Triton Invitational at WSOP Paradise

WSOP Paradise is confidently cementing its status as one of the most high-profile series of the year. The $250,000 Triton Invitational in 2025 set a record for the number of participants, attracting 133 entries, including 98 unique players. The tournament once again brought amateurs and professionals together, and the balance was rare: 23 players made it into the money, including 14 amateurs and 9 pros.

Ultimately, Norwegian regular Kayhan Mokri celebrated victory in the series' most valuable tournament. He earned $7,725,000 for first place.

For Kayhan, this victory was a logical continuation of a strong year. Back in September, he won $3.8 million in a $150,000 buy-in tournament, and his success at WSOP Paradise allowed him to close in on Jesse Lonis, the all-time live tournament money leader in 2025. Moreover, this result propelled Mokri to the top spot in Norway's player rankings, surpassing Espen Jorstad.

His first WSOP bracelet, a record-breaking cash, a victory in a tournament with a truly star-studded field, and surpassing $20 million in live tournament winnings make this achievement especially special.

How Mokri dominated the final table

Daniel Negreanu, Joao Simao, and Mikita Bodyakovsky were eliminated before the final table, while last year's champion, Alejandro Lococo, was eliminated in 13th place.

The final table bubble was particularly dramatic. Mikita Bodyakovsky shoved 16 big blinds from the cutoff with T8o, getting called by the chip leader. After the all-in, the Belarusian admitted he'd miscalculated his stack and thought he had about four big blinds less than he actually did. Kayhan Mokri showed pocket nines, which held, and it was the Norwegian who reached the final table with a comfortable 77 big blinds.

The final table was surprisingly fast, with key hands repeatedly going in the Norwegian's favor. The turning point came in 7-max. Cong Pham opened from the hijack, third-stacked at about 26 big blinds. Mokri, on the button with twice as much stack, instantly shoved with 99. A flop with two aces had a dramatic effect, but a nine on the river gave Mokri almost half of the tournament's chips.

In 4-max, Jonathan Jaffe tried to turn the tables but lost another important pot. Mokri was then left facing two amateurs: Albert Daher and Gabriel Andrade, best known for his striking scarf in the Ecuadorian colors. There was little intrigue in 3-max. Daher moved blind-to-blind with Q8o and ran into Mokri's AK. Heads-up, Andrade started with a five-to-one chip deficit and was unable to stop his opponent, who was confidently on his way to the title.