Alex Kulev Turns First 2026 Cash Into Onyx High Roller Series Title

Alex Kulev has claimed the title within the $10,000 No-Restrict Maintain’em Opener on the 2026 Onyx Excessive Curler Sequence contained in the Benefit Royal Diamond On line casino & Spa, after an ICM cope with Damir Gabdullin earlier than the pair performed on for the trophy and an additional $70,000. Kulev in the end closed it out to safe the win and a first-place prize of $384,150 from the $1,945,800 prize pool.

“I’m delighted to be right here and delighted to have been in a position to win this match,” Kulev mentioned after topping the 207-entry discipline, along with his mother and father in attendance on the remaining desk. Whereas not the largest victory of his profession, the win nonetheless carried loads of which means. “Any match win is nice for me,” he added. “It’s one other indication that I’m getting into the best path as a poker participant. At any time when I play, I play to win, so I’m very glad I used to be in a position to pull it off right this moment.”

Kulev began the ultimate desk because the chip chief, and regardless of going into heads-up with a 3:2 chip drawback, he was in a position to flip it round and make his first-ever Onyx Excessive Curler Sequence money, one to recollect.

$10,000 No-Restrict Maintain’em Opener Last Desk Outcomes

*Denotes heads-up deal

Last Desk Motion

From the 207 gamers who entered throughout the three opening flights, solely 31 returned for Day 2, all already within the cash and now with an opportunity to play for some severe pay jumps. It didn’t take lengthy to skinny the sphere, with Kirill Shcherbakov, Daniel Rezaei, and Dimitri Steinfeuer all busting throughout the first stage. Gabdullin discovered an enormous early increase to his stack when Roman Stoika shoved straight into his pocket aces.

It was a more difficult begin for Kulev, who was in a dicey river spot after Raoul Kanme raised Kulev’s river wager. Kulev had a straight and ultimately made the best name, which certainly boosted his confidence. By the point the sphere was all the way down to the ultimate two tables, Gabdullin and Kulev sat on the prime of the chip counts.

Kulev took over the chip lead for the primary time after profitable an enormous flip to remove Istvan Birizdo, and some orbits later he spiked a gutshot to ship Thomas Muehloecker to the rail in thirteenth place. Quickly after, he got here from behind with ace-jack towards “Kenar’s” ace-queen to push the match onto the ultimate desk bubble.

Giorgiy Skhulukhiya was the unlucky remaining desk bubble boy after dropping the majority of his stack holding prime pair towards the pair and flush draw of Klemens Roiter. Roiter backed into an unlikely straight, and Skhulukhiya was eradicated shortly after when his king-ten failed to enhance towards Gha Iakobishvili’s king-jack.

As soon as play moved over to the Onyx Membership for the ultimate desk, it was no shock to see Kulev sitting on the prime the chip counts, with Gabdullin shut behind. Nevertheless, Kulev suffered an early setback after squeezing all in with ace-seven and working straight into Alexey Borovkov’s pocket aces.

It was fellow Bulgarian Fahredin Mustafov who picked up the primary two eliminations on the remaining desk, sending Maximilian Wieser and Ran Azor to the rail in fast succession. The Day 2 chip chief, Iakobishvili, struggled on the remaining desk and ultimately grew to become one other sufferer of Kulev after getting all of it in with a weak ace towards Kulev’s pocket fives.

Kulev continued to remain aggressive, profitable all-ins whereas additionally navigating a number of troublesome postflop spots. He pressured Maksim Shornikau to fold the river when a straight was on board, after jamming. This loss left Shornikau very short-stacked, and he was unable to recuperate, ultimately exiting in fifth place, with Kulev scooping up the remaining chips.

With Roiter, Gabdullin, and Mustafov joyful to let Kulev dictate the motion because the pay jumps elevated, the dynamic shifted as soon as four-handed play started and all remaining gamers had locked up greater than six figures. Roiter and Gabdullin then tangled in an enormous pot, with each gamers making straights on the river. Gabdullin held the nuts, and Roiter paid off a wager for over three-quarters of his stack.

Though Roiter managed a short restoration, Gabdullin claimed the remainder of his chips shortly after when he known as off with jack-high on an ace-high flop after saying “ahh gamble.” Roiter held backside pair, however a jack on the flip sealed his destiny, eliminating him simply shy of the rostrum. Gabdullin then knocked out Mustafov after hitting a backdoor straight, establishing the heads-up match.

Cool, Calm & Collected Kulev

Gabdullin began heads-up with a 3:2 chip lead, however that shortly disappeared in one of many first palms. In a three-bet pot, Gabdullin double-barreled a gutshot straight attract place, whereas Kulev held on with only a pair of fives. Gabdullin gave up on the river and, after seeing Kulev’s playing cards, possible wished he had pulled the set off.

Regardless of that knock, Gabdullin recovered effectively and slowly labored his means again to even. He first picked off a couple of bluffs from Kulev earlier than profitable a string of pots with aggression and skinny worth bets. Gabdullin additionally took down a few three-bet pots the place he continuation-bet and compelled Kulev to fold. Shortly after, the pair struck an ICM deal that noticed them lock up practically an identical payouts, with $70,000 and the trophy nonetheless left to play for.

Momentum then swung firmly in Gabdullin’s path, and he started to take management. By the beginning of the ultimate stage, he held greater than a 2:1 chip lead. That shortly modified in a big hand wherein Kulev confirmed why he has loved a lot success on the highest ranges. Gabdullin wager practically the pot on the flip and Kulev known as with backside pair. When a deuce accomplished the board, Gabdullin jammed for Kulev’s remaining chips. After a number of minutes within the tank, Kulev made the decision with only a pair of fours, choosing off Gabdullin’s airball bluff.

Gabdullin was unable to recuperate, and it took just a few extra palms earlier than the match reached the final shuffle. Kulev limp-called on the button earlier than Gabdullin check-jammed a nine-high flop with second pair. Kulev snapped with prime two, leaving Gabdullin drawing useless after a clean flip. Gabdullin exited because the runner-up, locking up a career-high money, whereas Kulev was topped champion of the $10,000 No-Restrict Maintain’em Opener.