South Korea, LES A CasinoEVENT #9

2026.04.11 - 2026.04.12Add to Calendar

Red Dragon Poker Tour

Blind level

Level 12: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Entries

40/70

Total Chips

21,000,000

Average

525,000

Callum JuryCallum Jury

4/11/2026, 3:34:47 PM

Denmark's Martin Nielsen Leads the Dragon's Gate High Roller Field at the Close of Day 1

Level 12: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Martin Nielsen

The Dragon's Gate High Roller is underway at RDPT Plus Jeju, and Day 1 delivered exactly what you'd expect from a high-roller field on Jeju Island. From 72 total entries, just 36 players have survived to bag chips for Day 2, resulting in a formidable survivor list with a prize pool of KRW 314,280,000 currently up for grabs.

Leading the charge is Denmark's Martin Nielsen, who closes the opening day with a commanding 1,939,000 in chips. Nielsen burst onto the international scene when he captured the $10,000 Short Deck No-Limit Hold'em bracelet at the 2023 World Series of Poker, defeating a star-studded field that included five-time bracelet winner John Juanda. He backed that up with a runner-up finish at the Triton Super High Roller Series here in Jeju in 2024, banking a career-best $655,000. No stranger to Jeju or its high-roller fields, Nielsen looks every bit at home at the top of the counts once again.

Hot on his heels is China's Yin Zhang with 1,058,000, followed closely by fellow countryman Zhuzhai Wang, who rounds out the top three with 1,042,000.

Top 10 Counts

Player	Chips
MN Martin NielsenDenmark	1,939,000(242 BB)
ZW Zhuzhai WangChina	1,170,000(146 BB)
YZ Yin ZhangChina	1,042,000(130 BB)
MS Martin SedlakGermany	944,000(118 BB)
ZC Zengxiang ChenChina	845,000(106 BB)
WX Wang XuChina	845,000(106 BB)
HD Huu Dung NguyenViet Nam	795,000(99 BB)
MT Minh Thang TranViet Nam	795,000(99 BB)
IK Ivan KaratayeuBelarus	783,000(98 BB)
GW Guoliang WeiChina	300,000(38 BB)

The Day's Action

Andrey Golikov was among the day's big winners in the early going, flopping a full house with pocket deuces on a nine-nine-deuce board and denting Sean Ooi, who made the call on the river only to be shown the boat. The pot sent Golikov north of 400,000, while the Malaysian pro, who has close to $2m in live earnings, absorbed the hit and steadied.

Jianting Cai picked off an early big bluff from Haohui Ma, calling a near all-in river bet from Ma with pocket kings to take down a sizeable pot. Ma was unable to recover and was eliminated shortly after.

Perhaps the most dramatic moment of the day came when Nielsen's ace-queen hit an ace on the flop to leave Zhili Zhang drawing to a single out with pocket queens - only for that exact card to land on the river. Despite handing over a sizeable double-up, Nielsen took it in stride and continued to build, eventually finishing with the overnight lead. Zhang, for his part, was eliminated later in the day.

Martin Sedlak

Other Notable Baggers

Germany's Martin Sedlak put together an impressive day, bagging 944,000 to sit fourth overall, while American veteran Christian Harder, who boasts nearly $7 million in career earnings and was once ranked the number one tournament player in the world, secured 738,000, landing just outside the top 10 but keeping himself firmly in contention heading into Day 2.

Hungarian pro Patrik Demus, who captured the €1,650 PokerStars Open Main Event at EPT Paris just weeks ago for €551,090, looks to be carrying that momentum into Jeju after bagging 301,000.

Among the Australian contingent, Dylan Foster (608,000), Yuhang Liu (616,000), Yita Choong (341,000), and Amin Riyazati (458,000) all found bags, giving the region a strong presence heading into the business end of the event.

Zhang Congya and Methavee Taveekitvatee are the two women who navigated Day 1, bagging 677,000 and 418,000 respectively, both of them well-placed to make noise on Day 2.

Dylan Foster

Play resumes at Level 13 tomorrow at 13:00 local time, with late registration open until the end of Level 14. Stay tuned to Somuchpoker for continued coverage of the Dragon's Gate High Roller at RDPT Plus Jeju 2026.

Callum JuryCallum Jury

4/11/2026, 3:15:49 PM

Day 1 Concluded!

Level 12: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Day 1 of the Dragon's Gate High Roller has officially concluded, following the completion of the final three hands of the level. A short recap of the day's action will be posted shortly!

Callum JuryCallum Jury

4/11/2026, 3:10:59 PM

Fallen in the Last Level of the Day

Level 12: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Joseph Cheong

Level 12 is winding down, bringing Day 1 of the Dragon's Gate High Roller to a close. While the clock ticks toward the bag-and-tag, several short stacks looking for a late double-up have instead hit the rail.

Among the recent departures is Zhili Zhou, whose luck finally ran out after that miraculous one-outer earlier in the session. He is joined on the sidelines by Joseph Cheong, whose ace-ten was out-kicked by Yayun Liu’s ace-king in a three-way all-in, sending the high-stakes pro to the rail just before the end of the night.

Player	Chips
XL Xixiang LuoChina	busted
JC Joseph CheongUnited States of America	busted
HK Hyunyeong KangSouth Korea	busted
RS Ranno SootlaEstonia	busted
ZZ Zhili ZhouChina	busted

Callum JuryCallum Jury

4/11/2026, 2:56:13 PM

Zhang's Second Barrel Shakes Choong Off; Claims Some Back Next Hand

Level 12: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

Yita Choong

Shuida Zhang opened to 16,000 from under the gun, with Yita Choong being the only player to defend from the big blind.

On the 4♦ 3♠ 9♣ flop, Choong checked with an expressive tap on the table. Zhang fired a continuation bet of 16,000 and Choong made the call.

The J♣ landed on the turn and Choong checked a second time. This time, Zhang's second barrel of 75,000 was enough to force a fold and take it down.

Choong looked to get those chips back immediately in the very next hand. After Jianting Cai raised to 16,000 from the button, Choong shoved from the small blind for his remaining 306,000. Zhang spent some time mulling it over in the big blind before ultimately letting it go, and Cai quickly followed suit to give Choong the pot.

Player	Chips
JC Jianting CaiChina	570,000(71 BB)
SZ Shouda ZhangChina	410,000(51 BB)
YC Yita ChoongAustralia	345,000(43 BB)

Level 12: 4,000 / 8,000 ante: 8,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 40/66

Callum JuryCallum Jury

4/11/2026, 2:20:59 PM

One-Outer Saves Zhou

Level 11: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

Zhili Zhou

Yayun Liu opened to 12,000 from the cutoff, only to be met with a swift three-bet to 35,000 from Martin Nielsen on the button. Small blind Zhili Zhou then cold four-bet shoved for his remaining 113,000. Once Liu folded, Nielsen made the call to put Zhou at risk.

Zhili Zhou: Q♠ Q♦

Martin Nielsen: A♥ Q♣

Zhou was a favourite heading in with roughly 70% equity, but the 9♦ K♣ A♦ flop was a disaster, giving Nielsen top pair and dropping Zhou's chances to a mere 5%.

The 7♠ turn offered no help, but just as Zhou’s run looked over, the case Q♥ spiked on the river to shock the table.

"I thought you would have ace-queen, so I never expected the queen on the river," Nielsen told Zhou as he paid out the double-up, handing over a chunk of his stack and giving Zhou some much-needed breathing room.

Player	Chips
MN Martin NielsenDenmark	900,000(150 BB)
ZZ Zhili ZhouChina	245,000(41 BB)

Level 11: 3,000 / 6,000 ante: 6,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 43/66

Callum JuryCallum Jury

4/11/2026, 1:49:22 PM

Two Players Cross the Million-Chip Mark

Level 10: 3,000 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

Yin Zhang

With 66 entries now logged in the Dragon's Gate High Roller, just two levels remain before the survivors bag up for tomorrow’s Day 2 finale.

The average stack is currently hovering just under the half-million mark at 460,000, but two players have managed to separate themselves from the pack, becoming the first to cross the million-chip threshold.

China’s Yin Zhang currently occupies the pole position. It's unclear whether his hefty stack was bolstered by a KO in the earlier levels, but he recently padded his lead further after taking down a modest pot against Martin Sedlak with a small continuation-bet on a relatively static board, bringing his stack to 1,200,000.

Hot on his heels is fellow countryman Zhuzhai Wang, who sits with 1,170,000. With the finish line for the day in sight, both players look poised to use their massive stacks to pressure the field through the final levels of play.

Player	Chips
YZ Yin ZhangChina	1,200,000(240 BB)
ZW Zhuzhai WangChina	1,170,000(234 BB)

Callum JuryCallum Jury

4/11/2026, 1:25:16 PM

Red Dragon Regular Yuhan Liu in the Field

Level 10: 3,000 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

Yuhan Liu

Another name to keep a close eye on is Yuhan Liu, who has been logging a consistent run of results on the Red Dragon circuit over the last year. Liu has practically made the Jeju final tables his personal office, proving time and again that he knows exactly how to navigate these specific fields.

His consistency at the Jeju Poker Festival last November was particularly notable. He fought his way to a 5th-place finish in the Red Dragon Prestige High Roller for KRW 61,190,000 (~USD 42,000), just days after locking up 6th place in the K Poker Cup Main Event for another KRW 35,600,000.

Liu’s success with the Red Dragon brand is built on a high volume of deep runs and final table appearances. During the RDPT Jeju stop last July, he was a regular fixture in the winner's photos, taking down both the MegaStack Classic and a Hyper Turbo event. He also added a 4th-place finish in the Mini Main Event and a 3rd-place finish in the DeepStack Classic during that same series. With a trophy cabinet already filling up and a clear comfort level here in the LES A Casino, Liu is undoubtedly one of the top threats in the field this series.

Player	Chips
YL Yuhan LiuChina	300,000(60 BB)

Level 10: 3,000 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 41/64

Break

15 minutes

Remaining Players: 41/64

Callum JuryCallum Jury

4/11/2026, 12:47:06 PM

Ins and Outs

Level 9: 3,000 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

Ranno Sootla

Level 9 saw early chip leader Defeng Chen hit the rail, only to re-enter with a fresh stack of 300,000. Other notables that are firing their second bullet include Wenchao Liu and Ranno Sootla, with the likes of Jinze Zhang and Yunchao Yu currently still on the rail.

Player	Chips
DC Defeng ChenChina	300,000(60 BB)
WL Wenchao LiuChina	300,000(60 BB)
RS Ranno SootlaEstonia	300,000(60 BB)
HZ Hao ZhuChina	busted
JZ Jinze ZhangChina	busted
YY Yunchao YuChina	busted

Level 9: 3,000 / 5,000 ante: 5,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 44/61

Callum JuryCallum Jury

4/11/2026, 12:20:15 PM

Golikov Flops a Boat

Level 8: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

Andrey Golikov

There were around 110,000 chips sitting in the middle, and it was cutoff Andrey Golikov and button Sean Ooi battling for the pot.

The board read 9♣ 2♣ 9♦ Q♣, with the K♣ completing on the river. Golikov led out for around a two-thirds pot-sized bet of 69,000, sending Ooi into the tank. After utilising a timebank he eventually tossed in the call; Golikov flicked over 2♦ 2♥, having flopped a full house, and Ooi could only send his cards into the muck.

The pot gave a healthy boost to Golikov, sending his stack to around the 400,000 mark. Meanwhile, the hand left Ooi with a below-average stack of around 330,000. It's a hit for the Malaysian pro, but given he’s already logged multiple titles this year and has nearly $2 million in career earnings, he has more than enough experience to navigate such a minor setback.

Player	Chips
AG Andrey GolikovRussia	401,000(100 BB)
SO Sean OoiMalaysia	332,000(83 BB)

Callum JuryCallum Jury

4/11/2026, 11:52:47 AM

Prize Pool Crosses the KRW 250,000,000 Mark

Level 8: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

With 58 entries now recorded in the Dragon's Gate High Roller, the prize pool has officially exceeded the KRW 250,000,000 mark, standing at KRW 253,170,000 (USD 170,495).

With five more levels of play remaining today, and late registration open for a further two levels at the start of tomorrow's session, the prize pool has plenty of opportunity to swell even further.

Level 8: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 42/49

Callum JuryCallum Jury

4/11/2026, 11:38:40 AM

Table 36 Counts

Level 7: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

Player	Chips
CW Christian William HarderUnited States of America	825,000(206 BB)
DC Defeng ChenChina	650,000(163 BB)
KA Khoa Anh NgoViet Nam	470,000(118 BB)
JZ Jinze ZhangChina	315,000(79 BB)
JC Jianting CaiChina	287,000(72 BB)
RP Ryan PlantUnited Kingdom	285,000(71 BB)
XL Xixiang LuoChina	240,000(60 BB)

Level 7: 2,000 / 4,000 ante: 4,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 42/49

Break

15 minutes

Remaining Players: 42/49

60-Minute Dinner Break

Callum JuryCallum Jury

4/11/2026, 10:14:46 AM

Early Exits

Level 6: 1,500 / 3,000 ante: 3,000

The eliminations are mounting as the Dragon's Gate High Roller moves towards it's second break of the day. With registration open until level 14 on Day 2, there's still plenty of time for players re-enter and run up their stacks.

Player	Chips
HM Haohui MaChina	busted
QZ Quan ZhangChina	busted
CH Chang HeChina	busted
LD Liang DongChina	busted
ZL Zhaoyi LinChina	busted

Level 6: 1,500 / 3,000 ante: 3,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 40/42

Callum JuryCallum Jury

4/11/2026, 9:34:39 AM

Defeng Chen Leads the Top End of the Field; Cheong and Sedlak Making Significant Progress

Level 5: 1,500 / 2,500 ante: 2,500

With the average stack sitting at around 315,000, several players have begun to edge ahead of the rest of the field as the Dragon's Gate High Roller gets into the swing of things. Currently leading the pack is China's Defeng Chen with a substantial 717,000, but he has some world-class company hot on his heels.

Joseph Cheong has also made significant progress, sitting on a stack of around 633,000 chips. The Korean-American pro is a familiar face in these high-stakes circles, with more than $21 million in career earnings. Whilst his 3rd-place finish in the 2010 WSOP Main Event for over $4.1 million is his largest cash to date, he’s been absolutely lethal in Asia lately—currently sitting at the top of the APT all-time money list after a massive run in the region over the last two years.

Joseph Cheong

Also in the mix is Martin Sedlak, who is holding steady with 515,000. Sedlak has been a model of consistency on the Asian circuit recently, putting up a string of deep runs in Jeju at both the Triton and APT series. With a stack well above the average, he’s positioned perfectly to navigate the later stages of this opening High Roller.

Martin Sedlak

Player	Chips
DC Defeng ChenChina	717,000(287 BB)
JC Joseph CheongUnited States of America	633,000(253 BB)
MS Martin SedlakGermany	515,000(206 BB)

Level 5: 1,500 / 2,500 ante: 2,500

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 34/35

Callum JuryCallum Jury

4/11/2026, 9:02:41 AM

Zhang Out-Kicks Lin for a Double

Level 4: 1,000 / 2,000 ante: 2,000

Down to his last ~55,000 chips, Denis Zhang shoved from the small blind following a raise from button Yin Zhang.

Big blind Zhaoyi Lin tanked briefly before putting in the call. With the action back on Yin, he double-checked whether Lin had called or reshoved behind, before folding his holding.

Zhang and Lin then showed down:

Denis Zhang: A♦ J♥

Zhaoyi Lin: A♠ T♦

The dealer ran out Q♣ 6♠ 6♣, Zhang's jack playing as the live kicker. The 9♥ turn changed little, and the 8♣ completed the board — a life-saving double for Zhang, and a meaningful chunk out of Lin's stack.

Player	Chips
ZL Zhaoyi LinChina	220,000(110 BB)
DZ Denis ZhangChina	110,000(55 BB)

Level 4: 1,000 / 2,000 ante: 2,000

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 32/33

Break

15 minutes

Remaining Players: 32/33

Callum JuryCallum Jury

4/11/2026, 7:49:59 AM

EPT PokerStars Open Main Event Winner Patrik Demus Joins the Field

Level 3: 1,000 / 1,500 ante: 1,500

Patrik Demus

Patrik Demus has been quietly building one of the more impressive résumés on the Asian circuit lately, and Jeju is a staple stop on the Hungarian's calendar throughout the year. His first logged win came from the RDPT SuperStack Turbo Bounty event in November 2024, and made multiple deep runs in last year's edition of the Red Dragon series, including the Dragon Egg Mystery Bounty and Prestige High Roller, where he just missed out on the final table.

Things moved up a gear for Demus in Paris, just a couple of months ago. He topped a massive 2,992-entry field at the EPT PS Open Main Event to take home €551,090, which stands as the biggest score of his career by a long shot. Even with six of the eight finalists playing on home soil, including Enzo Nicolas who pushed him to the limit during heads-up play, Demus managed to pull off the win.

"There were so many moments over the years where I thought I was close… and then it slipped away. A lot of sacrifice, frustration and long days at the tables.

But this time it finally happened.

After 15 years and more than 10 million hands, I got to live the dream I’ve carried since the beginning. Still hard to believe."

– Demus via Instagram after the win

Credit: Jules Pochy / PokerNews

He isn't exactly a flashy player. He tends to be patient early on and saves his aggression for when it really counts, but those results are starting to speak for themselves. With over $1.2 million in live earnings and plenty of momentum, he’s worth keeping an eye on whenever he pulls up a chair.

Player	Chips
PD Patrik DemusHungary	300,000(200 BB)

Level 3: 1,000 / 1,500 ante: 1,500

40 minutes

Remaining Players: 32/33

Callum JuryCallum Jury

4/11/2026, 7:46:39 AM

Ma's Bluff Gets Sniffed Out

Level 2: 1,000 / 1,000 ante: 1,000

Konstantin Held raised to 2,500 from early position before being three-bet to 6,500 by Jianting Cai in the next seat. Held went to act once the action folded around, not realising Haohui Ma in the big blind was still yet to act, and received a one-hand penalty.

Ma made the call, with Held quickly calling behind, taking all three to the flop.

The dealer spread 4♥ 7♣ 8♦. Ma and Held checked; Cai fired 10,000, prompting a raise by Ma to 27,000 and a swift fold from Held. Cai tossed in the call.

The 4♦ turn slowed action down with a check-check.

The 5♦ completed the board on the river, completing the backdoor flush draw, and Ma led for 85,000, leaving just 5,000 behind. Cai was sent into the tank, and after using one timebank, they put in the call. Ma turned over K♠ Q♠ for king-high, whilst Cai had the best of it with K♣ K♦ for an overpair and monster holding.

In the next hand, Ma sent the last of his chips in with A♣ 4♣. He made two pair on the flop to seal the double-up through Kyung Min Lee, who held Q♣ T♣.

Player	Chips
JC Jianting CaiChina	630,000(630 BB)
KM Kyung Min LeeUnited States of America	320,000(320 BB)
KH Konstantin HeldGermany	270,000(270 BB)
HM Haohui MaChina	10,000(10 BB)

Level 2: 1,000 / 1,000 ante: 1,000

40 minutes

Callum JuryCallum Jury

4/11/2026, 6:25:56 AM

High Rollers Hitting the Felt

Level 1: 500 / 1,000 ante: 1,000

Player	Chips
YC Yita ChoongAustralia	300,000(300 BB)
DW Dylan Wayne FosterAustralia	300,000(300 BB)
IK Ivan KaratayeuBelarus	300,000(300 BB)
HM Haohui MaChina	300,000(300 BB)
MS Martin SedlakGermany	300,000(300 BB)

Level 1: 500 / 1,000 ante: 1,000

40 minutes

Callum JuryCallum Jury

4/11/2026, 4:03:06 AM

Dragon's Gate High Roller Day 1 Gets Underway at 15:00

RDPT Plus

The high rollers will be taking to the felt as the Dragon's Gate High Roller event gets underway at RDPT Plus at 15:00 local time. One of the early marquee side events of the festival, the tournament carries a KRW 5,000,000 buy-in and is expected to attract a formidable field looking to make an early impression—and a substantial score—here in Jeju.

Being the first High Roller event of the elevated RDPT Plus Series, the Dragon's Gate serves as a primary draw for the region’s most elite players. At RDPT II in Jeju last year, Tingjia Cao conquered the equivalent Prestige High Roller event, navigating a tough, 135-entry field to take home KRW 146,580,000 (~$107,560) — a career-best score for the Chinese pro and a reminder of just what's on offer when the Red Dragon comes to Jeju.

Tingjia Cao

Today's field will play down through 40-minute levels, late registration will be open until tomorrow, April 12, at level 14.

Stay with Somuchpoker for live updates throughout the day!

Event starts 15:00 local time..