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Two Million-Dollar Scores in Three Months as Raoul Kanme Wins Triton ONE North Cyprus Main Event for $1.3M
Just three months ago, Raoul Kanme traveled to the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel & Spa in North Cyprus to play some poker and walked away with $1.25 million after winning a $25k event. "I had a bad year [...] all I feel is relief," he remarked back then.
After today, Kanme can officially say he has turned his year around. In the same venue as his first seven-figure score, Kanme triumphed over a field of 1,006 entries in the Triton ONE North Cyprus $8,000 Main Event, padding his bankroll with the majestic $1,320,000 first-place prize and capturing the prestigious Triton ONE trophy.
"It's a ridiculous feeling. I came in today fifth out of nine, but I was just like, 'I'm going to win. I'm going to put in everything I have.' The only thing I thought about was first place; anything else was not on my mind," Kanme explained his mentality to PokerNews after he had received the lion's share of the $7,316,600 prize pool.
Kanme was awarded the victory after a back-and-forth heads-up battle with Mohamed El-Wely. In the end, a giant flip for all the marbles decided El-Wely's fate as runner-up. He received a consolation prize of $793,000, more than doubling his live tournament earnings on The Hendon Mob.
Meanwhile, Zhuoqun Zhang completed the podium as the highest-placed player from Asia, and Yiwen Yuan finished fourth as the last lady standing. Triton Super High Roller Series champions Mikita Badziakouski, Alex Anton, and Paulius Vaitiekunas also appeared at the final table, but booked quick exits.
Triton ONE North Cyprus Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raoul Kanme | Netherlands | $1,320,000 |
| 2 | Mohamed El-Wely | Mauritania | $793,000 |
| 3 | Zhuoqun Zhang | China | $561,000 |
| 4 | Yiwen Yuan | China | $420,000 |
| 5 | Thore Boedefeld | Germany | $321,000 |
| 6 | Mikita Badziakouski | Belarus | $235,000 |
| 7 | Alex Anton | United States | $177,000 |
| 8 | Paulius Vaitiekunas | Lithuania | $127,000 |
| 9 | Aleksei Istomin | Russian Federation | $98,000 |
Kanme Recovers From Getting Bluffed
Early in the day, as the final table was just getting underway, El-Wely pulled off one of the wildest bluffs in Triton Poker history against Kanme, floating the flop with six-high, and eventually getting the Dutchman to fold trips on the river.
"I've played with him a few times before. He's so random, but tough to play against. No clue how he found that bluff," Kanme reflected after his tournament win.
The hand left Kanme among the short stacks. Meanwhile, El-Wely kept climbing the leaderboard, eliminating Vaitiekunas in eighth with a flip. However, after the first break, Kanme's luck started to turn around. He doubled against Anton by hitting a lucky ace. Anton then busted shortly after, while Kanme kept dragging pots.
After the departures of Badziakouski, Thore Boedefeld, and Yuan, Kanme obtained the chip lead for the first time three-handed. Zhang exited shortly after, unable to win a preflop clash with El-Wely, setting up the heads-up.
Dueling a Nemesis
By this point, it had become clear to Kanme that El-Wely would be a very unpredictable heads-up opponent.
"I couldn't figure him out," Kanme admitted. "He started the heads up as a favorite, but then I doubled fairly quickly," he said, referencing the big all-in that kicked off the final battle.
"Then, I had him down to ten, nine bigs. He doubled up ace-seven to my ace-king. Then, he came back, and it was a 50/50 game. We went all in [again], and the hands were also 50/50. It could have been him, but it's me this time. That's also poker. Luck is involved. And today, the most luck, I think, went my way," Kanme concluded.
Having won his second seven-figure score in just a few months, one might expect Kanme to make his debut in the Triton Super High Roller Series that has just gotten underway. However, Kanme offered a different perspective.
"My plan before I came here was to play the first two or three events of the Super High Roller series. But now, after my win, I'm reconsidering. I might go home. I feel like I did my thing, and I'm not sure my head will be in the right place anymore. So maybe just take some rest."
Only time will tell whether Kanme changes his mind. One thing is for certain, though: while PokerNews's live coverage of Triton ONE has concluded, the crew will remain on-site for the upcoming Triton Super High Roller Series.
In-depth live reporting will return on November 18, but the Highlight Blog will be kept up to date continuously until the end of the series, so keep checking in for all the latest from Triton Poker in North Cyprus.