The Triton Poker Series in Jeju moves into it’s final few days of action with Sam Greenwood leading a field of 22 players after Day 1 of the HKD 2,000,000 (USD 255,000) Main Event.
A few days ago, jet-lagged, hungry, and ready for bed, Sam Greenwood, snagged the chip lead at the end of Day 1 of the HKD 500,000 (USD 64,000) No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed. It didn’t work out for the Canadian after he busted well short of the money, and he will be hoping to tweak that déjà vu, later today.
Greenwood is the man everyone is trying to catch at the end of Day 1 of the HKD 2,000,000 (USD 255,000) No-Limit Hold’em Main Event. It’s the final competition of the Triton Poker Series, Jeju, and it attracted 44 entrants, including a rather expensive HKD 8,000,000 (USD 1,019,000) contribution from Ivan Leow.
Players through to the final day include the HKD 500,000 (USD 64,000) Six-Max Champion, David Peters (742,000), the HKD 100,000 (USD 12,500) Short-Deck Champion, Nick Schulman (407,000) and former Triton Poker Champion Phil Ivey (230,000).
Here are the main highlights.
Level 3 – 1k/1.5k/1.5k – Leow & Peters Bust
The man who has cashed in every single Short-Deck event, Ivan Leow, was the first to bust the Main Event. Steve O’Dwyer opened with a 4,000 raise and Leow called along with Wai Kin Yong. The flop was 9d9h6s, and O’Dwyer followed up his aggression with a 4,000 c-bet. Leow check-raised to 20,000, O’Dwyer folded, but Yong wanted to see a fourth community card.
The turn was the 7h, Leow bet 55,000, and Yong called. The final card was the 5c, and Leow moved all-in for more than 150,000. Yong went deep into the tank, and when he emerged, he found the call. Leow showed 6c4h for two pairs, but Yong had him beat with 87cc for the straight.
The next player sent to the cash desk to re-enter was David Peters after he got it in with Devan Tang in a blind on blind battle with Tang hitting top pair with AK.
Level 4 – 1k/2k/2k – Yong Takes Out Chidwick; Kenney and Nitsche Bust to Jetten, Sam Greenwood Busts to Peters.
Stephen Chidwick dusted off a bullet in a cooler versus Wai Kin Yong. Chidwick opened the action to 5,000 holding AsTc, and Yong called in the big blind with pocket sixes. The flop was perfect for Yong – AcJs6s – and he check-called a 4,000 Chidwick bet, who had flopped top pair against Yong’s set. The turn was a disaster for the Global Poker Index (GPI) #1, as the Td gave Chidwick two pairs. Yong checked, Chidwick bet 15,000 and Yong once again called. The final hand was the 4h, and Yong checked for the third time, Chidwick bet 35,000, Yong put him all-in, and Chidwick made the call, and just like that he was out.
Then Peter Jetten eliminated both Bryn Kenney and Dominik Nitsche.
We caught the action with the board showing JcTc8s9d. Bryn Kenney was holding KQd for the nut straight, Peter Jetten had a set of tens, and Dominik Nitsche was also involved holding AsQh for the inferior straight.
Kenney put a meaty looking bet of 125,000 into the pot, and both players made the call. The river was the Jh giving Jetten a full house; Kenney checked, Jetten moved all-in for 100,000, and both players called. As Jetten gathered up his chips, Kenney could be seen muttering some words of disdain under his breath because of Jetten’s call on the turn. It didn’t matter, Kenney and Nitsche would have to buy back in.
In the last hand before the break, Sam Greenwood lost his first bullet in a hand against Peters, with the HKD 500,000 (USD 64,000) Six-Max champion picking off a semi-bluff river shove on a nine-high board holding pocket jacks.
Level 5 – 1.5k/2.5k/2.5k – Leow Busts Again, Chan Takes the Chip Lead
It was beginning to get a little expensive for Ivan Leow.
Phil Ivey made it 6,000 to play from late position, Leow three-bet to 20,000 from the small blind, Ivey four-bet to 55,000, Leow moved all-in for 186,500, and Ivey called.
Ivey: AhKs
Leow: AcQh
Ivey had Leow dominated, and the status quo remained after five community cards his the felt. Leow was out for the second time.
Then James Chen took the chip lead after eliminating Chan Wai Leong.
Chen opened to 6,000 holding 76dd in late position, and Chan three-bet to 20,000 holding pocket queens on the button. The flop had a little something for both players – Qd8h5s giving Chan top set, and Chen an open-ended straight draw. Chen checked, Chan bet 18,000, and Chen called. The 4s on the turn gave Chen his straight; he once again checked, Chan bet 51,000, and Chen called. The final card was the Ks, ensuring Chen was safe. He moved all-in for 145,000 effective, and Chan made the call much to his disdain.
Then David Peters got revenge on Devan Tang after rivering a wheel and extracting full value from the man who had sent him to the cash desk one level previous.
Level 6 – 1.5k/3k/3k – Chidwick Busts Lamb
Chidwick opened to 7,000 from the first position holding KQo, and Lamb took a flop with pocket queens from the small blind. The flop was Ts9h4s, and Chidwick called a 35,000 Lamb c-bet. The turn was the Kc, giving Chidwick top pair. Lamb moved all-in for 107,500, and Chidwick made the call. The Td on the river didn’t help Lamb, and he was out.
Level 7 – 2k/4k/4k – Yu Takes Out Alvarado, Leow’s 4th Bullet.
Winfred Yu took the first scalp of Level 7 when his pocket kings battered the pocket jacks of JC Alvarado, all-in, pre-flop. Ivan Leow bought in for the fourth time when he moved all-in holding QTs and was looked up by Jason Koon’s K9o in the big blind. King high was good. Leow was in for HKD 4,000,000 (USD 510,000).
Level 8 – 2.5k/5k/5k – Cao, Phua, Gruissem And Yong Bust
Chan Wai Leong took Rui Cao’s chips when his pocket nines out flipped the AQ of the Frenchman, and also Paul Phua’s when his pocket kings beat 98dd with the money going in on Kd9s7d, and Phua missing both turn and river cards. And Nick Schulman sent a short-stacked Philipp Gruissem to the rail when his pocket tens bested pocket fives.
And then in the final hand of the night, Sam Greenwood bust Wai Kin Yong to take the chip lead. Greenwood called from the small blind holding pocket fives, and Yong raised to 20,000 from the big blind holding KQdd. Greenwood moved all-in for approx. 182,000 effective, and Yong called. Greenwood flopped a boat on 665, and the turn and river cards didn’t change that fact. Yong was out, and Greenwood moved up to 844,000 chips.
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.
