It was a long and gruelling day on the Triton Poker High Roller Series and it ended with all still to play for. With four players left at 2am — and a massive cash game scheduled for the Triton live stream tonight — Event #5, the HK$1 million Short-Deck, bagged and tagged.
Furkat Rakhimov, Paul Phua, Jason Koon and Jun Wang will come back tomorrow to see who wins the HK$22.3 million (US$2.84 million) first prize and the latest Triton title. That’s the lion’s share of a HK$76.14 million prize pool, with Rakhimov in front. The Russian cash game specialist signed for a stack of 8.775 million chips, ahead of Phua’s 7.035 million, Koon’s 5.075 million and Wang’s 3.41 million. They’ll come back tomorrow to an ante of 60,000.
This was a test of endurance and a day on which all these players’ full array of tournament skills were required. Registration was still open at the start of play today, and allowed for 22 last-minute entries, bringing the total to 81.
After a rush to the bubble — eventually burst by the elimination of Isaac Haxton in 10th place — they then gradually, slowly, eroded the field further, with all of Devan Tang (9th – HK$2,200,000); Wai Kin Yong (8th – HK$2,900,000); John Juanda (7th – HK$3,700,000); Richard Yong (6th – HK$4,700,000) and Gabe Patgorski (5th – HK$6,100,000) hitting the rail.
The two Yongs — Richard, the co-founder of the Triton Series, and his son Wai Kin — sat next to one another for long periods, further underlining their claims to be Asian poker’s answer to Doyle and Todd Brunson. But both were eventually undone, leaving Triton representation in the capable hands of Koon.
Koon signed a deal as a Triton Ambassador in the past couple of months, and this tournament offered further evidence that the brand has made a superlative acquisition. Koon has played all four events so far at the Landing Casino, Jeju, and has made the final table on three of them. It’s a remarkable feat of strength and endurance, but the indefatigable Koon shows no sign of his concentration flagging.
The HK$2 million main event begins at 2pm tomorrow as well, and that will doubtless bring even more superstars to these luxurious surroundings. It promises another enormous prize pool, to be decided over three days.
We look forward to your company tomorrow as well.
CHIPS FOR REMAINING FOUR PLAYERS
1 – Furkurt Rakhimov, Russia, 8,775,000
2 – Paul Phua, Malaysia, 7,035,000
3 – Jason Koon, USA, 5,075,000
4 – Jun Wang, China, 3,410,000
RESULTS SO FAR
Triton Jeju Event #5 – Short-Deck Ante-Only
Buy-in: HK$1 million
Entries: 81 (inc. 44 re-entries)
Prize pool: HK$76,140,000
1 – HK$22,300,000
2 – HK$15,900,000
3 – HK$10,440,000
4 – HK$7,900,000
5 – Gabe Patgorski, USA, – HK$6,100,000
6 – Richard Yong, Malaysia – HK$4,700,000
7 – John Juanda, Indonesia – HK$3,700,000
8 – Wai Kin Yong, Malaysia – HK$2,900,000
9 – Devan Tang, Hong Kong – HK$2,200,000
Photography by Jamie Thomson/Poker Photo Archive.