As the 2025 Jeju Poker Festival (JPF) moves into the middle stretch, the action inside Les A Casino continues to intensify with no signs of slowing down.
Several marquee events have already crowned their champions, new stars have emerged across the high-stakes scene, and the first of three Main Event trophies has found its home.
From massive buy-ins to thrilling team battles and record-breaking turnouts, the JPF has once again delivered on its reputation as one of Asia’s premier poker festivals.
Ye Wang Triumphs in KPC Super High Roller, Captures $682,200 — The Biggest Payday of JPF 2025!
After two days of intense high-stakes action and over thirteen hours of play on the final day, China’s Ye Wang emerged victorious in the KPC Super High Roller, defeating a field of 94 elite contenders to claim the massive USD $682,200 top prize.
According to The Hendon Mob, Wang currently ranks 7th on China’s all-time money list, with over USD $7.6 million in total live tournament earnings.
His hot streak continues this year following several impressive deep runs, including:
3rd place – USD $1,846,000
2nd place – USD $1,218,000
This latest victory in Jeju further solidifies Wang’s position as one of Asia’s premier high-stakes poker players.
🏆 KPC Super High Roller – Final Table Results
Place | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ye Wang | China | $682,200 |
2 | Calvin Lee | United States | $452,000 |
3 | Yita Choong | Australia | $307,000 |
4 | Hugues Girard | France | $222,000 |
5 | Denis Zhang | China | $164,000 |
6 | Hao Tian | China | $124,000 |
7 | Yu Ka Wing Winfred | Hong Kong | $100,000 |
8 | Jian Cui | China | $84,000 |
9 | Christian Harder | United States | $74,000 |
American pro Calvin Lee battled through multiple short-stack swings throughout the day to secure a runner-up finish worth $452,000.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Yita Choong claimed third place for $307,000, marking his best result of the year and pushing his career live earnings close to USD $3 million — another stellar highlight in his growing résumé.
Ye Wang’s Road to Victory
For Ye Wang, the path to victory was anything but smooth. After busting on Day 1, he decided to fire a second bullet (re-entry) and made a spectacular comeback on Day 2.
Key moments included:
Double-up vs. Tsz Kin Heung — spiking a queen on the river to seize back momentum.
Bubble elimination of Xiushen Wei — holding A♣J♠ against A♦6♦, locking up his place in the money.
Entering the final table with the second-largest stack, Wang applied relentless pressure from start to finish. The decisive moment came in the final all-in confrontation against Calvin Lee, where both players made a flush — but Wang’s ace-high flush prevailed, earning him the $682,200 USD top prize and the KPC Super High Roller champion title!
Dong Chen Captures the KPC Single Day Super High Roller Title!
Alongside Ye Wang’s triumph in the KPC Super High Roller, another Chinese standout — Dong Chen — delivered a sensational performance to claim his own moment of glory.
Chen conquered the KPC Single Day Super High Roller, overcoming a 107-player field packed with elite talent to secure a massive $240,100 USD payout.
A Stage for Asia’s Elite
As one of only two USD-denominated high-roller events on the schedule (the other being the KPC Super High Roller), this tournament drew Asia’s top professionals for an intense showdown under the brightest lights.
A total of 17 players reached the money, including several WSOP bracelet winners:
Guoliang Wei (魏国樑)
Joseph Cheong (张正伟)
Weiran Pu (蒲伟然)
All three went deep but ultimately fell short of the final table, highlighting just how competitive this star-studded field truly was.
🏆 KPC Single Day Super High Roller – Final Table Results
Place | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
🥇 1 | Dong Chen | Hong Kong | $240,100 |
🥈 2 | Yi Liu | China | $160,000 |
🥉 3 | Alan Zheng | Australia | $110,000 |
4 | Yandong Guo | China | $80,000 |
5 | Xiaoyu Li | China | $58,000 |
6 | Kwan Chun Kit | Hong Kong | $45,000 |
7 | Abhijith Cheruku | India | $36,000 |
8 | Dingxiang Ong | Singapore | $29,000 |
9 | Lei Yu | China | $26,000 |
Champion Highlight: Dong Chen Reaches a New Career Peak
WSOP bracelet holder Lei Yu bowed out in 9th place, leaving Dong Chen as the only bracelet winner to reach the money and ultimately capture the title.
When the final hand was dealt, Dong Chen secured not only another prestigious trophy but also the largest single payout of the Jeju Poker Festival so far — $240,100 USD.
This victory marked a new personal milestone for Chen, further solidifying his reputation as one of Asia’s most consistent high-stakes performers, and adding another shining trophy for Team Hong Kong on the international poker stage.
Zengxiang Chen Wins WPT Prime Korea Main Event
The 2025 Jeju Poker Festival (JPF) has crowned its first Main Event champion!
China’s Zengxiang Chen emerged victorious at Les A Casino, capturing the WPT Prime Korea Main Event title and achieving a career-defining triumph.
From Cash Games to Championship Glory
In just six months since transitioning from cash games to tournaments, Chen showcased remarkable composure and strategy, claiming the top prize of KRW 129,030,000 (~USD $90,365) along with his first-ever WPT Prime trophy.
This victory marks not only a personal milestone for Chen but also a proud moment for Team China, as he secured the first Main Event championship of the Jeju Poker Festival — the first of three marquee titles to be awarded this season.
The JPF unites three of Asia’s most prestigious brands — World Poker Tour (WPT), K Poker Cup (KPC), and Red Dragon Poker Tour — forming one of the region’s largest and most influential poker festivals.
The KRW 1,500,000 (~USD $1,070) buy-in Main Event attracted 515 entries across three starting flights, smashing the KRW 350,000,000 guarantee to generate a total prize pool of KRW 667,440,000 (~USD $467,430).
WPT Prime Korea Main Event – Final Table Results
Place | Player | Country | Prize (KRW) | Prize (~USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
🥇 1 | Zengxiang Chen | China | 129,030,000 | $90,365 |
🥈 2 | Changliang Sun | China | 85,150,000 | $59,635 |
🥉 3 | Akihide Shimizu | Japan | 63,010,000 | $44,130 |
4 | Patrick Liang | Taiwan | 46,920,000 | $32,860 |
5 | Daniel Lei | United States | 35,240,000 | $24,680 |
6 | Chenxu Zhang | China | 26,760,000 | $18,740 |
7 | Jingxuan Zhu | China | 20,560,000 | $14,400 |
8 | Jia Xiao | China | 15,890,000 | $11,130 |
9 | Duy Thuc Nguyen | Vietnam | 12,410,000 | $8,690 |
Final Table Recap & Winning Hand
At the final table, Zengxiang Chen displayed remarkable control and precision, systematically eliminating several opponents before reaching the heads-up stage against fellow countryman Changliang Sun.
In the decisive hand, Chen held pocket nines (9♣9♠) against Sun’s Q♥T♥. The board ran out favorably for Chen, who made a full house on the river, defeating Sun’s straight and securing the championship title.
This victory marks a major breakthrough for Chen, who transitioned from a cash game regular to a WPT champion in just six months, solidifying his status as one of China’s rising stars in the Asian poker scene.
Champion’s Reflections
After his victory, Zengxiang Chen spoke through a translator and shared insight into his poker journey:
“I’ve been playing cash games for about four years, and only started playing tournaments around half a year ago.
After busting the WSOP Online Main Event in September, I began studying the champion’s training course and learned a lot from it.
It helped me adjust my mindset and improve my game — which eventually led to this win.”
Chen emphasized that this triumph is just the beginning, and he’s determined to continue pursuing greater success in upcoming events.
Despite earning one of the biggest prizes of his career, Chen revealed that he wasn’t planning any celebration — instead, he’s already focused on the next challenge.
“No celebration,” he said with a smile.
“I’ll keep playing. Tomorrow, I plan to join the KPC Main Event Day 1d or 1e.”
Team “Pay With Crypto” Wins Red Dragon Team Event Championship
Amid fierce competition at the Jeju Poker Festival (JPF), Team “Pay With Crypto” (PWC) delivered an outstanding all-around performance to claim the KRW 2,000,000 RD Expedition Club – Red Dragon Team Event title.
With a total of 46 points, the team secured the overall championship and the $14,272 first-place prize.
🏆 Three-Team Challenges: A Triumph of Strategy and Unity
The unique team event featured three formats, each testing a different aspect of poker strategy and teamwork:
8-Handed Sit & Go
Tag Team KO Sit & Go
Heads-Up Elimination
Each team had to balance individual skill and collective coordination to earn points across all rounds and contend for the top overall ranking.
Key Highlights
“Fxxk ICM” dominated the Sit & Go round with back-to-back knockouts.
“Red Dragon Poker Queen” claimed the Heads-Up Elimination title.
“Project Refill” triumphed in the Tag Team KO, defeating both PWC and Red Dragon Poker Tourists to take first place in that segment.
Although “Pay With Crypto” fell short in the final format, their consistent results across all three challenges propelled them to the top of the leaderboard — earning them the Red Dragon Team Event Championship and solidifying their reputation as one of the most well-balanced teams in the festival.
KPC Main Event Bursts with Record Field as Defending Champion Joris Michl Eyes Back-to-Back Titles
The K Poker Cup (KPC) Main Event has taken center stage at the Jeju Poker Festival (JPF), drawing massive crowds and electric energy inside Les A Casino.
Across five starting flights, the event amassed 1,252 total entries, easily surpassing its KRW 880,000,000 guarantee and generating a KRW 1,406,250,000 (~USD $970,000) prize pool.
💥 Starting Flight Recap
Day 1A: 282 entries, led by Jinze Zhang (540,000).
Day 1B: 250 entries added, with Yuhan Liu (681,000) emerging as the overall chip leader.
Day 1C (Turbo): Defending champion Joris Michl bagged 188,000 chips, keeping his dream of back-to-back titles alive.
🏆 Survivors and Leaders
A total of 191 players reached the money, with 152 advancing to Day 2.
Leading the field is Vietnam’s Duy Thuc Nguyen (952,000), followed closely by Liying Su (907,000).
Other notable contenders still in the mix include:
Red Dragon Champion Jianting Cai, Martin Sedlak, Joshua McCully, Tom Verbruggen, Dicky Tsang, and three-time WSOP bracelet winner Xixiang Luo.
💰 Multi-Bag Bonus Rewards
Players who qualified through multiple flights earned additional bonuses:
Player | Bonus |
|---|---|
Chang Liu | KRW 7,000,000 (~USD $4,800) |
Hui Liu | KRW 7,000,000 (~USD $4,800) |
Jiabao Cai | KRW 7,000,000 (~USD $4,800) |
Jishui Hao | KRW 7,000,000 (~USD $4,800) |
Wenwen Chen | KRW 7,000,000 (~USD $4,800) |
Tianwei Zhang (3-time qualifier) | KRW 22,000,000 (~USD $15,200) |
🪙 Prize Structure & Tournament Progress
All remaining players are guaranteed KRW 3,000,000 (~USD $2,075),
while the eventual champion will walk away with KRW 200,940,000 (~USD $139,000).
Day 2 resumes at Level 16 (3,000/6,000) with nine minutes left on the clock before switching to 60-minute blind levels as the field battles toward the final stages.
🔥 Upcoming Feature Events
🧠 KPC High Roller (Nov 6–7)
Buy-in: KRW 8,000,000
Starting stack: 200,000 chips
Levels: 40 minutes each
Late registration open until end of Level 9
🐉 Red Dragon Championship (Nov 7–12)
Guarantee: KRW 1.65 billion
Poker icon Patrik Antonius confirmed to appear
Early bird packages sold out, with anticipation building for this flagship event
🥚 “We Poker” Dragon Egg Mystery Bounty (Nov 10–11)
Sponsored by We Poker
Additional KRW 140,000,000 added to the bounty pool
Featuring a KRW 100,000,000 top bounty prize
Players will crack golden dragon eggs to reveal their prizes, continuing one of the most entertaining traditions of the Red Dragon Series.
Red Dragon Poker APP Officially Launched
The long-established tournament brand Red Dragon Cup has now released its own app — “Red Dragon Poker.”
The Red Dragon Cup is a well-known Asian poker brand with a strong reputation across the region. Originating in Macau, it quickly became one of the most influential poker events in Asia. Red Dragon Poker tournaments regularly attract players from all over the world, offering massive fields and impressive prize pools.
For those interested, we highly recommend downloading the “Red Dragon Poker” app to join more exciting tournaments.