This content was AI generated based on the original article published on https://www.pokernews.com/news/2026/08/boris-kolev-mystery-bounty-onyx-shr-52122.htm. All credits for the original reporting belong to them.
Boris Kolev has claimed another poker title at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa in Cyprus, winning the $10,400 Mystery Bounty event at the 2026 Onyx High Roller Series. The Bulgarian defeated Aleksandr Kirichenko heads-up to secure his first Onyx title and a $129,000 top prize from a $1,094,400 prize pool.
The event drew 114 entries, and Kolev entered the final day as chip leader among the 17 remaining players, having bagged 1,700,000 chips, or 57 big blinds, at the end of Day 1. He credited his comfort at the Cyprus venue, a site where he previously scored a million-dollar win, for his relaxed approach at the tables.
Kolev collected several key eliminations on his way to the title, including a jack-ten hand that outdrew Fabian Schmidt’s king-queen, and a queen-jack that beat Geoffrey Mooney’s ace-jack after completing a straight. He also eliminated Felipe Ketzer with an eight-four hand that improved on the flop.
In total, Kolev collected seven mystery bounties during the tournament, adding to his overall prize haul.
The heads-up battle against Kirichenko featured multiple swings, with both players doubling up at various points. Kolev noted a difficult decision holding pocket queens, where he ultimately folded after reading Kirichenko as comfortable, trusting his instincts built from previous encounters.
The match concluded when Kolev’s king-four flopped two pair against Kirichenko’s king-jack, sealing the victory. Kolev praised the growing Cyprus schedule, calling the location his favorite place to play.
