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Kirill Beketov
Kirill Beketov is an emerging Russian professional poker player who has rapidly ascended the international high-stakes circuit in early 2026. Based in Russia, Beketov has transitioned from regional tournament success in Belarus and Sochi to competing at the highest levels of the game. Known for his technical precision in “Mystery Bounty” formats and aggressive short-handed play, he is a rising star on the Global Poker Index (GPI). In March 2026, he achieved a career-defining series at the Triton One festival in Jeju, officially surpassing the $110,000 live earnings milestone and establishing himself as a formidable threat on the global stage.
Career Earnings & Biggest Results
With total live tournament earnings now exceeding $111,379 (according to The Hendon Mob), Kirill Beketov is one of the fastest-climbing Russian players of 2026. His career reached a spectacular peak in March 2026 during the Triton One Jeju series, where he recorded a 7th-place finish in the $5,000 Mystery Bounty for a career-best $52,056. Proving his elite consistency, Beketov also secured a podium finish (3rd) in the Triton One $2,000 Bounty Quattro side event earlier that week. His combined success across the Russian Poker Tour (RPT) and the Triton circuit contributes to an estimated poker net worth of over $350,000.
Major Tournament Results:
| Year | Event | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Triton One Jeju $5,000 Mystery Bounty (7th) | $52,056 |
| 2026 | Triton One Jeju $8,000 Main Event (61st) | $21,500 |
| 2026 | Triton One Jeju $2,000 Bounty Quattro (3rd) | $17,288 |
| 2025 | WSOPC Cyprus $3,300 + $2,000 Mega Mystery Bounty (11th) | $14,525 |
| 2023 | Sochi Poker Festival Autumn ₽127,260 High Roller (24th) | $2,510 |
Biography & Professional Growth
Kirill Beketov’s journey in professional poker began in the competitive regional card rooms of Minsk and Sochi. He first gained notoriety in 2023 and 2025 as a high-volume grinder on the Russian Poker Tour (RPT) and WSOP International Circuit, where he specialized in the high-variance Mystery Bounty format. His transition to the global stage was fully realized in early 2026 at the LES A Casino in Jeju. By March 2026, he had surged into the Top 750 on the Russia All-Time Money List and was ranked among the top 20 Russians on the 2026 GPI Player of the Year leaderboard. In 2026, he is regarded as a de facto representative of the “new wave” of Russian talent, recognized for his mental fortitude and his status as a perennial threat in high-stakes “Shot Clock” environments.
Play Style & Strategy
Beketov is renowned for a “highly clinical, aggressive, and adaptive” play style. His greatest technical edge is his mastery of Bounty and Mystery Bounty dynamics; his 7th-place finish in the 836-entry Triton Jeju field showcased his ability to balance prize pool equity with aggressive bounty-hunting tactics. Strategically, he is a proponent of maximum pressure in the mid-to-late tournament stages, utilizing his stack to exploit passive opponents during the money bubble. In the 2025 and 2026 seasons, his results show a profound ability to adjust his tactics between the massive field sizes of the WSOPC and the elite, technical dynamics of the Triton Poker Series.
Social Media & Online Presence
Follow Kirill as he continues his historic 2026 run and looks toward the World Series of Poker (WSOP):
Derick Elomina is SoMuchPoker's Lead Content Writer and Interview Specialist, reporting live from WSOP bracelet events and Asia Pacific poker festivals such as TMT, APT, RDPT and APL Jeju, alongside player features and interviews for the site's Stories section. He discovered poker at 14 playing home games with friends, and by 21 he had entered the industry as a field reporter, starting as a hand reporter before building his current role on the tournament floor.
