Jeju Poker Festival 2024: Cheng Yen Lo Back in the Lead for KPC Main Event Final Day

Down to its last week of festivities, Jeju Poker Festival’s second Main Event on schedule is close to crowning its champion with today’s KPC Main Event having played down to the final eight. Taiwan’s Cheng Yen Lo has since stepped back into the lead after topping the Day 3 battle, reclaiming the advantage just in time for the final round. Each contender is now guaranteed KRW 20,700,000 (~USD 14,860) in winnings, with the KRW 190,000,000 (~USD 136,410) top prize closer in sight.

Across the side event lineup, multi-day highlight, Jeju Poker Cup, is likewise moving forward to its Final Day games with China’s Xudong Jin leading the charge over the 38-survivor list. China’s Chao Li also shined above the rest with a victory at the Ultra Stack NLH earning him a second career trophy win.

Stay tuned to SMP Live Updates as the games unfold, and catch the latest action directly off the floor.

Jeju Poker Festival 2024 – Player Guide
Jeju Poker Festival 2024 – Festival Results
Jeju Poker Festival 2024 – Live Updates

Cheng Yen Lo Leads KPC Main Event Final Eight

Twenty players out of the KPC Main Event 530-entry field headed back to the Landing Casino battlegrounds, each vying for a spot into the final table. The first casualty was delivered just minutes after the clock hit start, with only eleven players remaining in contention by the first break. Taiwan’s Cheng Yen Lo inched over the top spot after busting Yongbin Wang in 12th place over a flip, and carried this advantage all the way to bagging time. Lo capped the day with a 4,130,000 (103 BB) stack to lead the Final Day games, leaving a 25 BB distance from the next contender.

Netherlands’ Joris Michl, approximately a million behind, comes second in rank, having claimed a boost off of day chip leader Wei Chen Lin right at the final table. Michl called down Lin’s bluff with rivered trips and added over a third of his stack right at the last level of play. Luckily, Lin recovered just as the day closed after delivering Xiaohui Wang’s elimination in 9th place to end with 2,900,000 (73 BB), and round up the top three spots.

Action resumes on Tuesday, November 26th, 12 noon, where one of the eight will rise to victory.

Korea Poker Cup Main Event Review

• Dates: November 22-26, 2024
• Buy-in: KRW 1,600,000 (~USD 1,145)
• Guarantee: KRW 1,000,000,000 (~USD 718,110)
• Entries: 530 (247 unique)
• Prize pool: KRW 1,000,000,000 (~USD 718,110)
• ITM: 87 places

By the Numbers

• Day 1A: 195 entries, 45 qualified
• Day 1B: 210 entries, 48 qualified
• Day 1C Turbo: 125 entries, 42 qualified
• Day 2: 135 players, 20 qualified
• Day 3: 20 players, 8 qualified
• Day 4 /Final: Tuesday, November 26

KPC Main Event Final Table Chip Counts

Level 24: 20,000 / 40,000 ante 40,000
Total chips in play: 15,900,000
Average stack: 1,987,500 (49 BB)

Backtrack on the day’s action via SMP Live Updates

Remaining Payouts

Xudong Jin Tops Jeju Cup Day 1 Rounds

Two Jeju Cup starting flights have run through over the past two days, and attracted a combined 297 entries, generating a KRW 311,140,000 (~USD 221,215) prize pool to be shared across the Final Day games. Each heat played down to ITM, where only 38 players managed to secure a spot. All returning players are now guaranteed a mincash of KRW 2,310,000 (~USD 1,640), along with a chance to capture the KRW 65,900,000 (~USD 46,855) top prize.

Final flight Day 1B drew in a much larger turnout of 210 entries in comparison to initial flight’s 87-entry field, and found 27 additional runners advancing through. China’s Xudong Jin topped the list, having bagged a mammoth 718,000 chip count to lead the pack. Day 1A chip leader Jiale Li set the record at 315,000, yet sits only 4th across the overall order after WPT Korea Main Event second runner up Dong Li and UK’s Jun Li brought in bigger stacks from the final flight to land the top three counts.

• Date/s: November 24-26, 2024
• Buy-in: KRW 1,200,000 (~USD 850)
• Entries: 297 (173 unique)
• Prize pool: KRW 311,140,000 (~USD 221,215)
• ITM: 38 places

Jeju Cup Top Ten Day 2 Qualifiers

Chao Li Wins Ultra Stack NLH

Following a nine hour grind, Chao Li emerged victorious across the Ultra Stack NLH games, and banked the largest payout on the list at KRW 24,080,000 (~USD 17,205). Li outlasted the 96-entry field and captured one of the last KPC trophies at stake, earning him a career second trophy victory. Runner up Hidenari Tomita was left to settle for a second place payout, marking his second series KPC cash with KRW 16,050,000 (~USD 11,465) in winnings.

• Date/s: November 25, 2024
• Buy-in: KRW 1,000,000 (~USD 710)
• Entries: 96 (77 unique)
• Prize pool: KRW 83,810,000 (~USD 214,690)
• ITM: 12 places

Ultra Stack NLH Full Payouts