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Viorel Gavrila etched his name into poker history at King’s Resort in Rozvadov, becoming the first-ever champion of the 2026 King’s Million European Poker Championship. The Romanian online specialist outlasted a massive field of 4,389 entries in the €250 EPC Mini Main Event to claim the Royal Scepter trophy.
His triumph earned him €125,500 from the event’s €1 million guaranteed prize pool, by far the largest live score of his career. Gavrila entered the tournament with $535,157 in recorded lifetime earnings, but his previous best single cash was just $40,779, according to The Hendon Mob.
Gavrila dominated the final day of play, which started with 34 players remaining. He surged to the chip lead early and became the first competitor to surpass 10 million, 20 million and 30 million in chips as the table thinned out.
His momentum carried through the closing stages, as he eliminated the last four players standing between him and the title. In heads-up play against an opponent known as Mystery Kid, the match ended on the very first all-in confrontation, with Gavrila’s nine-five offsuit outdrawing ace-king.
Speaking afterward, Gavrila credited his 12 years of online experience for keeping him calm under pressure. He also revealed plans to shift more of his focus toward live tournaments going forward, citing the social atmosphere as a key draw.
The win kicks off a packed King’s Million EPC schedule, with PokerNews set to cover nine more events, including the €1,150 EPC Super Main Event closing out the series.
