Nikita Kalinin secured the Event #3: $2,500 Bounty NLH Championship title at the 2026 WSOP Online on GGPoker, earning $276,239 and a $30,000 Super Pass for the upcoming WSOP Paradise Super Main Event
Nikita Kalinin has emerged as the latest champion at the 2026 WSOP Online, taking down Event #3: $2,500 Bounty NLH Championship on GGPoker. Kalinin’s victory not only earned him a World Series of Poker bracelet but also a combined payout of $276,239, which includes both the main prize and collected bounties. In addition, Kalinin received a $30,000 Super Pass, granting entry to the 2026 WSOP Paradise Super Main Event later this year.
Final Table Results and Payouts
The $2,500 Bounty NLH Championship drew 781 entries, generating a total prize pool of $1,854,875. After Day 1 concluded with 20 players remaining, Kalinin entered the final stages with the second-largest stack. The final table featured players from a diverse set of countries, with Kalinin representing Mexico in the GGPoker lobby. The top three finishers were Kalinin ($276,239), Audrius Stakelis of Cyprus ($136,074), and Leandro Bianchini of Argentina ($120,744). Each payout included both the standard prize and bounty earnings, with Kalinin’s bounties alone totaling $148,351.
Key Hands and Tournament Progression
The final table saw several notable eliminations, including Belarusian player Rinat M in ninth place and Brazil’s Luigi Soncin in eighth. As the field narrowed, Arsenii Karmatckii, who started Day 2 as chip leader, exited in fifth place. Pedro Neves of Luxembourg followed in fourth, leaving three players to compete for six-figure prizes. Kalinin ultimately defeated Audrius Stakelis heads-up, securing the bracelet and the largest share of the prize pool. Stakelis, as runner-up, took home $136,074, while Bianchini’s third-place finish was worth $120,744.
Upcoming WSOP Online Events
The WSOP Online series continues with Event #4: $1,000 Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha, scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. BST on August 20. Notable players such as Lex "LexVeldhuis" Veldhuis, Rainer Kempe, Jessica Teusl, and Nick Maimone are already registered, setting the stage for another competitive event. The tournament will play down to the final table or the end of Level 30, whichever comes first, with another bracelet on the line.
In bounty poker tournaments like this WSOP Online event, the prize pool is split between standard payouts and bounty rewards for eliminating opponents. This structure can significantly increase a player’s total winnings, as seen in Kalinin’s result, where bounties made up more than half of his final payout. Bounty formats add a strategic layer to tournament play, as players must balance the pursuit of eliminations with survival and chip accumulation.
