2024 Jin Bei Cup

$50,000 Short Deck Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info

2024 Jin Bei Cup

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
qj
Prize
$1,656,000
Event Info
Buy-in
$50,000
Prize Pool
$5,250,000
Entries
105
Level Info
Level
24
Blinds
0 / 0
Ante
200,000
Players Info - Day 2
Entries
25
Players Left
1

$50,000 Short Deck Main Event

Day 2 Completed

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
Kobe Wins the 2024 Jin Bei Cup $50,000 Short Deck Main Event
Kobe Wins the 2024 Jin Bei Cup $50,000 Short Deck Main Event

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

RankPlayerCountryPrize (USD)
1KobeUnited Kingdom$1,656,000
2AoriChina$1,022,000
3Ming Zhong LiuChina$670,000
4Fei XuChina$461,000
5JoyChina$327,000
6Zong TaoChina$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.

Quan Zhou Eliminated on the Bubble
Quan Zhou Eliminated on the Bubble

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.

Dan Cates
Dan Cates

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.

Joy
Joy

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.

Tags: AoriDa Seng SunDan CatesDuanEsti WangFei XuIvan ZhangJin Bei CupJin Bei GroupJoyKenneth KeeKobeMing Zhong LiuQuan ZhouZong Tao

Aori Eliminated in 2nd Place ($1,022,000)

Level 24 : Blinds 0/0, 200,000 ante
Aori
Aori

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: AJ
Kobe: QJ

Aori was way out in front to double back into a comfortable lead and stayed ahead on the K86 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
Profile photo of Kobe gb
Kobe
31,500,000
10,300,000
10,300,000
Profile photo of Aori cn
Aori
Busted

Tags: AoriKobe

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 1087. Aori checked and Kobe bet 1,500,000 only for Aori to move all-in and receive a snap-call.

Kobe: 88
Aori: J10

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
Profile photo of Kobe gb
Kobe
21,200,000
12,600,000
12,600,000
Profile photo of Aori cn
Aori
10,300,000
-12,600,000
-12,600,000

Tags: AoriKobe

Aori Doubles Into the Lead

Level 24 : Blinds 0/0, 200,000 ante

Kobe limped in and Aori checked to the K97 flop, on which Kobe bet 800 to win the pot.

Soon after, Kobe jammed and Aori tank-called.

Aori: KQ
Kobe: AK

Aori took the lead with the Q108 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
Profile photo of Aori cn
Aori
21,900,000
9,950,000
9,950,000
Profile photo of Kobe gb
Kobe
9,600,000
-9,950,000
-9,950,000

Tags: AoriKobe

Level: 24

Blinds: 0/0

Ante: 200,000

Aori Stops the Bleeding With a Double

Level 23 : Blinds 0/0, 150,000 ante
Aori
Aori

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: AK
Kobe: A7

The K10610K 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
Profile photo of Kobe gb
Kobe
19,550,000
-6,450,000
-6,450,000
Profile photo of Aori cn
Aori
11,950,000
6,450,000
6,450,000

Tags: KobeAori

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 AAA. 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
Profile photo of Kobe gb
Kobe
26,000,000
1,300,000
1,300,000
Profile photo of Aori cn
Aori
5,500,000
-1,300,000
-1,300,000

Tags: AoriKobe

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 Q76 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
Profile photo of Kobe gb
Kobe
24,100,000
2,600,000
2,600,000
Profile photo of Aori cn
Aori
7,400,000
-2,600,000
-2,600,000

Tags: AoriKobe