Roman Stoyka

Roman Stoyka began his professional poker journey as a high-volume grinder in the Sochi poker circuit, quickly establishing himself as a dominant force in regional high roller and bounty events. His first notable victory came in 2024 when he won the ₽175,000 Phoenix Cup at the Phoenix Poker Tour Sochi for $35,350. Building on this momentum, he continued to hone his skills in the Russian poker scene, recording a string of wins in local tournaments.

Stoyka's breakthrough on the global stage came in August 2025 at EPT Barcelona, where he won the €3,000 Mystery Bounty event for a career-best $376,826. This victory showcased his mastery of bounty dynamics and marked him as a rising talent in European poker. Later that year, he finished 9th in the Onyx SHRS Main Event in Kyrenia for $121,750, further solidifying his reputation.

In early 2026, Stoyka proved his versatility with a 15th-place finish in the Triton One Jeju $8,000 Main Event for $78,000, and a win in the SPF Winter Sochi ₽176,000 High Roller for $64,311. These results pushed his live tournament earnings past $1.6 million, but his biggest triumph was yet to come.

The 2026 European Poker Tour Monte Carlo Main Event attracted a massive field of 1,011 entries, generating a prize pool that awarded nearly $1 million to the champion. Stoyka entered the final table as a contender but not the chip leader—that honor belonged to Austrian Bernhard Binder, who had recently won the WSOP Super Main Event and the Triton Jeju Main Event. The final table played out with high drama:

• 8th place: Oshri Lahmani (Israel) – $116,650 – lost with pocket jacks to David Djian's pocket eights on a rivered eight.
• 7th place: Raul Mestre (Spain) – $151,375 – shoved with king-nine and ran into Binder's ace-king.
• 6th place: Longmao Fan (China) – $196,900 – lost a coinflip with king-seven suited against Binder's pocket sixes.
• 5th place: Jose Malpelli (France) – $256,000 – all-in with pocket nines, called by Stoyka with ace-queen; the board ran out with no improvement.

Stoyka then took control of the table, ultimately defeating Binder heads-up to claim the title and the $965,000 first prize. The victory bumped his lifetime live earnings from $1.7 million to over $2.6 million, cementing his status as one of Russia's most successful poker players.

Stoyka is renowned for a clinical, aggressive, and adaptive playing style. His greatest technical edge lies in his mastery of bounty and mystery bounty tournaments, where his mathematical understanding of bounty equity allows him to take profitable risks that many pros avoid. Strategically, he applies maximum pressure in mid-to-late tournament stages, exploiting opponents during the money bubble. Described as having an "end-boss" composure, he combines tactical brilliance with mental fortitude.

On the Global Poker Index, Stoyka is ranked #6 in Russia, and his estimated net worth exceeds $3 million. He is regarded as a de facto ambassador for modern Russian poker, representing a new generation of highly skilled, analytically-driven players.

The 1,011-entry field included many recognizable players who cashed before the final table. Among them were poker author Maria Konnikova (146th for $10,800), former world champion Hossein Ensan (134th for $10,800), Germany’s Tom Fuchs (86th for $14,250), Irish PokerStars Team Pro David Lappin (74th for $14,250), former EPT winner Derk van Luijk (46th for $18,900), Russian specialist Nikita Kuznetsov (31st for $25,000), and Benny Glaser (27th for $28,700). The event was also notable as the final EPT broadcast for longtime commentator Joe Stapleton.

Roman Stoyka's live tournament earnings exceeded $2.6 million after his Monte Carlo win, placing him among the most successful Russian players. His estimated net worth is over $3 million. On the Global Poker Index, he ranks #6 in Russia. His SPI (Scores Poker Index) score for 2026 is 2,945 (#737 globally). In addition to his EPT successes, Stoyka has three cashes in Triton events, with a total of $118,500 in Asia-Pacific earnings, his largest being $78,000 from the Triton One Jeju Main Event.