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Event #5: $250,000 Triton Invitational
Day 1 Completed
2025 WSOP Paradise
Event #5: $250,000 Triton Invitational
Day: 1
Event Info
2025 WSOP Paradise
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1
Buy-in
$250,000
Prize Pool
$33,250,000
Total Entries
133
Level
29
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Entries
126
Players Left
71
Players Left 1 / 133
Filter
Level 10
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
The big names were out in force as some of the best high stakes players showed up for the $250,000 Triton Invitational, but when it came to big stacks at the end of Day 1, it was the other side of the seating draw that looked in control.
Invitees stormed the chip counts after ten levels on Day 1, occupying all but two of the top 10 chip counts, with Ye Wang (1,643,000) and Charles Hook (1,453,000) the best placed of the two at Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas.
Leading the charge for the pros were Kayhan Mokri (1,522,000) who finished the day second in chips, and Dejan Kaladjurdjevic (1,375,000) who ended up fourth after battling back from being the second elimination of the day.
Reentry is still open until the start of play, but with a field of 126 players it's already the second-largest Triton Invitational of all time.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ye Wang | China | 1,643,000 | 205 |
| 2 | Kayhan Mokri | Norway | 1,522,000 | 190 |
| 3 | Charles Hook | United States | 1,453,000 | 182 |
| 4 | Dejan Kaladjurdjević | Montenegro | 1,375,000 | 172 |
| 5 | Vinny Lingham | United States | 1,250,000 | 156 |
| 6 | Sameh Elamawy | Egypt | 1,205,000 | 151 |
| 7 | Joseph Oren | United States | 1,190,000 | 149 |
| 8 | Tom Heung | Hong Kong | 1,077,000 | 135 |
| 9 | Talal Shakerchi | United Kingdom | 952,000 | 119 |
| 10 | Jean-Noel Thorel | France | 855,000 | 107 |
Hook No Fish at the Tables
Sitting third in chips after the opening day is Hook, who was looking the chip lead in the eye, only to fall just short to tablemate Wang in the closing stages. Besides that, he said the day went pretty smoothly.
"I ran well and played super aggressively," he told PokerNews shortly after play had ended. "I was playing lot of hands. It was fun."
While Invitees had the luxury of two re-entries before the start of Day 2 if they needed it, Pros were restricted to just a single re-entry which they had to use within an hour of busting or they would lose it. Hook said that this impacted a lot of their play.
"Most of them on the other side are just trying to survive, and the rest of us are trying to get a lot of chips."
Hook's playing in his second Triton Invitational after falling short here at WSOP Paradise in 2024.
"I don't really get to play many tournaments. I like the Invitational, and Triton does a great job. The Bahamas is a two-hour flight from my house, so it's perfect."
Day 1 Action
The fact that three players fell in the first 50 minutes of the Triton Invitational was perhaps a sign of how the day was going to pan out. The first elimination was Tom Heung, who ran kings into aces on the third hand of the day against Philip Sternheimer.
Following him out the door, albeit straight to the re-entry desk, was Kaladjurdjevic, who was left short by Artur Martirosian and finally eliminated by Daniel Negreanu.
But the most eye-grabbing of eliminations came from Brandon Steven, who ran ace-king into jacks needing to win a flip to stay alive. However, his hopes were shattered when Sameh Elamawy (pictured) turned quads and sent him to the rail. Despite this, Kaladjurdjevic and Steven both survived to Day 2.
Elamawy made the early running, but was overtaken by Rafael Mota whose double elimination of Albert Daher and Cong Pham vaulted him into the chip lead. He was the first player to break the 1,000,000 chip mark, before being joined by the likes of Hook and Vinny Lingham. However, it was another Invitee in the shape of Wang who would pip them all to the chip lead, but it's all to play for on Day 2.
All Quiet on the Pro Front
Hook alluded to the fact that many players on the Pro side of the draw were just looking to survive, and there were no huge Pro confrontations that launched any one player into the contention for the chip lead.
The cautious nature of the Pros is perhaps exemplified by the fact that just four players (Jason Koon (pictured), Isaac Haxton, Roman Hrabec and [Removed:607]) fired both their bullets on Day 1, with the value of just making it to Day 2 being too great.
Mokri leads the Pro contingent into Day 2, but there are big names everywhere you look, with Bryn Kenney, Alex Foxen, Christoph Vogelsang, Seth Davies and Daniel Negreanu all bagging above starting stack.
Play resumes at 12 p.m. on Monday, December 8 with the pro and invitee fields set to merge for the first time. Stay tuned as PokerNews coverage continues here at Atlantis.
Level 10
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Level 10
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Players are bagging up, and action has finished for the night. The clock shows 71 of 126 entries remaining to bag for Day 2.
Stay tuned for full chip counts and a recap of the day.
Level 9
: Blinds 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
Jason Koon got the last of his stack into the middle on the A♠Q♠4♣10♥ turn, at risk against Alexandros Theologis.
Jason Koon: A♣7♣ 
Alexandros Theologis: 4♠4♦
Theologis flopped a set, while Koon's pair of aces were second best. The 9♠ river completed the runout, sending Koon to the rail before the end of Day 1.
Level 10
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Santhosh Suvarna open-shoved from under the gun for 164,500 and was called by Talal Shakerchi.
Santhosh Suvarna: K♠J♣
Talal Shakerchi: A♠K♥
The board came 10♠9♦8♣6♦3♠ and Suvarna was eliminated.
"Good luck on your next bullet Santhosh," said Shakerchi.
"Tomorrow," replied Suvarna.
"I had nine-five," said Armin Ghojehvand. "I would have won!"
"I always think about hands I would have played differently if I was just unbelievable rich," commented Eric Wasserson. "I think I'm worth about half of one per cent of Talal."
"How much money do you have, Talal?" joked Ghojehvand.
"I'm not sure," replied Shakerchi.
Level 10
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
The clock has been paused, and the tournament director has instructed the dealers to complete four more hands to finish Day 1.
Level 9
: Blinds 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
Stephen Chidwick opened to 14,000 in middle position, making the quick call when Sergio Aido moved his short stack into the middle.
Sergio Aido: A♣Q♠
Stephen Chidwick: 6♠6♣
Aido was flipping, but it was Chidwick improving to a set on the K♠6♥10♣ flop. The 10♦ turn sealed it as Chidwick made a full house, while the 5♠ river completed the board to end Aido's run.
Level 9
: Blinds 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
Three players put in 63,000 pre-flop and Christoph Vogelsang checked to Mikita Badziakouski who bet 40,000. Roman Hrabec tanked before shoving for 142,000.
Vogelsang folded and Badziakouski quickly called.
Roman Hrabec: 7♥7♣
Mikita Badziakouski: 10♠10♣
Hrabec was already getting up and assembling his things as he stared down the barrel, needing a two-outer to survive. The turn 8♦ was close, as was the 8♣ but no seven appeared and Hrabec was eliminated.
Level 9
: Blinds 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
Orpen Kisacikoglu was all in from the small blind for his last 85,000, at risk against Brandon Steven in the big blind on his left.
Orpen Kisacikoglu: Q♣Q♦
Brandon Steven: K♣Q♥
The board ran out 7♦A♦5♠6♥J♦, leaving Kisacikoglu's pocket queens in front to earn the double.
