Champion Elton Tsang

The Triton Poker Super High Roller Series does its best to foster a familial atmosphere. And it might sound counter-intuitive, but when the stakes get highest, the more relaxed everything becomes.

Tonight in Jeju, South Korea, the final table of the $100K Short Deck tournament played out as though it was nothing much more than a home game between old friends, even though there was $5.8 million in the prize pool. And for many of the players involved, it was precisely that: Elton Tsang, Wang Ye, Ferdinand Putra, Tan Xuan and Michael Zhang all made the final table, and they all play poker against each other a lot.

They were laughing and joking. They were bluffing and bantering. And they were cheering every devastating shock from the deck that short deck always provides.

When the dust settled on a suitably exhilarating final, the last embrace was between Tsang and Wang, with the latter congratulating the former on the second Triton title of his career.

Yes, this was ultimately all about Tsang, one of Triton's most celebrated sons, who blasted through another huge stakes game and came out smiling the broadest, with $1.697 million to his name.

Tsang celebrates as the final card is dealt

"My photo goes on the wall now?" Tsang said, seeking reassurance from Triton TD Luca Vivaldi that he'll be in the gallery of multiple champions. He surely will. Later, posing with the trophy, he revealed both his elation and apprehension about playing a final table of this nature.

"It was very, very exciting," Tsang said. "I was very nervous. In tournaments, I get nervous. I don't know why, but the heart beat is really rising a lot."

It might sound surprising coming from a veteran of cash games with pots much larger than he played for tonight, but Tsang said that Triton tournaments still give him something that no other game can.

"I feel very good," he said. "It's very enjoyable when you win."

Tsang had a chip lead for long periods. But he also lost it in some crucial pots against dangerous rivals. None were more dangerous than American crusher Isaac Haxton, who made yet another final and who also led for long periods. But like so many times before, Haxton's Triton dreams were left in dust.

That left Wang as Tsang's final opponent, and the pair made it as exciting as they could, playing numerous big pots. Tsang won the biggest and most vital of them all, however, and is now among those double champions at last.

Two-time

TOURNAMENT ACTION

With a six-figure buy-in, this short deck tournament had an entry fee as high as the Main Events taking place towards the end of the festival, though the player pool is somewhat more select. It featured the most versatile performers from more common poker pursuits, alongside a raft of VIPs whose preferred game is this more volatile variant, played specifically for nosebleed stakes.

The vast majority of the starting field assembled during a long Day 1, with a couple of last minute re-entries as registration closed on Day 2. The field hit 58 entries, which meant a prize pool of $5.8 million, and a min-cash of $168,000. The winner was looking at close to $1.7 million.

Although played away from the streaming tables, there was plenty of interest in the room, not least owing to the presence late on of Triton boss Paul Phua. His fellow founding player Richard Yong had wowed supporters with his triumph last night, and here was Mr Paul's chance to make it two from two for the men who gave us the Triton Poker Series.

This fairy story was too good to be true, however. In fact, Phua occupied the most miserable spot: the bubble boy. After plenty of short-stack intrigue -- multiple called all-ins, plus Tan Xuan rising and falling in the counts with seeming complete nonchalance -- Phua ended up getting his last antes in with AJ. Zhang Shao marked his Triton debut by knocking out Boss on the bubble when his AK held.

Paul Phua was knocked out on the bubble

Dan Dvoress and Shao were then eliminated in ninth and eighth, respectively, which took the field to its final table of seven. They assembled as follows:

Elton Tsang - 7,270,000 (145 antes)

Wang Ye - 6,360,000 (127 antes)

Ferdinand Putra - 3,580,000 (72 antes)

Tan Xuan - 2,605,000 (52 antes)

Isaac Haxton - 2,565,000 (51 antes)

Winfred Yu - 2,210,000 (44 antes)

Michael Zhang - 1,515,000 (30 antes)

$100K Short Deck final table players (clockwise from back left): Tan Xuan, Winfred Yu, Elton Tsang, Isaac Haxton, Michael Zhang, Wang Ye, Ferdinand Putra.

One of the most fascinating subplots from the pre-bubble period was a personal duel between Isaac Haxton and Tan Xuan. The pair seemed to be involved in almost all pots, with Haxton apparently getting the better of Tan, until Tan got a double to leapfrog Haxton in the counts.

Haxton had been a runaway chip leader, but that pot contributed to his slide back into the pack, and he was in trouble during the early stages of the final. However, he managed a double of his own with QJ through Winfred Yu's AK, and that left Yu in dire straits.

Yu is a two-time Triton champion, with both titles coming in short deck, and spends plenty of time surrounded by the highest rollers in the world. But even he is not immune to the way the game plays out sometimes, and he found himself on the rail next.

With only six antes, he got them in first to act. Elton Tsang, whose chip lead had only increased, re-shoved from the cutoff, but then Haxton thought about it on the button for a while. He then decided to commit his last 25 antes as well, setting up a three-way pre-flop coup.

Yu: A8

Haxton: AQ

Tsang: AK

The player with the biggest stack also had the biggest hand, but the flop put Tsang to the bottom of the pile. It fell 6Q89J. Both Haxton and Yu hit their kicker, but Haxton's was bigger. He doubled through Tsang and took the last of Yu's chips as a bonus. Yu could only wander away knowing another $284,000 was heading his way.

Winfred Yu lost in a three-way coup

The leaderboard now showed a near tie at the top between Tsang and Tan, with Haxton narrowly behind. Each of Michael Zhang, Wang Ye and Ferdinand Putra were entering the danger zone, and Zhang could not survive much further.

As he ably demonstrated in yesterday's runner-up finish, Zhang is some kind of wizard at this particular game. But he had to contend with Tsang's mighty stack to his immediate left at this final table, and couldn't get past Tsang when he eventually took a stand.

Zhang opened from a 15-ante stack with 109 and then had to call all-in when Tsang three-bet. Tsang's A10 stayed best this time, boosting him further and putting Zhang out, with $359,000 to his name.

Michael Zhang made back-to-back short deck finals again

Wang Ye got his last 24 antes in on the next hand in a pot versus Haxton. Wang was similarly dominated with A10 against Haxton's AK. But unlike Zhang before him, Wang hit a 10 to survive. It continued Haxton's up-and-down turbulence as he now slipped back to the bottom.

Haxton was not done, though. Not yet. He doubled with pocket kings through Tan's J10. And his timing was then characteristically immaculate as he found spots to continue to build without showdown. With Haxton pulling out of danger, the pressure fell on Ferdinand Putra and Tan.

Putra lost a major pot to Tsang (Tsang turned a straight with J10 and got the thinnest of value bets paid off), leaving him in pre-flop shoving mode. He chopped one with Tan, but Tan himself was not so lucky when he then tangled with Tsang.

Tan, with a rail bending the ropes behind him to watch everything he did, and a shimmering bejewelled jacket, open raised KJ. Tsang, continuing a theme, three bet his button, and Tan called it off. Tsang had A10 and stayed good, ending Tan's game. Ever the showman, he tossed his chips in theatrical fashion to Tsang and resigned himself to $464,000 and fifth place.

Easy come, easy go for Tan Xuan

Putra could not go any further. Though he managed one double by flopping a set with pocket sixes, he raised/called off with A9 and lost to Tsang's KQ. Putra's $598,000 payout was a comfort blanket to his elimination, but it seemed he was mostly just unhappy to leave his friends.

Wang Ye was now short, but he doubled with AQ through Haxton's J6. That left Haxton with a sub-30 blind stack, though both he and Wang were now comparatively tiny versus Tsang's masses. But, again, this state of affairs didn't last long.

Haxton and Tsang played another big one. Tsang raised with QJ and Haxton three-bet A9. Tsang called for the provocative 10A8 flop. Tsang jammed and Haxton called all in, leaving Wang calling for the king that would propel him into head-up play.

But the 8 turned and the J came on the river. That was another big double for Haxton, who now assumed the chip lead.

Haxton was now cruising, and the next massive explosion surely left him feeling he was finally going to become a Triton champion. He got all the chips in against Tsang yet again, sitting with pocket kings to Tsang's pocket jacks. It would have given Haxton a near four-to-one heads-up advantage had it held. But a jack flopped, slicing Haxton back down to 11 antes and making Tsang the boss again.

It remains baffling how Haxton hasn't won a Triton Poker Series title yet, but when you see hands like that, you begin to realise. And the punishment wasn't even yet complete.

Haxton got his last blinds in with J10 -- he raised then called Wang's jam -- and was far from dead against Wang's 10Q. Haxton was, in fact, alive and kicking after the first four cards off the deck were KQK9. But the K river sent Wang into jubilation, and left Haxton ruined.

Even the stoic American had to do something of an anguished double take. He then shook hands and quietly departed. His 57th Triton cash, which earned him $792,000, still did not earn him the title.

Not much more Isaac Haxton could do

Both remaining players were now guaranteed at least $1.218 million, but the it was all about the trophy. When heads up play began, Tsang had a significant lead still: 83 antes to Wang's 48. But the first major confrontation changed everything: Wang's pocket 10s became a set on a flop of J910 and Tsang called Wang's shove with JK. Wang faded Tsang's outs and doubled. He had 77 antes to Tsang's 28 and was in the box seat for the first time at the final.

Wang Ye played his part in a thrilling finale

But of course this wasn't over. Tsang doubled back with pocket nines beating J10, bringing near parity to the stacks once more. And Tsang then pulled back into the lead with his usual aggression, backed up by some spirited trash talk. Wang was giving as good as he got in the verbal sparring, which was clearly friendly, even as the pair played for a near $500,000 prize difference.

And then, inevitably, it all came to a crushing climax. The chips went in pre-flop one more time, with Tsang's QJ going up against Wang's K10. The flop of 89J put Tsang ahead, but gave Wang plenty of outs. The A turn missed, and the 10 river was not enough.

Wang congratulates Tsang

Tsang roared in delight. It was job done. Cue hugs and handshakes and a new photo for the Triton tournament wall.