The 2023 Triton Poker Super High Roller Series London commenced on July 27th, featuring two exceptional players who had each secured four or more Triton titles: Jason Koon, with an impressive seven wins, and Mikita Badziakouski, boasting four victories.
Since that time, the ranks of this elite group have swelled by three, while Koon achieved yet another triumph in the high-stakes arena, extending his record to an astonishing eight victories. Sharing the second spot alongside Badziakouski in a four-way tie are prominent figures: Phil Ivey, a distinguished member of the Poker Hall of Fame; Danny Tang, a bracelet holder; and Wai Kin Yong.
Notably, Yong is the most recent player to achieve this remarkable feat. His accomplishment was realized by seizing victory in the $30,000 buy-in short deck event on August 9th, prevailing over a field of 37 contenders and securing a substantial prize of $350,000. His total tournament earnings now exceed $11.5 million, with a substantial portion of approximately $11.3 million derived from his impressive 16 in-the-money finishes in Triton Poker events.
One of Yong’s monumental victories occurred in the 2019 Triton London event with a buy-in of £100,000, garnering him over $3.1 million. The genesis of his success in the Triton circuit transpired in 2016 at a Philippines event, where he clinched two titles: the 490,000 HKD charity event and the 500,000 HKD main event, accumulating a substantial sum of over $2.8 million.
The tournament saw the top seven participants walk away with cash prizes, attracting some of the most outstanding figures in the live tournament circuit to the final table. Stephen Chidwick, a two-time Card Player Player of the Year awardee, secured the seventh spot, earning $58,200 and achieving his 16th final table finish of the year. His current year’s earnings of nearly $5.9 million position him fifth in the 2023 Player of the Year standings presented by Global Poker.
Co-founder of Triton, Paul Phua, bowed out in sixth place, augmenting his lifetime earnings by $72,100, leading to a cumulative total of nearly $28.3 million.
Isaac Haxton’s journey came to an end as his A-K was overpowered by Yong’s surging A-Q suited. Haxton’s commendable 18th final-table appearance of 2023 earned him $94,300. With six titles and a remarkable sum of over $9.7 million in Player of the Year earnings, Haxton ranks third on the Player of the Year leaderboard.
Sam Greenwood’s participation concluded when his K-10 faced off against Yong’s pocket queens. Greenwood secured fourth place, pocketing $122,000, pushing his career earnings close to $34.8 million.
The illustrious Karl Chappe-Gatien, champion of the 2022 Triton Cyprus $40,000 short deck event, met his match in Yong. The Frenchman’s A-10 was bested by Yong’s K-Q suited, leading to Chappe-Gatien’s settlement for $161,000 and a second-place finish when his top pair of aces fell short against Yong’s two pairs.
As heads-up play commenced, Yong held an impressive chip lead of more than 9 to 2 over Chris Brewer, a two-time Triton champion and two-time bracelet winner. Although Brewer managed to double-up and narrow the gap, he remained in a trailing position when the final hand of the tournament unfolded. In a preflop showdown, all chips were committed, with Yong holding QSpade SuitQClub Suit against Brewer’s JSpade SuitJDiamond Suit. The board revealed KHeart Suit7Club Suit6Diamond Suit10Club Suit9Spade Suit, ultimately favoring Yong’s higher pair and securing him the pot and the coveted title.
Brewer earned the honorable distinction of runner-up, claiming $252,400. Similar to Haxton, this marked his 18th final table appearance of the year, with five titles contributing to his cumulative Player of the Year earnings surpassing $10.6 million. As a result, Brewer ascended to fourth place on the 2023 Player of the Year leaderboard.
Event #15 – $30,000 Short Deck Ante Only
Dates: August 8-9, 2023
Entries: 37 (inc. 13 re-entries)
Prize pool: $1,110,000
1 – Wai Kin Yong, Malaysia – $350,000
2 – Chris Brewer, USA – $252,400
3 – Karl Chappe-Gatien, France – $161,000
4 – Sam Greenwood, Canada – $122,000
5 – Isaac Haxton, USA – $94,300
6 – Paul Phua, Malaysia – $72,100
7 – Stephen Chidwick, UK – $58,200
