Mustapha Kanit: Italy's All-Time Live Tournament Money Leader
POKER HALL OF FAME
Inducted 2014
Mustapha Kanit has built one of the most successful tournament careers in Italian poker, combining major European high roller victories, elite online results and deep finishes on some of poker's biggest stages.
As of August 31, 2026, The Hendon Mob lists Kanit with more than $18.66 million in live tournament earnings, making him Italy's all-time live tournament money leader. His largest recorded live cash is the $3.6 million he earned for finishing third in the 2024 WSOP Paradise $25,000 Super Main Event.
Kanit has not yet won a World Series of Poker bracelet, but his record extends far beyond the WSOP. He has won major high roller events on the European Poker Tour, captured the 2015 PokerStars SCOOP High Main Event online and continued competing regularly in major live tournaments through 2026.
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Who Is Mustapha Kanit?
Mustapha Kanit is an Italian professional poker player from Alessandria, Italy. The Hendon Mob lists his current residence as Vienna, Austria.
His recorded live tournament career dates to 2009, when he earned his first Hendon Mob cash in a €330 no-limit hold'em event in Milan. PokerNews reported in 2026 that the result came roughly one month after Kanit turned 18.
Kanit developed into a leading figure in Italian tournament poker during the years that followed. His career has been built primarily around no-limit hold'em, with results ranging from regional European events to EPT high rollers, WSOP tournaments, Triton events and major online championships.
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Mustapha Kanit's Early Poker Career
Kanit's rise began well before he became a regular in international high rollers.
In March 2011, he won the €2,200 Italian Poker Tour Nova Gorica Main Event for €200,000. Two months later, he won a €1,100 no-limit hold'em event during the EPT Madrid Grand Final for another €60,200.
Later that year, Kanit reached the final table of the Partouche Poker Tour Main Event in Cannes. He finished sixth for €190,000, another result that helped establish him as one of the emerging Italian tournament professionals of the period.
Those early performances showed a pattern that would define much of Kanit's career: success in both large-field tournaments and events featuring experienced international competition.
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EPT High Roller Success
Kanit's biggest collection of tournament victories came during a particularly strong stretch on the European Poker Tour.
In May 2015, he won the €50,000 Super High Roller at the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo. The tournament drew 66 entries and generated a prize pool of more than €3.2 million. Kanit earned €936,500 for the victory.
He followed that result later in 2015 by winning the €10,300 EPT Barcelona High Roller for €738,759.
Kanit added another major EPT victory in February 2016 when he won the €25,750 High Roller at EPT Dublin. The 70-entry tournament was the largest buy-in poker event held in Ireland at the time, and Kanit collected €501,640 after defeating Chance Kornuth heads-up.
His run continued at the 2016 EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo. Kanit finished second in the €100,000 Super High Roller for €1,462,000, worth approximately $1.65 million at the time.
Those results established Kanit as a regular threat in the high roller tournaments that became an increasingly important part of the international poker schedule during the 2010s.
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Mustapha Kanit's Online Poker Success
Kanit has also achieved major results online.
Playing on PokerStars as "lasagnaaammm," he won the $10,300 SCOOP High Main Event in 2015. The tournament attracted 694 entries and created a $6.94 million prize pool.
Kanit defeated Emil Patel heads-up to win $1,304,720. PokerStars reported that it was his second SCOOP title after he had already won a $2,100 no-limit hold'em event during the 2014 series for $376,920.
PokerNews later reported that Kanit added a third SCOOP title in 2020.
The combination of major online and live victories is an important part of Kanit's career. His results have not been limited to one tournament environment, and his most productive years included success across both formats.
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Mustapha Kanit's WSOP Career
Kanit remains one of the most accomplished tournament players still seeking a first World Series of Poker bracelet.
As of August 31, 2026, the World Series of Poker lists Kanit with zero bracelets, zero WSOP Circuit rings, 10 final tables, 83 cashes and $7,172,340 in WSOP earnings.
His biggest WSOP-related result came at the 2024 WSOP Paradise festival in the Bahamas.
Kanit reached the final table of the $25,000 Super Main Event and finished third for $3.6 million. The result became the largest live tournament cash of his career.
He returned to WSOP Paradise in December 2025 and came within one heads-up match of winning his first bracelet. Kanit finished second to Daniel Rezaei in the $50,000 High Roller Turbo, earning $1,215,000 from the 151-entry tournament.
The runner-up finish reinforced an unusual feature of Kanit's résumé. He has accumulated millions of dollars in WSOP earnings and numerous deep runs without converting one into a bracelet victory.
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Career Earnings and Italian Poker Ranking
As of August 31, 2026, The Hendon Mob lists Kanit with $18,667,783 in live tournament earnings and a career-best cash of $3.6 million.
The database ranks him first on Italy's all-time money list and 87th on the worldwide all-time money list at that time.
Tournament earnings should always be viewed as a record of gross recorded cashes rather than poker profit. They do not account for tournament buy-ins, travel costs, staking arrangements, swaps, taxes or other expenses.
Kanit's earnings nevertheless illustrate the longevity of his tournament career. His recorded results stretch from small European events in 2009 to seven-figure finishes at major international series more than 15 years later.
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Playing Style and Poker Reputation
Kanit's results show particular strength in no-limit hold'em tournaments, including high rollers, short-handed events and major online fields.
He has also demonstrated an ability to compete successfully in both live and online poker. In a 2015 PokerNews interview, Kanit said he was comfortable in both environments and noted that he had spent particularly significant time studying online poker.
Rather than attaching a narrow stylistic label to his game, his career is better characterized by adaptability. Kanit has remained competitive across changing tournament structures, field sizes and eras of professional poker while moving between online poker and major live tours.
His longevity also stands out. Players who emerged alongside Kanit in the early 2010s have seen the tournament landscape change substantially, particularly with the growth of super high rollers and increasingly international schedules. Kanit has continued recording significant results through those changes.
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Recent Results and Current Status
Kanit remains an active tournament player.
PokerNews reported in February 2026 that he recorded 17 live cashes across five countries during 2025. That season included a victory in a €2,200 Deep Stack event at EPT Monte Carlo for €104,400, seven WSOP cashes in Las Vegas and his $1.215 million runner-up finish at WSOP Paradise.
His 2026 schedule continued across several major tours. He finished 17th in the Triton One Jeju Main Event for $64,500 and later placed 26th in the $100,000 Triton Poker Series Montenegro Main Event for $159,000.
At the 2026 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, Kanit cashed in the $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship and the $10,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em Championship.
PokerNews also identified Kanit as a Winamax ambassador in its February 2026 interview, confirming that he remained part of the professional poker landscape rather than stepping away from tournament competition.
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Why Mustapha Kanit Matters in Poker
Kanit's significance comes from the range and durability of his results.
He became Italy's leading live tournament money winner, won major EPT high rollers, captured one of online poker's most prestigious annual tournaments and produced seven-figure finishes at the WSOP more than a decade after his initial breakthrough.
His career also bridges different phases of modern tournament poker. Kanit emerged through European tours before the current super high roller circuit had fully developed, became a prominent high stakes competitor during the expansion of those events and has remained active during the growth of WSOP Paradise and Triton Poker.
A WSOP bracelet remains one of the major accomplishments missing from his record, but the absence of one does not diminish the depth of his tournament résumé. His results across live and online poker have already made him one of the defining Italian tournament players of his generation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much has Mustapha Kanit won in live poker tournaments?
As of August 31, 2026, The Hendon Mob lists Mustapha Kanit with $18,667,783 in recorded live tournament earnings. That figure represents gross tournament cashes and should not be interpreted as career profit.
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How many WSOP bracelets does Mustapha Kanit have?
Mustapha Kanit has not won a WSOP bracelet. As of August 31, 2026, the WSOP lists him with zero bracelets, 10 final tables and 83 cashes.
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How many WSOP Circuit rings does Mustapha Kanit have?
The WSOP lists Mustapha Kanit with zero Circuit rings as of August 31, 2026.
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What is Mustapha Kanit's biggest poker cash?
Mustapha Kanit's largest recorded live tournament cash is $3.6 million. He earned it for finishing third in the 2024 WSOP Paradise $25,000 Super Main Event.
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What major EPT tournaments has Mustapha Kanit won?
Kanit's major EPT victories include the 2015 Monte Carlo €50,000 Super High Roller for €936,500, the 2015 Barcelona €10,300 High Roller for €738,759 and the 2016 Dublin €25,750 High Roller for €501,640.
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Did Mustapha Kanit win the SCOOP Main Event?
Yes. Mustapha "lasagnaaammm" Kanit won the 2015 PokerStars $10,300 SCOOP High Main Event for $1,304,720 after defeating a 694-entry field.
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Is Mustapha Kanit still playing poker?
Yes. Kanit remained active in 2026, recording results at Triton Poker events and the World Series of Poker after also playing extensively during 2025.
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Where is Mustapha Kanit from?
Mustapha Kanit is from Alessandria, Italy. The Hendon Mob lists his residence as Vienna, Austria.
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