Three days of intense poker action have kicked off at the luxurious Landing Casino in Jeju Shinhwa World, as the highly anticipated Jeju Poker Festival — a collaboration between three major poker brands — continues in full swing.
The spotlight of the day was on the ongoing WPT Main Event, where Xiajing Ji from China finished Day 1B as the chip leader, securing the top spot on the leaderboard.
Meanwhile, several standout performances were seen across the side events:
Meng Ling Lin claimed victory in the WPT High Roller event, taking home the biggest prize of the day.
Jiaqi He emerged triumphant in another side event, capturing the championship trophy.
Xiaochuan Zhang and Jianfeng Sun also shined brightly, each winning titles in their respective side events.
WPT Main Event Day 1B Recap
Day 1B of the WPT Main Event has concluded, with 70 players advancing to Day 2. This flight attracted even more participants, totaling 207 entries, but after ten levels of intense play, only about one-third of the field survived. The field was dominated by Mainland Chinese players, and notably, all of the top ten chip leaders of the day were Chinese players.
Chip Leader: Xiajing Ji (China)
Xiajing Ji topped the counts with 366,500 chips after winning two crucial pots in the final hands to surge into the lead. Close behind were Evgenii Chzhen from Russia with 363,000, and Xinxin Jiang with 348,500.
The overall chip lead still belongs to Zhiyuan Zhang, the leader from Day 1A, who holds a slightly larger stack than Ji.
Other notable players advancing include:
Jinwoo Kim (Korea) – 249,500
Yayun Ding (China) – 231,000
Lirui Zhang (Lord Poker Tour) – 140,500
Pete Chen (WPT Ambassador) – 103,500
Joseph Cheong (USA) – 40,000
Upcoming Flights
The final starting flight will take place as scheduled, with all surviving players returning on Tuesday, November 19, for Day 2, where they will battle through eight levels of play.
Stay tuned for more updates as the action continues!
WPT Main Event Overview
Dates: November 16–22, 2024
Buy-in: KRW 2,500,000 (approximately USD 1,795)
Guaranteed Prize Pool: KRW 1,680,000,000 (approximately USD 1,206,430)
Tournament Schedule:
Day 1A: 120 entries – 42 players advanced
Day 1B: 207 entries – 70 players advanced
Day 1C: Monday, November 18
Day 2: Tuesday, November 19
Day 3: Wednesday, November 20
Day 4: Thursday, November 21
Final Day: Friday, November 22
Meng Ling Lin Wins WPT High Roller Championship
Taiwan’s Meng Ling Lin emerged victorious in the two-day WPT High Roller event, claiming her second WPT title of the Jeju series. Although Lin narrowly missed the podium in the WPT Opening Event, finishing fourth, she quickly bounced back in the High Roller, regaining her form on Day 1. As the last remaining female player in the field, she steadily built her stack and entered the final day among the top chip counts.
After an intense eleven-hour battle, Lin reached an ICM deal heads-up with Yunchao Yu, where Yu took the larger share of the KRW 323,010,000 (~USD 231,015) prize pool. Despite Yu’s bigger payout, Lin’s victory still earned her KRW 80,910,000 (~USD 57,865) — her second-largest career cash — along with the coveted WPT High Roller Ring and WPT Trophy.
High Roller Event Summary
- Date: November 16–17, 2024
- Buy-in: KRW 8,000,000 (~USD 5,720)
- Entries: 45 (37 unique players)
- Prize Pool: KRW 323,010,000 (~USD 231,015)
- ITM (Paid Places): 7 Players
WPT High Roller Payouts
Rank | First Name | Last Name | Country | Prize (KRW) | Prize (~USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Meng Ling | Lin | Taiwan | ₩80,910,000* | $57,811 |
2 | Yunchao | Yu | China | ₩102,000,000* | $72,881 |
3 | Jiayu | Ruan | China | ₩48,800,000 | $34,868 |
4 | Bin | Leng | China | ₩33,850,000 | $24,186 |
5 | Jiang | Pu | United Kingdom | ₩24,450,000 | $17,470 |
6 | Tien-Min | Liang | Taiwan | ₩18,450,000 | $13,183 |
7 | Yukako | Hiroi | Japan | ₩14,550,000 | $10,396 |
WPT Side Event Champions
Jiaqi He Wins Deepstack NLH Event
Jiaqi He from Japan captured the Deepstack No Limit Hold’em title at the WPT Jeju Festival, emerging victorious after a series of intense battles. He showcased exceptional skill and strategic control throughout the event, dominating the field and ultimately overcoming tough opponents to claim the trophy.
This victory marks an important milestone in He’s poker career, further solidifying his reputation in the Texas Hold’em scene. The Deepstack NLH event, known for its deep starting stacks and extended blind levels, provided players with ample opportunities to demonstrate patience, skill, and endurance.
Event Highlights
Champion: Jiaqi He
Event: Deepstack No Limit Hold’em
Location: WPT Jeju
Prize: VND 1,260,000,000 (~USD 50,380)
Entries: 132 players
Prize Pool: VND 2,100,000,000 (~USD 83,000)
Xiaochuan Zhang Stages Comeback to Win 5 Card Pot Limit Omaha
Xiaochuan Zhang triumphed in the 5 Card Pot Limit Omaha event, mounting a strong comeback to secure the championship title. His impressive performance and resilience throughout the competition earned him another major highlight in his poker career.
Fabrizio Falzei Claims Short Deck NLH Title
In the popular Short Deck No Limit Hold’em event, 14 players competed for a total prize pool of KRW 24,444,000 (~USD 17,480). Fabrizio Falzei from Italy emerged as the winner, taking home KRW 13,444,000 (~USD 9,615). This marks Falzei’s first career victory, making his trip to Jeju a truly memorable and rewarding one.
Jianfeng Sun Overcomes the Field to Win Win the Button Hyper Turbo Title
In the final side event of the series — Win the Button Hyper Turbo — China’s Jianfeng Sun triumphed over a field of 57 entries to capture his second WPT career title.
The fast-paced tournament concluded in under four hours, with Sun defeating Dongdong Sun heads-up to claim the championship. This victory added KRW 9,437,000 (~USD 6,750) to his career earnings, bringing his total live tournament winnings to approximately USD 650,000, marking another significant milestone in his poker journey.
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.