61-entrants breezed through Event #3: $25,000 Short-Deck at partypoker’s MILLIONS Super High Roller Series in Sochi, Russia, and the Asian contingent ran amok with Wai Leong Chan ending up on the throne.
The emergence of the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series has unearthed a few gems, and Chan is becoming one of the most valuable. With 12 in the money (ITM) finishes, Leong is one of the most consistent players on the tour, but he has never won a title. In fact, before a few months ago, you had to stretch back to 2011 to find a Chan win in any event.
It seems Chan’s found the winning formula – play more partypoker events.
In November, Chan won a $25,000 No-Limit Hold ’em and $25,000 Short-Deck event at the partypoker MILLIONS World in the Bahamas. Today, he adds a third partypoker title to his resume with victory in Event #3, and he did so by getting through the formidable figure of the recently crowned Industry Person of the Year, Paul Phua, during heads-up play.
Let’s see how these two incredible poker bosses made it to the end zone.
The Nutshell Action
Final Table Seat Draw
Seat 1: Paul Phua – 2,395,000
Seat 2: Ivan Leow – 725,000
Seat 3: Aaron Van Blarcum – 1,710,000
Seat 4: Thai Ha – 4,705,000
Seat 5: Danny Tang – 2,380,000
Seat 6: Wai Leong Chan – 6,385,000
Short-Deck is one of the most uncertain games in the business, but one thing for sure – there will be more double-ups than chirps of “pieces of eight” from a parrot sitting on the shoulder of a man wearing a patch – the first of which belonged to Ivan Leow. Paul Phua opened with KJo, and then called Leow’s shove with KQo. The best hand held.
That hand saw Phua slip down the chip counts like a pillowcase ready for the washing machine. His next move was to move all-in holding AJo, and he received a caller in the form of Wai Leong Chan holding KJo, and once again the best hand held, this time giving Phua the double-up.
Aaron Van Blarcum is maintaining his fine form in this series, finishing third in the opening event, and sixth in this one. Phua limped into the action holding two red nines, Van Blarcum called with QsTs, Thai Ha raised to 275,000 from the cutoff holding Ad7h, and both limpers called. The dealer dusted Js9c8h onto the flop to give Van Blarcum the nuts, and Phua middle set. Phua led for 500,000, Van Blarcum moved all-in for 1,305,000, Ha folded, and Phua called. Phua needed the board to pair, and that’s what happened on the turn to send Van Blarcum looking for some hot cocoa and digestive biscuits.
Out in fifth was the Natural8 ambassador, Danny Tang.
Ha limped into the action for 80,000 holding Qs9s and folded after Tang shipped it for 1,370,000, holding KdQh, and Phua did likewise with AcQc. The JcJsQc flop missed both hands, and it stayed that way after inconsequential turns and rivers saw Phua take Tang’s scalp with ace-high.
Ivan Leow maintained his impressive form, finishing fourth, one event after finishing second in the $25,000 No-Limit Hold ’em (NLHE). Leow got it in with Phua, but his AcJc was not strong enough to beat the AdQc of his mentor, and Leow went looking for a candlestick to beat someone to death in the library.
Ha fell in third after limp-calling on the button with Jh9h. The flop of Th8s7c handed Ha the nuts, and raiser Chan’s AhKh had a lot of catching up to do. Both players checked. The 6h on the turn gave Chan the nut-flush draw. Ha led for 500,000, and Chan called. The 8h gave both players the flush, all the money went in, and Ha began penning invites to his pity party after the full unveil.
That left two of the most successful Triton players never to win a Triton title to battle it out for the partypoker title. Chan had a 10m v 8m chip lead over Phua that he never relinquished.
The final hand saw Chan put Phua all-in holding KhTc. The Malaysian All-Time Live Tournament Money earner called holding the more impressive looking AJo, but a king on the flop sealed the deal for Chan, leaving Phua with another close but no cigar moment.
ITM Results
- Wai Leong Chan – $457,500
- Paul Phua – $305,000
- Thai Ha – $213,500
- Ivan Leow – $152,500
- Danny Tang – $122,000
- Aaron Van Blarcum – $91,500
- Dmitriy Kuzmin – $76,250
- Sergey Lebedev – $61,000
- Sam Greenwood – $45,750