Triton Jeju II | $15K Opening Event: 204 Participants, Phil Ivey Eliminated Before the Bubble, 6 Chinese Players Advance to Day 2

On September 5, 2026, the Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju II officially kicked off. The opening event, a $15,000 No-Limit Hold'em 8-Handed tournament, attracted 204 entries, with a total prize pool of $3,090,000. 28 players successfully advanced to Day 2.

The first day of competition not only produced several highly talked-about hands, but also saw world-class high rollers such as Phil Ivey, Artur Martirosian, and Danny Tang eliminated. On the Chinese side, six players—Yin Tao, Huang Hongbiao, Li Yuan, Liu Qiang, Wang Yang, and Xu Yang—successfully advanced. Yin Tao ranked first among Chinese players and 10th overall with 1,680,000 chips.

204 participants, total prize pool of $3.09 million

As the opening event of this year's Triton Jeju II, $15K NLH 8-Handed immediately demonstrated the high level of competition in this high roller event.

The following records were made in this match:

After the bubble burst, the remaining 28 players were guaranteed at least $25,500 in prize money, with the eventual champion taking home $642,000.

Nevan Chang flopped a straight flush, while Li Yiming fell into a big pot on the river.

One of the most anticipated games of Day 1 was the head-to-head match between Nevan Chang and Li Yiming.

Pre-flop, Nevan Chang held the following in the cutoff position:

7♥5♥

Increase the bet to 4,500.

Li Yiming, in the great blind position, holds:

K♥Q♣

He chose to call.

The flop came:

6♥ 8♥ 9♥

Chang hit a straight flush on the flop, but instead of betting immediately, he checked.

Turn:

2♥

Li Yiming then completed a flush. After both players checked, Chang bet 6,500, and Li Yiming called.

River:

6♠

Li Yiming placed a bet of 9,000, and Chang subsequently increased the bet to 66,000.

Li Yiming quickly called, but Chang showed 7♥5♥ and then won the big pot with a straight flush that came off the flop.

This hand became one of the most representative Coolers on the first day.

Wang Yang's winning hand was reversed by the river card, while Ponakovs doubled up his full house.

Another important hand was played between Chinese player Wang Yang and Triton champion Aleksejs Ponakovs.

Ponakovs hit two pair on the flop, while Wang Yang had already completed the nut straight.

During the flop phase, Wang Yang was in a commanding lead, and Ponakovs was on the verge of elimination.

However, the river card gave the community cards a pair, allowing Ponakovs to complete a full house, turning the tide from a losing position and doubling up.

Although he failed to win the pot, Wang Yang still managed to advance to Day 2, keeping his chance to compete for his first title at this year's Jeju Station alive.

Phil Ivey returned to Triton, but was eliminated before the bubble burst.

One of the most anticipated stars of this opening game is undoubtedly Phil Ivey.

Ivey currently boasts 11 WSOP gold bracelets and 5 Triton championship trophies, and has made the money multiple times in the Triton Super High Roller Series, making him one of the most iconic players in the history of the tour.

However, his first race at Jeju II did not go smoothly.

Early in the tournament, Ivey's bluff was caught by Artur Martirosian, resulting in a large pot loss. Although he managed to stabilize his chip count for a while, he ultimately couldn't survive the bubble and was eliminated before the money was made.

For ultra-high-stakes tournaments like Triton, even legendary players like Ivey face extremely high levels of world-class competition.

High rollers all stopped on Day 1

Phil Ivey was not the only well-known player eliminated on the first day.

Many Triton regulars and top international high rollers failed to secure Day 2 tickets.

Some well-known eliminated players

Notable players such as Sam Greenwood, Michael Watson, Eelis Parssinen, Christoph Vogelsang, and Mikita Badziakouski also failed to advance.

Among the Chinese athletes, Zhou Quan, Tony Ren Lin, Ding Biao, Chen Mingcong, Zeng Linglin, Zhou Yinan, Yu Lei, and Pu Weiran were also eliminated on the first day.

Alisson Piekazewicz became the last bubble.

In the final stage of Day 1, the tournament entered the bubble phase of the prize pool.

Alisson Piekazewicz faced Alex Theologis's two pairs in a crucial hand but ultimately failed to turn the tide.

With Piekazewicz eliminated, the remaining 28 players have all officially entered the prize pool and qualified for Day 2.

Wai Kiat Lee leads with 3.5 million chips.

After Day 1, Malaysian athlete Wai Kiat Lee finished with:

in the hand.

Ranked first overall.

Thai star Punnat Punsri and Greek athlete Alex Theologis followed closely behind, while Bernhard Binder and Adrian Mateos also made it into the top five.

Top of the Day 1 Scoreboard

The original text only provides Wai Kiat Lee's specific scorecard count, therefore other players did not provide any additional unconfirmed data.

Six Chinese athletes advanced, with Yin Tao leading the Chinese contingent with 1.68 million points.

A total of 6 Chinese players successfully advanced to Day 2 on the first day:

• Yin Tao

• Huang Hongbiao

• Li Yuan

• Liu Qiang

• Wang Yang

• Xu Yang

Among them, Yin Tao is:

1,680,000 Scoreboard

He ranked first among Chinese contestants and 10th overall.

This means that among the remaining 28 players, Chinese players occupy 6 spots, maintaining a considerable number of contenders for the championship.

List of Chinese teams advancing

In addition to Chinese athletes, international stars such as Nick Petrangelo, Jesse Lonis, Daniel Dvoress, and Xuan Liu also successfully advanced to Day 2.

Day 2: From 28 to Champion

The $15K opening match Day 2 will resume at 13:00 local time.

The remaining 28 players will advance directly to the prize money stage, and the first champion of Triton Jeju II will be determined on the same day.

Wai Kiat Lee leads with 3.5 million chips, while Punnat Punsri, Alex Theologis, and Adrian Mateos remain in contention for the title. The Chinese contingent retains six players, with Yin Tao leading the pack with 1.68 million chips.

With the field narrowed down from 204 to just 28, the first championship trophy at Triton Jeju II is within reach. Whether the Chinese contingent can reach the Final Table or even win the title in the opening round will be one of the most anticipated aspects of Day 2.

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