Triton Jeju: Wang's Breakthrough Title, Punsri's Fifth Trophy, and Million-Dollar Heads-Up Madness

Peter Wang Surprises Tournament Elite
 

Chinese player Peter Wang, known by poker fans mainly from high stakes cash games, including a legendary $1.4 million pot he lost to Alan Keating earlier this year, made the move into tournament play in Jeju. That decision paid off as he added his first Triton Poker trophy to his collection.

Wang triumphed in Event #5: $60,000 NLH 8-Handed, which had 154 entries and a $9,240,000 prize pool. In a challenging heads-up match that stretched into the early hours, he defeated New Zealand's Sosia Jiang, claiming $2,046,000. Jiang was on the brink of her first Triton win and could have become only the second female champion in the series’ history but settled for $1,381,000.

The tournament was intense from start to finish. Drama unfolded at the bubble when Jason Koon fell just two spots before ITM. The final table formation took an excruciatingly long time, with an average of only 23 blinds when Yu Zhang was eliminated in 10th place.

Once at the final table, the pace didn’t let up as players were vying for over two million dollars in winnings. The peak of excitement came during the heads-up match.

Wang and Jiang had relatively shallow stacks, leading to several dramatic double-ups for both players. The lead changed multiple times, with the winner finally revealed after an almost endless final day. The decisive hand came when Wang's K s 9 c faced Jiang's J c 8 s. The board 6 c K c 7 s 6 s T h confirmed Wang’s victory as the new champion.

Punnat Punsri Stays Unyielding – Thai Champion's Fifth Title
 

Few can match the consistency of Punnat Punsri at Triton. The Thai phenomenon added another victory in Jeju, dominating Event #6: $50K NLH 7-Handed. With 146 entries, he claimed his fifth Triton title and third in Jeju, bringing home $1,697,000 along with the trophy.

The final table included players like Jean-Noel Thorel, Samuel Mullur, and Igor Yaroshevskyy. However, most entered the finale under pressure from the blinds. Thorel was the first to exit, followed quickly by the Austrian trio of Mullur, Fritz, and Roiter.

Punsri's clashes with Yaroshevskyy brought the most excitement. At one point, it seemed the Ukrainian might reverse the momentum after a successful all-in, but soon all his chips moved in the opposite direction.

Heading into heads-up, Punsri faced Brandon Wilson with a massive chip lead. Despite Wilson's valiant effort, Punsri wasn't going to let the title slip away. The Thai star avoided repeating his slip in the Triton ONE Main Event, where he lost a similarly dominant heads-up position to Gebiss. Instead, he reinforced his reputation as one of the top names in today's high stakes scene.

High Stakes Heads-Up: Monarch vs. Limitless and Foxen
 

Besides the official tournaments, Jeju offered a special spectacle with two heads-up duels. The spotlight was on Finnish businessman and gambling enthusiast Ossi "Monarch" Ketola, who had lost $15 million in a heads-up match against Dan "Jungleman" Cates just a month ago. This weekend, he faced two elite opponents – Wiktor "Limitless" Malinowski and Alex Foxen.

Saturday: Limitless Punishes Daring Finn
 

In the opening series against Malinowski, they played for astronomical sums, each putting in $2 million. Monarch began boldly, even executing a successful bluff in a seven-figure pot, but couldn’t hold the lead for long.

Limitless found a pair of kings in a massive all-in worth $3.2 million, defeating Monarch's nines and shifting the momentum. Soon after, Ketola lost his remaining chips and offered Malinowski another match.

In the second round, they doubled the stakes, and once again Malinowski emerged victorious. In the final hand, Monarch hit a weaker pair, but Malinowski pushed all-in with a stronger combo. The Finn called and was again left empty-handed, losing a total of $6 million on Saturday.

Sunday: Foxen Strikes Back
 

The next day, Monarch faced Alex Foxen. The start was promising – the Finn ended the first duel in under an hour, winning $2 million by crushing Foxen’s straight with a flush.

But Foxen adapted. In the rematch, with $5 million per player, he took control, applying relentless pressure that tricked Monarch into unorthodox decisions. The final blow came when Foxen’s K d Q d defeated Monarch’s eights 8 h 8 c on a two-pair flop.

Weekend tallies: Monarch -$9,000,000, Malinowski +$6,000,000, Foxen +$3,000,000.

While the weekend was another costly lesson for the Finn, it showcased for viewers why Triton Poker Series isn't just about tournaments – but also spontaneous matchups that make high stakes history.

Source: Triton Poker Series, Triton Poker Plus, X, YouTube