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Jean-Robert Bellande arrived at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa this week expecting nothing more than a few high-stakes cash games during the Onyx High Roller Series. Instead, a single phone call set him on an unexpected path to one of the biggest victories of his career.
With tournament founder Rob Yong delayed en route to North Cyprus, Bellande was offered a late seat in the $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller Championship. He accepted without hesitation, registering just in time — and less than 48 hours later, Bellande stood atop a 50-entry field, defeating Yong heads-up to capture the $1,500,000 first-place prize and the opening trophy of the series.
The victory marked nearly double Bellande’s previous career-best score, capping a remarkable turnaround for a player who initially had no intention of entering the event.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jean-Robert Bellande | United States | $1,500,000 |
| 2 | Rob Yong | United Kingdom | $1,000,000 |
| 3 | Markkos Ladev | Estonia | $700,000 |
| 4 | Pieter Aerts | Belgium | $515,000 |
| 5 | Thomas Eychenne | France | $375,000 |
| 6 | Emilien Pitavy | France | $280,000 |
| 7 | Biao Ding | China | $230,000 |
| 8 | Gha Iakobishvili | Russia | $200,000 |
“I Wasn’t Going to Play”
Reacting to the scale of the win, Bellande was quick to acknowledge the surprise factor.
“I wasn’t going to play at all,” Bellande said. “These guys are superstars. But Rob’s plane got delayed, and he called me while I was in my room watching Netflix. He said, ‘Do you want to play?’ and I asked, ‘When?’ He said, ‘Right now.’ So I went.”
Despite an accomplished career that includes a WSOP bracelet, deep Main Event runs, and decades at the highest levels of poker, Bellande had never previously recorded a seven-figure score.
“Even though this is a bigger cash win, winning my bracelet still means a lot to me,” he explained. “But this… this is my biggest by double.”
A Roller-Coaster Final Table
A Roller-Coaster Final Table
Bellande entered the final table as the overwhelming chip leader but endured a dramatic setback when Pieter Aerts hit a one-outer to crack him in a massive pot. The swing sent Bellande tumbling down the leaderboard and forced a shift in mindset.
“After that hand, I stopped thinking about winning and just wanted to survive,” Bellande admitted. “Fourth place would’ve felt like a success at that point.”
Despite dropping to as few as five big blinds, Bellande stayed alive through a series of critical all-ins, gradually rebuilding his stack and re-entering contention as the field thinned.
Bellande vs. Yong
What made the victory even sweeter was the final showdown against Rob Yong, a familiar opponent from high-stakes cash games around the world. Their heads-up duel was marked by playful banter and mutual respect, providing a lighter edge to an otherwise high-pressure battle.
Bellande ultimately seized control during heads-up play, winning a decisive pot with kings against a river bluff before sealing the title with pocket jacks against Yong’s fives — securing the trophy, the top prize, and bragging rights.
“Rob gives me a hard time, but he’s been a huge supporter of mine over the years,” Bellande said. “Under all the jokes, he genuinely wants to see me succeed.”
A Strong Start for the Onyx Series
Day 2 of the championship saw late registrations push the field to 50 entries, generating a multi-million-dollar prize pool and delivering one of the most competitive high-roller lineups of the year. With elite talent throughout the field and dramatic swings deep into the final table, the opening event set a high standard for the Onyx High Roller Series.
With a trophy in hand and momentum on his side, Bellande confirmed that his plans for the remainder of the festival have changed.
“I came here for cash games,” he said. “But when you go on a tournament run like this, you want to keep playing.”
The $100,000 High Roller Championship concludes with a memorable finish, as Jean-Robert Bellande adds a landmark title to his résumé and the Onyx High Roller Series gets underway in emphatic fashion at Merit Royal Diamond.
