Winfred Yu Wins Triton Poker Series Montenegro HKD 100K Short Deck ($260,000)
Hong Kong's Winfred Yu outlasted a field of 70 entrants including 28 reentries to win Event #3: HKD 500,000 Short Deck Ante Only at the 2019 Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Montenegro for HKD 2,040,000 ($260,000).
Yu, who has nearly $4 million in live tournament cashes according to The Hendon Mob, was thrilled about winning his first Triton Poker event.
"I’m very excited," Yu told Triton Poker after the victory. "It’s my first Triton championship. Last year I came fourth in the short-deck main event, this time I got the job done."
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (HKD) | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Winfred Yu | Hong Kong | HKD 2,040,000 | $260,000 |
| 2 | Isaac Haxton | United States | HKD 1,370,000 | $174,551 |
| 3 | Peter Jetten | United States | HKD 920,000 | $117,217 |
| 4 | Leon Tsoukernik | Czech Republic | HKD 700,000 | $89,185 |
| 5 | Steffen Sontheimer | Germany | HKD 540,000 | $69,000 |
| 6 | Ihor Shkliaruk | Ukraine | HKD 420,000 | $53,510 |
| 7 | Tam Tek Lon | Malaysia | HKD 330,000 | $42,044 |
The final day began with 11 hopefuls battling it out for the trophy with Peter Jetten starting the day in the lead and Yu in the middle of the pack in fifth place.
After Wei Lim Chin, Paul Phua, and Sam Greenwood were eliminated the remaining eight players were in the money.
The official final table began after Jordi Urlings was eliminated in eighth place for HKD 260,000 ($33,800) when his flush draw didn't get there against a flopped straight by Isaac Haxton.
Tam Tek Lon was the first player ousted at the final table in seventh place for HKD 330,000 ($42,044). Lon was ahead when all the chips were in the pot with an overpair holding aces to the top pair held by Leon Tsoukernik with king-ten. However, Tsoukernik improved to two pair and Lon was left with three big blinds, which went over to Haxton on the next hand.
Ihor Shkliaruk then jammed the river with a straight and was ousted in sixth place for HKD 420,000 ($53,510) after Tsoukernik called with a full house.
Shortly after, Jetten eliminated Steffan Sontheimer in fifth place for HKD 540,000 ($69,000) when his ace-king won a race against pocket queens.
Next to go was Tsoukernik in fourth place for HKD 700,000 ($89,185). He got it in with pocket kings and was covered by Haxton and Jetten both holding ace-jack. Two jacks came on the flop and Tsoukernik was eliminated after he wasn't able to get a save on the turn nor river.
After the hand, Jetten had more than half the chips in play in a three-man battle that lasted for a couple of hours. Haxton doubled up both of his opponents before he eventually cleaned off the rest of Jetten's chips to send him to the rail in third place for HKD 920,000 ($117,217).
Haxton began the heads-up battle with a 3:1 chip advantage over Yu. The chip lead then went back and forth with Yu snagging it for a second time. That is when he was able to crack Haxton's pocket kings with queen-jack to secure the victory.
This is the second runner-up performance for Haxton of the 2019 Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Montenegro after previously finishing runner-up in Event #1: HKD 250,000 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo for HKD 3,708,784 ($472,788) after agreeing to a heads-up deal with Steve O'Dwyer.
Photography by Joe Giron/Poker Photo Archive
