Swiss poker player Elvir Nuhiu kicked off 2026 in spectacular fashion, capturing the €1,100 no-limit hold’em championship at the PokerStars Open Campione in Italy. Outlasting a massive field of 1,582 entries, Nuhiu struck a three-way deal at the final table to secure the title and $236,755 in prize money.
A Surprise Run to Glory
Nuhiu, primarily a cash-game player, hadn’t played much in major live tournaments prior to this win. His previous biggest result was a fifth-place finish at a €1,100 EPT Prague side event in late 2025.
“I was not planning to come here, but I had to drive a friend to Milan and saw this festival nearby and decided to come,” Nuhiu told PokerStars staff. “It feels really special to reach this kind of final table. I wanted, so badly, this victory.”
In addition to the trophy and prize money, Nuhiu earned 1,080 Card Player Player of the Year points, his first POY-qualifying score of 2026, moving him up to 13th in the overall standings.
Final Table Highlights
The tournament took place at Casino di Campione, where the turnout easily surpassed the €1 million guarantee, producing a total prize pool of $1,792,889. The final three-player deal included career-best results for France’s Christian Stantchev (3rd – $177,748) and Italy’s Vincenzo Petruzziello (2nd – $197,692).
Other notable finishes included:
- Eduard Fondos – 4th, $101,504
- Michele Brandes – 5th, $78,081, adding to her €220 PLO side event victory earlier in the festival for a total haul of over $83,000
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elvir Nuhiu | $236,755 | 1,080 |
| 2 | Vincenzo Petruzziello | $197,692 | 900 |
| 3 | Christian Stantchev | $177,748 | 720 |
| 4 | Eduard Fondos | $101,504 | 540 |
| 5 | Michele Brandes | $78,081 | 450 |
| 6 | Renzo Pedrotti | $60,074 | 360 |
| 7 | Thomas Olivieri | $46,197 | 270 |
| 8 | Giorgio Favotto | $35,553 | 180 |
| 9 | Tanmmay Jhunjhunwala | $27,352 | 90 |
A Career-Defining Victory
For Nuhiu, this win marks a breakthrough in live tournament poker. From casually entering the event while on a trip to Italy, he turned it into a career-highlight moment, defeating a massive field and emerging as the champion. With this performance, Nuhiu has firmly announced himself as a rising force in the European live poker circuit for 2026.
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