Record-Breaking Main Event
The nearly three-week-long festival in Phnom Penh concluded with the WPT Championship Main Event, boasting a $3,500 buy-in. Basic tournament math is clear: 425 entries generated a $1,500,000 prize pool, with 54 players making it into the money.
Yesterday's finale delivered unforgettable moments. From the original 425 entries, six international players remained, led by Chencai Pan from China. The game started cautiously, as every pay jump was significant and nobody wanted to make a costly mistake - the payout structure ranged from $63,000 to $244,500.
The first to fall was Pang Kok Yong from Malaysia. French professional Julien Sitbon finished fifth, earning $83,000. Fourth place went to former chipleader Chengcai Pan from China, taking home $110,000.
The tournament shifted towards the final showdown with three players left: Kunal Patni from India finished third, collecting $145,000. This set the stage for Xiaosheng Zheng (China) and Micheal O’Neill (Ireland) to battle for the title.
Before heads-up, a deal was struck, explaining the “unusual” final results table – second place ultimately received more than the winner. The players divided the remaining prize pool before playing on for the trophy and a $10,400 seat in the WPT World Championship.
Even so, the title wasn't merely “played out”. The duel stretched over 100 hands, with chips exchanging sides constantly, and neither player gave an inch. The battle concluded on the 200th hand, where O’Neill’s A d J c ran into A s A c with no help from the board.
Thanks to Zheng, the WPT Cambodia Championship title returned to China, along with a $244,500 prize. As mentioned earlier, runner-up Micheal O’Neill took home even more with $249,700.
Final Table Results:
| Position | Name | Country | Prize |
| 1 | Xiaosheng Zheng | China | 244,500 $ |
| 2 | Micheal O’Neill | Ireland | 249,700 $ |
| 3 | Kunal Patni | India | 145,000 $ |
| 4 | Chengcai Pan | China | 110,000 $ |
| 5 | Julien Sitbon | France | 83,000 $ |
| 6 | Pang Kok Yong | Malaysia | 63,000 $ |
Linh Tran Dominates Most Expensive Festival Event
The highest buy-in event at the WPT Cambodia stop delivered exactly what you expect from a $5,000 High Roller: a smaller, but extremely tough field, lengthy decisions in a deep structure, and a final table where precision is key. The event saw 69 entries, leading to a prize pool of $314,571 and genuine contention for a major title in a tournament where every pot is significantly more expensive.
Day 2 perfectly captured the high roller atmosphere. As the bubble approached, the pace naturally slowed, and players were much more careful about their spots, as the difference between “nothing” and the first cash is significant both psychologically and financially with such a buy-in. The bubble burst with a double elimination at two tables, allowing two players (Abhijith Cheruku and Hica Purba) to split a $9,437 min-cash.
In the end, Linh Tran from Vietnam prevailed in the final, turning it into a victory worth $91,226. He successfully navigated challenges from the likes of Aleksei Opalikhin from Russia (8th place for $13,369), Dutchman Michel Molenaar (5th place for $22,806), and Estonian Ranno Sootla (4th place for $29,098).
Final Table Results:
| Position | Player | Country | Prize |
| 1 | Linh Tran | Vietnam | 91,226 $ |
| 2 | Ting Hao Lian | Singapore | 56,623 $ |
| 3 | Keenan Pienaar | South Africa | 36,962 $ |
| 4 | Ranno Sootla | Estonia | 29,098 $ |
| 5 | Michel Molenaar | Netherlands | 22,806 $ |
| 6 | Ngoc Anh Cao | Vietnam | 18,874 $ |
| 7 | Minh Thang Tran | Vietnam | 15,729 $ |
| 8 | Aleksei Opalikhin | Russia | 13,369 $ |
For detailed live reports, results, and photos from this event, visit our partner SoMuchPoker here
Sources – WPT, Flickr, SoMuchPoker
