Kiat Lee Claims Long-Awaited Title in Emotional Triton Jeju Short Deck Finale

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Mar 18, 2025 3 min read

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

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

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

Based in the United Kingdom, Will started working for PokerNews as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019. He now works as Managing Editor. He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He also holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism.

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• Tags Artem Kobylynskyi Mike Watson Daniel Dvoress Danny Tang Esti Wang Isaac Haxton Jason Koon Kiat Lee Lun Loon Michael Zhang Paul Phua Phil Ivey Sam Greenwood Stephen Chidwick Tan Xuan Van Krevelen Triton Poker Wai Leong Chan
• Related Players Phil IveyIsaac HaxtonMike WatsonJason KoonStephen ChidwickPaul Phua