Walking through the wings of the Maestral Resort & Casino in Montenegro, trying to keep pace with the leggy stride of Steve O’Dwyer, like a child chasing the hand of his father, I asked him why a man of his standing hadn’t competed in the Short-Deck Ante-Only events.
“The buy-in is a little too high for a game that I’ve never played.”
It was a valid point.
I can see how one could think to pay $32,000 in a re-entry tournament, where bullets fly with the frequency of an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, is a tad extreme for a virgin.
How about $12,500?
The organisers at the Triton Poker Series reduced the buy-in to that price point for the warm-up event in Jeju, South Korea. A typhoon prevented more than 14 people from entering, quite apt when you consider the carnage that coated each table throughout nine levels of action.
Five people re-entered to bring the final total to 19, with late registration continuing into Day 1B.
Here’s the highlight reel.
HKD 100,000 buy-in Short-Deck, Ante-Only Highlight Reel
Only two people turned up on time.
Mikita Badziakouski and Ben Lamb earned gold stars. Badziakouski won the HKD 1,000,000 (USD 100,000) buy-in Triton Poker Main Event in Montenegro for HKD 19,618,000 (USD 2,499,185). Lamb didn’t compete on the Adriatic Coast.
So the pair spent the first level holding small talk as they waited for a third player to show up. As the clock ticked closer to the first break Kenneth Kee, Wai Leong Chan, Ivan Leow and Marcus Yi Lim joined, and we had a game on our hands.
Each player started with a 100,000 starting stack, and the potential to play three bullets of that ilk whenever they chose. After that, it was time to dip into your pocket and pay another HKD 100,000.
The Global Poker Index (GPI) #1, Stephen Chidwick, turned up in Level 3 for a Short-Deck Ante-Only baptism of fire. Chidwick skipped these games in Montenegro because of the high buy-in price coupled with his lack of experience but felt HKD 100,000 was a low enough price point to take a punt.
The British pro, who bubbled both No-Limit Hold’em events in Montenegro began well, turning Badziakouski’s first bullet into a blank when his AKs beat JTs all-in pre-flop.
By the time we had waded into Level 5, Chidwick was experiencing beginner’s luck, taking a decent chip lead when his KK beat the AK of Lamb, and 87s of Wai Kin Yong, all-in pre-flop.
Lamb then lost AQ>KQ, AQ>KK and JJ>AQ to bust, but re-entered. A lesser man would have rented the penthouse suite, opened the patio doors, and leapt from the balcony.
The two-time Triton Poker Champ, Wai Kin Yong, doubled through Badziakouski 99>AK, and then took the lead stealing everything in front of Gabe Patgorski and Wai Long Chan after his AA beat 97o and 98s.
Yong didn’t hold onto the lead for long.
It soon became the Chow Hing Yaung show.
Chow took the chip lead in a hand versus Marcus Yi Lim. We joined the action on the turn with the board showing Qs9d7sJd. Chow check-called a 90,000 bet. The Td turned up on the river, Chow checked, Lim moved all-in for 202,000 with Jc8s for the queen-high straight, and Chow showed KQs for the superior straight.
Lim recovered by eliminating Ivan Leow QJs>KTo.
Chow extended his lead eliminating Cheong Cheok Leng after his boat beat a straight, and he picked on Lim again when QTs beat AJo.
With the chip lead secure, Chow stood aside and allowed Alan Sass to feast on his leftovers. With the day drawing to a close, Sass eliminated Lamb QJs>KQo, Chidwick AK>AQ, and Badziakouski AJ>KJ, leaving only four people standing in a very barren looking poker room.
Chip Counts
1. Chow Hing Yaung – 1,953,000
2. Alan Sass – 1,879,000
3. Gabe Patgorski – 962,000
4. Jenneth Kee – 904,000
Day 1b begins at 4 pm.
You can expect to see everyone who competed today to re-enter, and anyone else who spent the day diving for Abalone or finding a way to this beautiful part of the world through a typhoon.
It’s worth noting that of our four survivors, both Sass and Patgorski made the final table of the HKD 250,000 Short-Deck, Ante-Only event in Montenegro finishing seventh and third respectively.