HK$1,000,000 Short Deck Ante-Only
Day 3 Started
2018 Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju
HK$1,000,000 Short Deck Ante-Only
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2018 Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju
Buy-in
1,000,000 HKD
Entries
60
Level
18
Blinds
0 / 0
Ante
60,000
Katz and Yong Challenge Kee for HK$1,000,000 Triton Hold'em Title and $2.86 Million First Prize
Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju will crown the fourth champion today at the Landing Casino. He is set to walk away with the largest prize ever awarded on the South Korean soil with a juicy $2.86 million first-place prize up for grabs in the HK$1,000,000 Triton Hold'em event.
The field has been narrowed to only three players who can still eye the whopping top-prize. Kenneth Kee, Richard Yong and Cary Katz will battle it out today at 4 p.m. local time. They're already guaranteed a solid profit, navigating their way through a 60-entry field to lock up a seven-figure payday. But the final two steps towards the pedestal come with huge leaps in terms of prizes. The silver medal is worth $600,000 more than the bronze while the winner will be more than $1 million richer than the runner-up.
| Seat | Player | Country | Chips | Button-Antes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenneth Kee | Singapore | 8,245,000 | 69 |
| 2 | Cary Katz | United States | 2,940,000 | 25 |
| 3 | Richard Yong | Malaysia | 6,815,000 | 57 |
The pay jumps create an environment with a heavy ICM pressure but it's hard to estimate how big will be the chip leader's leverage. Kee takes on two wealthy businessmen so it's questionable whether Kee could rely deeply on his chip-advantage.
Katz is by far the shortest stack with 2,940,000 in his bag. That's less than a half of what second-placed Yong possesses (6,815,000). Kee might hold the biggest stack of 8,245,000 but he can't expect an easy competition. Triton Hold'em tournaments are never a walk in the park. High stakes crusher Jason Koon utilized a brilliant short-stack strategy in the HK$500k event and his way of grinding a shallow stack could provide an excellent manual for Katz who will return to 25 button-antes.
However, Kee has been among the best-performing Triton Hold'em players we've seen in Jeju, mainly thanks to his impressive style of play he's presented here. Short deck poker is generally a high-variance game but if there has been a player who was able to cut the swings to a minimum, it has to be Kee whose finest tool seems to be to steadily guard his stack.
That was the way he showed in the opening HK$100k event where he finished second to Nick Schulman. During most of the final table stretch, Kee stayed outside of major pots but he still worked his way to heads-up.
Now Kee's in a different role, pacing the last three players in battles for millions. It will be interesting to see if he'll try to set the tone or if he'll stick to the gameplan that suited him last week. It's only a matter of hours until we'll find out who will rise to the summit, whether Kee will prevail or if Yong and Katz will be able to twist the plot. Come back to PokerNews at 4 p.m. local time to follow the final battles of the highest buy-in Triton Hold'em event in Jeju.
Final table payouts:
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (HKD) | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 22,500,000 | 2,866,838 | ||
| 2nd | 13,920,000 | 1,773,617 | ||
| 3rd | 9,120,000 | 1,162,025 | ||
| 4th | Peter Jetten | Canada | 6,300,000 | 802,715 |
| 5th | Mikita Badziakouski | Belarus | 4,620,000 | 588,657 |
| 6th | Ivan Leow | Malaysia | 3,540,000 | 451,049 |
Level: 18
Blinds: 0/0
Ante: 60,000
Katz Shows Better Kicker
Level 18
: 0/0, 60,000 ante
Cary Katz peeled 
in the cutoff and he just completed. Richard Yong checked with 
and the 
flop missed both players. They checked to the 
turn where both hit two pair. Katz led out 200,000 and Yong called. The 
river was checked and Katz picked up some chips to start the day with a win.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
6,700,000 | -115,000 |
|
3,200,000 | 260,000 |
Continuation Bet Does It for Kee
Level 18
: 0/0, 60,000 ante
Kenneth Kee raised the cutoff to 500,000 with 
and Cary Katz defended with 
, calling on the button. A swing-and-a-miss flop of 
saw Kee continue for 650,000 and Catz had no further business in the hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
8,700,000 | 455,000 |
|
|
2,700,000 | -500,000 |
Kee Takes Heaps From Yong
Level 18
: 0/0, 60,000 ante
Cary Katz peeled 
and called under the gun, prompting a 560,000-raise from Richard Yong who had 
in the cutoff. Kenneth Kee called on the button with 
and Katz also matched the price.
The dealer spread out a flop of 
and Yong fired 850,000. Kee was in a great spot with top two pair on the dry flop and he smooth-called. Katz let his hand go.
The 
turn was disastrous for Yong as he spiked inferior two pair. Yong checked, Kee blasted 1.7 million and Yong called.
The river improved Kee's hand into a full house but Yong's two pair was counterfeited so it hurt Kee's chances to get more value. Yong checked, Kee bet 2 million and Yong quickly laid his hand down. Kee showed him the full house.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
12,200,000 | 3,500,000 |
|
|
3,300,000 | -3,400,000 |
Katz Finds a Double Through Kee
Level 18
: 0/0, 60,000 ante
Kenneth Kee raised to 500,000 with in the cutoff and Cary Katz called with on the button.
Katz caught a higher pair on the 
but Kee fired 650,000. Katz had only 1.7 million behind and he raised all in. Kee instantly asked for a count and then placed in calling chips.
Katz was just over 2-1 favorite to lock a double and the 
turn and 
river confirmed his win, allowing him to climb to second place on the leaderboard.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
10,000,000 | -2,200,000 |
|
|
4,500,000 | 1,800,000 |
Richard Yong Eliminated in 3rd Place (HK$9,120,000)
Level 18
: 0/0, 60,000 ante
Under the gun, Kenneth Kee raised to 500,000 with and Richard Yong called on the button, holding 
.
The flop came down 
and Kee checked to Yong who fired a small bet of 200,000. Kee raised all in and Yong called for his 3.1 million.
Yong needed to hit a king or an eight to stay in the tournament but the rest of the board ran out and , eliminating Yong in third place worth approximately $1.16 million.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
13,600,000 | 3,600,000 |
|
|
4,400,000 | -100,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Kee Pulls Off Great Bluff
Level 18
: 0/0, 60,000 ante
Cary Katz limped with and Kenneth Kee checked his options with 
.
Kee flopped top pair on and fired 150,000 in position. Katz continued slowplaying and called.
The turn brought a second flush draw on the table and Katz opted to lead with a 375,000-bet. Kee paused for a moment and then he called.
The completed the board and Katz tossed out a bet of 600,000. Kee double checked his holdings and then raised to 1.6 million, holding the club blocker. Katz folded the best hand and Kee extended his lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
14,600,000 | 1,000,000 |
|
|
3,400,000 | -1,000,000 |
Katz Bluff Doesn't Work Out
Level 18
: 0/0, 60,000 ante
Cary Katz limped in with 
and Kenneth Kee held in the big blind. He checked his option.
The flop was 
and both players checked to see the on the turn. There, Katz put out a bet of 250,000. Kee called.
The river was the 
and Katz put out another bet, making it 675,000. Kee thought for a bit, then called.
“I think you’re ahead,” Katz said. Kee had the best hand with two pair and he took down the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
15,400,000 | 800,000 |
|
|
2,600,000 | -800,000 |