Albert Daher ‘never been this lucky’ to seal €2m One Drop High Roller top prize
The spectacular €100,000 High Roller for One Drop at EPT Monte Carlo hit a number of breathtaking highs this week. It was the largest field €100K event ever hosted under the PokerStars branding and offered the biggest prize pool at this venue for more than a decade.
Most significantly, however, the tournament raised €228,000 for the One Drop Foundation, with three percent of each buy-in going to the hugely worthwhile cause, whose aim is to “create a sustainable future with safe water for all”.
With the money safely on its way to the non-profit, poker supporters turned their attention to the action at the final table on Sunday where some of the game’s very best players did battle for this massive prize pool.
And even though the final table featured the top two players in poker’s all-time money list — a fitting line-up for such a prestigious event — neither could match the incredible surge to the title of Lebanon’s Albert Daher.
Daher has been a regular on the EPT since its earliest days, previously playing a full schedule of events at all buy-in levels. But now aged 39, Daher picks and chooses his tournaments slightly more selectively — always, however, making the journey to Monte Carlo.
And no trip has been more profitable than this one.
Daher began the final day placed third of eight players remaining. He quickly blazed into the lead and never looked back, wrapping up victory in a little more than five hours. When he knocked out Stephen Chidwick in second place, Daher secured a first prize of €2,055,000.
That was the biggest chunk of a €7.3 million prize pool, with the tournament attracting 76 entries. Daher summed it up nicely when he said, “It always feels great to run super hot…It was a really good time.”
He added: “I don’t know, I’ve never been this lucky in my life.”
Daher certainly enjoyed the run of the cards at the final table, with other incredible talents including Bryn Kenney, Enrico Camosci, Wiktor Malinowki and Teun Mulder also making it to the last day.
But Daher has steadily built his reputation, bankroll and skills through the years to allow him to compete with the elite, and ultimately defeat them.
“Once you start a poker career, it’s pretty hard to predict where you’re going to go,” Daher said. “I’m happy to have reached this level.”
Daher begins celebrations
TOURNAMENT ACTION
With a broad schedule of tournaments on offer in Monte Carlo, players had ample choice of how to spend their weekend. And though most of the established high rollers will have had this €100K tournament at the top of their list, some waited until Day 2 to register, bringing the total field up to 76.
The tournament had already become one of the biggest six-figure buy-in events PokerStars had ever hosted when 62 entries came through the turnstile on Day 1. But the additional 14 entries at the start of Day 2 made it the biggest.
Tournament officials made their calculations and determined that 11 places would pay, with a min-cash of €182,400 and €2.055 million to the winner. Players therefore knew that if the full prize paid out (i.e., if they opted not to deal), this would be the second-biggest prize ever awarded in any event in EPT Monte Carlo’s history, and the first of more than €2 million since Erik Seidel’s Super High Roller triumph in 2015.
Only Pieter de Korver’s Main Event win of 2009 had a bigger first prize than this.
The rest of Day 2 was then focused on two things: bursting the bubble and then reaching the final table. And when Artsiom Lasouski knocked out Mikita Badziakouski in 12th, the first hurdle was reached.
With Byron Kaverman, Orpen Kisacicoglu and Tom Fuchs then falling in 11th through ninth, the following eight bagged and prepared to come back for the final day:
Wiktor Malinowski, Poland, 4,360,000 (73 BBs)
Artsiom Lasouski, Belarus, 3,310,000 (55 BBs)
Albert Daher, Lebanon, 3,210,000 (54 BBs)
Stephen Chidwick, United Kingdom, 2,725,000 (46 BBs)
Leonardo Drago, Italy, 2,640,000 (44 BBs)
Enrico Camosci, Italy, 1,130,000 (19 BBs)
Teun Mulder, Netherlands, 935,000 (16 BBs)
Bryn Kenney, USA, 690,000 (12 BBs)
€100,000 One Drop final table line up (l-r): Teun Mulder, Artsio Lasouski, Leonardo Drago, Enrico Camosci, Bryn Kenney, Albert Daher, Stephen Chidwick, Wiktor Malinowski.
CHIP LEADER STARTS TUMBLING
Wiktor Malinowski is well established as one of the greatest — and most volatile — players in the game and his big chip lead to start the day meant there would be fireworks from the off. However two early hands featuring pocket aces showed that there are levels to “Iimitless”, even though he lost both these pots.
First up, Malinowski had A♠5♣ under the gun but folded the jamming hand to a three-bet from Artsiom Lasouski in the hijack. Lasouski had red aces, so Malinowski did well to wriggle free. Shortly after, Malinowski had the aces, red again,in the big blind and he went to a flop with Albert Daher in the small blind, with Daher holding 8♠7♠. The flop of 8♥7♦10♦ put Daher ahead, and the K♦Q♥ turn and river did not give Malinowski much hope.
Daher barrelled all streets and Malinowski laid the aces down on the river, losing a chunk but it could have been more. Daher had already nosed into the chip lead and this put him well clear.
As the big stacks battled, the shorter stacks waited for moments to shove. Teun Mulder found two such opportunities, but while the dealer only offered him only a chop with A♣K♦ against Malinowski’s A♠10♠, he was then left on the scrap heap when his A♥J♦ went up against Daher’s A♠A♦.
Mulder ended up first out on the final day, banking €284,900.
Teun Mulder was first out from the final
CAMOSCI UP AND DOWN
Bryn Kenney had started the day with the smallest stack, but he managed to double (and more) when his K♥6♥ made a flush for beat Daher’s pocket eights. Daher flopped a set, but Kenney turned the flush. Kenney always finds a way.
Malinowski’s wretched start to the day continued, meanwhile, and he lost small pots to pretty much everyone else around the table. He then had the misfortune to flop top pair holding 9♥7♣ in the small blind when Enrico Camosci, now the shortest, had 9♠8♠in the big.
Malinowski bet out after a king on the turn, but Camosci was going nowhere and doubled.
Kenney was again now the shortest, but he picked up pocket 10s and reasoned it was good enough to get everything in from the small blind after Lasouski raised the hijack. But for once Kenney’s timing was askew as Lasouski had found aces once again.
But Kenney, once again, escaped from this sticky spot. Another 10 on the flop was good enough for another double. At this point, Daher was leading, Kenney was second, Leonardo Drago was third. Meanwhile, Malinowski, the overnight leader, was propping them all up.
The reaper called first for Camosci, however. Sitting with 13 blinds, Camosci saw Daher min-raise from UTG+1 and then looked down at K♣K♠. He three-bet to five blinds, presumably setting a trap. Everyone else got out of the way, and Daher sprang the trap with a shove. A gleeful Camosci called.
Daher held A♥J♠ and was in need of some help. But an ace appeared on the flop to send him into the lead and left Camosci drawing very thin. Neither turn nor river produced a rescue card and the Italian was the next man out. He took €356,400 for seventh.
Kings no good for Enrico Camosci
END OF A MISERABLE DAY FOR MALINOWSKI
Daher could do no wrong, and he might have eliminated Lasouski next. However, Lasouski found a very disciplined fold of pocket eights when an ace turned in a pot against Daher. The Lebanese chip leader had ace-jack again.
Malinowski and Lasouski were the two shortest still, and Malinowski moved in for eight blinds holding A♦4♣ UTG+1. The resurgent Kenney looked down at K♣Q♠ and called, flopping a queen to end Malinowski’s day.
Malinowski took sixth place for €445,400 — less than he’d have hoped having held the chip lead coming into the final day. But there was very little he could have done about that today.
Wiktor Malinowski’s chip lead evaporated
LASOUSKI’S DAY IS DONE
Daher now did finish off Lasouski. Though the Belarusian player had laddered one spot thanks to Malinowski’s elimination, he had only 10 blinds when he saw Daher raise his button once again. Lasouski had K♦J♦ in the small blind and moved in. Daher called from his 93-blind stack and tabled A♦6♦.
Lasouski’s suit was now covered, so his needed to hit either jack, king or a straight. But there was none of that on a board of 2♦9♣3♦6♣Q♥ and Lasouski was gone. He took €560,300 for fifth.
Rising star Artsiom Lasouki earned more than half a million
Daher was taking chips from everyone and had a significant lead.
CHIDWICK FINISHES OFF KENNEY
This final table had the players in the top two positions in poker’s all time money list sitting right next to each other, but while Kenney (the money list leader) had been all-in and called multiple times to build up from a short stack, Stephen Chidwick (in second) had been staying under the radar to stay afloat. He’s been getting his chips in plenty pre-flop, but was almost never called. That’s the way Chidwick tends to do things.
However, the two of them were about to play a massive pot between them, and this time the dealer was on Chidwick’s side. The British No 1 opened his button holding Q♠J♣ and Kenney jammed for 10 blinds from the small blind. Chidwick began the hand with 22 blinds and, after Daher folded his big blind, took a long time to consider what to do.
We can infer from the delay that this was a very marginal spot. Chidwick knows his ranges. Eventually, Chidwick reasoned this was a call, learning soon after that he had 35 percent against Kenney’s A♣K♥.
The dealer put a queen on the flop, and in one fell swoop, Chidwick removed the man who he closely trails in that money list. Kenney had to settle for €728,500 from this tournament.
Bryn Kenney built from a short stack to fourth
DRAGO LANDS CAREER BEST
The last three players went on break and when they returned, Daher sat with 14.25 million (or 142 big blinds) ahead of Chidwick’s 34 and Leonardo Drago’s 12. Drago, a recreational player from Italy, had done very well to stay mostly out of trouble, but was now in the kind of position where he surely knew he had to get involved.
He found a pair. But it was only deuces. However, he got the last of his chips in the middle from the button. However, Chidwick found pocket eights in the small blind and made the call. The eights stayed best, ending Drago’s day.
Drago nonetheless banked €947,000 for third, a new career high.
Leonardo Drago recorded a new career high
DAHER MAKES SHORT WORK OF CHIDWICK
It was now Chidwick versus Daher for the massive first prize and the trophy. Daher had 14.15 million to Chidwick’s 4.85 million. Blinds were now 50,000/125,000/125,000, so there was plenty of play remaining.
However, Daher was in no mood to give Chidwick the chance to come back. They jostled for small pots for the first half hour or so, but Chidwick then turned 10♣3♣ into a bluff and couldn’t get Daher to fold his top pair, with A♦J♥ flopping a jack.
On the very next hand, Chidwick risked his last 12 blinds holding K♠8♠ and Daher this time had pocket fours. It was a straight flip pre-flop, but the four on the flop continued Daher’s pure run to the title.
Chidwick was drawing dead after the turn and Daher was champion. That €2.055 million prize was heading his way, while Chidwick had to settle for €1,325,700.
Stephen Chidwick couldn’t stop Daher either
Daher was clearly delighted with the result, and incredulous that it had been such a simple ride. He’s been in poker long enough, however, to know to be grateful when things go so smoothly.
He was also happy to be a small part of One Drop’s success and praised the charity’s work across the globe.
“It’s always good to support charity and One Drop has been a charity that likes to support poker, and we all love these One Drop tournaments,” he said. “I’m happy to support it.”
RESULTS
€100,000 High Roller for One Drop
Dates: May 1-3, 2026
Entries: 76 (inc. 24 re-entries)
Prize pool: €7,296,000
1 – Albert Daher, Lebanon, €2,055,000
2 – Stephen Chidwick, United Kingdom, €1,325,700
3 – Leonardo Drago, Italy, €947,000
4 – Bryn Kenney, USA, €728,500
5 – Artsiom Lasouski, Belarus, €560,300
6 – Wiktor Malinowski, Poland, €445,400
7 – Enrico Camosci, Italy, €356,400
8 – Teun Mulder, Netherlands, €284,900
9 – Tom Fuchs, Germany, €228,000
10 – Orpen Kisacikoglu, Turkey, €182,400
11 – Byron Kaverman, USA, €182,400
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