TLPT AAPOKER (SHR) FINAL ($25,000)

After finishing 6th in Sunday's 191 player TLPT $15k Super High Roller Main Event for $130,000, Ivan Zhang puts a cherry on top by shipping the final event of The Lord Poker Tournament Super High Roller Series at Jeju Island’s Landing Resort for $162,000 and hoists his first TLPT trophy.

"I feel actually very excited, because yesterday when I was sitting at the table, I had some of the most successful poker players in the world sitting on the same table with me. I'm asking them if you guys have WSOP bracelets and everyone says, 'Yeah I do have one. I have two. I have four.' I'm thinking oh you know I am not a professional poker player and I'm sitting with these guys who actually got every poker player's dream."

When we started reporting on Day 1 in level 7, Ivan Zhang was sitting on a starting stack of 200K (50BB at the time) had a few ups and downs and went on a heater in the last two levels where he spun up his 271,000 to a massive lead of 1,066,000 (133 BB) at the end of level 10, adding 21BBs last minute by pressuring two opponents out of a multi raised pot on the turn.

He started Day 2 with Dominik Nitsche - four-time bracelet winner with over $20M in live earnings to his name - on his immediate left and found Renji Mao - 2023 WSOP Bracelet Event #26 Winner for $400K and fresh from his $737K biggest cash ever for finishing 3rd in the Triton Event #5 here in Jeju just two months ago - right behind him after his last minute entry on Day 2.

Finding little action and picking his spots carefully he was cruising through most of the day, always in the lead, but only chipping up slightly until he delivered his first elimination of Renji Mao in 4th with A♦ K♠ against Mao's A♠ Q♥ on a board that ran all blanks. From then on he dominated the game, winning the majority of hands, knocked out Quan Zhou in 3rd with A♣ J♣ versus A♠ T♣ that took him to the heads-up against Lei Yu as a 6:1 favorite. Shortly after that he delivered the final blow with K♥ K♣ against Yu's 6♥ 6♦ to hoist his first TLPT trophy.

"Well, you know I've been waiting and being patient in the beginning, playing only a few hands. This last event is probably the best, because I get a chance to play against all the best players in the world. I'm very happy today to play with them because I feel very excited that I have a chance to win this event and be the best as well."

Being one of the organizers of The Lord Poker Tournament, he had a thank you for everyone that has been a part of this event:

"I'm very thankful for all the players who came to play here, I appreciate all of them. This is the first time the TLPT came to Asia. We had four events in Brisbane last year, but this was our first ever official series. Even though we have had some overlay on our prize pool, because maybe we guaranteed too much, but we just want to provide the experience with lower buy-ins, medium buy-ins and high rollers combined together to bring more fun and exciting memories to people who really love poker. We want everyone to be a star."

A big thank you to everyone from the SMP Team as well and we hope to see you soon at one of the many stops on the Asian poker circuit.

After just bleeding chips without a single win in the past 16 hands, Mao Renji limps his small blind with 8♣ 7♣ and Lei Yu opts to check 9♠ 3♣ to the 6♣ 4♦ A♥ flop where a 20,000 lead grants him the pot and some confidence.

Right after picking up two small pots, Quan Zhou gets involved again, jamming 410,000 from the big blind with a min-raise and a flat in front. Both opponents let it go.

Ivan Zhang collected the blinds twice in a row and now we see Renji Mao open 30,000 from the button with big blind Quan Zhou defending. Zhou calls a 20,000 continuation on the A♣ 9♥ 5♣ flop before the 4♣ turn gets checked to the K♦ river. Zhou leads 25,000 with J♣ 6♣ flush and Mao snaps T♥ T♦ .

After picking up the blinds in the previous two hands, Renji Mao opens 30,000 with A♦ 8♣ from under the gun and big blind Ivan Zhang defends A♥ 4♣ . Mao continues for 25,000 on the 9♦ K♣ 6♦ flop, Zhang lets it go and both players show their aces.

Things are looking peachy for Barer when the dealer flips over 7♦ A♦ 7♠ 2♣ before going pear shaped on the river Q♥ . Taking us to the $35,000 money bubble with $162,000 going to the champion.

Still stacking the chips from the hand before, small blind Dominik Nitsche makes it 35,000 and Renji Mao defends to see the 5♠ Q♣ K♦ flop. Mao calls a 36,000 c-bet and the 8♣ turn gets checked to him. 60,000 go into the middle, Nitsche calls and the board completes 6♠ . Checking again, Dominik Nitsche is faced with another 225,000 bet from Mao, considers his options with the aid of two time banks before letting it go.

No flush or king for Thompson on A♣ A♠ ends his journey.