If there was one abiding moment of Day 1 of the HKD 2,000,000 (USD 255,000) buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Main Event it had to be Bryn Kenney getting up from his seat, having been eliminated by Peter Jetten, and then wandering over to the cash desk in his sliders and black bathrobe to re-enter.
Chill.
Rancho Relaxo.
Triton Poker Series, Jeju, really is the place where high stakes dreams are dealt.
Kenney and his bathrobe made it to Day 2, along with 22 other stars, including Ivan Leow. The only player to cash in all three Short-Deck, Ante-Only events bought in an incredible four times, totalling HKD 8,000,000 (USD 1,019,000), but he too ended the day with some chips in a plastic bag.
Joining Kenney and Leow in the mix for Day 2 included former Triton Poker Series, Jeju champions David Peters and Nick Schulman, and everyone’s darling, Phil Ivey.
But the man leading them all, as he did after Day 1 of the HKD 500,000 (USD 64,000) No-Limit Hold’em Six-Max is Sam Greenwood. The Canadian eliminated Wai Kin Yong in one of the last hands of the night to end the day with 865,000 chips.
Let’s press that rewind button.
Level 3 – 1k/1.5k/1.5k
Ivan Leow fired the first of four bullets into a very sturdy looking Wai Kin Yong. The American opened with a 4,000 raise and Leow called, as did Wai Kin Yong. The dealer delivered a flop of 9d9h6s, and O’Dwyer made a 4,000 c-bet. Leow check-raised to 20,000, O’Dwyer folded, but Yong made the call.
The 7h arrived on the fourth street, Leow bet 55,000, and Yong called. The river card was the 5c, and Leow jammed for 150,000. It was a tough decision for Yong, but he made the call, and it was good. Leow showed 6c4h for two pairs, but Yong had 87cc for the straight.
Then we lost David Peters. We are missing the more delicate details, but believe the pair got it in small v big blind with Devan Tang nailing top pair with AK.
Level 4 – 1k/2k/2k
Stephen Chidwick ended the day with a decent stack, but it cost him HKD 2,000,000 (USD 510,000) courtesy of an elimination at the hands of Yong.
Chidwick raised to 5,000 holding AsTc, and Yong called from the big blind with pocket sixes. The flop was AcJs6s, giving Yong a set versus the top pair of the man from the UK and he check-called a 4,000 Chidwick bet. The turn was a nightmare for Chidwick, as the Td gave him a sturdy looking two pairs. Yong checked, Chidwick bet 15,000 and Yong called. The river card was the 4h, and Yong checked again, Chidwick bet 35,000, and Yong jammed. Chidwick made the call, and once he saw the set, sauntered to the cash desk to re-enter.
Then Peter Jetten took two scalps.
We arrived late with the board showing JcTc8s9d and a pile of chips in the pot. Bryn Kenney, resplendent in a black bathrobe, held KQd for the nut straight, Peter Jetten had a set of tens, and Dominik Nitsche held AsQh for the weaker straight.
Kenney bet of 125,000 on the turn and both Nitsche and Jetten made the call. The river was terrific for Jetten as the Jh gave him a full house; Kenney checked, Jetten moved all-in, and both players called. It was a sick moment for Kenney, who bought back in, as did Nitsche.
Then Sam Greenwood lost a buy-in. The Canadian tangled with David Peters, who picked off a river bluff shove on a nine-high board, holding the knaves.
Level 5 – 1.5k/2.5k/2.5k.
Phil Ivey made it 6,000 to play from late position, the aggressive Leow three-bet to 20,000 from the small blind, Ivey four-bet to 55,000, Leow five-bet jammed for 186,500, and Ivey called. Ivey had Leow dominated AK>AQ, and the board changed nothing. Leow told the table he would be back and promptly bought in for the third time.
Then James Chen took the chip lead after a cooler versus Chan Wai Leong. In late position, Chen raised to 6,000 holding 76dd and Chan three-bet to 20,000 with pocket queens on the button. The flop was Qd8h5s giving Chan top set; Chen was chasing an open-ended straight draw. Chen check-called an 18,000 Chan bet. The 4s turned up on the fourth street to give Chen his straight. Chen checked, Chan bet 51,000, and Chen called. The river was the Ks. Chen had won the hand. How much could he extract from Chan? Chen jammed for 145,000 effective, and Chan made the call.
Level 6 – 1.5k/3k/3k
Chidwick had dusted off his Yong exit cobwebs by the time he tangled with Ben Lamb. The British pro opened to 7,000 from under the gun holding KQo, and Lamb peeled with pocket queens in the small blind. The flop of Ts9h4s rained down onto the felt, and Chidwick called a 35,000 Lamb bet. The Kc appeared on the fourth street to give Chidwick a sneaky looking top pair. Lamb jammed for 107,500, and Chidwick called. The Td on the river changed nothing. Lamb was out.
Level 7 – 2k/4k/4k
Two players exited stage left in Level 7.
Winfred Yu ejected JC Alvarado from his seat when his pocket kings bested pocket jacks all-in pre-flop, and Ivan Leow turned the event into the One Drop when he bought back in for the fourth time (USD 1,019,000), after losing QTs
Level 8 – 2.5k/5k/5k
Chan Wai Leong moved into the chip lead when removing Rui Cao and Paul Phua from the equation. Chan beat Cao in a flip 99>AQ and then ousted Phua when his pocket kings struck a set on K97 with Phua holding a host of straight and flush draws.
But Chan’s chip lead only lasted a few hands.
Sam Greenwood pinched it at the death.
The action folded to Greenwood in the small blind who called holding pocket fives. Seated in the big blind, Yong raised to 20,000 holding KQdd, Greenwood jammed, and Yong called. The dealer planted 665 on the flop to give Greenwood a boat, and Yong never recovered.
Top 10 Chip Counts
1. Sam Greenwood – 865,000
2. Chan Wai Leong – 790,000
3. David Peters – 742,000
4. Winfred Yu – 731,000
5. Jason Koon – 710,000
6. Mikita Badziakouski – 707,000
7. Peter Jetten – 613,000
8. Luc Greenwood – 599,000
9. Patrik Antonius – 577,000
10. Stephen Chidwick – 559,000
The action resumes on Tuesday, July 31 at 2 pm, with late registration still open.