Maher Nouira Leads Final 12 Into Day 3 of the $200K Triton Invitational

Day 2 of the $200,000 Triton Poker Invitational is done. Twelve players are left. And the chip leader heading into the final day is Maher Nouira, a Tunisian invitee.

This is Triton Montenegro 2026 Event #8, the biggest event of the series, where Maher Nouira bags 9,900,000 chips – 66 big blinds – and a lead.

Day 3 starts with a $6,370,000 first prize and a $27,400,000 total prize pool.

End of Day 2 – Full Chip Counts

Here’s the complete picture heading into Day 3. Level 24 blinds (75K/150K/150K) pick up where they left off.

Average stack: 3,425,000 (23 BBs). Level 24: 75K/150K/150K.

What You Need to Know About the Final 12

Maher Nouira Leads

Nouira entered this event as an invitee – his pro pairing was Mehdi Chaoui . The pros merged with the invitees on Day 2.

He leads by 2,650,000 chips. He has 66 big blinds.

Zlotnikov Is Already a Winner This Series

The man in second place isn’t just dangerous because of his chip stack.  Anatoly Zlotnikov  already won a title at this exact series – he took down  Triton Montenegro Event #2 (the $25,000 NLH 8-Handed) for $715,000 just days ago, beating head up the current chip leader Nouira. He came back, bought in for the $200K, and grinded his way to 7,250,000 chips and 48 big blinds.

That kind of momentum is real. And 48 big blinds at a final table is a very comfortable starting position.

Parssinen Leads the Pros

Eelis Parssinen sits 3rd with 6,420,000 chips and 43 big blinds – the deepest-stacked professional player in the final 12. The Finnish online poker legend has been one of the most consistently threatening players at every level of high-stakes tournament poker for years. He’s in a prime position to make a run at the title.

Five Invitees Still Standing

Five of the 12 survivors are invitees – the non-professionals who chose a pro partner. Nouira leads the whole tournament. Zlotnikov sits second. Berg, Ilya Nikiforov, and Lozuyk all have chips to work with. The format has done exactly what it was designed to do – put compelling, competitive amateurs in real contention.

The Short Stacks

Seven players return with 21 big blinds or fewer. Lozuyk is in the toughest situation at 7 big blinds – essentially looking for a spot to get it in. Nikiforov (8 BBs), Kiat Lee (9 BBs), and Berg and Heath (both 12 BBs) aren’t in much better shape. Expect early eliminations as the big blinds eat shorter stacks up quickly.

Prize Pool – What’s at Stake on Day 3

The 12 players who return for Day 3 are guaranteed at least $466,000 – but with $6,370,000 waiting at the top.

Total prize pool: $27,400,000. Entries: 137.

Day 3 Preview – What to Expect

Nouira’s lead gives him options to pick his spots. He has 66 big blinds in a field where most players have 21 or fewer.

Zlotnikov is the story within the story. He already won a title at this exact series – the $25K NLH 8-Handed – beating Nouira heads-up
to bank $715,000. Now the two of them are sitting 1st and 2nd in chips going into the final day of the most expensive event on the schedule.

Nouira finished 2nd to him last time. He comes back with the chip lead this time. If these two meet at the final table again, it’s a genuine rematch with $6,370,000 on the line instead of $715,000.

Watch the action live on the Triton Poker YouTube channel with a 30-minute hole card delay. And you can follow the live updates at Triton Poker Plus.

Full ITM List (13th-23rd)

Twenty-three players cashed in this event. Here’s the full list of those who made the money but won’t be returning for Day 3.

A few names worth noting here. Jason Koon – one of the most experienced Triton players in the world and a former GPI World #1 – exits in 13th for $466,000. He ran deep but couldn’t make the final 12.

Kristen Foxen (16th, $384,000) and Alex Foxen (20th, $345,000) both cashed – husband and wife making the money in the same $200K event on opposite sides of the pairing structure is a remarkable result for the Foxen household, even if neither makes it to Day 3.

Christopher Nguyen exits 17th for $384,000 – notable because he won a Triton title earlier this same Montenegro series (the $50K NLH 8-Handed). Two deep runs in the same stop.

Paul Phua – one of Triton’s co-founders – cashes in on the event he helped build, taking $318,000 in 23rd place. A fitting result in the series’ 10th anniversary year.

Ethan “Rampage” Yau – the Day 1 chip leader with 1,244,000 chips – couldn’t convert his lead into a cash. He finishes the event empty-handed despite one of the most dominant Day 1 bags in the field. Rob Yong also exits without a payout, as does Mehdi Chaoui’s invitee partner – though Chaoui himself cashed in 21st.

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