Main Event Short Deck

KOBE CONQUERS RECORD BREAKING JIN BEI CUP SHORT DECK MAIN EVENT FOR MASSIVE $1,656,000 PAYDAY

After seven hours of final day play, Kobe emerged as the first ever Jin Bei Cup Short Deck Main Event champion! Entering the final day running second in chips, Kobe was a dominant force throughout, railing numerous players including American pro Daniel Cates just after the money bubble burst. At heads up, Kobe only lost the lead once after doubling up Aori twice, but quickly regained it and closed it out.

A well deserved victory for Kobe who conquered the first ever Jin Bei Cup Short Deck Main Event for a payout of US$ 1,656,000.

Stay tuned for the recap.

Kobe is in complete control of the heads up with uncalled raises and check-raises taking down nearly every pot. Kobe is up nearly 5:1 in chips.

Kobe limps and Aori checks on the button and the dealer fans out the flop A♥ K♦ T♥ . Kobe leads out 400,000, Aori calls. Turn comes 7♣ , Aori switches up and bets 800,000, Kobe check-raises all in. Aori folds.

It is heads up here at the first ever Jin Bei Cup with Kobe and Aori both guaranteed to pocket a minimum million USD. The winner is due to lock up US$ 1,656,000 and the bragging rights inaugural title and trophy while runner up earns a substantial US$ 1,022,000.

Kobe limps in, Liu Ming Zhong folds, Aori checks on the button and both head to the flop Q♦ Q♣ 7♣ . Kobe leads out 300,000, Aori raises to 900,000, Kobe calls. Both check the turn 7♠ and see a free river A♦ . Kobe bangs out 1,200,000, Aori flats. Kobe shows his 9♦ 8♦ bluff, Aori wins with Q♠ 7♥ full house.

Biggest pot of the final table yet wit Aori opening 700,000 and cutoff Kobe calls to the flop A♦ 8♠ T♠ . Aori c-bets 800,000, Kobe makes it 4,000,000 to go, Aori tank-calls. On the turn A♣ , Kobe fires 2,000,000, which is enough to induce a fold. Kobe shows J♦ 9♦ as he drags in the huge pot.

Liu Ming Zhong open shoves 1,900,000 with A♣ J♦ and Tao Zong calls with K♦ 9♠ . Board runs out T♣ 7♠ 9♣ J♠ Q♠ , Zong pays up and is down to 4 antes.

End of the road for the last superstar player in the field with Daniel "Jungleman"Cates eliminated by Kobe in 8th place. Having just paid a double up to Joy, Cates shoves with J♣ T♥ , Kobe dominates with Q♥ T♣ , the board runs out A♦ 7♦ K♥ 8♥ 8♠ .

Dan Cates opens, Kobe three-bets, Cates calls the huge 1,650,000 and heads to the flop 6♦ 7♦ 9♠ . Kobe c-bets 1,100, Cates check-calls. On the turn 6♠ , Kobe announces all in, Cates tanks using up two time banks then folds.

Three way all in on a flop 7♠ Q♥ 9♥ , Guang Hui Luo holding A♦ J♠ , Joy with 9♠ 7♦ two pair, and Kobe looking to sweep with J♥ 6♥ flush draw. The turn Q♣ and river K♦ keep Joy ahead to ship it and send Guang out in 11th place.

Ke Xu is the first to claim a piece of the record prize pool as he goes bust in 12th place. His final hand is a desperate 7♠ 8♣ that falls to Liu Ming Zhong's T♠ T♥ on a board 6♠ K♠ J♦ A♦ 8♥ .

Button Dan Cates calls Quan Zhou's open to see a flop 7♥ J♥ T♦ . Zhou goes all in with J♣ J♠ set, Cates with 9♥ 8♥ straight, the turn K♠ and river Q♠ finishes Zhou on the stone cold bubble.

Sun Da Seng shoves with T♦ 8♦ Ke Zhu risks his short stack of 470,000 with A♥ J♠ . A♠ the board runs 8♣ K♥ 7♥ 9♥ 8♥ , Xu gets up to leave then sits back down with his hand improving to a flush.

Duan all in with K♦ Q♥ and proceeds to fall to Quan Zhou's A♣ K♣ with a board running 8♦ J♣ 7♠ A♥ Q♦ .

Sun Da Seng opens 435,000, Tao Zong string bet jams and is told he can only call. At the flop 6♠ Q♦ Q♠, Sun shoves, Tao calls.

Sun Da Seng K♦ T♦

Tao Zong A♣ J♦

The turn 8♦ and river J♠ are good for Tao to double up.

Two hands later, Sun pushes with A♥ Q♣ , Tao calls with A♠ K♥ , board is to Tao's favor running J♦ J♠ A♦ K♣ 8♦ for another double up through Sun.

Guang Hui Luo looks down at A♣ A♦ again and calls for his tournament life against Aori's shove with A♠ 6♠ . The board runs 6♥ 9♥ 8♠ 8♥ 9♠ for another double up to Guang.

Dan Cates open shoves and Gavin calls with way less chips. Cates says "I have a nice hand" and turns over Q♣ T♣ . Gavin has a strong one as well K♦ K♣ . The board lands A♥ T♦ 6♦ 7♦ 7♠ , Gavin ships it.

Kobe shoves Q♠ 8♠ right into Guang Hui Luo's A♣ A♠ . No bad beats come on a board T♦ 7♥ 8♥ J♥ T♥ . Guang survives and rises to

Jin Bei Cup: Xiao Yao bulldozes through Single Day NLH

Still two to the money here. Short stacked Duan all in for his las 3 bb and is called by big stacked Dan Cates. Duan has A♠ 8♠ , Cates with K♠ 9♣ , board runs 7♥ T♥ A♣ T♣ K♥ , Duan doubles through.

Joy is one of the short stacks out there and limps in with 9 bb, two spots over Sun Da Seng shoves. Action folds back to Joy who tanks and uses two time banks awaiting any shoves at the other tables. She then folds to save it for another hand.

Kobe open shoves with 9♠ 9♦ , Aori calls with A♦ Q♦ and is at risk of elimination. Board runs K♣ A♣ T♠ 8♥ J♠ , Aori survives and doubles through.

Sun Da Seng is now backed by a dominating stack of over 6 million and to help him get there are two uncalled shoves. The first hand Sun opens 300,000 and Ke Xu calls to the flop 6♣ 8♥ 6♥ . Sun fires 250,000, Ke calls. Sun fires a third barrel on the turn 9♦ , jamming all in, and this time Ke folds. Next hand, Sun Da Seng open shoves, no callers.

On a board 8♠ 9♠ 9♣ 8♥ Dan Cates bet 500,000 onto a pot of 860,000, Gavin tanks using up two time banks then frustratingly folds.

Liu Ming Zhong with A♠ 8♠, Tao Zong with K♣ J♠, board runs 6♠ 9♥ T♥ 7♣ 8♥ for the jack to play and Zong to double up.

Next hand, Zong is all in with A♣ T♣ and doubles up off Sun Da Seng's K♥ Q♥ on a board T♥ J♣ A♦ 9♥ A♠ .

Kenneth Kee has fallen just three spots from ITM. Kee first loses a portion after doubling up Guang Hui Lo with A♣ K♥ over A♠ Q♣ on a board A♦ J♣ J♥ T♣ 9♦ .

Two hands after, Kee is all in with A♦ T♦ and is dominated throughout by Kobe's A♣ K♦ on a board J♠ Q♥ A♥ T♠ 9♥ .

Esti Wang raises 175,000, Kobe calls, flop runs 7♠ Q♥ T♥. Wang checks, Kobe bets 225,000, Wang calls. Both check the turn Q♣ . Wang leads out 500,000 on the river J♣ and takes it uncontested.

Dan Cates is on fire raking in three double ups in succession. The first hand he shoves 175,000 with J♥ 7♠ and is called by Duan with K♥ 6♠ . Cates improves to top pair then further into a straight on a board 8♥ J♠ T♣ 9♣ 9♦ .

Next hand, sees a flop A♦ 7♦ 7♠ , Cates check-raises Quan Zhou's 75,000 bet, Zhou tank-jams, Cates calls and shows K♥ 7♥ trips. Zhou is bluffing with K♠ 9♠ . The turn J♣ and river 8♦ earns Cates his second double up.

Third consecutive, Cates open jams with A♣ K♠ , Duan calls with J♠ T♠ , the board runs 6♣ K♣ K♥ 7♠ T♣ .

Joy opens 160,000 preflop, Liu Ming Zhong tanks using up a couple of time banks then shoves. This time Joy goes deep in the tank as she is being challenged for nearly all of her chips. After using up a time bank, Joy folds.

Quan Zhou opens 175,000 then calls Duan's shove of just under 1,000,000. Duan has A♦ A♥ , Zhou A♣ Q♥ , board runs J♥ J♠ 8♠ 9♣ 8♣ .

Hot handed Kobe will not be taking down Guang Hui Luo with Q♣ T♣ surviving the race against Kobe's A♦ 9♥ on a board of K♣ Q♥ J♣ 7♦ 6♠ .

three way action sees a turn board 9♦ 8♥ 8♠ 7♠ Dan Cates raises from 50,000 to 200,000, only Gavin continues. On the river 7♣ , Cates shoves, Gavin calls, Cates gets paid for his T♥ 6♠ straight.

JIN BEI CUP SETS RECORD PRIZE POOL FOR SHORT DECK MAIN EVENT IN ASIA

MAY 9, 2024

Field is down to three tables with Kobe continuing his dominance taking down Xiao Hu with A♥ 8♥ over K♣ J♣ on a board T♥ 9♦ 6♥ 6♠ 6♦ .

Entering during the last levels of Day 1, lone female in the field Joy has spun up her chips by dusting Ming Yan. Both players were all in on a turn board Q♠ T♠ 6♣ J♦ , Yan with J♥ T♥ two pair, Joy ahead Q♦ T♦ , the river was K♦ .

After losing chips in the three way, Yang Yang sent the rest of his stack in with J♠ 10s and went bust against Kobe with K♦ Q♠ spiking the queen on the board 10d 9♥ 7♥ A♦ Q♥ .

Three way action to the flop Q♠ 9♦ 8♥ , Hua Ge bet 150,000 from utg and only Kobe called. On the turn 8♦ Hua fired again 250,000 and Kobe called again. The river 8♠ Hua jammed, Kobe snapped it off and showed 9♠ 9♥ full house for a higher boat . Hua was eliminated with Q♣ J♦ .

International pros Tom Dwan and Martin Nielsen have decided not to join the action as both were not spotted at the opening deal.

Registration and add-ons have closed! We will have the official numbers shortly. Currently the screen shows 105 entries with 24 players seated. Among the re-entries is Dan Cates who bought in for a double load amounting to four bullets of 600,000.