$50,000 Short Deck Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2024 Jin Bei Cup
$50,000 Short Deck Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2024 Jin Bei Cup
Buy-in
$50,000
Prize Pool
$5,250,000
Entries
105
Level
24
Blinds
0 / 0
Ante
200,000
Entries
25
Players Left
1
Kobe Dominates Final Day to Win Inaugural 2024 Jin Bei Cup $50,000 Short Deck Main Event ($1,656,000)
Level 24
: Blinds 0/0, 200,000 ante
One of the richest short deck live poker tournaments has crowned a champion at the lavish five-star Jin Bei Palace Hotel in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. After two days of fireworks at the tables in the inaugural 2024 Jin Bei Cup $50,000 Short Deck Main Event, Kobe topped a 105-entry field to claim the biggest slice of the $5,250,000 prize pool.
Kobe entered the final day as the chip leader and stayed near the top of the leaderboard for almost the entire duration before a topsy-turvy heads-up duel with Aori ended in his favor. Kobe earned the top prize of $1,656,000 while runner-up Aori can console himself with a payday of $1,022,000.
The Jin Bei Group hosted the first international live poker tournament in Cambodia since 2016 and made a statement with the large $5,000,000 guarantee, which was surpassed. Three tournaments were part of the three-day series in Sihanoukville and the Short Deck Main Event took the centre stage.
All but two players in the money hail from China, with the second exception being Dan "Jungleman" Cates. The two-time WSOP bracelet winner bubbled the unofficial final table and bowed out in eighth place for $181,000 after re-entering prior to the start of play.
$50,000 Short Deck Main EventFinal Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kobe | United Kingdom | $1,656,000 |
| 2 | Aori | China | $1,022,000 |
| 3 | Ming Zhong Liu | China | $670,000 |
| 4 | Fei Xu | China | $461,000 |
| 5 | Joy | China | $327,000 |
| 6 | Zong Tao | China | $240,000 |
Day 2 Action
The final day brought back 23 survivors from Day 1, with two new players entering the fray in Cates and Singapore's Kenneth Kee, while further add-ons pushed the prize pool above the ambitious guarantee. It didn't take long for the field to reach the final three tables with notables such as Yang Yang and Ivan Zhang coming up short.
Kee bowed out three spots away from the money before the tournament entered a very cagey and tense stage, in which no further elimination took place for two hours. Duan then lost a duel of short stacks with Quan Zhou and the stone-cold bubble was reached. However, it was Zhou who then bowed out on the bubble after his flopped set of jacks could not improve against the straight of Cates.
The first casualties in the money came at a rapid pace and Kobe was the dominating chip leader, while Aori surged to second place after two double-ups and the elimination of Esti Wang. Back from dinner, it only took five minutes to reach the unofficial final table.
Gavin was knocked out by Kobe, who then also sent Cates to the payout desk as well. Having previously left the American short with applying maximum pressure, Kobe finished the job with queen-ten versus jack-ten.
Final Table
Within fifteen minutes, the final seven were reduced to just three in frantic fashion. Da Seng Sun was ousted by Kobe while Aori took care of Zong Tao. The next short stack to bust was Joy, who lost a flip with king-eight suited against the pocket sevens of Kobe. Fei Xu secured three pay jumps despite entering the unofficial final table with just four antes and took fourth place.
Ming Zhong Liu never got close to the other two big stacks and had to settle for third place, which set up the heads-up duel between Kobe and Aori. The former had a two-to-one lead and increased the gap further with sheer aggression. However, the tides suddenly changed with two double-ups for Aori.
Kobe regained the comfortable lead with quads and then finished the job soon after when his queen-jack got there against ace-jack suited.
That concludes the PokerNews coverage of the inaugural Jin Bei Cup in Sihanoukville, which produced one of the most exciting short deck high-stakes poker tournaments of the year.
Aori Eliminated in 2nd Place ($1,022,000)
Level 24
: Blinds 0/0, 200,000 ante
Kobe limped in and Aori then announced all-in for around ten million. The chip leader visibly mulled it over for 15 seconds and then called, as the rail leaped out of their chairs.
Aori: A♠J♠
Kobe: Q♦J♥
Aori was way out in front to double back into a comfortable lead and stayed ahead on the K♠8♦6♥ flop. Nothing changed with the K♦ turn and only a queen could change the outcome. That's what came with the Q♠ river, as the crowd exploded,
Aori was eliminated in second place for $1,022,000 while Kobe, who dominated all day long, won the event for $1,656,000. A recap of today's action is to follow.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
31,500,000
10,300,000
|
10,300,000 |
|
Busted |
Kobe Regains the Lead With Quads
Level 24
: Blinds 0/0, 200,000 ante
Aori opened to 1,100,000 and Kobe defended the button to see a flop of 10♦8♥7♥. Aori checked and Kobe bet 1,500,000 only for Aori to move all-in and receive a snap-call.
Kobe: 8♠8♣
Aori: J♣10♥
Kobe's set was ahead and he only needed to fear a nine or running jacks and tens. The K♣ turn took away the latter option and the crowd then gasped an "ohhhhh" when Kobe made quads with the 8♦ river. His double was for 9,500,000 and Kobe leaped back into a two-to-one lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
21,200,000
12,600,000
|
12,600,000 |
|
|
10,300,000
-12,600,000
|
-12,600,000 |
Another Small Pot for Aori
Level 24
: Blinds 0/0, 200,000 ante
In a limped pot to the A♥Q♠7♦ flop, Aori bet 400,000 and Kobe called. The turn brought the 10♣ and Aori's bet of 1,000,000 won the pot uncontested.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
22,900,000
1,000,000
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
8,600,000
-1,000,000
|
-1,000,000 |
Aori Doubles Into the Lead
Level 24
: Blinds 0/0, 200,000 ante
Kobe limped in and Aori checked to the K♥9♣7♠ flop, on which Kobe bet 800 to win the pot.
Soon after, Kobe jammed and Aori tank-called.
Aori: K♣Q♣
Kobe: A♣K♠
Aori took the lead with the Q♦10♠8♣ flop and took away some outs for his opponent on the 6♣ turn. The board paired with the 10♦ river and Aori doubled for 10,950,000 to take the lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
21,900,000
9,950,000
|
9,950,000 |
|
|
9,600,000
-9,950,000
|
-9,950,000 |
Level: 24
Blinds: 0/0
Ante: 200,000
Aori Stops the Bleeding With a Double
Level 23
: Blinds 0/0, 150,000 ante
Aori pushed all-in for around 5.7 million and won the ante of Kobe on the button.
In the next hand, Kobe pushed and Aori instantly called.
Aori: A♠K♣
Kobe: A♥7♥
The K♦10♦6♦10♥K♠ board gave Aori a full house for the double, as he climbed back where he was at the start of the heads-up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
19,550,000
-6,450,000
|
-6,450,000 |
|
|
11,950,000
6,450,000
|
6,450,000 |
Kobe Keeps Up the Aggression
Level 23
: Blinds 0/0, 150,000 ante
Kobe limped in for Aori to raise to 800,000 on the button. What followed was a limp-raise by Kobe after using one time bank and Aori studied his stack carefully, then folded after using one time bank as well.
Soon after, a limped pot brought some uproar from the rail when the flop came A♦A♣A♥. Aori bet for Kobe to call. Aori then bet the K♦ turn for 300,000 but he folded when Kobe raised to 1,500,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
26,000,000
1,300,000
|
1,300,000 |
|
|
5,500,000
-1,300,000
|
-1,300,000 |
More One-Way Traffic For Kobe
Level 23
: Blinds 0/0, 150,000 ante
Aori raised to 800,000 and then folded to a shove by Kobe.
Soon after, Kobe limped in and Aori checked to the Q♠7♥6♣ flop. Kobe check-called for 400,000 for both players to then check the 7♦ turn. On the Q♦ river, Kobe bet 500,000 and Aori folded.
Aori limped in next and folded when Kobe moved all-in yet again.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
24,100,000
2,600,000
|
2,600,000 |
|
|
7,400,000
-2,600,000
|
-2,600,000 |