Ivan Leow Wins 2018 Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju $500,000 HKD Short Deck Event

Ivan Leow defeated a field of 44 total entries in the 2018 Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju $500,000 HKD ($70,331 USD) short deck ante-only event. The Malaysian amateur poker player defeated a final table that consisted of American high-stakes super stars Tom “durrrr” Dwan and also Jason Koon, capturing the title and the first-place prize of $8,470,000 HKD ($1,101,100 USD).

“It’s great. I’m very happy,” Leow said in the moments of victory.

For those who do not yet understand, short-deck no-limit hold ’em is a brand-new style, additionally referred to as six-plus poke, that is rapidly expanding in popularity in high-stakes cash games in Asia. The game is having fun with a 36-card deck, with the deuces via fives eliminated and a few resulting regulation adjustments. Flushes beat full houses, and aces can play both as the highest card and as a five in order to complete a nine-high straight.

Leow knocked out Dwan in fifth place, calling a short-stacked shove from the American with the 109 and outrunning Dwan’s KJ when the board came down 8669Q. Dwan earned $257,400 USD

Koon earned his largest ever live tournament score earlier this year by winning the $1,000,000 short-deck event at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Montenegro in May, taking home more than $3.6 million USD as the champion in that event. He sent Devan Tang to the rail in fourth place ($343,200), only to find himself knocked out not long afterward.

Koon got all-in on a J108 flop with the 1010, but was in trouble against Leow’s JJ. Neither player improved from there and Koon was eliminated in third place ($471,900).

Leow took roughly a 3-to-1 lead into heads-up play against Rui Cao. Cao ultimatly got the last of his chips in on a KQ10 board holding the J9 fora straight. Leow had moved all-in with the AQ. The turn brought the 6 and the river the 9, giving Leow a backdoor club flush to secure the pot and the title. Cao took home $686,400 as the runner-up. Check video of the final hand below:

HK$500k Triton Hold’em results: