Matthew Wantman has achieved a terrific deal in his event poker profession. He received a World Poker Tour title in Las Vegas again in 2019, and added his first World Series of Poker bracelet in 2025. The 38-year-old has additionally secured 4 PokerGO Tour titles.
Coming into the 2026 Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju II, the American poker professional boasted nicely over $12 million in complete profession earnings. But Wantman’s profession resume grew in a serious manner on the nosebleed-stakes South Korean cease, because the Massachusetts native grew to become a Triton champion. He took down the $50,000 seven-handed no-limit maintain’em occasion, defeating Poker Hall of Famer and buddy Nick Schulman for the title after the pair struck a heads-up deal. Wantman earned $836,721 and the trophy, whereas Schulman settled for $810,279.
“I haven’t even had a chance to process it yet,” Wantman informed Triton workers. “Getting heads up against one of my best friends.”
This win earned Wantman 714 Card Player Player of the Year factors, growing his complete to three,287 POY factors. That places Wantman in fiftieth place within the yearlong race offered by CoinPoker.
Wantman outlasted a subject of 70 entrants to say the biggest share of the $3.5 million prize pool.
It was a clear sweep of the rostrum positions for American gamers, with Texas native Ben Tollerene ending in third place. Six of the 11 gamers who completed within the cash hailed from North America, with Daniel Dvoress (4th – $344,000), and Michael Watson (tenth – $88,000) of Canada and New York’s Bryn Kenney (eleventh – $88,000) making deep runs.
Rushing Towards The Finish Line
With just a few days remaining within the Triton Jeju pageant, contenders got here into this occasion with dwindling alternatives to attain a trident trophy at this cease. By the shut of registration, 49 distinctive gamers put up 70 entries on this occasion, increase a considerable prize pool in its personal proper. The bubble wasn’t reached till the second day of the event, and by the point the official remaining desk of seven locked in, motion had carried nicely into the night.
Schulman held the chip lead, with Tollerene and Wantman in a tier of their very own behind him, and the remainder of the gamers scrambling to catch up. Belarus’ Aliaksandr Shylko, the 2023 PokerStars Players Championship winner, lasted simply 5 arms on the remaining desk earlier than his quick stack went in. His Okay♥10♦ was dwell in opposition to Tollerene’s A♦3♠, however didn’t enhance. Shylko was out in seventh place ($168,000).
Danny Tang, a six-time Triton champion and a former Triton participant of the yr, was subsequent to the exit. In a battle of the blinds, Tang’s Okay♥Q♠ was no match for Dvoress’ A♠J♥, and Tang settled for sixth place ($213,000).
Wantman obtained into the motion as nicely, selecting up pocket kings to remove Danilo Velasevic, besting pocket tens to ship the Serbian to the rail in fifth place ($273,000).
Wantman Wins
Schulman knocked out Dvoress in fourth place, as his pocket jacks held robust in opposition to A♥9♦. Dvoress, a seven-time Triton champion, earned his fifth trident trophy of 2026 alone earlier at this pageant. He at the moment holds a considerable lead within the race to change into the Ivan Leo Player of the Year for this season.
Following that elimination, Schulman held a considerable lead over Tollerene and Wantman, with virtually 5 instances as many chips as both participant. But Wantman clawed away on the prime stack, after which eradicated a short-stacked Tollerene in third place ($448,000). With that, Tollerene’s lifetime event earnings grew to almost $38.3 million.
The chip counts to start out heads-up play have been just about even. Schulman and Wantman agreed on an virtually even break up, and left $30,000 on the desk for the winner. Wantman doubled up on the primary hand of heads-up play to all however guarantee the victory. Schulman doubled again as soon as, however on the ultimate hand, Wantman’s A♥J♥ beat Schulman’s Q♠7♠ to lock down the title.
With this win, Wantman and Schulman every have one Triton victory to their names. Schulman’s title got here in Jeju eight years in the past, within the very first Triton occasion he ever performed. Schulman, Tang, and Dvoress at the moment are all sitting inside the highest 10 within the POY standings. Tang climbed to seventh, with one win and 13 remaining tables to this point in 2026. Dvoress is ranked ninth with seven titles and a dozen remaining tables. Schulman, who’s sitting in eighth, has the identical final-table complete and two wins to date, together with his eighth profession WSOP bracelet.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points |
| 1 | Matthew Wantman | $836,721 | 714 |
| 2 | Nick Schulman | $810,279 | 595 |
| 3 | Benjamin Tollerene | $448,000 | 476 |
| 4 | Daniel Dvoress | $344,000 | 357 |
| 5 | Danilo Velasevic | $273,000 | 298 |
| 6 | Danny Tang | $213,000 | 238 |
| 7 | Aliaksandr Shylko | $168,000 | 179 |
Photo credit score: Triton Poker.
