Category: Poker

Kenneth Kee.

If you’re reading this from the comfort of your commode in the West, then it’s not a name that rings too many bells. But I tell you what, if the Triton Poker Series continues to put on events of this ilk, and Kee keeps showing up, it won’t take long for the alliteration of the letter K to be rolling off your tongue.

Kee has just beaten the businessman, poker enthusiast and Poker Central founder, Cary Katz, heads-up, to win the HKD 1,000,000 (USD 127,000) Short-Deck, Ante Only event at the Triton Poker Series in Jeju, South Korea.

The event, which attracted 60-entrants, entered an unscripted third day of action after nothing could separate Kee, Catz and Richard Yong after three hours plus of three-handed action.

Here are the highlights of that short, sharp, shift.

How They Began

1. Kenneth Kee – 8,245,000
2. Richard Yong – 6,815,000
3. Cary Katz – 2,940,000

The Money at Stake

1. HKD 22,500,000 (USD 2,866,838)
2. HKD 13,920,000 (USD 1,773,617)
3. HKD 9,120,000 (USD 1,162,025)

The Pay Jumps

3rd -2nd – HKD 4,800,000 (USD 611,629)
2nd -1st – HKD 8,580,000 (USD 1,093,286)

The Action

Despite holding the chip lead, Kee was the inexperienced practitioner when it came to tournament poker. Katz, who sharpened his poker claws competing with the worlds best since helping set up the ARIA High Roller fraternity was appearing in his first Short-Deck event, and so the smart money was on the former Triton Poker Champion and Aussie Millions AUD 100,000 Challenge winner, Richard Yong.

And then this happened.

Katz called the ante with Q9cc from under the gun, Yong raised to 560,000 with A8o from the cutoff and Kee called on the button holding AJdd; Katz thought ‘why not.’

The flop was AhJs6c, and Yong was first to act, betting 850,000. Kee called, and Katz folded. The 8d appeared on the fourth street, which was a disaster for Yong as it gave him an inferior two-pair to Kee’s AJ. Yong check-called a 1.7 million Kee bet.

On the river, it was Kee’s turn to be disappointed (although he wouldn’t realise it at the time) when the Jh burned a hole in the felt. Kee had filled up, but it also counterfeited Yong’s two pairs rendering his hand worthless. Yong checked Kee bet 2 million, and Yong released his grip on the hand.

Yong would soon slip to the bottom of the counts when Katz doubled through Kee in the following hand.

Kee called with AQo, Katz called with KJdd in position, and Yong folded. The pair then got it in on a flop of KQ6 rainbow, and Katz top pair held to push him into the second spot.

And then Yong slid into the abyss.

Kee started the action with a 500,000 bet holding AQo, Katz got out of the way, and Yong called in position with JTo. The flop was a three-suited Q99, Kee checked, Yong bet 200,000, Kee jammed, and Yong called, needing a king or an eight to survive. No such luck. Adios.

Heads-Up Chip Counts

1. Kenneth Kee – 14,600,000
2. Cary Katz – 3,400,000

If Katz was going to win his second major title, he was going to have to double up and double up quickly and frequently.

He did neither.

The farewell hand saw Katz make a move holding JTo; Kee called with pocket queens, and the ladies danced through five unassuming community cards to land Kee the title and close to $3m in change.

“It’s insane,” said Kee when explaining his recent run of form that also saw him finish runner-up to Nick Schulman in the HKD 100,000 (USD 12,500) Short-Deck, Ante-Only contest, not bad for a cash game player who last played a tournament, five years ago.

ITM Finishes

1. Kenneth Kee – HKD 22,500,000 (USD 2,866,838)
2. Cary Katz – HKD 13,920,000 (USD 1,773,617)
3. Richard Yong – HKD 9,120,000 (USD 1,162,025
4. Peter Jetten – HKD 6,300,000 (USD 802,715)
5. Mikita Badziakouski – HKD 4,620,000 (USD 588,657)
6. Ivan Leow – HKD 3,540,000 (USD 451,049)

It’s a case of East meets West in the HKD 1,000,000 (USD 127,000) Short-Deck Ante-Only tournament with nine of the final sixteen players coming from the likes of North America and Europe, and one of them, a Frenchman, has the lead.

Day 1A of the Big Daddy Short-Deck, Ante-Only attracted 44 entrants after six levels of complete and utter carnage, and it was Romain Arnaud who takes the chip lead into the final day of action.

Joining Arnaud from the west are the likes of Tom Dwan and the two big winners at the Triton Poker Series Montenegro, Mikita Badziakouski and Jason Koon. Those flying the flag from the East include the founder of this fabulous series, Richard Yong, the HKD 100k Short-Deck runner-up Kenneth Kee, and the two-time Triton Champ Wai Kin Yong.

Let’s take a look at the highlights.

Level 2 – Ante 1k

Marius Torbergsen tripled up through Phil Ivey and Ivan Leow when the three of them got it in on a Kc9s7d flop with the Norwegian, the aggressor. Torbergsen held JsTc for the double gutter, Leow held Th8d for the open-ended straight draw, and Ivey held K9dd for the top two pairs. The Qc on the river filling in the blanks for Torbergesen.

Chan Wai Leong forced Paul Phua to pull out another 100k when he cracked Phua’s aces KQs all-in pre-flop when running queens on the turn and the river gave Chan trips.

Chan then passed Phua’s chips to Ivey when the Virtue Poker star fired three-barrels, holding only two pairs but it was good as Chan mucked his hero call on the river.

Phua doubled through Gabe Patgorski when his pocket eights flopped a boat against the KQss of the American on KK8, and both the turn and river maintained the status quo.

Level 3 – Ante 2k

Xuan Tan was asking for another stack after passing his chips to Chan. The pair got it in on JdTh7d with Tan holding JcTd for top two pairs, and Chan holding KdQc for the open-ender, and Chan was dancing on Broadway as soon as the turn.

Alan Sass doubled through Phua when his rockets took AJo into space and starved it of oxygen when all-in pre-flop. Patgorski tripled through Mikita Badziakouski and Devan Tang when T9cc, beat out AQo and QQ when the American flopped a straight. And Wang Qiang eliminated Badziakouski QY>A9 all-in pre-flop, after flopping trip jacks.

Richard Yong scooped a three-way all-in with KJo, versus the JTo of Leow and 98o of Rui Cao, after flopping and rivering two pairs, and then he did it again, this time Yong’s AKo beating the KQo of Leow and T9o of Cao once again flopping and rivering the two pairs.

Alan Sass closed the level out in style sending Elton Tsang to the rail AQ>A7 all-in pre-flop.

Level 4 – Ante 2k

Romain Arnaud doubled through Patgorski on fourth street. The board showed KdJcTc6d when Arnaud moved all-in holding AQcc for the straight and flush draw. Patgorski showed QJdd for the flush draw outs, and chop possibilities. Neither came.

Cary Katz sent Cao to the cash desk when his AK beat out the KQ of the Frenchman. Andrew Robl doubled through Ivey JJ>AQ all-in pre-flop. And then Torbergesen forced Ivey to re-enter when he won a three-way all-in holding AK versus the QQ of Ivan Leow and the KJo of Ivey.

Level 5 – Ante 3k

Chan eliminated Robl JT>A7 all-in, pre-flop, only for Robl to buy back in. Tom Dwan joined the action late. And Peter Jetten busted Jason Koon AT>KT, sending the partypoker ambassador into his wallet.

Level 6 – Ante 4k

Wai Kin Yong eliminated Ivey when his pocket aces beat the pretty looking QTcc. Robl stacked Badziakouski, Arnaud did the same to Patgorski, and Dwan did likewise to Torbergsen.

Then Torbergsen sent Leow to the rail.

The Norwegian opened with a raise to 22,000 holding pocket tens, Dwan called in the cutoff holding KJo, and Leow called on the button holding A9o. The flop was KhJdTc, Torbergsen bet 30,000, and both players called. The turn was the 7h, Torbergsen moved all-in, and both players called. The 6h ended the action, and trips were good, Dwan moved down to 386,000, Leow was out, and Torbergsen moved up to 756,000.

End of Day Chip Counts

1. Romain Arnaud – 1,580,000
2. Kenneth Kee – 1,515,000
3. Wai Kin Yong – 1,284,000
4. Peter Jetten – 1,169,000
5. Alan Sass – 1,130,000
6. Jason Koon – 837,000
7. Chan Wai Leong – 802,000
8. Marius Torbergsen – 756,000
9. Xuan Tuan – 690,000
10. Andrew Robl – 610,000
11. Richard Yong – 401,000
12. Tom Dwan – 386,000
13. Winfred Yu – 366,000
14. Devan Tang – 344,000
15. Ben Lamb – 315,000
16. Mikita Badziakouski – 176,000

The turnout wasn’t as grand as the 100+ entrants that created a bumper $3m+ payday for Jason Koon in Montenegro, but it will still grow with late registration open for at least one more level.

The action begins at 2 pm on Sunday 29 July, where we play down to a winner.

I was never any good at math. I got a ‘C’ in my final GCSE, but I am sure the board got my result mixed up with my PE, where I only got a ‘D’. Numbers make no sense to me. I guess that’s why I am always broke. I should have had the courage to put my hand up in class, instead of sitting at the back getting high sniffing Tippex.

So when I turn up for work, and I see the following table competing in the HKD 500,000 (USD 64,000) No-Limit Hold’em Six-Max, I don’t understand the numbers. When I learned how to play poker, the advice I received from guys like these was to never play in a game that was full of players who were either your equal, or better than you, and that a good game was one enriched with gamblers who liked to play too fast and fancy free.

The First Table of the HKD 500,000

1. Sam Greenwood
2. Luk Greenwood
3. Steve O’Dwyer
4. Stephen Chidwick
5. Philipp Gruissem
6. Mikita Badziakouski

Nine levels later, and only one of those six didn’t make the Day 2 cut. Four of them occupy the top five positions.

I am preparing to go to bed when I bump into the 2016 One Drop winner, Elton Tsang, holding a glass of wine the size of a fishbowl, wearing a pink t-shirt with the word millionaire emblazoned on the front, and a big smile lighting up the smoke-filled room where we meet.

“Good day?” I ask.

“I’m not sure,” said Tsang before bursting into laughter. “I killed myself in the last hand.”

Perhaps, that’s why the likes of Greenwood and co travel halfway around the world to compete in these games. Tsang is the man they want to face. The gambler who puts 68 big blinds into the middle holding a pile of pants while you carry the goods.

Then again, Tsang is a self-made multi-millionaire, all made through poker.

As I said, I’m not that great at math.

Maybe these guys just fucking love it.

The Highlight Reel

The event attracted 25 HKD 500,000 entries. Day 1 consisted of nine levels. Late registration exists until the start of Level 12.

The first person to lose his heartbeat was Philipp Gruissem.

David Peters opened from the button, Philipp Gruissem three-bet from the small blind and Peters called. The flop rained down Q97, Gruissem bet 4,000; Peters called. The turn card was an 8x, Gruissem bet for the second time, putting 8,500 out front, and Peters once again called. The 4x on the river concluded the community cards role. Gruissem checked, and Peters moved all-in, for around 30,000 effective. Gruissem tank-called with AQ, but Peters held Q8hh for the two pairs. Gruissem was out. Peters was the early chip leader.

Richard Yong Eliminated by JC Alvarado

The Triton Poker founder, Richard Yong, was next to find the exit. Both JC Alvarado and Yong got it in on an all club 975 flop. Yong was first to make a move putting 5,000 over the betting line. Alvarado, seated on the button, raised the stakes to 12,000. Yong moved all-in for 40,000+, and Alvarado called.

Alvarado: 9d9h
Yong: AcKh

Alvarado was ahead with top set, and Yong was seeking a club for the nut flush.

Turn: Th

River: 2s

Alvarado doubled up; Yong was out (for now).

Mikita Badziakouski Eliminates Dominik Nitsche

The Triton Poker Series, Montenegro Main Event winner, completed the small blind, and Dominik Nitsche checked from the big blind. Badziakouski bet 3,000 at the sight of the 8s7h3c flop, and Nitsche moved all-in for 10,500; Badziakouski snap-called.

Badziakouski: 9d9h
Nitsche: Th3h

The Belarusian was ahead with the overpair. Nitsche had flopped the bottom pair. The Qh and 5d finished the action, and Nitsche trundled over to the cash desk to re-enter.

Sam Greenwood Eliminates Elton Tsang

In the final hand of the night Elton Tsang opened the cutoff with Ad5h, Sam Greenwood opened to 9,000 holding AsAh, and Tsang decided to put it all in, and it was a lot, 68 big blinds to be exact. Greenwood snap-called. The flop was devoid of miracles, and just like that, Greenwood zoomed to the top of the chip counts, and Tsang headed to the bar, before bumping into me with that great big smile of his.

Final Day Chip Counts

1. Sam Greenwood – 191,700
2. David Peters – 145,500
3. Stephen Chidwick – 111,700
4. Mikita Badziakouski – 110,500
5. Steve O’Dwyer – 100,900
6. Kok Weng Beh – 99,000
7. JC Alvarado – 93,600
8. Patrik Antonius – 67,900
9. Phil Ivey – 67,400
10. Luc Greenwood – 65,400
11. Sergio Aido – 58,000
12. James Chen – 53,500
13. Dominik Nitsche – 40,100
14. John Juanda – 34,600

Day 2 begins at 2 pm (local time).

We’ve had the perfect beginning to the Triton Super High Roller Series in Jeju, South Korea.

Nick Schulman, one of the best players in the world, took down the HKD 100,000 (USD 12,500) buy-in Short-Deck, Ante-Only event for HKD 2,135,000 (USD 271,975), and that balanced nicely after Ivan Leow (a man who doesn’t play poker professionally) won the HKD 500,000 (USD 64,000) Short-Deck Ante-Only event for HKD 8,470,000 (USD 1,079,586).

Yin.

Yang.

In a perfectly symmetrical moment, Ivan Leow finished as the Day 1A chip leader, winning a massive pot from Rui Cao in the last hand of the night. Leow would end Day 2 in precisely the same manner, only this time it came attached to a title, trophy and $1m bucks.

‘He’s the best short deck player in the world,’ Leow told PokerNews when referring to his heads-up opponent.

When it comes to tournaments, both Cao and Leow are bang on form. The first time Leow flicked it in a Short-Deck event was in the Triton Series held in Montenegro, and he finished sixth in the HKD 250,000 event, and sixth in the HKD 1,000,000 Main Event.

Since then he has won an HKD 100,000 buy-in High Roller at the Oriental Poker Championship in Macau, as well as finishing 2/513 in the Main Event at that same festival. He also finished seventh in the HKD 100,000 buy-in Short Deck event that Nick Schulman won yesterday, so he’s in form.

Cao also came into Jeju on the back of an excellent run in Montenegro, finishing runner-up to Mikita Badziakouski in the HDK 1,000,000 buy-in Main Event for $1,683,711, before finishing fifth in the HKD 1,000,000 buy-in Short-Deck, Ante Only event for $802,412.

Let’s take a look at how these two players ended up at the end zone.

Level 11 – Ante 15k

The first level was the Gabe Patgorski show.

Firstly, he got it in with AcQs versus the pocket kings of Chan Wai Leong, and couldn’t find his ace, reducing his stack to 80,000. Then he doubled through Alan Sass T9o>AKs, after flopping a nine, before doubling through Mikita Badziakouski KK>77.

Then Tom Dwan took the early chip lead after crippling Chan Wei Leong in the following hand:

Chan opened to 125,000 in the first position, and Dwan called on the button.

Flop: KsJc7h

Dwan checked, Chan bet 180,000, and Dwan moved all-in for 1,080,000; Chan called.

Dwan: Th9h
Chan: KdQh

The double gutter versus top pair and the 8s completed the straight for Dwan, and after the 7c completed the action, he moved up to 2.4m, and Chan was down to 50,000 chips. Those chips ended up in front of Patgorski when his AQ beat the K8s of Chan in the very next hand.

Then we lost the Triton Poker Montenegro Main Event Champ, Badziakouski.

The Belarusian got it in good with pocket aces, against the QJs of Patgorski and the JTo of Dwan, but Patgorski turned the straight to scoop the 1.4m pot, push Dwan down to 1.9m, and deliver a final table.

Level 12 – Ante 20k

Final Table

1. Ivan Leow – 3,170,000
2. Devan Tang – 2,775,000
3. Tom Dwan – 1,950,000
4. Rui Cao – 1,610,000
5. Jason Koon – 1,485,000
6. Gabe Patgorski – 1,405,000
7. Alan Sass – 705,000

Alan Sass left the party two eliminations away from the explosion of party poppers when he lost his final all-in T9o>AKo to Jason Koon, and we were on the bubble.

Level 13 – Ante 25k

The position nobody wanted went to Gabe Patgorski, and it was Leow causing all the kerfuffle. Patgorski flopped top two pairs holding KJo, but Leow’s rockets caught up when he made a straight on the river.

Then we lost the leading man in the fifth place.

When the action checked to Dwan, he moved all-in for 665,000, and the human wrecking machine, Leow, looked him up. Dwan showed KJo, and Leow showed T9s, before promptly turning a straight.

Level 15 – Ante 40k

Devan Tang busted in fourth place when his AK lost to the AJs of Koon, who hit a jack on the turn, and then Koon himself exited in third, losing out in the following cooler.

Koon limped into the pot holding pocket tens, and Leow bumped it up to 340,000 holding pocket jacks; Koon called. The flop was JdTs8h, and the pair got it in. Two cards later, and we were heads-up. It’s worth noting that this is the third Short-Deck tournament that Koon has cashed in, and he has only played four of them.

Heads-Up

Ivan Leow – 11,800,000
Rui Cao – 1,400,000

It was like pitting a bulldog against a poodle.

The poodle didn’t last long.

The pair got it in on a flop of KdQdTc with Cao having flopped a straight, holding Jd9h, and Leow chasing with AQcc. The 6c on the turn gave Leow flush outs, and the 9c was the perfect card to send Leow’s rail into rapture.

Leow took a few photos and then jumped into the HKD 250,000 (USD 64,000) No-Limit Hold’em Six-Max.

Final ITM Results

1. Ivan Leow – HKD 8,470,000 (USD 1,079,586)
2. Rui Cao – HKD 5,280,000 (USD 672,989)
3. Jason Koon – HKD 3,630,000 (USD 462,680)
4. Devan Tang – HKD 2,640,000 (USD 336,494)
5. Tom Dwan – HKD 1,980,000 (USD 252,371)

I have to take a different seat this morning. A bunch of suits are sitting around my usual spot like ugly looking toads on lily pads. Bastards. I switch out a bum bone crushing seat for a less painful one and sit by the window. An advertisement of a toasted sandwich fills my gaze. I think it’s full of kimchi.

Behind the ad, stands the Marriot Hotel, rising towards the sun that kills and caresses in equal measure. I follow the floors until the back of my head touches my spine, and I see a naked form walk towards the window and grab underwear from a maiden.

I order my eyes to switch into ‘binocular’ mode.

I want to know if it’s a man or a woman.

I can’t tell.

Like a Twitcher unable to find the Dunlin, I go back to my work, disappointed not to identify the flesh that briefly entered my crosshairs.

I’m writing up the recap for the HKD 100,000 (USD 12,500) Short-Deck Ante-Only.

Nick Schulman won the event for $271,975.

Typically, players keep on rolling when on fire.

Not Schulman.

As the HKD 500,000 (USD 64,000) Short-Deck, Ante-Only kicks into gear, the man whose first ever ITM finish in a live tournament was $2.1m, joins me for an interview.

That was Schulman’s first experience of Short-Deck, Ante-Only, and that’s the most likely reason the American avoided the meatier version of the event. However, the heftier price tag didn’t put off Ben Lamb, who also cashed in the HKD 100,000 event.

Joining Lamb in the HKD 500,000 version was Jason Koon, Mikita Badziakouski, Gabe Patgorski, Alan Sass, Peter Jetten, Paul Phua, Tom Dwan and Phil Ivey.

Stephen Chidwick, who also broke his virginity in the HKD 100,000 also sat this one out, preferring to wait to play the HKD 500,000 No-Limit Hold’em Six-Max the following day.

All told, the HKD 500,000 buy-in event attracted 44-entrants (including six buy-ins by Alan Sass), and the day swam through 10-levels before coming up for a breather with only nine remaining, and five payout spots.

Let’s have a look at some of the highlights.

Ding! Ding!

Level 2 Ante 1k

Nobody showed up throughout Level 1

The first player to lose all three lives was Wai Kin Yong.

The action was all-in, pre-flop

Yong: JTo
Wei Hsiang Yeu: Q9o
Patgorski: AA

The board ran out AK8Q8, giving Patgorski a boat.

Level 3, Ante 2k

Marius Torbergesen swallowed Ivan Leow’s first entry AA>Q9o.

Devan Tang did the same to Jetten AQ>QQ, after flopping a straight.

Level 4, Ante 2k

Koon sent Marius Toerbergesen and Xuan Tuan either to the cash desk or the pool when his QQ beat the T9 and J9 of his opponents.

Level 6, Ante 4k

Lamb chipped up while forcing Jetten to dig out another 100k stack, and sending Phua to the cash desk after the money went in on a flop of AhTd8h.

Lamb: 8c8s
Jetten: AdTh
Phua: Jc9d

The set held.

Leow forced Badziakouski to re-enter when his AK beat JTo.

Level 7, Ante 5k

Sass dusted off his fourth entry losing AQ to Patgorski’s AK but vowed to return for the fifth time.

Level 8, Ante 6k

You never want to have the worse end of the straight, but that’s what happened to Ivey in a four-way pot involving Sass (QQ), Dwan (K9o), Ivey (T7o) and Lamb (QTo). All the money went in on the J98r flop, Sass and Lamb chopped, sending Ivey packing.

Level 9, Ante 8k

Koon eliminated Phua 88>AJ.

Level 10, Ante 10k

Registration closed.

Rui Cao eliminated Romain Arnaud KTs>AQo after rivering quad tens.

Finally, Leow eliminated Lamb KK>AQ, before taking the overnight chip lead with the following hand:

Leow limped from the late position holding KK, Cao raised to AJo to 95,000 on the button, Leow re-raised to 300,000, and Cao called.

Flop: KdQd9s

Leow checked his top set; Cao also checked.

Turn: Tc

Leow bet 325,000, and Cao, who had made the straight, just called.

River: 9d

Leow checked, Cao bet 700,000, and with everyone expecting to see Leow move all-in, he merely called with the second nut full house to take a healthy lead into the final day, and leave Cao with a stack good enough for a fifth place start.

End of Day Chip Counts

1. Ivan Leow – 3,645,000
2. Devan Tang – 2,430,000
3. Jason Koon – 1,720,000
4. Tom Dwan – 1,275,000
5. Rui Cao – 1,245,000
6. Alan Sass – 800,000
7. Gabe Patgorski – 795,000
8. Chan Wai Leong – 635,000
9. Mikitza Badziakouski – 555,000

The Money

1. HKD 8,470,000 (USD 1,079,630)
2. HKD 5,280,000 (USD 673,016)
3. HKD 3,630,000 (USD 462,698)
4. HKD 2,640,000 (USD 336,508)
5. HKD 1,980,000 (USD 252,378)

When you first see Wai Kin Yong walking around the tournament area, you know he is the Bruce Lee of poker. When Yong sits down and surveys his prey, I imagine, to him, they all look like blocks of wood. By the end of the day, his hands need an ice bath; sore from the pummeling.

Very few people have played more hands of Short-Deck, Ante-Only than Wai Kin Yong, and today it showed.

Day 1B of the HKD 100,000 (USD 12,500) Short-Deck, Ante-Only tournament enthralled 42 entrants, buoyed by the register as long as you like rule. Amongst those who partied were the Global Poker Index #1 Stephen Chidwick, Triton Poker Champs Richard Yong and Mikita Badziakouski, the legendary Tom Dwan, World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winners Ben Lamb and Nick Schulman, and the man himself, Mr Phil Ivey.

Here are nine levels of play brought to you in a few short and succinct paragraphs.

Level 4 – 2k Ante

The wizard, Wai Kin Yong, took the early chip lead, tripling up through Yeu Wei Hsiang and Siow Choon Tong when his T9s beat the AQs of both of his competitors, after turning a ten.

Level 5 – 3k Ante

Phil Ivey joined the action.

Brian Potashnik busted to Cheong Cheok Leng after a three-way pileup involving Peter Jetten. Potashnik was all-in KQo versus the QTo of Cheong and the JTo of Jetten, and trip tens with the queen won the hand.

Ivey lost his first bullet all-in pre-flop versus Yong junior when his QTo lost to KJo. His second didn’t last that much longer losing KK to the AJs of Rui Cao to reduce his 100k stack to chip dust.

Yong junior extended his lead at the top after rivering a straight to beat the turned top pair of Lim Chin Wei. The money went in pre-flop.

Rui Cao enjoyed a fruitful Triton Poker Series in Montenegro making the final tables of both HKD 1,000,000 Short-Deck, Ante-Only events, and he began this one as lively, taking the chip lead from Yong junior after his KQ flopped a king against JTo.

Level 6 – 4k Ante

Richard Yong busted to the tag team of Beh Kok Weng and Ben Lamb. In the first pre-flop all-in Yong’s QJo lost to the AQs and ATs of his opponents. Then the trio went for it again on a QT6 board with Yong needing an eight to complete the straight, Lamb holding the top pair, and Weng carrying middle set. Weng won the hand.

At the end of the level, Wai Kin Yong had retaken the chip lead from Cao.

Wai Kin Yong – 2,274,000
Rui Cao – 1,066,000
Foo Sze Ming – 738,000
Beh Kok Weng – 592,000
Ivan Leow – 588,000

Level 7 – 6k Ante

Ivan Leow dusted off his third bullet when his A9s failed to beat the KQo of Cheong Cheok Leng despite flopping an ace. Leng also flopped a queen and then rivered a second for good measure.

“Man this game is cold,” said Leow.

Yong junior eliminated Mikita Badziakouski QJs>AKo after flopping and rivering jacks for a boat.

Siow Choon Tong eliminated Ivey QJs>AQo, flopping and turning a pair of jacks.

Tong then tripled up when his JJ beat the QQ of Schulman, and the AQo of Leng, after flopping a set, Schulman still had plenty of chips; Leng was out.

Tom Dwan is the most relaxed dancer in town, turning up as the cleaners come out of the night like vampires.

Level 9 10k Ante

The Triton Series Montenegro Main Event Champion, Badziakouski, had a bad day at the office. The Belarusian bought in three-times and promptly fired nine bullets into the table never hitting his target once. Lamb put him out of his misery when AK beat JJ all-in pre-flop after flopping an ace.

Dwan’s quick showing ended when Leow sent him to the cash area searching for a seat when J9o beat T7s, all-in pre-flop.

Here are the final day chip counts:

End of Day Chip Counts

1. Wai Kin Yong – 3,380,000
2. Ivan Leow – 2,320,000
3. Foo Sze Ming – 1,595,000
4. Ben Lamb – 1,030,000
5. Siow Choon Tong – 695,000
6. Nick Schulman – 685,000
7. Romain Arnaud – 635,000
8. Rui Cao – 610,000
9. Lim Chin Wei – 510,000
10. Stephen Chidwick – 480,000
11. Chio Lin Ern – 395,000
12. Ying Jinghui – 265,000

And here’s how the field looks going into Day 2.

Day 2 Starting Chip Counts

1. Wai Kin Yong – 3,380,000
2. Ivan Leow – 2,320,000
3. Chow Hing Yaung – 1,953,000
4. Alan Sass – 1,879,000
5. Foo Sze Ming – 1,595,000
6. Ben Lamb – 1,030,000
7. Gabe Patgorski – 962,000
8. Kenneth Kee – 904,000
9. Siow Choon Tong – 695,000
10. Nick Schulman – 685,000
11. Romain Arnaud – 635,000
12. Rui Cao – 610,000
13. Lim Chin Wei – 510,000
14. Stephen Chidwick – 480,000
15. Chio Lin Ern – 395,000
16. Ying Jinghui – 265,000

The action begins at 2 pm (local time).

You can catch all of the action on the Triton Twitch Stream – https://m.twitch.tv/tritonpoker/profile