Sebastian Gaehl Scores $1.4 Million Breakout Win At Triton Jeju

Sebastian Gaehl first popped up on the Triton Super High Roller Series in Vietnam in 2023. Primarily an online player, Gaehl made a final table during that series, finishing fifth for what was then a personal best $196,000 payday. He hadn’t returned to the Triton Super High Roller Series streets until 2026, in Jeju, but he certainly made the most of the opportunity when he finally reappeared on the scene.

Gaehl won the $50,000 no-limit hold’em event at Triton Jeju, claiming a first-place prize of $1,392,000. That’s more than seven times larger than his Triton Vietnam final table appearance. It’s Gaehl’s second final table of the festival so far; he also finished seventh in a $20,000 no-limit hold’em event earlier in the week.

“It’s tough to put it into words,” Gaehl told Triton staff following his win. “I played so many years for this moment, and finally we are here. Still have to let it sink in, everything. But it feels incredible.”

🔱 THIS IS IT! Sebastian Gaehl goes for his first Triton title! pic.twitter.com/oT6odfiwS8

— Triton Poker (@tritonpoker) March 22, 2026

Gaehl defeated Brandon Wilson heads up to secure the title, leaving the current Card Player Player of the Year front-runner to settle for second place and $948,000. Wilson’s second career runner-up finish, seventh final table, and tenth overall cash on this tour pushed his Triton earnings to over $5 million. Wilson added 850 POY points to his total for the year, extending his total to 4,405 and his lead in the yearlong leaderboard presented by CoinPoker to almost 1,000 points.

With his victory, Gaehl earned 1,020 POY points, elevating the German pro into the top 60 in the POY standings.

Chips Flying Around

A total of 116 entrants put up $50,000 apiece, creating a prize pool worth just shy of $7,000,000. Of the 26 who returned for day 2, only 20 were destined to reach the money. Wilson did the dirty work here, shoving the button against two short stacks with K♦2♠ and defeating Johannes Straver’s A♠6♦ with a king on the turn.

Over the next few hours, Quan Zhou accumulated a considerable chip lead, thanks in part to a double elimination along the way. Wilson started the final table in third, amidst a bunched-up collection of stacks with Alex Kulev in second, and Gaehl just behind in fourth.

🔥 Zhou Quan lines up a shot to take out two giants in one blow pic.twitter.com/RRgPynUZNl

— Triton Poker (@tritonpoker) March 22, 2026

Gaehl picked up the first elimination of the final table, knocking out five-time Triton champion Matthias Eibinger in seventh ($243,000). A short-stacked Eibinger check-raised all in with a spade flush draw and a live queen, but Gaehl’s flopped pair of jacks stayed best through the river. Gaehl recorded the next elimination as well, taking pocket eights up against Anatoly Zlotnikov’s Q♣J♥.

Both players smashed the Q♥J♠8♥ flop, but Gaehl’s set of eights remained best, as he dispatched Zlotnikov, another Triton champion, in sixth place ($325,000). Gaehl’s stack subsequently slipped, before surging back in a key double through Wilson. Gaehl, all in for just under 20 big blinds, was ahead with A♥J♥ against Wilson’s J♣10♦, and remained so on an 8♠7♠3♥ flop. Wilson turned the straight with the 9♥, but the 10♥ river made Gaehl’s heart flush.

As the chips flew around the table, Zhou slipped down the counts until he was the shortest stack. His A♠5♠ was no match for Alex Kulev’s A♣8♣, and Zhou’s second final table of the series ended in fifth place ($414,500). Fresh off a $25,000 no-limit hold’em victory in Jeju, he rose to third place overall in the POY standings. The Chinese player finished the 2025 Card Player POY final standings in fourth place.

Gaehl Gets It Done

Wilson was left as the short stack heading into four-handed play, but got the best of a deja vu situation for Gaehl. In his second runout of holding pocket eights against Q♠J♦, this time the overcards won. Wilson paired a J♣ on the turn, and that was enough.

Felipe Boianovsky, who had managed to navigate the big swings of this final table to overtake the chip lead, saw things slip in a hurry. Wilson found another double up when Boianovsky shoved his small blind with 6♣5♥, and Wilson called in the big blind with A♦4♣, and held.

Kulev was left as the new short stack. He ran the last of his chips head-first into Wilson’s pocket kings, and Kulev’s A♦10♣ fell hopelessly behind when another king hit the flop. The Bulgarian, who won a Triton $100,000 event in Montenegro in 2024, was out in fourth.

Gaehl bumped off Boianovsky in third ($516,000), with pocket jacks holding against A♠5♠. This third-place finish was the Brazilian’s first cash since his $2,131,000 runner-up result in a Triton event at WSOP Paradise back in December.

Gaehl, who held a nearly 2:1 lead, proposed a potential deal to Wilson, who declined. The ensuing heads-up match lasted all of four hands. Gaehl’s A♦10♠ had Wilson’s A♥9♠ in bad shape. The 6♠6♣4♣ flop and K♣ turn offered some hope of a chop, but the 5♦ locked up the title for Gaehl.

Final Table Results

Photo credit: Triton Poker Series.