Jean-Robert Bellande Captures Onyx High Roller Title for $1.5 Million

High-stakes cash game specialist Jean-Robert Bellande triumphed over 50 entries in the $100,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em event at the Onyx High Roller Series in North Cyprus, securing a career-high payout of $1.5 million. The tournament, held at Merit Royal Diamond Casino and Spa, saw Bellande best event founder Rob Yong in heads-up play, with Yong taking home $1 million for second place.

Bellande had traveled to Cyprus mainly for cash games and had no plans to enter the tournament. But Yong, delayed by a flight issue in Istanbul, entered Bellande into the tournament as a stand-in to keep the event running smoothly. "I was not even supposed to play the tournament," Bellande said afterward. "Rob's plane got delayed… and as a favor to the guys… he decided, 'Okay, let me throw a fish in the game for you. I'll give them JRB since I'm not there.' So he put me in."

This victory marked just Bellande's fourth tournament cash in the last five years. Focused primarily on cash games, he has now accumulated close to $4.6 million from 55 in-the-money finishes. The score nearly doubled his prior best, a runner-up finish in the 2015 World Series of Poker $50,000 Poker Players Championship for $784,828. His only WSOP bracelet came in 2018, when he outlasted 621 players in the $5,000 six-max event for $616,302.

Path to the Final Table

The $4.8 million prize pool paid out to the top eight players. Three-time bracelet winner Artur Martirosian bubbled the money, losing with A-Q to Yong's pocket aces after Yong joined the action late. Gha Iakobishvili exited in eighth for $200,000, followed by Biao Ding in seventh for $230,000.

Bellande gained momentum during six-handed play with a double-up, his pocket nines holding against Pieter Aerts' pocket sixes. Aerts, a fellow bracelet winner from Belgium, rebounded by busting France's Emilien Pitavy in sixth for $280,000 after making trip aces.

Another French pro, Thomas Eychenne, got short-stacked when his suited A-10 fell to Markkos Ladev's pocket kings in a key all-in. They collided again soon after, with Eychenne's K♦9♦ against Ladev's A♥A♣. Eychenne flopped a nine but couldn't catch up, finishing fifth for $375,000.

Bellande and Aerts squared off once more. Bellande's pocket kings survived Aerts' all-in shove with an open-ended straight flush draw. Aerts hit a flush on the turn, but Bellande rivered a superior flush with the fourth diamond. Aerts collected $515,000 for fourth, pushing his career earnings near $8.8 million.

Closing Stages and Heads-Up Battle

Bellande kept rolling with pocket aces, holding on the flop against Ladev's top pair of jacks in an all-in spot. Ladev bowed out in third for $700,000, leaving Bellande to face Yong heads-up.

Yong started with a chip advantage, 31,935,000 to Bellande's 17,865,000. Bellande flipped the script early by calling down a river bluff with second pair for a double-up.

The decisive hand saw Yong raise to 1,500,000 from the button with 5♦4♦. Bellande defended his big blind, adding 900,000 with K♦J♠. The flop fell J♦9♦3♠, giving Bellande top pair. Yong continued with 2,000,000 on his flush draw, and Bellande called. The turn brought A♥, prompting Yong's 3,000,000 bet and another call. The river 5♥ paired Yong's five, but he shoved 14,270,000 as a bluff. Bellande made the call with his pair of jacks to claim the win.

Along with the trophy and cash, Bellande picked up 600 Card Player Player of the Year points, landing him in 64th place in the 2026 standings presented by CoinPoker.

Yong's runner-up finish lifted his live earnings to $2.8 million, eclipsing his previous top score of $856,000 from a fourth-place result in a $100,000 invitational at the inaugural Onyx Series last summer.

Final Table Payouts