The Triton Super High Roller series had a very successful March stop at Hoiana Resort & Golf in Quang Nam, Vietnam, where players generated more than $55 million in prize pools across 13 events with nose-bleed buy-ins. That includes two $100,000 buy-in events. Also, two records were set: 179 entries for the $20,000 bounty event was the most in its history, and the 135 entries in the $100,000 headliner was also a record for a championship event.
The players not only earned serious piles of money, but points towards the Ivan Leow Player of the Year. Leow, co-founder of the Triton series, unfortunately passed away while attending the Triton series in Cyprus last September. Two winners dedicated their victories to Ivan.
Talal Shakerchi
$100,000 No-limit Hold’em Championship
$3.25 million
The 59-year-old British investment manager form the UK won his first Triton trophy after making the final table the day before, taking down the headliner of the stop in Vietnam. He’s a frequent high-stakes player but refuses to call himself a professional.
“Poker is my hobby and I want to play the best players. That’s how you get satisfaction out of any activity that you do. Challenge yourself and try to do the best you can,” Shakerchi told Triton reporters. “I’m not a professional player. I spend quite a lot of time playing poker. It’s my main hobby. But I’m definitely not a pro.”
This hobbist now has more than $12.5 million in tournament cashes.
Webster Lim
$25,000 No-limit Hold’em
$965,000
Malaysia’s Lim won his second Triton Super High Roller trophy in the opener, which attracted 166 entries. He dedicated his victory to his friend and mentor Leow. He now has more than $11.7 million in tournaments winnings.
“All my close friends know mine and his relationship. Without him, I wouldn’t be here,” Lim said after his victory. “So, I just want to say that this win is for him. This is for you Ivan. I miss you.”
Nacho Barbero
$15,000 No-limit Hold’em Seven-Max
$600,000
Barbero continued his hot year by winning his first Triton trophy, which pushed his lifetime winnings up over the $7 million mark. He started 2023 by finishing fourth in the $25,000 PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) for $1.5 million, his career-best. He outlasted 172 in Vietnam for the win.
Mark Rubbathan
$20,000 No-Limit Hold’em Mystery Bounty Eight-Max
$396,000
Before this event, the UK’s Rubbathan best tournament cash was $14,280. He shouldn’t even be playing in these big buy-in events, but Rubbathan won a promotion through Americas Cardroom which awarded him $100,000 worth of buy-ins for this series. He started it off by finishing second for $50,000 in the second event, and then closed the deal in the third. Nice work, Mark!
Jan Arends
$30,000 No-Limit Hold’em Seven Max
$921,178
The successful online pro who plays as “Graftekkel” won his first Triton trophy by outlasting a field of 171. Arends also has a World Series of Poker bracelet he won online. It was a nice trip to Vietnam for Arends: He also finished second in a $15,000 event in the series, taking more than $1.3 million home to the Netherlands from the trip.
Dao Minh Phu
$50,000 No-Limit Hold’em Eight Max
$1.67 million
The poker neophyte took down his first big buy-in event in his home country, outlasting 139 for the six-figured payday. Minh Pho only started playing poker three years ago, and he’s already trying his hand –and winning — the biggest buy-in events available.
Orpen Kisacikoglu
$75,000 No-limit Hold’em
$1.75 million
The Turkish businessman won his first Triton trophy and a whole lot of cash by being the last of 85 standing. It’s his second-largest cash after he earned more than $2.2 million in a Triton event in Madrid last year. He now has more than $13 million in tourney cashes.
Andrew Leathem
$25,000 No-limit Hold’em Turbo
$670,000
The amateur player from Scotland won his first Triton event after making it through 104 entries. His day job is developing software, but may have a real future playing high-stakes tournaments. It’s his best cash by a mile.
Jason Koon
$25,000 No-limit Hold’em Turbo
$574,000
Koon won his fifth Triton trophy in Vietnam, in the turbo event that attracted 31 entries. The 37-year-old American is no doubt one of the best tournament poker players on the planet. How do we know? He has more than $43.7 million in winnings.
Danny Tang
$25,000 No-limit Hold’em Short Deck
$427,000
Tang also won his first Triton trophy in the short-deck event, and like Lim, he also dedicated his victory to Ivan Leow. He has won nearly $5 million just in Triton events. He had to face Stephen Chidwick heads-up, who was voted the toughest opponent of 2022 by players.
Mike Watson
$50,000 No-limit Hold’em Short Deck
$695,000
The Canadian poker banger pushed his career winnings up over the $18 million mark. He’s been on the tournament poker trail since 2006, and is already having a fantastic year. He outlasted 43 to win his first Triton title. It was his sixth largest cash.
Aaron Zang
$100,000 No-limit Hold’em Short Deck
$1.5 million
Zang is no stranger to big buy-in events. In fact, he won the biggest event ever, a $1 million buy-in at a Triton series in 2019 for $16.7 million. The man from China now has more than $21.8 million in tournament cashes.
Sam Greenwood
$20,000 No-limit Hold’em Short Deck
$670,000
Greenwood added to his $30 million-plus tournament cashes by winning the closing event, which attracted 28 entries. The Canadian cashed four times in events in Vietnam, continuing a fantastic 2023. He won the $250,000 event at the PSPC in January for $3.2 million. Folks, he’s really, really good.
