GGPOKER

GGMillion$ won by Qualifier for Epic First-Time Victory – GGMillion$ Season 2026 Episode 24

The final nine players in this week’s GGPoker $10,000 GGMillion$ represented the entire spectrum of players who come to the site in brilliant variety. From elite crushers like Brazilian Online Poker Millionaires star Kelvin Kerber to online qualifiers like first-time finalist ‘Ziarko777’ from Poland, there was a truly global feel to the GGMillion$ finale this week. When all the chips were slid across to just one player, it was the Polish qualifier ‘Ziarko777’ who turned a $1,000 satellite into over $290,000 in just three hours of work.

Pre-Match Betting Odds

With regular host Jeff Gross presenting the action, the co-commentary came from legendary poker pro Bryan Paris. Before the action got underway, there was a very clear chip leader, with Kelvin Kerber on 99 big blinds, nearly 40 big blinds ahead of his closest competition. There was no surprise that he was also the betting favorite, available at odds of 3.32 in the GGPoker client.

Behind Kerber, we liked the chances of the Hungarian player Tamas Adamszki. In red-hot form during recent GGMillion$ final tables, his record of cashing in 60% of the GGMillion$ events he’s played until this point in his career is incredible, and we liked his 60 big blinds to do some damage at odds of 5.0. American player Chris Klodnicki (50BB/6.54) was another hot pick for many, with everyone else having less than half the chip leader’s stack. 

At longer odds but no less tempting were six more terrific players. Brazil’s Gabriel Tavares (43BB/7.34) was followed by French-Canadian WSOP Main Event finalist Pascal Lefrancois (32BB/9.52) with the GGMillion$ regular final tablist Ilya Anatski, from Belarus, just a little further back on 24 big blinds at odds of 11.88. Polish online satellite qualifier ‘Ziarko777’ came into the action on 22 big blinds at odds of 16.84. He had qualified through the GGPoker satellite structure and had paid only $1,000 to get into the action. He was staring down at the incredible potential of a massive return on his much lower investment. Austrian Thomas Muehloecker (22BB/14.32) was slightly shorter with all his experience, with the rank outsider the Brazilian qualifier ‘Fergiac’ who began on just ten big blinds at odds of 41.70.

Key Moments from the Felt

There was barely time for the final table nine to pick a seat before one of them was leaving it. Pascal Lefrancois went all-in with pocket jacks on the third hand, and Kelvin Kerber had an easy decision with ace-king. An ace and a king on the flop spelled disaster for Lefrancois, who cashed for $40,247 in ninth place when the miracle third jack – or running cards – arrived on the turn or river.

‘Fergiac’ only managed to ladder the single place before they crashed out for $51,536 in eighth place. All-in for less than three-and-a-half big blinds holding ace-nine, the Brazilian was called by Chris Klodnicki in the big blind, whose king-jack of diamonds hit a jack on the flop. A nine on the turn gave Fergiac more outs, but a seven on the river reduced the field once again. 

Thomas Muehloecker endured an absolute nightmare to bust in seventh place for $65,991. Losing almost his entire stack to ‘Ziarko777’s ace-jack when the Austrian’s dominating ace-king hit a king to lose when the board came Q-6-5-T-K to fill up the Polish qualifier’s Broadway straight, leaving Muehloecker with scraps. Those went in the next time he was in the big blind (1:18:51), with his six-three beaten by Gabriel Tavares’ king-four after the four paired on the turn.

Next to go was Ilya Anatski, who lost with pocket nines to Chris Klodnicki’s pocket tens with all the money going into the middle pre-flop. A flop of J-7-6 was no danger to Klodnicki, but Anatski picked up outs when a ten landed on the turn, as any eight would now give the Belarussian a runner-runner straight. Unfortunately, it was a king on the river to signal his demise in sixth place for $84,500.

There was a shocking exit in fifth place, and a shocking hand that did it. (1:46:20) Tamas Adamszki raised pre-flop with pocket kings and only Chris Klodnicki called with pocket fours. A flop of Q-7-6 saw a small bet made by Adamszki called, only for a four to land on the turn. Klodnicki led out for over half the pot, Adamszki shoved and the Canadian had the easiest call to claim a massive elimination when a five came on the river. Adamszki‘s record of running deep continued, but this week he was out in fifth for $108,201 instead of a much deeper run in this week’s event.

No one had more than 4.04 million chips or less than 3.25 million, as the most evenly stacked final four in recent memory played down to a winner. Kelvin Kerber used all his experience to make a superb call when the qualifier ‘Ziarko777’ bluffed with bottom pair on the flop and a busted straight draw against the Brazilian’s top pair of aces with just a three kicker.

Chris Klodnicki was the first of the final four to dip below a million chips. Eventually, being dealt pocket nines, he raised for half his stack. Brazilian Gabriel Tavares shoved with king-jack, and when the American called it, they were off to the races. Klodnicki flopped badly, with a king coming. A deuce on the turn was no help to the at-risk player, and a jack on the river confirmed Klodnicki’s exit for $138,549 in fourth place.

Down to three players, Kerber’s healthy lead saw him with more than double the chips of each of his opponents, with the stacks between the other two players separated by just 7 blinds. After a few hands playing 3-way, Tavares found himself holding ace-ten (2:55:33) with the ace of spades while ‘Ziarko777’ had the queen-seven of spades on a flop of 9-4-2 with two spades. The pot had already been raised pre-flop, so when Tavares bet, ‘Ziarko777’ raised. Tavares shoved, and his Polish adversary called. A dramatic hand played out as ‘Ziarko777’ hit his flush on the turn, but there was still a redraw to the nut flush. Unfortunately for the Brazilian Tavares, that didn’t come in as the satellite qualifier had made it all the way to the heads-up battle for the title!

Kelvin Kerber still had the chip lead on 8.55 million chips, with the Polish outsider coming into the final duel on 5.95 million. That changed quickly, however, as ‘Ziarko777’ made a number of smart river bets with the best hand to extract maximum value from his opponent. Whenever the Polish qualifier bet, he had the right hand to do so and soon raced into a 2:1 chip lead. 

Kerber caught up a little but still had just 6 million chips by the time he woke up with pocket kings (3:09:40). Kerber raised. ‘Ziarko777’ re-raised with ace-queen of diamonds, and the Brazilian called. A flop of Q-9-8 saw ‘Ziarko777’ bet and Kerber call again. On the turn of a six, ‘Ziarko777’ shoved and Kerber called it off, only having to avoid a queen or ace to take a massive 5:1 chip lead. However, 88% of the time isn’t all of the time, and ‘Ziarko777’ rivered a slow-peeled ace to provide the most dramatic moment of the tournament to end it. The qualifier, who made it into the $10,000-entry event for just $1,000, won an incredible $290,884 and their first GGMillion$ title. Kelvin Kerber, who led for 90% of the final table, left as runner-up with $227,168.

This Week’s GGMillion$ Results – June 30th, 2026

After an amazing victory, Jeff Gross eulogized on the winner. 

“What a crazy highlight reel of a final table. Wow, what a story. An incredible run, an incredible river, 16.84 if you’d put some money on ‘Ziarko777’.”

“He took it down and kept spinning it up, he got it in bad with ace-jack against ace-king but then got a lot of nice check-raises in and I was not expecting him to win. You’re never drawing dead at a final table, and he showed us a couple of great plays along the ay despite a couple of very ‘out there’ plays to start. I was not going to pick that guy to win at a stacked table of legends, but he pulled it off.”

“That is a big swing. This guy’s friends and family! He’s turned $1k into $290k. He takes it down [after] running an epic bluff, plays great and wins it.” 

Here’s how everyone finished in this week’s GGMillion$.

Here are all the results from the latest GGMillion$ Final table:

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1st	‘Ziarko777’	Poland	$290,884
2nd	Kelvin Kerber	Brazil	$227,168
3rd	Gabriel Tavares	Brazil	$177,409
4th	Chris Klodnicki	United States	$138,549
5th	Tamas Adamszki	Hungary	$108,201
6th	Ilya Anatski	Belarus	$84,500
7th	Thomas Muehloecker	Austria	$65,991
8th	‘Fergiac’	Brazil	$51,536
9th	Pascal Lefrancois	Canada	$40,247

Did Adamszki’s Blow his Big Chance?

Often at the final table, we analyze the last couple of players and try to figure out how the winner or the runner-up made it deep. This week, however, we’re casting our eyes on Tamas Adamzki, who entered play second in chips with a great chance of going deep. In the end, one of the most consistent players in the format finished just fifth for $108,201, four places and $181,000 short of his target. Why?

To start, paying off value bets is never a great tactic. Kelvin Kerber learned that to his great expense. But the key hand for Adamszki to protect himself was the one that sent him home. Holding pocket kings, his pre-flop actions were perfectly standard. He hooked his supposed victim in Chris Klodnicki and looked to have reeled him in when a queen-high flop landed. Adamszki’s c-bet was too small. Possibly designed to bring his opponent along street-by-street, there wasn’t anything dramatically wrong with it, but Klodnicki’s check-call told a story. When a four landed on the turn, Klodnicki immediately flipped into the aggressor, betting over three times what Adamszki c-bet on the flop! 

A red flag, if there ever was one. 

Klodnicki snap-called Adamszki’s shove. If the Hungarian had folded, he would have been a genius, but even calling in that spot then folding to a shove on the river was better than shoving the turn. You’re only ever getting called by a way better hand, and of course, that’s what happened. Adamszki didn’t hit one of his two outs and a promising final table without some of the regular crushers, such as Russia’s Artur Martirosian, due to the WSOP in Las Vegas, and he let it get away from him. 

Watch all the action as it played out in this week’s GGMillion$ final table here:

2026 Week 23                                          2026 Week 25

About the Author: Paul Seaton has written about poker for over 10 years, interviewing some of the best players ever to play the game such as Daniel Negreanu, Johnny Chan and Phil Hellmuth. Over the years, Paul has reported live from tournaments such as the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas and the European Poker Tour. He has also written for other poker brands where he was Head of Media, as well as BLUFF magazine, where he was Editor.

* The pre-game pick is the sole opinion of the author. It in no way reflects or affects the outcome of the final table.

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Edited by Shawn A.