Bryn Kenney wins the High Roller event, becoming the first player to surpass $90 million in live tournament winnings.

Bryn Kenney won the Jeju King's Poker Cup $100,000 High Roller event, becoming the first player in poker history to surpass $90 million in live tournament winnings. Jesse Lonis finished as runner-up, and Tom Dwan returned to the final table.

Earlier this year, there was much discussion in the poker world about whether Stephen Chidwick could surpass Bryn Kenney's lifetime live tournament winnings record in 2026. Unless an operator hosts a $1 million buy-in event before the end of the year, and Chidwick happens to win it, this is unlikely to happen.

Kenney already held a significant lead on The Hendon Mob leaderboard, and now he's further widened the gap by winning a seven-figure prize at the King's Poker Cup in Jeju Island. The New York high roller reached a heads-up deal with Jesse Lonis in the $100,000 King's Charity Super High Roller event, splitting the prize money between them, with each receiving $1.6 million.

Dwan receives bonus again after a long time

Tom Dwan has always been known as a cash game specialist rather than a tournament grinder. He was one of the six top high-stakes players to reach the final table. The online poker legend, known as "durrrr," finished sixth and won $350,000, his first tournament win since his 593rd place finish in the 2024 WSOP Main Event.

After Dwan's elimination, several big-name pros remained in the tournament, including Elton Tsang, who finished third and won $880,000. This put two of the world's top players—Lonis and Kenney—to face off in a heads-up match, although they had agreed beforehand to split the prize money.

Final table results

Kenney's road to victory wasn't smooth sailing. He once lost a hand with two pair to Lonis's better two pair, putting him at a disadvantage. But the four straights on the river likely saved most of his chips.

Ultimately, he established a 2.5 to 1 chip lead over Lonis and successfully held it. In the final hand, Lonis went all-in with K♣2♠, slightly ahead of his opponent's J♥10♥. But the flop came up with a 10, which he successfully defended on the river, ending the game.

With this victory, Kenney's live tournament winnings have just surpassed $90 million. He is now the first player to break the $70 million, $80 million, and $90 million mark. Chidwick is about $1 million short of $80 million and about $11 million behind Kenney. Jason Koon is in third place with $77 million, and is the only other player to reach the $70 million milestone.

Kenney's lead on the tournament money list is not without controversy. He is trying to shake off the 2022 scandal involving alleged online poker cheating, which was revealed by Martin Zamani, who admitted to being part of a group of players led by Kenney (also known as "Horses") who colluded and played on his behalf online.

Kenney appears to have taken responsibility for his actions, as evidenced by a recent, somewhat cryptic tweet. He wrote, "We all make mistakes in life, some of which are shameful to admit. I always try to be open to these issues, willing to listen, and willing to take responsibility when it's necessary, and to grow stronger from it."

The K Poker Cup and King Poker Cup will be held at Les A Casino at Jeju Shinhwa World in Jeju Island until August 10. The main event began on Wednesday and the champion will be crowned on August 3.

Want to change Texas Holdem from "can understand" to "can win"?

If you want to learn more about Texas Hold'em, you can continue reading：

The Origins of Texas Hold'em: Why is it the World's Most Popular Poker Variant?
Texas Hold'em Hand Rankings and Showdown Rules (Beginner’s Essentials)
Texas Hold'em Betting teaching: Check / Bet / Call /Raise and Betting Strategy Analysis
The importance of Texas Hold'em position? Why is the back position more advantageous?
How to play Texas Hold'em? Novices learn Texas Hold'em rules, processes and betting teaching in 10 minutes
Texas Hold'em Starting Hands Strategy Guide: Which Hands to Play?
Texas Holdem Starting Hands Chart Tutorial: Complete Starting Hand Chart and Position Strategy
How to play Texas Hold'em? Complete rules and a hand's flow (Preflop / Flop / Turn / River)

Hunter Poker offers comprehensive tutorials, hand analysis, and strategy sharing to help players upgrade from simply "reading the cards" to understanding the range . This allows you to make better decisions in every hand.

▶️ In Facebook Follow Hunter Poker.
📘 In Youtube Follow Hunter Poker.

Want to learn more about Texas Hold'em gameplay and strategies?

Online Texas Hold'em free tournaments typically have no entry fee, making them ideal for beginners to familiarize themselves with the rules and for advanced players to test strategies and gain experience. View full brand profiles to learn about each platform's free tournament schedule, features, and target audience.

Go to learn more