Artur "AlwaysWithNuts" Martirosian won two Sunday Mini Phil's Thrill events on ACR Poker on October 18, 2026, while many of his fellow high rollers were focused on the Venom PKO. PokerListings reports a combined single-session total of $81,552, though the two prizes it lists add up to $81,372, so one of the figures is off by $180.
Winning one $2,650 buy-in tournament on ACR's Sunday schedule is a strong day for most players. Winning two, in different games, is rare. Here is how it happened, how Martirosian has performed in the Phil's series, and what the story says about high stakes online poker on the WPN network.
Two Wins in One Sunday
The wins came in two distinct formats.
Win one: $2,650 Mini Phil's Thrill PLO 6-Max (49 entries). Martirosian used two bullets, meaning he re-entered once, to reach the final table. He arrived as the second chip leader and took the lead at three-handed. Chris "2rich2care" Hunichen was eliminated in third place for $19,140. Martirosian then made a deal with his final opponent, StickyMinaj. The payouts were $32,460 for Martirosian and $29,573 for StickyMinaj.
Win two: $2,650 Mini Phil's Thrill $200K Guaranteed, hold'em (88 entries). He reached the final table on a single bullet as the clear chip leader and held the lead for the first hour. Then he ran into about 25 minutes of poor starting hands as the table shrank from seven players to three, and his stack dropped sharply. At third place, he was near elimination, but he won two all-ins in a row to reach heads-up with a similar stack. Heads-up lasted six hands. In the decisive hand, his opponent was left with four blinds. He won $48,912.
Combined, the two prizes come to $81,372, as noted above. The article states a combined total of $81,552.
Context: What Are the Phil's Tournaments?
The Phil's tournaments are named after WPN CEO Phil Nagy. The flagship is the Sunday $10,300 Phil's Thrill, which has run for more than 60 editions since launching in July 2025, not counting Mini Phil's or extra events. The Mini versions, at $2,650, offer a lower entry price but still sit firmly in high roller territory.
For background on ACR's high stakes side, see our report on Nagy's rake and withdrawal explanation and the Venom mystery bounty series.
Martirosian's Record in the Phil's Series
PokerListings compiled his results since the series launched, and the table is striking:
| Date | Event | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 20, 2025 | $10,300 Phil's Thrill | 4th | $60,750 |
| July 27, 2025 | $10,300 Phil's Thrill | 1st | $154,000 |
| August 27, 2025 | $10,300 Phil's Thrill | 5th | $54,000 |
| October 5, 2025 | $2,650 Mini Phil's Thrill | 6th | $18,850 |
| April 19, 2026 | Phil's $25K Puff & Buff | 1st | $371,000 |
| August 30, 2026 | $10,300 Phil's Thrill | 4th | $68,750 |
| October 11, 2026 | $10,300 Phil's Thrill | 2nd | $93,100 |
Between July 20, 2025 and October 11, 2026, he reached seven Phil's final tables and won more than $800,000 in prize money. PokerListings describes his results since launch as mixed, which is a fair summary: among more than 60 editions of the Sunday $10,300 event, a player making seven final tables is doing well, but not winning every week.
That nuance is worth underlining. A super high roller who makes the money regularly still loses many more tournaments than he wins. The October 18 double win comes one week after a runner-up finish in the $10,300 event, and it demonstrates how quickly results can swing.
Lessons From the Hold'em Win
The description of the hold'em final table is a useful case study in variance. Martirosian was the clear chip leader, then hit a cold patch of roughly 25 minutes in which he picked up weak starting hands. His stack shrank as the table went from seven to three. A poorer player might have tightened up completely and bled out through the blinds, or lost patience and spewed chips. Instead, he picked his spots, won two all-ins in a row and recovered.
There are general principles here. When your stack falls, the value of fold equity changes. Shoves have to be made at the right moments with hands that have sufficient equity, and the math of ICM becomes critical near the money. You can examine hand equities using our poker odds calculator and refresh your understanding of equity.
Lessons From the PLO Win
Martirosian's first win came in PLO six-max. Pot-limit Omaha has more variance than hold'em because hands run closer in equity, and big edges often come from understanding blockers, draws and position. He used two bullets in a 49-entry field, which suggests that he was willing to invest in a game where he believed he held an edge.
The deal with StickyMinaj also deserves a note. Heads-up deals are common at the end of high roller events because the payout gap between first and second is often large relative to the edge a player might have. His payout of $32,460 versus $29,573 for StickyMinaj suggests a close chop. Deals reduce variance, and for professionals they can be a rational choice.
If you want to learn the game, read our Omaha guide and the comparison between Hold'em and Omaha.
What It Means for Players
For most players, $2,650 and $10,300 buy-ins are out of reach. Still, the Martirosian story has relevance.
First, multiple formats matter. Players who are competent in both hold'em and Omaha have more opportunities, and Sunday schedules on sites like ACR offer both. If you want to add Omaha to your repertoire, start at low stakes and study hand rankings and equities carefully, using our poker hand rankings page as a reference.
Second, bullets are a bankroll decision. Martirosian fired two bullets in the PLO event and one in the hold'em event. Decide before you register how many entries you are willing to buy, and stick to it. Our bankroll management guide gives rules of thumb.
Third, ACR remains one of the main places for US-facing high stakes tournaments. Our Americas Cardroom review covers the software, payment methods and bonuses, and our high stakes page outlines options for players moving up in buy-in.
Bottom Line
Artur Martirosian turned a quiet Sunday into a double victory, winning a PLO six-max and a $200K-guaranteed hold'em event for roughly $81,000, and he did it by recovering from a cold stretch in the second. His record in the Phil's series shows how strong players still lose most of the time, which is exactly why the double win stood out.