A prize pool of nearly $1.9 million and a field of 781 entries set the stage for Event #3 of the 2026 WSOP Online at GGPoker — and when the cards were finally on their backs at the end of heads-up play, it was Nikita Kalinin claiming his first World Series of Poker bracelet alongside a $276,239 payday, according to PokerNews.
Kalinin’s run to the title was built on a strong Day 1 showing. PokerNews reported that he bagged the second-largest stack when the field was trimmed to 20 players, positioning him as one of the clear favorites heading into the final stretch. The $2,500 Bounty NLH Championship format generated a total prize pool of $1,854,875 across those 781 entries, with the top finishers sharing a significant portion of that sum. Audrius Stakelis, listed as representing Cyprus in the GGPoker lobby per PokerNews, pushed Kalinin all the way to a heads-up battle before ultimately finishing second for $136,074.
The final table payouts reflected the weight of the field. PokerNews reported that Leandro Bianchini, listed as representing Argentina, took $120,744 for third, while Pedro Neves, listed as representing Luxembourg, collected $97,558 in fourth. Arsenii Karmatckii finished fifth for $87,363, and the player known as firfir received $75,739 for sixth. Ivan Ilichev ($50,056), Luigi Soncin ($44,689), and Rinat M ($41,670) rounded out the final table results, per PokerNews.
Beyond the bracelet and the prize money, Kalinin also received a $30,000 Super Pass to the 2026 WSOP Paradise Super Main Event as part of his victory package, according to PokerNews. With Event #4 — a $1,000 Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha event scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. BST on August 20 — already drawing registered entries from players including Lex Veldhuis, Rainer Kempe, Jessica Teusl, and Nick Maimone, per PokerNews, the series shows no sign of slowing down.
The post Nikita Kalinin Wins First WSOP Bracelet in Event #3 of 2026 WSOP Online at GGPoker, Taking $276,239 appeared first on Poker News Daily.
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