Aleksa Pavicevic Wins Triton $200K Invitational for $6.2M in Montenegro

Montenegrin Businessman Claims First Live Title, Outlasting Poker’s Elite in Historic Showdown

Sometimes, poker delivers a story so improbable it reads like a dream. On May 21, 2025, Aleksa Pavicevic, a 29-year-old Montenegrin real estate and hospitality professional, turned a casual vacation into a life-changing victory. He won the prestigious Triton Poker Montenegro $200,000 No-Limit Hold’em Invitational, topping a record-breaking field of 133 entries to claim a jaw-dropping $6,180,000 payday—his first-ever live tournament title.

From Casual Vacation to Poker Glory

“I kind of just decided a week ago that I was going to play this thing,” Pavicevic told Triton reporters, still reeling from the surreal moment. “Honestly, I expected to bust maybe four levels in. If not, then run up a stack and maybe try to win the whole thing. So, it worked out.”

Until now, Pavicevic’s biggest tournament score was a modest $17,000 for finishing 871st in the 2019 WSOP Main Event. Fast forward to today, and he’s not only a Triton Poker champion but also Montenegro’s newest poker millionaire.

Triton’s $200K Invitational Sets New Records

Hosted at the luxurious Maestral Resort & Casino, the invitational attracted 133 entries and generated a $26.6 million prize pool, making it one of the most lucrative tournaments on the 2025 poker calendar.

The tournament’s unique format saw elite professionals paired with high-net-worth amateur players—each pro needing an invite from an amateur to participate. Day 1 began with the field split between the two categories before merging on Day 2.

It was on Day 2 that the $311,000 bubble burst in dramatic fashion. Phil Ivey, the 11-time WSOP bracelet winner and five-time Triton champion, was eliminated in 24th place when his A-K couldn’t hold up against Maher Nouira’s pocket jacks—making Ivey the last player to leave empty-handed.

Final Table Recap: Pros Fall as Pavicevic Rises

The third and final day began with 11 players left, including seasoned names like Linus Loeliger, Paul Phua, and Christoph Vogelsang who had already exited in the money but before the final table.

At the final nine, Thomas Santerne, riding high from a string of recent deep runs, was first to fall. His top-pair A-Q was cracked by Nouira’s running straight, earning Santerne $617,000 for ninth.

Next out was Joni Jouhkimainen, whose A-Q was dominated by Javid Ismayilov’s A-K, collecting $774,000.

Ramin Hajiyev, already a Triton winner from 2023, was next. His A-Q fell to Eric Wasserson’s A-K, with Wasserson improving to kings full. Hajiyev took home $1,053,000, adding to his already impressive tournament resume.

The Blinds Battle Begins

Nouira’s run ended in sixth place. Holding A♥5♠, he jammed from the small blind only to run into Seth Davies’ 7♥7♦. The pair held, and Nouira exited with $1,423,000.

Taylor Von Kriegenbergh, the World Poker Tour champion, shoved his short stack with pocket fours, but Ismayilov’s A-2 improved to an ace-high board, knocking him out in fifth place for a career-best $1,835,000.

Then came a key moment: Pavicevic, holding Q♦5♥, got it in preflop against Wasserson’s superior A♠5♦. The queen on the flop held, giving Pavicevic a massive chip boost and sending Wasserson out in fourth with $2,287,000—still enough to push his career earnings past $5.3 million.

Clash of the Titans: Pavicevic vs. Ismayilov

In one of the most dramatic hands of the tournament, Pavicevic’s kings clashed against Ismayilov’s aces preflop in a massive 36 million chip pot. The poker gods smiled on Pavicevic as he spiked a king on the turn, eliminating Ismayilov in third for $2,793,000. Despite the bad beat, Ismayilov now ranks second on Azerbaijan’s all-time money list.

Heads-Up: Local Hero vs. High Roller Beast

The final showdown pitted Pavicevic against Seth Davies, a two-time Super High Roller Bowl champion with $35 million+ in career earnings before this event. Pavicevic held an overwhelming 11:1 chip advantage, but Davies clawed back with three quick double-ups.

Still, Pavicevic maintained the lead heading into the final hand:

• Pavicevic limped with 5♥2♥
• Davies checked with K♥3♦
• Flop: K♦7♥3♠
• Turn: A♥
• River: 10♥

Davies led the river with two pair, but Pavicevic had completed a flush. After a check-raise battle on the turn and a daring river shove from Pavicevic, Davies made the call—only to discover he was beaten.

With that, Aleksa Pavicevic etched his name in Triton Poker history.

Final Payouts – Triton $200K Invitational 2025

Final Thoughts

Aleksa Pavicevic’s story reminds us that poker still holds room for fairy tales. In a field loaded with multi-millionaires, high-stakes legends, and elite crushers, a local businessman with virtually no prior accolades managed to pull off one of the greatest upsets in recent poker history.

With a title, a trophy, and $6.2 million in winnings, Pavicevic is no longer a recreational player—he’s officially a Triton champion.

Photo credit: Triton Poker.