Michel Molenaar Wins 25K Single Day Super High Roller as King's Main Event Draws 169 Entries
Sunday, October 18 saw three more trophies handed out at the KPC Poker October Series, with the high rollers back in action at LES A Casino in Jeju, South Korea.
Michel Molenaar won the 25K Single Day Super High Roller for USD 140,000, his second title of the series, while Zongjin Sui took down the King's Big Bet Mix for USD 12,000.
Elsewhere on the KPC schedule, the King's Main Event closed registration with 169 entries and a USD 2,372,760 prize pool, with Tony Lin and Candy Lin bagging the Day 1B and Day 1C chip leads.
Michel Molenaar Wins 25K Single Day Super High Roller
The USD 25,000 Single Day Super High Roller drew 10 entries to build a USD 234,000 prize pool, with only the top two paid. Punnat Punsri fired three bullets without success, and Manuel Fritz went out twice.
Lei Yu, who won the series' first 25K Single Day Super High Roller, fell in fourth when his pocket tens were rivered by Vladas Tamasauskas' king-queen. Tamasauskas was then ground down and burst the bubble in third, his ace-king losing to Mehdi Chaoui's eight-four of clubs on a three-club flop.
Molenaar took 2.1 million into heads-up play against Chaoui's 895,000, and Chaoui never found a way back. On the final hand, Molenaar moved all in on the button with pocket fours and Chaoui called off his last 595,000 with ace-deuce. A four on the turn gave Molenaar a set, and the three on the river filled him up to seal the title. Chaoui earned USD 94,000 as runner-up.
Molenaar was full of praise for the KPC experience after his win.
"It feels very luxurious in a way, like the service and everything with our hosts and the staff," he said. "You basically get treated like a VIP here, which is incredible. You have some stops where you're just customer number 700, you know? And that's kind of what makes it feel different."
Asked what has stood out most, he joked: "How good I'm running." He also pointed to the atmosphere at the tables: "The Chinese players show up in big numbers, and it creates very nice prize pools to play for. They bring a good atmosphere to the table, which is always nice. You don't want to be miserable playing cards for 10 hours a day."
Molenaar will be back in Jeju for the Red Dragon series co-hosted by KPC, and plans to return in January, where he will "probably" be celebrating his birthday.
25K Single Day Super High Roller Results
Place | Player | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|
1st | 140,000 | |
2nd | 94,000 |
Tamasauskas Leads King's Main Event into Day 2
The USD 15,000 buy-in King's Main Event drew 68 entries on Day 1B and 38 on Day 1C, taking the final tally to 169 entries and a USD 2,372,760 prize pool. Fifty players return for Day 2 on Monday.
Tony Lin bagged the Day 1B lead with 5,275,000, just behind overall leader Tamasauskas (5,635,000). Lin's big moment came in the middle stages of the day, when he turned a straight with jack-five suited to eliminate King's Debut champion Yan Wen Yee. Hyunyeong Kang (3,410,000) and Ethan Yau (2,520,000) were next best on Day 1B.
Gytis Lazauninkas found a triple up in a three-way all-in. Bin Leng moved all in for 248,000 on the button with ace-ten, Lazauninkas shoved for 130,000 from the small blind with pocket nines, and Junjie Xu called from the big blind with pocket eights. The board changed nothing, with Lazauninkas' nines taking the main pot and Xu's eights the side pot. Lazauninkas bagged 1,465,000.
Winfred Yu was down to his last 15,000 when he called all in with six-five against Matas Cimbolas' king-six, and a four on the river completed his straight. Yu went on to bag 1,230,000. Fabian Gumz also survived a big spot when his ace-king held against Joseph Cheong's king-eight, and he finished with 1,605,000.
Candy Lin topped the Day 1C field with 3,115,000, ahead of Seunghyun Nam (2,890,000) and Xiaoyu Li (2,645,000). Several players bounced back after falling on Day 1B, with Cheong, Yee, Cimbolas and Xu all bagging on Day 1C, alongside Hugues Girard and Tom Verbruggen.
King's Main Event Day 2 Top 10 Stacks
Rank | Player | Chips | Flight |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5,635,000 | 1A | |
2 | 5,275,000 | 1B | |
3 | 4,080,000 | 1A | |
4 | 3,410,000 | 1B | |
5 | 3,115,000 | 1C | |
6 | 2,925,000 | 1A | |
7 | 2,890,000 | 1C | |
8 | Unknown | 2,775,000 | 1A |
9 | 2,645,000 | 1C | |
10 | 2,520,000 | 1B |
Zongjin Sui Wins King's Big Bet Mix
The USD 2,000 King's Big Bet Mix drew 11 entries for a USD 19,841 prize pool, with two places paid. Sui beat Danny Tang heads-up, a day after Tang's birthday win in the King's Big O. On the final hand, Tang moved all in with ace-deuce and Sui called with ten-nine. A ten on the flop paired Sui, and Tang couldn't catch up, settling for USD 7,800.
King's Big Bet Mix Results
Place | Player | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|
1st | 12,000 | |
2nd | 7,800 |
Biao Ding Wins King's PLO Escalating Bounty
The USD 4,000 King's PLO Escalating Bounty drew 22 entries for a USD 79,365 prize pool. Ding, who had already bagged 1,545,000 on Day 1B of the King's Main Event earlier in the day, beat fellow Main Event survivor Dong Chen heads-up to collect USD 24,900.
Chen earned USD 13,000 as runner-up, while Punnat Punsri finished third for USD 6,500.
King's PLO Escalating Bounty Results
Place | Player | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|
1st | 24,900 | |
2nd | 13,000 | |
3rd | 6,500 |
Monday, October 19 Schedule
Start | Event | Buy-In | Registration Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
1:00 p.m. | Event #52 The King's Main Event - Day 2 | USD 15,000 | Closed |
3:00 p.m. | Event #59 20K NLH 6-Handed | USD 20,000 | 8:00 p.m. |
8:00 p.m. | Event #60 King's PLO 6-Handed | USD 5,000 | 11:15 p.m. |
Day 2 of the King's Main Event gets underway at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, October 19, with the USD 20,000 NLH 6-Handed also on the schedule.
Players can view the complete KPC Poker October Series schedule on Somuchpoker.
Images and data courtesy of KPC.
About the Editor
Callum Jury is Somuchpoker's Live Content and Social Media Specialist, reporting live from WSOP and Asia Pacific poker festivals including the APT and PokerStars LIVE series. Originally from the Lake District in the UK, he has covered the Southeast Asian poker circuit since 2025, combining day-by-day tournament reporting with the social and digital content that brings the action to fans.
Related News
Live PokerRecapHsuan Chao Chen Wins TMT Championship Kick-Off for NTD 587,000
Hsuan Chao Chen wins the 501-entry TMTC Kick-Off for NTD 587,000, while Chee Hong Loh leads 29 players into the Target Stack final at TMT Championship 2026.
Live PokerRecapWouter Beltz Leads APPT Championship Final Table With ₱13,200,000 Up Top
Wouter Beltz leads the APPT Championship Manila final nine, Czardy Rivera wins the Mystery Bounty, and Dohwan Kim tops the High Roller.
Live PokerRecapPoker Dream 26 Malaysia Main Event Down to 16 Players as Yang Siang Ang Leads; Lang See Tan Wins Ladies Main Event
Yang Siang Ang leads the final 16 in the Poker Dream 26 Malaysia Main Event. Lang See Tan wins the Ladies Main Event, while the Monster Stack draws 431 entries and players gather for the festival’s Player Party.
Live PokerRecapPhilippines’ Martin Barril Wins Taipei Open for NTD 245,400 as TMT Championship 2026 Kick Off Draws 501 Entries
The Taiwan Millions Tournament Championship 2026 (TMTC 2026) continued in Taipei on Day 2, with the Philippines’ Martin Barril winning the Taipei Open for NTD 245,400 (~USD 7,670). The TMTC Kick-Off drew 501 entries across three flights, with 77 players advancing to Day 2.
Live PokerRecapZhi Ye Defeats Nevan Chang to Take 20K Crown Hunt as Lei Li Wins Monster Stack
Zhi Ye wins the 20K Crown Hunt for USD 233,500 and Lei Li takes the Monster Stack as Vladas Tamasauskas leads King's Main Event Day 1A in Jeju.
Live PokerRecapPoker Dream 26 Malaysia Main Event Draws 1,266 Entries, Builds MYR 4.64 Million Prize Pool
Poker Dream 26 Malaysia Main Event draws 1,266 entries to build a MYR 4.64 million (~USD 1.135 million) prize pool, surpassing its MYR 4 million guarantee. A total of 174 players advance to Day 2, with MYR 685,000 awaiting the champion.