It was another night and another Elton Tsang clinic at the Triton Series Cash Game Invitational at the Maestral Resort in Montenegro. Not content with two sessions in which he has won round about $1 million apiece, Tsang became the first player to break the $2 million for a night on Thursday, tightening his stranglehold on a festival featuring only the very best.
Remarkably, Tsang found himself on the wrong side of an aces versus queens cooler within the opening exchanges on Thursday, losing all but loose change of his first $500K buy-in. But Tsang ran as pure as the driven snow from that moment on, barely putting a foot wrong as he built the biggest stack of anyone at any time this week.
This was another night of staggeringly deep-stacked poker, from which Andy Ni emerged with a near million-dollar profit as well. Recent WSOP seventh placed finisher Brian Kim made his cash-game invitational debut and padded his bankroll by another $300K, but it wasn’t quite such easy going for Patrik Antonius, who ended in the red.
It was, though, another great night of entertainment for the thousands watching the stream on Triton Series’ online platforms. Tan Xuan, Ferdinand, Handz, Elizabeth Chen, ST Wang and Triton co-founder Paul Phua all played their part in the fireworks. There was even a late glimpse of Phil Ivey, who arrived to give Phua a break after a very difficult evening.
Here are a few of the standout hands from another exceptional night.
A COOLER, AN OUTDRAW AND A REDRAW GETS THINGS GOING
“This deck is choosing violence early,” said Ali Nejad in the Triton commentary booth. The day was only about eight minutes old and Tan Xuan had already taken a few hundred thousand from Andy Ni with kings against ace-jack when the dealer set up an even more chilly cooler.
This time, Ferdinand found a pair of pocket aces at the same time as Elton Tsang found queens. And it wasn’t even either of those who put in the opening raise.
Handz had pocket fours and made it $10,000 from UTG+1, the first to speak in a straddled pot. Ferdinand laid his trap with a call from one seat over, and Tsang was there to topple into it, raising to $40,000 with his 
.
Handz made a quick call. He was going to set-mine with his low pocket pair. But Ferdinand now decided he would break cover. He raised to $130,000. Lucky for Ferdinand, Tsang had that big pair of his own and he jammed for $509,000. Handz now folded but Ferdinand snap-called and, just like that, there was $1,052,000 in the pot.
They decided to run it only once. And it was a decision that Ferdinand perhaps regretted as the dealer put the 
on the turn. However, the 
came on the river for an amazing re-draw, and just like that Ferdinand had the first seven-figure stack, while Tsang readily reloaded.
ANOTHER COLD-DECK; BOSS CHILLED
Any thoughts that the deck might be warming up quickly evaporated as Paul Phua and Ferdinand again both found big pairs in their hands. This time, Phua — aka Mr Paul, or just Boss in the Triton world — picked up pocket kings and raised to $11,000, only for Ferdinand to find pocket queens and three-bet to $35,000.
Phua found the four-bet to $100,000, which Ferdinand called, and he was quickly rewarded by the sight of the 
flop. For the second time, pocket queens became a set.
Phua bet $75,000 and Ferdinand opted just to call. That brought the 
on the turn, as blank as a card could possibly be. Phua shoved for $313,000 and Ferdinand snapped him off, setting up another pot of close to $1 million. (It was $988,000 to be precise.)
They arranged some kind of insurance deal before the undramatic river. Phua got a small amount back from the deal, but Ferdinand took the vast majority in another tense early cooler. It had been a fine, fine start for Ferdinand.
ANTONIUS WANTS TO BE A HERO
In most other circumstances, this hand would have gone nowhere. But in the Triton Series streets, there’s no such thing as straightforward.
Action folded all the way around to Patrik Antonius in the big blind, who had only Elton Tsang, in the straddle, still with cards. Antonius looked down on and raised to $16,000.
Tsang’s straddle hand was also the Mystery Hand, hidden from viewers on the stream. Tsang called and it’s safe to say he could have absolutely any two cards. The flop fell 
and Antonius whiffed. Tsang bet $15,000, but Antonius was not going anywhere just yet. He raised to $45,000, likely to try to extract a bit more information what he was up against.
Tsang called and the pair saw the 
on the turn. Antonius led out for $125,000, continuing to tell his story. But Tsang wasn’t buying it. He called, with the now completing the board. Antonius checked, but Tsang fired $300,000.
Antonius had nothing but ace high, but he has played with Elton Tsang a lot. He clearly felt as though this was a spot he might possibly be good. He agonised for a good while before letting it go, but maybe should have trusted his instincts. Tsang had only 
, for a gutshot and overcards that didn’t connect.
Tsang’s bluff earned him this one, with Antonius taking a small hit.
FERDINAND TAKES A HIT
Ferdinand’s excellent start earned him the first seven-figure stack at the table. But Elton Tsang had designs on it, and managed to snaffle a huge chunk.
The hand began with a raise to $11,000 from Andy Ni, sitting with 
. Ferdinand, whose hand was concealed to viewers of the stream at this point, called from the button, which moved action over to Tsang in the straddle with black pocket nines. Tsang three-bet to $55,000. Ni folded.
Ferdinand, however, called, which took the pair to a flop of 
. That meant a set for Tsang. He put out a tiny bet of $30,000, which only prompted Ferdinand to bump it up. He raised to $85,000.
Tsang now three-bet to $170,000, but Ferdinand ripped it in. He had the covering stack, meaning Tsang’s $589,000 was effective. Tsang called.
Ferdinand had flopped top pair and a monster combo draw. He had 
, which meant any diamond or any ten or five would give him better than Tsang’s top set.
In a spot where many players might have run it two, three, four times, these two played it straight. One turn and one river. And the 
followed by the 
missed Ferdinand on both occasions.
With that, Tsang won a $1.3 million pot and was back in business.
XUAN TAKES HALF A MILLION WHEN HE HAS IT, FOR ONCE
One of the joys of this festival format for cash games is that players have been able to develop reputations and reads on the same opponents, which is making even the most mundane pot seem so much more complicated. Take this one between Tan Xuan and Andy Ni, two of the players who have put more hours in than most, with it being far from certain what either of them could be playing.
ST Wang got things started, raising to $11,000 from UTG+1 with 
. Ni, one seat over, called with 
and everyone else cleared out the way until Xuan peeked at 
in the big blind and raised it to $57,000.
Was it a squeeze, or did he have it? Wang decided he couldn’t pay to find out, but Ni put the extra in and they went to a flop of 
.
Xuan flopped top pair but, of course, he could have flopped absolutely anything or nothing. His check gave nothing away, and Ni checked back. The turn was the 
. Xuan now bet $60,000, which kept Ni interested, and the dealer showed them the river.
Xuan cut out a bet of $150,000 and Ni, still none the wiser as to what Xuan could be playing, stuck in a call with third pair. It earned Xuan $555,000. He actually had the ace this time.
NI’S MYSTERY COSTS HANDZ
Andy Ni has been another absolute revelation this week in Montenegro, repeatedly heading home with a tody profit after playing near flawless cash-game poker. Handz became Ni’s latest victim in a pot that actually might have got even bigger in other circumstances.
Ni had the Mystery Hand when he raised to $11,000 from the cutoff. Handz was in the straddle with 
and was Ni’s only customer, flopping what looked pretty good. The board came 
.
Handz checked his top pair, with Ni c-betting $9,000. Handz called, keeping things small. The 
turn appeared to change nothing, with Handz checking again. Ni bet $38,000 and Handz made another call. The completed the board. Handz checked again. His top pair was completely disguised. But Ni rifled out another $115,000.
Handz continued with the established pattern and made the call, bringing the pot total to $354,000. Ni, however, had him crushed. His hand was revealed to be pocket jacks for a flopped set and this big one went in Ni’s direction.
NI VERSUS HANDZ AGAIN
A little bit more than an hour later, Ni and Handz played another fascinating pot against one another, closing out the second frame of the night with another win for Ni. Paul Phua played a bit part in this one, limping from the hijack with 
. Ni then raised to $28,000 from the button with 
and Handz found 
to call in the straddle. Phua cleared out the way.
The flop hit Handz more than Ni. It landed 
and Handz check-called Ni’s bet of $24,000. The now brought a flush draw for Ni and a wheel draw for both of them, but left Handz’ second-bottom pair still best. Handz checked and Ni checked too.
The river filled that flush for Ni. It was the 
. Handz checked again and Ni dipped into his stack for a bet of $140,000.
Handz still only had fourth pair, but he was just too interested to be able to fold it. He paid the extra, learned the bad news, and headed into the break more than $400K down for the session.
That was enough for Handz, who left for the day. Elizabeth Chen took his seat, with Brian Kim taking over from Patrik Antonius in the pro’s hot seat. Antonius’ debut on the Invitational’s streamed table ended with a $550,000 deficit.
CHEN STRAIGHT AT IT; TSANG AGAIN IN HER WAY
Elizabeth Chen wasted no time at all in getting involved in this huge game, as has been her way since day one. She won a small pot from Elton Tsang on the first deal, but didn’t find things quite so easy a few hands later, when she squared off against Tan Xuan.
Chen found and raised to $12,000 from the hijack. Xuan was in the cutoff with a pleasant looking and his three-bet to $35,000 cleared out everyone else. Chen was the only caller.
Chen flopped top two when the dealer showed them the , but Xuan also now had a flush draw. Chen checked, Xuan bet $27,000 and Chen called. The 
turn gave that flush to Xuan straight away.
Chen checked. Xuan piled in $67,000. The 
river was inconsequential. Chen checked again and Xuan sized up to $218,000. It was a gross spot for Chen, but she made a crying call with top two pair. Xuan duly bagged the $706,000 pot and Chen’s stack took a big hit.
PHUA TAKES ON TSANG
Sitting with a Mystery Hand, Paul Phua opened to $11,000 from UTG+1, first to act pre-flop because of the mandatory straddle. Brian Kim found pocket sevens and called, which then persuaded Elton Tsang, who was in the straddle , to call too with his .
Tsang flopped well. The dealer showed them the 
. Tsang checked, Phua bet $14,000, Kim binned his sevens, but Tsang called with his two pair.
His hand became even better after the turn, but Tsang checked again. Phua checked behind. That then brought the 
on the river.
Tsang now bet $65,000 and surely watched with glee as Phua raised to $225,000. Tsang maybe felt he could be beaten here, though, and just called instead of going for some more value. When Phua showed his pocket fours, for a rivered boat, Tsang perhaps realised he could have made even more than the $517,000 that headed his way.
NI PUTS THE POWER MOVE ON XUAN
Andy Ni and Tan Xuan have been playing their own game for a few days, and here’s another brilliant chapter. Ni was playing the Mystery Hand and it bamboozled Xuan into a fold when a call would have earned him close to $800K.
The pot began with a raise to $11,000 from Paul Phua UTG+2. Boss had the suited one gapper, with 
. Ni called in the cutoff, but Xuan three-bet to $70,000 also with a suited one-gapper, this time 
.
Phua thought better of it, but Ni called and the pair saw a flop of . Xuan’s check allowed Ni to take control of the betting lead and slide out $35,000. Xuan called it, and saw the turn. Xuan now had top pair, but checked again, and Ni continued with his line. He bet $145,000. Xuan called to push the pot past $500K and to see the on the river.
Xuan checked again, and Ni emptied the clip. He put $350,000 over the line. The board and the bet was too scary even for Xuan, who let his hand go. Ni quietly gave his 
back to the dealer, having pulled off one of the bluffs of the night.
MORE FOR NI IN ANOTHER MYSTERY HAND
The Andy Ni show continued, with the TV director giving the stream viewers a bit of a heads up that something was brewing by giving Ni the Mystery Hand again. It started innocuously, with a raise to $10,000 from Paul Phua, sitting on the button with 
and Ni called in the big blind. ST Wang came along from the straddle.
The 
flop brought three checks, then the 
turn from the dealer. Ni now led out for $29,000, only for Wang to raise to $90,000. Wang only had second pair, but Phua had potentially better. He had third pair and the nut flush draw. He called.
Ni, however, was not a fan. He squeezed out a three-bet, putting $250,000 into the middle. Wang had seen enough, but Phua decided to see if he could hit. He called. The river gave no further encouragement to Phua, but Ni now jammed, comfortably covering the $252K Phua had back.
Phua was in agony, but talked himself into a call. Ni thus showed his pocket fours to everyone, a turned set, and with it, the $1.1 million pot was his. It was especially grim for Phua, who was felted with the hand that he had a little while ago, but ran into a bigger boat that time.
XUAN’S FOURTH PAIR IS GOOD
Although the stakes are enormous in these Triton cash games, the table chat is invariably good natured. These guys are friends as well as rivals, and they absolutely love some of the nonsense situations they get themselves into.
In the last pot of the third frame tonight, ST Wang, Elton Tsang and Tan Xuan all went chasing a flush. But they were all after the same one, with Wang’s against Xuan’s 
and Tsang’s .
Everyone missed everything on the 
turn. But they all got some hope after the turn. The river still didn’t fill the flush, but it gave Xuan fourth pair — and that turned out to be good, for a pot of $439,000. Cue: much finger-wagging and table chatter.
TSANG TAKES MORE FROM XUAN
As they went into the final frame of the day, Phil Ivey took Paul Phua’s seat, meaning for the first time there were two pros at the table. Even Ivey couldn’t do too much to salvage a difficult session for Phua, but he did get a ringside seat for some more shenanigans from the players with the biggest stacks: Elton Tsang, Andy Ni and Tan Xuan.
In this pot, Xuan found and raised it up to $11,000 from UTG+1. Elton Tsang had a Mystery Hand, but like it too. He made it $38,000 from the hijack. Xuan just called to take the pair of them to a flop of .
Xuan checked, but quickly faced a bet of $40,000. He called, seeing the turn. Xuan still hadn’t connected so checked again, but Tsang fired out $65,000. Xuan still stuck around.
The finally gave him top pair, and it prompted Tsang to have another look at his own holding. Xuan checked, but Tsang tank-bet $250,000. Xuan now had a very tough decision. He had called all the way and finally hit his card, but Tsang showed no sign of slowing down.
Xuan couldn’t resist and made the call, quickly learning some bad news. Tsang had for a turned straight. This near $800K pot headed into Tsang’s already very healthy stack.
EVERY POT IS $500K+
By the time play enters the final frame, even seemingly small pots weigh in at more than $500K. Here’s an example, with Elton Tsang and Andy Ni again exchanging more than half a million.
Ni had black pocket fives and raised to $11,000 from UTG+2. Tsang was in the straddle and paid the extra with . He was glad he did when the flop fell 
. Tsang checked, Ni bet $13,000 and Tsang raised to $35,000. Ni called.
The turn was the and Tsang bet $75,000. Ni called and the pot hit $250,000. The river gave Tsang a boat, but it also seemed pretty good (i.e., not scary) for Ni. Tsang bet $175,000, which was sized just big enough to earn a call from Ni.
That’s how you build a $600,000 pot and take it down.
MORE NI HEROICS, SHAVES PROFIT FROM FERDINAND
Until tonight, the most impressive part of Andy Ni’s game had seemed to be his solidity. He had repeatedly made the correct plays — including folds — in all the major pots he’d entered, winning the maximum and losing the least. But tonight he showed another dimension to his game: just how good he is at finding a bluff.
In a late pot against Ferdinand, Ni put in a three-bet from the straddle after Ferdinand had opened the button with . Ni made it $48,000 to go.
Ferdinand called and the flop was . Ni c-bet $43,000 and Ferdinand called. The turn was the , which gave Ferdinand a pair. Ni checked and Ferdinand put $85,000 out there.
Ni now check-raised to $250,000. And that was enough to get Ferdinand to lay down his queens. What did Ni have? He had of course.
ONE LAST WIN FOR TSANG
It wasn’t the biggest pot of the night, but it was one that encapsulated a lot of what this cash game invitational had been about. It was a late one, and it ended with players standing up, putting bets in and taking them back, looking at each other’s cards, etc., etc. In general, goofing around despite several million bucks being at the table.
Tan Xuan called the $4,000 straddle amount pre-flop with . Elton Tsang came along with , Elizabeth Chen called with and Phil Ivey checked his option with 
.
Ivey bet $12,000 after the flop of turn, taking them to the river. Xuan checked and Tsang now threw $100,000 over the line, basically playing the board. Xuan and Tsang exchanged a smile, Xuan chatted through a lot of his options. Tsang joined in the conversation.
Xuan seemed certain to fold, so much so that Tsang pulled his bet back. Xuan then did toss his cards at Tsang, before reaching out to see what the hand was that beat him. He learned he’d been bluffed, but didn’t seem to mind. That’s just how this game has been all week.
DAY 5 PROFIT/LOSS
UP
Elton Tsang: +$2,009,000
Andy Ni: +$925,000
Brian Kim: +$360,000
Tan Xuan: +$182,000
Ferdinand: +$2,000
DOWN
Phil Ivey: -$47,000
Handz: -$445,000
Elizabeth Chen: -$479,000
Patrik Antonius: -$550,000
ST Wang: -$681,000
Paul Phua: -$1,306,000
Photography by Drew Amato