Jeju Poker Festival 2024: Baofeng Zhang Leads WPT Main Event Day 3 Charge; Three More Trophies Lifted

A thrilling day laid ahead at Landing Casino, Jeju Shinhwa World, with Jeju Poker Festival’s first headliner on schedule, WPT Main Event, playing through its Day 2 games. Only a third of its 667-entry field returned to the scene, and headed to battle in search of a piece of the KRW 1,680,000,000 (~USD 1,206,430) prize pool. By day’s end, 79 contenders remained in play with China’s Baofeng Zhang standing in the lead. All Day 3 qualifiers are now guaranteed a mincash of KRW 5,000,000 (~USD 3,575) as the race to the title and KRW 300,000,000 (~USD 214,560) top prize continues.

In addition, international runners Bayar Saran, Ryoma Tsunoda, and Thijs Hilberts, joined the series’ winners circle, having topped the day’s side events – Single Day High Roller NLH – Turbo, Limit 2-7 Triple Draw, and Hyper Turbo Bounty NLH, respectively.

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

Baofeng Zhang Stacks the Largest Across Day 2

Following seven levels of play, yesterday’s WPT Main Event Day 2 games closed with only 79 players out of its 229 Day 1 survivor list remaining in contention. The money trickled in by the evening with Yang Xu falling as the stone cold bubble, having been forced all-in for his last 10,000 right on the big blind. Xu failed to get past Xinghui Zhao’s full house across a multiway pot, and exited one spot short of the cut. Action was due to wrap up once ITM was reached at 96 places but was decided to push through the level’s end, resulting in two tables less onto Day 3. 

China’s Baofeng Zhang sits at the summit of the leaderboard with a dominating 1,520,000 chip count over the field, roughly 40 big blinds away from second in rank Yong Li. Zhang has held the lead since the last three levels, having landed a massive pot against Shuang Li following a two pair battle. The pivotal hand shipped nearly 200 big blinds in Zhang’s way as he carried this advantage through the day’s end. Fellow Chinese runners Yong Li and Baojie Lin round up the top three ranks, both of which stack just over a million.

Other notables who found a bag include Uzbekistan’s Valeriy Pak (580,000), China’s Linghui Dai (465,000), USA’s Joseph Cheong (335,000), UK’s Jun Li (301,000), and bracelet winner Renji Mao (83,000). Flight chip leaders Zhiyuan Zhang (772,000), and Xiaqing Ji (407,000), likewise survived the carnage, while day chip leader Junjie Ren missed to cash.

Action will resume today, November 20th, 12 noon, with the Day 3 battle set to play down to the last three tables (24 players).

WPT Main Event Review

• Dates: November 16-22, 2024
• Buy-in: KRW 2,500,000 (~USD 1,795)
• Guarantee: KRW 1,680,000,000 (~USD 1,206,430)
• Entries: 667 (378 unique)
• Prize pool: KRW 1,680,000,000 (~USD 1,206,430)
• ITM: 96 places

By The Numbers

• Day 1A: 120 entries, 42 qualified
• Day 1B: 207 entries, 70 qualified
• Day 1C: 340 entries, 117 qualified
• Day 2: 229 players, 79 qualified
• Day 3: Wednesday, November 20
• Day 4: Thursday, November 21
• Day 5 /Final: Friday, November 22

WPT Main Event Day 3 Top Ten Qualifiers

Total chips in play: 33,350,000
Average stack: 422,152 (42 BB)

Backtrack on the day’s action via SMP Live Updates

Side Event Winners

Bayar Saran Clinches Single Day High Roller NLH –  Turbo

Twenty levels of high stakes battle ensued before Mongolia’s Bayar Saran captured the victory at the Single Day High Roller NLH – Turbo games. Saran defeated Hao Yang at the final duel and won Mongolia its first win across the series. For his dominance, Saran claimed hold of the biggest payout on the list, padding his wallet KRW 28,296,000 (~USD 20,215) thicker than it was the day before.

• Date/s: November 19, 2024
• Buy-in: KRW 4,000,000 (~USD 2,860)
• Entries: 18 (17 unique)
• Prize pool: KRW 62,856,000 (~USD 44,950)
• ITM: 4 places

Single Day High Roller NLH – Turbo Full Payouts

Ryoma Tsunoda Wins Limit 2-7 Triple Draw

The first champion to be crowned across the four side events on the day’s schedule saw Japan’s Ryoma Tsunoda ship the victory over the Limit 2-7 Triple Draw games. Tsunoda bested the one-table field of 9 entries and secured the KRW 5,107,000 (~USD 3,650) top prize, having defeated Tsz Kin Heung in heads up play. Heung settled for another runner up finish, and remains to be on the hunt for a second series title.

• Date/s: November 19, 2024
• Buy-in: KRW 1,000,000 (~USD 715)
• Entries: 9 (8 unique)
• Prize pool: KRW 7,857,000 (~USD 5,620)
• ITM: 2 places

Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Full Payouts

Thijs Hilberts Crushes Hyper Turbo Bounty NLH

At the final side event on schedule, Hyper Turbo Bounty NLH, Netherlands’ Thijs Hilberts rose to the podium just around midnight, having topped the 86-entry field for his career second WPT title. Hilberts earned a mighty KRW 7,817,000 (~USD 5,585) in cashes for closing out the win, and racked up thirteen KRW 200,000 (~USD 140) bounties in addition, to bring his total winnings to a sweeter KRW 10,417,000 (~USD 7,450).

• Date/s: November 19, 2024
• Buy-in: KRW 600,000 (~USD 430)
• Entries: 86 (72 unique)
• Prize pool: KRW 27,847,000 (~USD 19,915)
• ITM: 13 places

Hyper Turbo Bounty NLH Final Table Results