The 2018 Triton Jeju HK$2,000,000 Main Event finale had six finalists of equal calibre including bigshots like Jason Koon, Triton founder Richard Yong and Sam Greenwood. A Clash of Titans, it was finally scaled by Mikita Badziakouski, who outran the defences of all his opponents to clinch the title. He came home richer by his career-best figures of HK$41,250,000 (or USD 5,255,456). This remarkable performance marks his second subsequent Main Event title after the Triton Montenegro Main Event champion's title.
Badziakouski remarked, "I'm feeling great. Usually, you're really tired after a hard tournament so the most joy is coming in the next days.” He was equally modest about his win and added, “it's just about making good decisions and being a good player."
How he did it?
The 2018 Triton Jeju HK$2,000,000 Main Event was a high buy-in one and thus participation was filtered from the start. The most elite poker players from around the globe were in attendance at the event but only the first 6 place winners were qualified for a paycheck. Since it was a re-entry event, many players took to multiple chances to sustain themselves.
Mikita Badziakouski was always among the top chip holders. He had started-off Day 1 on a high note and had secured an entry to the final table as the chip leader. The Day 2 was slow but steady and the felt count had narrowed down to 19 players. The last hour witnessed eliminations of notables like Stephen Chidwick, Patrik Antonius, Steve O'Dwyer, Bryn Kenney, and David Peters.
Final Table Chip Counts:
- Mikita Badziakouski - 3,065,000
- Sergio Aido - 3,000,000
- Jason Koon - 2,500,000
- Richard Yong - 2,415,000
- Sam Greenwood - 1,715,000
- Chan Wai Leong - 1,055,000
A look at the Final Table
As the final table unfolded, the intensity in the ambience increased manifold. The Spanish pro, Sergio Aido began at the final table as one of the top stacks, but he lost a number of crucial hands which led to him being ousted at the sixth place. The first to join him was Jason Koon who was knocked out of the event by Badziakouski who then went on to eliminate both Sam Greenwood and Richard Yong in the fourth and third place respectively.
At the heads-up, Badziakouski encountered poker pro Chan Wai Leong. The battle was all squared-up until the River round when Badziakouski proved to have a better combination.
Final Table Results (HKD)
- Mikita Badziakouski – HK$41,250,000
- Chan Wai Leong – HK$25,520,000
- Richard Yong – HK$16,720,000
- Sam Greenwood – HK$11,550,000
- Jason Koon – HK$8,470,000
- Sergio Aido – HK$6,490,000
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