“RD Expedition Club” Red Dragon Team Event (2,000,000 KRW)

The KRW 2,000,000 RD Expedition Club – Red Dragon Team Event has wrapped up in the grand LES A Casino (formerly Landing Casino), marking an intense competition for Day 1 of the Jeju Poker Festival 2025 that stretched nearly 12 hours.

It was Zizheng Huang who emerged victorious in Round 1 after outlasting 36 teams (a 144-entry field), while Yubo Feng claimed the title in Resurrection Round 2, each showcasing skill and resilience throughout the marathon battle.

After steadily building his stack throughout the day, Huang entered the final table second in chips, holding about half the stack of chip leader Vitalii Kogai. Despite taking a big hit when his king-queen ran into Jiaming Li’s pocket kings, he bounced back in a three-way all-in where both his and Haohui Ma’s ace-jack hands cut deeply into Kogai’s lead after Kogai’s ace-five failed to improve.

The table thinned and Huang and Kogai were the last two standing. Huang began heads-up play at an almost 2:1 disadvantage, which widened to 3:1 after folding to Kogai’s turn aggression. But through a series of well-timed shoves and steady blind pickups, he clawed back to even, gradually turning the tide in his favour.

The duel reached its conclusion when a short-stacked Kogai shoved with ten-eight and Huang called with queen-six. The board ran clean, keeping queen-high ahead and sealing the win for Huang and Team Poker Mars as the Round 1 victors.

Feng didn’t enjoy as smooth a start on his path to victory as his Round 1 counterpart, beginning the final table second to last in chips with just 48,000, or around 2.5 big blinds. In a perfectly timed shove with ace-ten, he quadrupled up against Wenjun He’s queen-ten and Chuning Tan’s ace-queen, pairing both cards to make two pair and climb to nearly 200,000.

From there, Feng was on a mission. In another three-way all in, his ace-king held strong for top pair, out-kicking Xing Yu Liu’s king-jack and Chuning Tan’s ace-eight to send Tan to the rail.

The round neared its climax with a dramatic double elimination, as Feng’s pocket kings held against Wenjie Wang’s king-three and Chunguang Zhang’s ace-jack, giving him a commanding lead and sending the game heads up between him and Liu.

With over a 3:1 chip advantage, the heads up match against Liu lasted just one hand, with Feng’s nine-seven connecting for a straight on the turn and securing the Round 2 title for him and his team, Pay with Crypto.

Tune back into Somuchpoker tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. local time for live coverage and the thrilling conclusion to this event!

After eliminating Xing Yu Liu, Yubo Feng has secured victory for himself and his team, Pay With Crypto. Tomorrow, four final teams will face off in a series of heats to determine the ultimate winner.

Stay tuned for a recap of the day's action.

In the very first hand of the final duel of the day, Yubo Feng limped in on the button, only to face a shove from Xingyu Liu for 207,000 in the big blind. Feng responded with a call to put his tablemate at risk.

Yubo Feng: 9♦ 7♦

Xingyu Liu: J♠ 3♣

Liu's jack-high picked up the lead against Feng's nine-high, but Feng took it over on the T♥ 8♣ 9♣ flop, improving him to a pair of nines.

The 6♠ hit on the turn, blooming Feng's pair to a straight and leaving Liu drawing very thin.

Unfortunately for Liu, the river came a J♥, sealing his fate as the runner-up.

Yubo Feng and Xing Yu Liu are now heads up representing their teams for the second round of the RD Expedition Event.

Wenjie Wang moved all in from under the gun for their remaining 98,000 chips. Small blind Chunguang Zhang re-shoved with 281,000, and big blind Yubo Feng, with the covering stack, called to go three-way to showdown:

Wenjie Wang: K♥ 3♠

Chunguang Zhang: A♦ J♥

Yubo Feng: K♠ K♣

Wang was in serious trouble, completely dominated, and Feng only needed a dry board to keep his kings ahead and claim the double knockout.

The board ran 2♣ 5♠ Q♥ 9♥ K♦, giving Feng a set on the river and sending Wang out in 4th and Zhang in 3rd.

Yubo Feng raised to 100,000 in the cutoff, and Chuning Tan called off his last 68,000 on the button. Xingyu Liu then moved all in from the big blind for 281,000. Feng called off his last 19,000 chips.

Xingyu Liu: K♣ J♥

Chuning Tan: A♠ 8♦

Yubo Feng: A♦ K♥

Feng took the lead with ace-king and held control on the monochrome 4♦ 7♦ Q♦ flop, giving Tan and Feng a flush draw.

The dealer sent a K♠ on the turn, improving Feng to top pair of aces and leaving his two opponents drawing thin.

The 9♠ hit on the river, sending Tan out of the field.

Chunguang Zhang shoved from under the gun for 160,000 and got two callers: cutoff Chuning Tan and big blind Wenjun He. Tan had 2,000 behind and He was the short stack with 80,000:

Wenjun He: 7♥ 7♣

Chunguang Zhang: K♦ K♣

Chuning Tan: K♥ Q♥

Zhang was in excellent shape to surge ahead. The 6♣ Q♦ 5♦ 2♣ 9♠ runout eliminated He in 6th place and left Tan crippled with just 2,000 in chips.

Haisheng Qiu moved all of his 18,000 short stack in from the button and Xingyu Liu checked from the big blind:

Haisheng Qiu: A♣ 4♣

Xingyu Liu: A♥ 7♠

The 3♦ 6♦ 2♦ 4♥ 5♣ board gave both players a straight, but Liu’s seven put him ahead, sending Qiu out in seventh place.

Yubo Feng shoved the hijack for 48,000, and Chuning Tan also committed his chips for 129,000. Wenjun He dropped in the call to put his two opponents at risk.

Wenjun He: Q♥ T♠

Yubo Feng: A♦ T♥

Chuning Tan: A♠ Q♣

Tan dominated the hand with ace-queen, but the 7♣ T♦ 4♦ flop turned the tide for He and Feng, both connecting with their ten.

The A♣ on the turn improved Feng to two pair, boosting his chances of survival.

The river J♥ sealed the deal, locking up a quadruple-up pot for Feng.

Wenjie Wang shoved for 57,000 from under the gun and Chunguang Zhang called from the hijack.

Wenjie Wang: K♦ 7♠

Chunguang Zhang: A♠ Q♥

Zhang held the lead with ace-high, but Wang turned the tide on the K♠ 2♥ 5♦ flop, pairing her king to take control of the hand.

The dealer completed the board with J♠ Q♠, securing a double-up for Wang.

Wenjun He moved all in for 132,000 from the hijack and was called by big blind Yuhan Liu, putting himself at risk:

Yuhan Liu: K♦ T♦

Wenjun He: A♠ 8♠

The 6♠ 4♠ A♣ flop firmly secured He's lead, the K♥ turn nor J♥ river brought any salvation to Liu, who was eliminated in 8th place.

Guoliang Wei shoved for 14,000 from under the gun, and Chunguang Zhang re-shoved for 163,000 on the button. After a string of folds from the remaining players, Wei was left at risk against Zhang.

Guoliang Wei: 9♣ 2♥

Chunguang Zhang: A♥ K♠

Zhang picked up the lead with ace-high and maintained his dominance on the 5♦ 6♠ 5♥ flop. The turn brought a Q♦, leaving Wei still looking to spike a nine or deuce for his survival.

Unfortunately for Wei, the river didn't cooperate as it bricked out a 3♣, sending him to the rail.

The RD Expedition Club – Resurrection Round 2 field is down to its final nine contenders. Play will be live-streamed with a 30-minute delay, so fans can catch every intense showdown without missing a beat.

To watch the stream: Click here.

When the action was caught, Zhen Liu was all in for 32,000 and Yubo Feng called from the small blind.

Yubo Feng: K♠ 3♠

Zhen Liu: A♦ 6♣

Feng trailed with his king-high against Liu’s ace-high, and Liu extended his dominance on the 4♣ 8♥ A♥ flop, leaving Feng drawing thin.

The K♦ on the turn connected with Feng’s king but still wasn’t enough to overtake Liu.

Fortunately for Liu, the river came clean with the 9♠, securing a tournament-saving double-up.

Cutoff Zhenfang Huang shoved for his remaining 60,500 chips and was re-shoved to 263,000 by small blind Xing Yu Liu. Once the big blind got out of the way, they revealed their hands:

Zhenfang Huang: A♠ Q♠

Xing Yu Liu: A♦ 3♦

Huang looked set for a double and was feeling confident as the 9♥ 8♠ 6♦ K♣ turn and river hit the felt.

"Three," came wryly from Haisheng Qiu in seat one.

The dealer flipped over the 3♣ river card.

"F*** you! B******," Huang said to Qiu jokingly, as the table burst out laughing.

Xingyu Liu shoved for 108,000 from middle position and was put at risk by Zhenfang Huang in the big blind.

Zhenfang Huang: A♦ 7♣

Xingyu Liu: 8♠ 8♣

Liu held the lead with pocket eights and extended his dominance on the 8♥ 4♦ 9♠ flop, improving him to a set of eights. The turn revealed a J♠, offering Huang a gutshot.

The 7♠ hit on the river, giving Huang a pair of sevens; however, it was no match for Liu's set. Liu dragged in a much-needed double-up.

UTG Xing Yu Liu raised to 16,000 and was called by big blind Nan Zhang.

Zhang checked the A♥ K♥ 2♣ flop, then promptly folded when Liu continued for 10,000.

Chuning Tan raised to 12,000 from middle position and got a call from Luowei Qiu in the big blind.

Qiu moved all in for 31,000 on the A♦ Q♣ 9♠ flop, and Tan called instantly:

Luowei Qiu: Q♠ 9♥

Chuning Tan: A♥ K♣

Qiu’s two pair held as the 2♦ and 5♠ completed the board, earning him a double through Tan.

Zhongbo Jin open-shoved for 39,500 on the button and Haohui Ma also moved all in for 19,000. Bo Cheng called off his 24,000 from the big blind.

Haohui Ma: A♦ 3♠

Bo Cheng: A♥ 8♠

Zhongbo Jin: Q♠ Q♣

Jin picked up the lead with pocket queens and maintained his dominance despite Ma connecting his three with the 4♣ 2♦ 3♣ flop.

The turn brought a J♠, leaving Cheng drawing thin. The river bricked out a T♠, sending Cheng to the rail.

When the action was picked, Yunchao Yu was already all in for 19,500 from middle position, and Guoliang Wei responded with the call in the small blind.

Yunchao Yu: 7♠ 6♦

Guoliang Wei: K♣ T♠

Wei held the command with king-high and maintained his dominance on the 9♦ Q♦ 5♣ flop while getting a gutshot.

The turn came a J♥, completing Wei's straight and leaving Yu drawing dead.

The K♠ river came as a formality, sending Yu to the rail and shipping the pot Wei's way.

Chuning Tan open-shoved from under the gun for around 108,000. Yixi Tan then called off his last 23,500 in the big blind, putting his tournament life on the line.

Yixi Tan: 3♠ 3♣

Chuning Tan: 6♣ 6♥

Tan's sixes picked up the lead and held control on the A♦ Q♠ 7♥ flop. The dealer revealed a 9♥ on the turn, leaving Tan still looking for a three for his survival.

The 8♥ river sealed Tan’s fate, awarding the pot to his opponent and enlisting another knockout.

Xinwen Zhang open-shoved from early position for 14,500 and was put at risk by Hao Tian from middle position.

Xinwen Zhang: Q♥ J♠

Hao Tian: K♦ 9♦

Tian picked up the lead with king-high against Zhang's queen-high and extended his dominance on the 6♦ K♥ 6♣ flop, connecting with his king.

The turn showed a T♦, giving Zhang an open-ended straight draw. Unfortunately for Zhang, the river bricked out a 8♦, sending her to the rail.

Yisha Chen raised to 3,000 from under the gun and received a call from button Yong Li.

Chen fired 3,500 once the 2♦ 8♦ 4♣ hit the felt, prompting a swift fold from Li.

Yang Yang raised to 2,000 from middle position and faced a three-bet shove to 12,500 from Yuming Poon in the hijack. Yang made the call:

Yuming Poon: K♠ J♦

Yang Yang: 7♠ 7♣

The 4♣ 4♦ 9♥ A♣ 8♦ runout kept Yang’s sevens in front, sending another player to the rail at the feature table.

Jiajun Feng moved all in for 5,500 from early position and after asking for a count, Yang Yang called from the big blind:

Jiajun Feng: A♦ 3♦

Yang Yang: Q♥ T♠

The dealer fanned the 2♣ 9♦ 4♦ flop, keeping queen-high ahead. Feng secured his double when the Q♦ landed on the turn, completing his flush, and the 5♦ completed the board.

Players are on the first 15-minute break now.

With a sizable pot in the middle, the board ran out 6♠ 3♦ 7♥ 9♠, and Bo Cheng led out with a 2,200 bet from the big blind. Renji Mao then cranked it up to 6,000 from early position. Cheng responded with the call.

The Q♠ landed on the river, and Cheng checked to Mao, who then shoved for around 33,000. It pushed Cheng out of the pot successfully.

Wenjun He opened to 1,200 from the hijack, only to face a shove from Weiwai Huang from the small blind for 19,700. He responded with the call to put her opponent at risk.

Wenjun He: A♥ Q♣

Weiwai Huang: 7♣ 7♣

Huang picked up the lead with his sevens and held control on the J♠ 8♣ K♠ flop. However, the dealer sent bad news to Huang on the A♠ turn, improving He to the top pair of aces.

The board-pairing 8♦ came on the river, officially sending Huang to the rail.

Ying Song opened the hijack to 800, and Tingjia Cao defended his big blind.

On the 5♦ 9♣ 3♦ flop, Cao check-called after Song continued for 1,000. Action went check-check on the 3♥ turn.

When a K♥ rolled off on the river, Cao checked to Song, who fired out 2,000. After using one time bank card, Cao eventually let go of his cards.

The action was picked up on the turn with roughly 10,000 chips in the pot and the board reading Q♠ 7♥ 6♠ 3♥. Haisheng Qiu checked from the big blind, and Andy Chen also knuckled it back from early position.

When a J♣ rolled off on the river, Qui checked to Chen, who fired out 5,400. Qui snap-folded.

The RD Expedition Club – Resurrection Round 2 gets underway at 19:00 local time, giving those pros who fell in Round 1 a second chance at redemption. These players return to the felt determined to make up for earlier exits and fight their way back into contention.

The structure mirrors the previous rounds, but with faster 10-minute blind levels, putting an added emphasis on quick decision-making and aggressive play. Every hand matters, and players will need to navigate both the pressure of the clock and the challenge of the table to survive this resurrection round.

Stay tuned to Somuchpoker as the Jeju Poker Festival 2025 Day 1 unfolds with the team events moving into Round 2!

Event starts 18:00 local time.