Kiat Lee Claims Long-Awaited Title in Emotional Triton Jeju Short Deck Finale
As the Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju draws to a close, the three final champions of the festival have been crowned.
The final three events of the festival were all Short Deck Hold'em. Popular on the Super High Roller circuit, Short Deck is a variant of Texas Hold'em where the deck is stripped down to just 36 cards, removing all cards lower than six. This change alters the probabilities, with hands like straights and flushes becoming more common, and aces often acting as both high and low.
Poker legend Phil Ivey made two final table appearances, but couldn't add to his five Triton SHRS titles, as two players bagged their first as the curtain fell in Jeju.
Kobylynskyi Stuns Triton Field with Perfect Short Deck Debut
Artem Kobylynskyi made an unforgettable debut in Jeju, winning the $30,000 Short Deck event in his first-ever appearance on the tour.
The Ukrainian player, who traveled specifically to compete in short deck, overcame a field packed with seasoned Triton champions, including Jason Koon, Stephen Chidwick, and Daniel Dvoress.
Triton SHRS Jeju Crowns Four PLO Champions
Kobylynskyi navigated a field of 56 entries to claim the title and a $492,000 prize. Kobylynskyi started heads-up with a slight deficit, but gradually took control and emerged victorious over four-time champion Mike Watson.
"When you play hold’em, it’s not so interesting," Kobylynskyi told Ali Nejad following his victory. "I’m very happy that Triton keeps treating short deck well, I hope it will stay."
The final table also featured Triton co-founder Paul Phua, and fellow Malaysian Lun Loon.
Event #18: $30,000 Short Deck Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Artem Kobylynskyi | Ukraine | $492,000 |
| 2 | Mike Watson | Canada | $353,000 |
| 3 | Daniel Dvoress | Canada | $229,000 |
| 4 | Lun Loon | Malaysia | $173,000 |
| 5 | Jason Koon | USA | $134,000 |
| 6 | Stephen Chidwick | UK | $104,000 |
| 7 | Paul Phua | Malaysia | $82,000 |
Tan Xuan Defends Jeju Short Deck Title for Third Triton Trophy
Tan Xuan successfully defended his Short Deck title, claiming his third Triton trophy after a dominant performance in the $50,000 Short Deck event. He secured the $708,000 top prize after outlasting a field of 45 entries and defeating compatriot Esti Wang heads-up.
Known for his aggressive playstyle, Tan entered the final table as the chip leader and maintained his edge throughout, eliminating key opponents on his way to victory.
Runner-up Wang earned $512,000 in his first-ever Triton final table appearance. Wang put up a strong fight against Tan in a heads-up battle that lasted over an hour, even doubling through the eventual champion at one point. However, Tan regained control by cracking Wang’s queens and ultimately sealed the win with a straight against Wang’s two pair.
Event #19: $50,000 Short Deck Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tan Xuan | China | $708,000 |
| 2 | Esti Wang | China | $512,000 |
| 3 | Michael Zhang | UK | $326,000 |
| 4 | Phil Ivey | USA | $248,000 |
| 5 | Danny Tang | Hong Kong | $192,000 |
| 6 | Daniel Dvoress | Canada | $146,000 |
| 7 | Wai Leong Chan | Malaysia | $118,000 |
Kiat Lee Clinches First Triton Title with Jeju Victory
After 12 full Triton festivals, 32 cashes, and 17 final table appearances—including two at this series—Kiat Lee secured his first Triton Poker title in the final short deck turbo event of the Triton Super High Roller Series in Jeju.
Lee defeated the UK’s Michael Zhang heads-up to win $264,000. The victory was particularly emotional for Lee, who had been a consistent performer on the tour but had previously fallen short, finishing runner-up five times.
"It means a lot to me," Lee said immediately after his victory. "I always wanted to win a title. Triton made me. Without Triton, I’m nobody."
Event #20: $25,000 Short Deck Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiat Lee | Malaysia | $264,000 |
| 2 | Michael Zhang | UK | $182,000 |
| 3 | Isaac Haxton | USA | $116,000 |
| 4 | Rene Van Krevelen | Netherlands | $89,000 |
| 5 | Lun Loon | Malaysia | $70,000 |
| 6 | Phil Ivey | USA | $54,000 |
In this Series
- 1 Triton Poker Jeju's $25K Breaks Tour Record with 391 Entrants
- 2 Jeremy Ausmus Wins First Triton Title; Career Score for Wolfgang
- 3 Filatov Flips the Script; Wins First Triton Title in $25k WPT Global Slam
- 4 The Best Poker Players Without a Triton Title (For Now!)
- 5 Triton Poker Player Pulls Over $1 Million in Mystery Bounties
- 6 All-Time Money List Leader Bryn Kenney Cracks $75M in Earnings w/ Triton Poker Win
- 7 Player in the Spotlight: Mario Mosb?ck Completes Triton Poker Hat Trick
- 8 Why is Triton Experiencing Record Super High Roller Fields?
- 9 Triton Newcomer Denies Jungleman $5.5 Million Payday in $100K Main Event
- 10 Another Record Field as Triton SHRS Jeju Crowns Four PLO Champions
- 11 Kiat Lee Claims Long-Awaited Title in Emotional Triton Jeju Short Deck Finale
