Mihai Monole

Mihai Manole, born in Bucharest, Romania, began his tournament poker career in 2006. His first major breakthrough came at the 2009 European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona €8,000 Main Event, where he finished fourth for $357,654, outlasting notables like Mike "Timex" McDonald and Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier.

Manole has made three World Series of Poker (WSOP) final tables. In 2008, he finished fifth in the $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em event for $155,013, overcoming over 1,580 opponents. Two years later, he placed third in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event, earning $268,189. Despite these deep runs, he has not yet won a WSOP bracelet.

In December 2017, Manole became the first player to win a $30,000 Platinum Pass to the inaugural PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC), history's largest $25,000 buy-in tournament. The win was marked by controversy when a Daniel Negreanu miscall initially left Manole thinking he hadn't won, but he was later awarded the pass. In the PSPC itself, he failed to cash but used the momentum to secure a seventh-place finish in the PCA Main Event for $208,920.

Manole has consistently performed in high-stakes events. In 2019, he qualified for the WSOP Main Event via a $100 satellite on online poker and built a healthy stack on Day 4, ultimately finishing in 122nd place for $52,718 in 2012. His live tournament cashes total over 85, including seven six-figure scores, bringing his live earnings to over $2,450,000.

Under the screen name "MihayM," Manole has also achieved success online, winning hundreds of thousands of dollars in multi-table tournaments (MTTs) as tracked by PocketFives.

Manole is known for his patient, aggressive style. In the 2019 WSOP Main Event, he check-raised the river with a gutshot straight draw against two pair, demonstrating his ability to extract maximum value. He is a seasoned tournament grinder who balances aggression with deep-run experience, often outlasting larger fields.