This content was AI generated based on the original article published on https://www.pokernews.com/news/2026/08/raoul-kanme-wins-onyx-main-event-52144.htm. All credits for the original reporting belong to them.
Raoul Kanme has captured the Onyx High Roller Series $25,500 Main Event, topping a 255-entry field to win $1,250,000 at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa. Kanme started the final day as chip leader and stayed near the top for most of the action, eventually defeating Matthias Lipp heads-up for the title and the $6,120,000 total prize pool’s largest share.
The turning point came when Kanme, after dropping several pots and slipping from his early lead, chose to check-raise Lipp with only a suited king and backdoor draws. He fired again on a blank turn and shoved the river with minimal equity, relying purely on instinct. Lipp eventually folded, handing Kanme nearly half of the chips in play.
Speaking afterward, Kanme said he had committed to the aggressive line as soon as Lipp bet the flop, calling it a “gut feeling” that paid off despite the difficulty of the decision for his opponent.
The final table also saw dramatic eliminations, including Anze Smajd falling to Kanme’s flopped boat and Daniel Rezaei’s collapse after a costly river card against Aliaksandr Shylko. Shylko himself was eliminated in fourth after his tens ran into Kanme’s queen-jack, before Jordan Woodall departed in third when his ace-king failed to beat Kanme’s pocket tens.
In heads-up play, Kanme continued applying pressure until Lipp’s king-three shove ran into ace-three, sealing the title for Kanme, who took home $1,250,000 while Lipp earned $800,000 as runner-up.
Kanme, who had previously visited the venue several times without success, dedicated the win to his cousin, who is currently battling cancer. He said he now plans to take a break from the tour after months of continuous travel.
