Triton Jeju II | Phil Ivey's first-lap AA was overtaken by Set, becoming the first player to be eliminated from the $200,000 Invitational.
International newsOn September 11, 2026, the highly anticipated $200,000 Invitational of the Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju II officially commenced. This first Triton Invitational held in Asia began with a dramatic moment: Phil Ivey, holding AA in the first level and even the first round, ran into Gytis Lazauninkas' 99 flop, resulting in his elimination from a massive pot of over 445 big blinds. This made Ivey the first player eliminated from this year's Invitational, forcing him to re-enter at the Rebuy counter. Ivey fell into a huge pot in the first round, with AA against 99. In the crucial hand, Gytis Lazauninkas had 295,000 chips and raised to 2,500. Phil Ivey, in the button position, held 212,000 chips and had A♣A♥. Ivey 3-bet to 10,000, and Lazauninkas called. The flop came 4♣ 9♦ 2♥, and Lazauninkas checked. Ivey continued betting to 15,000, and Lazauninkas simply called again. But at this point, he actually had 9♥9♣, a set on the flop. The turn was 3♦, and Lazauninkas suddenly made a huge check-raise. The turn was 3♦, and Lazauninkas checked again. Ivey bets 45,000. This time, Lazauninkas doesn't slow down, immediately raising his bet to 250,000. This size effectively forces Ivey to go all-in. Facing this extremely pressured check-raise, Ivey goes into deep thought. He spends several minutes trying to assess his opponent's possible hand strength, ultimately choosing to call. Hands revealed: Phil Ivey A♣A♥ Gytis Lazauninkas 9♥9♣ At this point, Ivey's pocket aces are behind his opponent's three nines. The river is a 3♣, giving Lazauninkas a full house. Ivey still has a slight chance to turn things around on the river. Any remaining aces could allow him to complete a larger set, and some fives could create a unique board structure, potentially leading to a comeback. But the river card came: 3♣. The final board was: 4♣ 9♦ 2♥ 3♦ 3♣. Lazauninkas' 99 ultimately formed a 9-full house. Ivey's AA couldn't overtake him. This pot was over 445 big blinds. For an Invitational with a buy-in of $200,000, such a deep chip battle so early is particularly noteworthy. Phil Ivey became the first player eliminated as the river card fell, making him the first player eliminated in the entire $200K game.
