Romanian online grinder Viorel Gavrila has written his name into the history books at King's Resort, taking down the €250 EPC Mini Main Event for a career-best €125,500 and becoming the very first champion of the 2026 King's Million European Poker Championship.
- Viorel Gavrila won the €250 EPC Mini Main Event in Rozvadov for €125,500 and the Royal Scepter trophy.
- The event drew 4,389 entries and smashed through its €1,000,000 guarantee.
- Gavrila is the first-ever King's Million EPC champion of the 2026 series.
- He beat Israel's Mystery Kid heads-up, and eliminated the last four players himself.
- The score dwarfs his previous best live cash of $40,779.
A Record Field Opens the King's Million
The King's Million European Poker Championship could hardly have asked for a better opening act. The €250 EPC Mini Main Event pulled in a huge 4,389 entries, comfortably clearing the €1 million guarantee attached to the tournament and setting the tone for a series that is expected to be one of the busiest of the year at the Rozvadov mega-venue.
After several days of action, it was Gavrila who came out on top of the enormous field. The Romanian pocketed €125,500 along with the Royal Scepter trophy, the signature prize handed to King's Million champions, and in doing so became the first player to lift silverware at the 2026 edition of the championship.
Gavrila Dominates the Final Day
The final day started with 34 players still in contention, but it quickly became a one-man show. Gavrila was the first player in the tournament to climb past 10 million chips, then past 20 million, and then past 30 million, building a stack that the rest of the field simply could not keep up with.
He did not hand the job over to anyone else at the business end, either. Gavrila personally sent the last four opponents to the rail, including Israel's Mystery Kid in the heads-up duel. The final hand was a fittingly bold one: Gavrila's nine-five offsuit got there against Mystery Kid's ace-king to bring the tournament to a close.
"I played without any emotion. I'm professional."
— Viorel Gavrila
That ice-cold approach was no accident. Gavrila credited his 12 years of online poker experience for keeping him composed through the pressure of the final day, where the money jumps were significant and the trophy was on the line.
From the Screens to the Felt
The victory is a life-changing result for a player whose previous biggest live score was just $40,779. Gavrila built his career online, but he has been increasingly drawn to the live arena — and the atmosphere at the tables is a big part of the appeal.
"I like a lot to play live because I like to enjoy the tables, I like to speak with people. It's different than online."
— Viorel Gavrila
EPC Mini Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Viorel Gavrila | Romania | €125,500 |
| 2 | Mystery Kid | Israel | €76,500 |
| 3 | Maximilian Kuntz | Germany | €54,000 |
| 4 | Silver1964 | Poland | €39,500 |
| 5 | Fishburger | Turkey | €29,500 |
| 6 | Michal Ligocki | Poland | €21,900 |
| 7 | Hauke9 | Germany | €16,300 |
| 8 | Binh Nguyen | Vietnam | €12,100 |
| 9 | Dragos Iosub | Ireland | €9,000 |
Nine More Trophies Still Up for Grabs
Gavrila's win is only the opening chapter of the 2026 King's Million European Poker Championship. Nine further EPC events are on the schedule at King's Resort, building towards the showpiece €1,150 EPC Super Main Event, where the next Royal Scepter — and the biggest prize pool of the series — will be decided.
For now, though, the first name on the 2026 honour roll belongs to a Romanian online pro who kept his emotions in check when it mattered most.
