Alex Kulev Wins EPT Monte Carlo €250,000 High Roller For $3.2 Million

Monaco has long been synonymous with opulence, making it a fitting location for the largest buy-in European Poker Tour event ever held. The 2026 EPT Monte Carlo €250,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em super high roller attracted 38 total entries, making for a prize pool worth more than $10.7 million. After two days of nosebleed-stakes tournament action inside the Sporting Monte-Carlo, it was Bulgaria’s Alex Kulev who emerged victorious with the trophy and the top payout of $3,204,282.

This was a new top score for the decorated young poker pro, topping the $2.6 million he earned with a win in a $100,000 buy-in event at the 2024 Triton Montenegro. This was his third multi-million-dollar score, having also won a World Series of Poker $50,000 buy-in event in 2023 for nearly $2.1 million and a bracelet.

Kulev, who also took down a €100,000 high roller at this stop three years earlier, now has more than $21.3 million in career cashes under his belt.

“All the best players in the world come to play these EPTs, especially this lovely stop. We all gather and try to perform as best as we can. I’m very grateful that this tournament was organized and that I was able to have the fortune to win it,” Kulev told PokerStars reporters.

This was the second title and fourth final-table finish of 2026 for Kulev, who also won a $25,000 event at the Onyx High Roller Series. The 480 Card Player Player of the Year points that came with this latest triumph grew his total to 1,995, which is currently good for 39th place in the overall standings presented by CoinPoker.

Bursting The Bubble

The final day began with 14 remaining and only six set to cash. Several superstars hit the rail on day 2’s march to the money, including Jean-Noel Thorel (14th), Bernhard Binder (13th), Leon Sturm (12th), Mikita Badziakouski (11th), Isaac Haxton (10th), and Stephen Chidwick (9th).

The bubble finally burst shortly after Kulev’s A-8 overcame the A-K of fellow short stack Ding Biao. Kulev flopped an eight and held from there to leave Ding on fumes. On the very next deal, he got his last fraction of a blind in with A♥3♥ against two opponents. Chris Nguyen made queens and fours with 6♥4♠ on a Q♣10♥4♣Q♦8♣ runout to send Ding home empty-handed as the seventh-place finisher.

With that, the remaining half-dozen contenders all locked up at least $749,455 for their efforts. Artur Martirosian held the chip lead, with Nguyen hot on his heels.

More Big Names Fall

Despite coming into six-handed play with the top stack, Martirosian was ultimately the first to hit the rail. The three-time bracelet winner had come out on the wrong side of a few clashes with Nguyen to slide down the standings. In the end, he got all-in with A♦Q♠ leading Nguyen’s A♠5♦. It was an open-shove from the small blind for just shy of 12.5 big blinds for Martirosian and a call by Nguyen, who flopped a pair of fives and held from there on a J♠9♣5♠7♦7♥ runout to narrow the field to five. This latest big payday for Martirosian increased the Russian’s career haul to more than $38.5 million.

Bracelet winner Orpen Kisacikoglu soon followed. He also made his final stand in a battle of the blinds, ripping A♦4♥ for 8.5 big blinds and receiving a call from Kulev’s 5♥5♦ in the big blind. The board came down 5♠4♠3♥3♦2♥ and Kulev’s fives full bested Kisacikoglu’s wheel to send him home with $963,585. This was the fourth-largest score of the Turkish player’s career.

And then there were four…

The remaining players in the #EPTMonteCarlo Super High Roller have all locked up at least €1,070,700, and they play on for a first prize of €3,212,000.

Watch the action at https://t.co/SB357usSaR or https://t.co/ZarB0RN21O pic.twitter.com/duisPMitam

— PokerStars LIVE (@PokerStarsLIVE) May 5, 2026

Aleksejs Ponakovs ultimately finished fourth, getting all-in for his last 13.5 big blinds with Q♥10♠ for an open-ended straught draw on a J♦9♠4♠ flop. He was trailing the Q♦J♠ of Kulev, and the 2♠ removed a few outs for the Latvian all-time money leader. The 5♥ river officially ended the three-time bracelet winner’s run. He earned $1,231,305 for his efforts, growing his career haul to just shy of $40 million in the process.

Nguyen’s Wild Ride

Kulev was well out in front after that knockout. He expanded his advantage during the early three-handed action, leaving his two opponents on nearly even footing by the time the next big clash took place. Poker’s all-time money leader, Bryn Kenney, raised to 275,000 from the button with A♣J♥ and Nguyen went for a three-bet for just over 15 big blinds with 10♠7♠ from the big blind. Kenney called and was the player at risk, as Nguyen had him covered by a fraction of a big blind. The A♦K♦8♦ flop gave Kenney top pair to expand his lead in the hand, but the 9♣ turn improved Nguyen’s chances with outs to a straight. The 10♦ on the end kept Kenney’s hand best, though, and Nguyen’s stack was all but erased.

The very next hand saw Nguyen flop trip kings and hold to bring his stack back above a full big blind. He doubled up again on the very next hand, but the comeback ended soon after that. Nguyen got all-in with a pair of deuces on the following deal, only to find himself up against top pair of tens for Kenney. Nguyen found no help on the turn or river and was eliminated in third place ($1,659,565). This was the fourth seven-figure score of the Austrian’s career. The 2025 EPT Monte Carlo €100,000 high roller champion and bracelet winner now boasts over $9.1 million in lifetime earnings.

Heads-Up For The Glory

Kulev still led after that, but the chip advantage had been trimmed to roughly 4:3 in his favor. The two soon hashed out a deal to redistribute the prize money a bit, locking up $3,075,781 for Kulev and $2,898,308 for Kenney while leaving $128,501 and the title to play for.

On the second hand after the deal was made, Kenney raised to 275,000 with A♦9♦ and Kulev defended his big blind with 10♠4♠. The flop came down K♦10♦9♥ and Kulev checked his middle pair. Kenney bet two big blinds (250,000) with his nut flush draw and bottom pair. The 4♣ gave Kulev tens and fours. He checked and Kenney fired 950,000. Kulev check-raised all-in and Kenney called off for 2,975,000 total. The 7♣ on the end kept Kulev’s hand best, ending Kenney’s run in second place.

Alex Kulev is the #EPTMonteCarlo Super High Roller champion. 🏆👏

After striking a heads-up deal, he collects €2,786,332, whilst Bryn Kenney walks away with €2,520,268. pic.twitter.com/1QsVd7OuIP

— PokerStars LIVE (@PokerStarsLIVE) May 5, 2026

This nearly $2.9 million payday increased Kenney’s career earnings to $85,767,294, expanding his advantage atop the money list. He now sits more than $6.2 million ahead of second-ranked Stephen Chidwick ($79,517,944).

Final Table Results

Photo credits: Rational Intellectual Holdings Ltd. / Danny Maxwell.