WSOP Circuit Bratislava Awards First Ring as Mini Main Nears Finish

By Mrinal Gujare

2 hours ago

Mrinal Gujare 2 hours ago

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Mini Main Event attracts 1,709 entries, prize pool at €519,536
Vincenzo Lapenna wins first Circuit ring, €18,226 & WSOP Paradise seat
Festival continues with 12 ring events & €2.8M+ in prizes until August 11

Image by Card Casino

The 2026 WSOP Circuit Bratislava reached the Mini Main Event final table after attracting 1,709 entries, while Italy's Vincenzo Lapenna claimed the festival's first Circuit ring by winning the €800 NLH Bounty Hunter for €18,226 and WSOP Paradise qualification.

The 2026 WSOP Circuit Bratislava continued on Sunday at Card Casino Šamorín, located just outside Bratislava, Slovakia, with the festival producing its first gold ring winner while the €350 Mini Main Event reached its final table.

Running through August 11, the festival features 12 WSOP Circuit Ring Events and more than €2.8 million in guaranteed prize pools.

Sunday's action saw the Mini Main Event complete its starting flights and the first Circuit ring of the series awarded in the €800 NLH Bounty Hunter.

Meanwhile, the €550 PLO Opener began with Day 1a, and the €550 Mystery Bounty advanced through its second starting flight.

Mini Main Event Draws 1,709 Entries

The €350 Mini Main Event attracted an additional 329 entries during the final Hyper Turbo Day 1E, bringing the total field to 1,709 entries. The turnout generated a prize pool of €519,536, nearly double the event's guarantee.

A total of 171 players advanced to Day 2, with the field eventually reduced to the final nine competitors. The eventual champion will receive €85,000, a WSOP Circuit ring, and a $5,000 WSOP Paradise Bahamas package.

Hungary's Benjamin Lakatos maintained control throughout Day 2 and strengthened his position at the top of the leaderboard.

He will begin the final table with 20,500,000 chips, equivalent to 205 big blinds. Italy's Fabio Giamberardini sits second with 13,225,000, while Austria's Jozef Stern occupies third place with 8,475,000.

The final table was officially formed after Boris Progner exited in tenth place. Slovakia's remaining representative is Miroslav Salaj, who advanced with 3,250,000 chips. The average stack stands at 25 big blinds, with the final five players all holding between 16 and 10 big blinds.

Vincenzo Lapenna Captures First Circuit Ring

Sunday also marked the awarding of the festival's first WSOP Circuit ring in Ring Event #4, the €800 NLH Bounty Hunter.

The tournament attracted 174 entries, surpassing its €75,000 guarantee and creating a €119,016 prize pool. Of that total, €43,500 was allocated to bounty payouts. The one-day event continued late into the night before a champion emerged.

Italy's Vincenzo Lapenna claimed his first WSOP Circuit ring after defeating Hungary's Daniel Koloszar in heads-up play.

Lapenna earned €18,226 along with a share of the bounty prize pool and secured a seat at WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas this December.

According to The Hendon Mob, the victory represents Lapenna's first recorded live poker tournament win. Koloszar collected €12,100 for his runner-up finish, while Slovakia's Peter Varga recorded the best home-country result by placing third for €8,280.

With the Mini Main Event down to its final nine players and the festival's first Circuit ring already awarded, the 2026 WSOP Circuit Bratislava continues through August 11 as the remaining Ring Events progress at Card Casino Šamorín.

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