Triton ONE Makes Historic European Debut in Northern Cyprus

A New Flag Planted on the Map

Triton Poker has officially taken its mid-stakes Triton ONE tour to European soil for the first time, and the opening session at the Merit Royal Diamond Casino & Resort in Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus has already set the tone for what promises to be a jam-packed eleven days. Welcome to the 2026 Triton ONE North Cyprus festival at Merit Royal Diamond Hotel & Spa, the first time Triton has returned to North Cyprus since 2023, and the first time ever that the Triton ONE brand is visiting the island.

The festival runs alongside its usual structure of accessible buy-ins and a headline Main Event, but the significance here is bigger than any single trophy. Triton ONE North Cyprus runs November 5 to 15 at the Merit Royal Diamond with sixteen events, buy-ins from $2,000 to $15,000, and an $8,000 Main Event. It is Triton’s way of testing whether the formula that has drawn huge fields in Jeju can translate to a European audience hungry for Triton-quality structure without Super High Roller stakes.

Genesis Sets the Tone

True to form, the series opened not with the Main Event but with the now-signature QQPK Genesis, a multi-flight NLH tournament designed to pack the room early. Just one event took place on the opening day, with the first two flights of the $3,000 QQPK Genesis, with players allowed three entries per flight and late registration closing at the completion of Level 10.

The numbers rolled in quickly. With 250,000 chips and 40 or 30 minute levels, 167 and then 148 entries came through the door, with Day 1A ending with 38 players and Day 1B finishing with 24 survivors. At the top of the counts, a familiar contender type emerged. Samuel Mullur, Fabian Niederreither and Erik Eisen advanced through Day 1B with Eisen topping the flight on 4,305,000 chips, while Aleksandr Kropotov bagged 4,545,000 to win Flight 1A and grab the overall chip lead. Two further flights play out before the whole field reconvenes to play down to a champion.

The Genesis event matters as a bellwether. When Triton ONE debuted the format in Jeju back in March, the biggest field among the headline events came in the $3,000 QQPK Genesis, which drew 1,236 entries before Huu Dung Nguyen claimed the title and $586,000. Early flight numbers in Cyprus are naturally smaller for a brand-new market, but Triton will be watching closely to see how quickly a European recreational base builds around the tour.

The Road Ahead at Merit Royal Diamond

Genesis is only the opening act. The schedule builds steadily toward the week’s centrepiece. Buy-ins run from $2,000 to $15,000, and the $8,000 Main Event plays November 10 to 15. Expect three starting flights before the field consolidates, mirroring the structure that produced a seven-figure payday for Zhao Wenjie in March, when the $8,000 Triton ONE Main Event attracted a record 1,230 entries, creating a prize pool of $8,945,790, with Zhao Wenjie winning the tournament and collecting $1,160,000.

Beyond the Main Event, the festival also features a $15,000 High Roller to close out Triton ONE action, plus Pot-Limit Omaha, bounty formats and two women’s-only tournaments scattered through the busy middle days. It is a packed appetiser before Triton’s biggest stakes land in the same ballroom. Triton ONE runs November 4 to 15, followed immediately by the Triton Super High Roller Series Northern Cyprus from November 15 to 30. That second festival will bring the $200,000 Triton Invitational, already drawing a glittering list of confirmed pairings, before the whole decade-long 2026 season wraps for good.

Why This Stop Matters

Northern Cyprus has long been part of Triton folklore, but this is the first time the lower-stakes Triton ONE concept has been tried here, and the first time the brand has existed on the European continent at all. A strong showing could mean Triton ONE becomes a recurring fixture wherever the Super High Roller Series travels in future years, giving grinders and recreational players a genuine on-ramp to the same rooms where Phil Ivey, Paul Phua and Jason Koon do battle for seven-figure scores. For players still dreaming of that bridge from mid-stakes grinder to Triton regular, satellite and freeroll routes like Royal Gambit Poker’s Road to the Showdown remain one of the more accessible paths to a seat at a festival of this calibre.

What is Triton ONE?

Triton ONE is Triton Poker’s mid-stakes series with buy-ins from $2,000 to $15,000, running alongside the Super High Roller Series as a separate brand aimed at serious recreational players and mid-stakes grinders.

Where is Triton ONE North Cyprus being played?

The 2026 Triton ONE North Cyprus festival is being held at Merit Royal Diamond Hotel & Spa in Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus.

When does the Triton ONE Main Event take place?

The $8,000 Triton ONE Main Event plays November 10 to 15, 2026.

What happens after Triton ONE finishes?

The Triton Super High Roller Series Northern Cyprus follows immediately from November 15 to 30, closing out Triton’s 2026 season.

Featured image: Triton Poker Series.