Sometimes when it rains, it pours. Bernhard Binder came into the final weeks of 2025 with a career-best live tournament score of $64,500. Since late December, the Austrian has gone on to cash for nearly $12.5 million, including two multi-million-dollar wins that came just 95 days apart.
The 27-year-old took down the 2025 World Series of Poker Paradise super main event on Dec. 18, topping the field of 2,891 entries in the $25,000 buy-in to earn his first bracelet and $10,000,000.
Just over three months later, Binder defeated 84 entries in the $125,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em seven-max event at the Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju festival, adding another $2,137,953 to his career haul. He also earned his first trident trophy. This was his debut at a Triton final table, having only cashed seven times on the tour since first playing early last year.
In addition to the hardware and the money, Binder also earned 960 Card Player Player of the Year points for the win. This was his second victory of the year, having taken down a €25,000 high roller at the Casinos Austria Poker Tour Seefeld festival in February for $208,197 and 168 points. His 1,128 total points is enough to see him move inside the top 100 in the 2026 standings presented by CoinPoker.
‘The Toughest Fields’
“I love to play the highest buy-ins, I love to play the toughest fields,” Binder told Triton staff after coming out on top.
He got his wish in this event, with plenty of heavy hitters running deep. The top 14 finishers ultimately earned a share of the $10,500,000 prize pool in this event, with notables like recent $60,000 event winner Daniel Rezaei (14th), Kayhan Mokri (13th), Eelis Parssinen (12th), and all-time Triton titles leader Jason Koon (10th) among those to make the money.
Kiat Lee was out in front when the official final table of seven was set. The three-time Triton champion had 85 big blinds to start, while Binder’s 51 big blinds gave him the next-largest stack.
A player who has asked for anonymity finished seventh, with Binder landing the knockout blow. Lee then won a big flip with pocket eights against the A-10 of Yosuke Miki (6th – $628,000) to narrow the field to five.
Five-time Triton winner Danny Tang ultimately finished fifth ($804,000), with five of Tang’s six blinds going in preflop with K♦3♠. Lee called holding Q♦10♦. It checked through on a J♦6♥6♦ flop, but Tang’s last blind went in after the 7♦ turn. Lee rivered a flush with the 3♦ to end Tang’s latest deep run. The Hong Kong native now boasts nearly $37.6 million in career earnings. This was his fourth final-table finish of the year, and with 1,448 points, he is now tied for 38th place in the POY standings.
Reigning POY award winner Jesse Lonis recorded his seventh career seven-figure score with a fourth-place showing in this event. His A♦J♠ ran into the A♠Q♠ of Binder. While both players made two pair, Binder’s aces and queens were best in the end. Lonis earned $1,001,000 for his efforts, increasing his lifetime haul to $29.5 million in the process.
Three To One
The final three hashed out a deal based on ICM numbers. They left $200,000 and the title to play for, while locking up $1,937,953 for Binder as the big stack, $1,907,447 for Lee in the middle, and $1,825,600 for short stack Danilo Velasevic.
The Serbian surged after the agreement was made, battling his way into the lead. He then played a massive pot against Binder that helped set the Austrian up for victory. Velasevic raised from the button to 275,000 with A♥K♣ and Lee called in the small blind with pocket threes. Binder came along with 7♥2♥ from the big blind and the flop came down K♥9♣5♥. It checked to the initial raiser and he fired 450,000. Binder check-called and the 7♠ on the turn gave him a pair to go with his flush draw. He check-called again, this time to the tune of 1,400,000. The 9♥ on the end completed his flush and Binder checked a third time. Velasevic moved all-in and Binder called off his remaining 3,450,000 to double into a sizable lead.
Velasevic was left short after that, but he managed a double-up to buy himself some breathing room. Lee was ultimately the next to hit the rail. He lost much of his stack bet-folding on a double-paired board into Binder, who had flopped an ace-high flush. Lee was left with a fraction of a big blind after that and was unable to spin it up, finishing third for the sum he bargained for. The Malaysian now has more than $23.8 million in recorded scores to his name.
Binder held a better than 10:1 chip advantage going into heads-up play. He soon converted that lead into the title. On the first hand of the final clash, Binder shoved from the button with J♦7♦. Velasevic called with A♦K♣ and the board came down Q♥9♦3♦7♥2♥ to give Binder a winning pair of sevens. Velasevic walked away with a career-best haul of over $1.8 million, topping the $1.3 million he earned with a second-place showing in a $50,000 event at last year’s Triton Montenegro series.
🤩 A BLINDER BY BINDER! Bernhard Binder for his first Triton title and $2.13 million dollars. pic.twitter.com/MHg70Kz8dX
— Triton Poker (@tritonpoker) March 23, 2026
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points |
| 1 | Bernhard Binder | $2,137,953 | 960 |
| 2 | Danilo Velasevic | $1,825,600 | 800 |
| 3 | Kiat Lee | $1,907,447 | 640 |
| 4 | Jesse Lonis | $1,001,000 | 480 |
| 5 | Danny Tang | $804,000 | 400 |
| 6 | Yosuke Miki | $628,000 | 320 |
Photo credit: Triton Poker.
