Eric Tsai Scores First Million-Dollar Payday in King's 60K Super High Roller

Eric Tsai claimed the biggest title of the KPC Poker October Series so far, winning the King's 60K Super High Roller at LES A Casino in Jeju, South Korea.

Tsai beat Calvin Lee heads-up to collect USD 1,046,600, the biggest cash of his career, after finishing runner-up twice at the July KPC series. Lee took home USD 700,000 for second.

The USD 60,000 buy-in event drew 66 entries to build a USD 3,706,600 prize pool, the largest of the latest KPC festival so far.

King's 60K Super High Roller Final Table Results

Final Day Action

Ryuta Nakai led the final nine with 6,375,000, but the top of the counts was tightly bunched, with Tsai (5,650,000) and Lee (5,325,000) close behind. Marius Kudzmanas (4,250,000), Mehdi Chaoui (3,525,000), Ethan Yau (2,750,000), Candy Lin (2,550,000) and Manuel Martin Fritz (2,375,000) were all within striking distance, while Hugues Girard started as the clear short stack on 175,000.

Girard's Chip and a Chair

No one had a ride quite like Girard. Reduced to a single 25,000 chip on Day 2, the Frenchman arrived at the final table as the shortest stack with 175,000 and immediately went to work.

His queen-deuce of diamonds held against Marius Kudzmanas' king-nine in the first all-in of the day, and pocket jacks filled up against Tsai's ace-ten soon after. A third double came with king-queen of diamonds against Tsai's jack-eight, and a fourth through Kudzmanas, with ace-jack suited against ace-eight, took Girard to 2.4 million.

In between, Ethan Yau survived a scare when his ace-queen ran into Tsai's ace-jack, with the four-seven-four-seven-ten board counterfeiting both hands for a chop.

Candy Lin was the first to fall. Lee opened with pocket tens and Lin defended the big blind with seven-six of clubs, check-raising all in for 2,200,000 with top pair on a three-seven-four flop. Lee snap-called, and the runout sent Lin out in ninth for USD 120,000.

Lee Takes Control

Lee then built his stack in a huge pot against Kudzmanas, calling three streets with pocket queens on a ten-high board as Kudzmanas check-called with queen-ten. The pot reached around 4 million by the river, and Lee’s overpair took him to 10 million.

Day 1 chip leader Manuel Fritz fell in eighth for USD 150,000 when his pocket deuces failed to improve against Lee's fives, and Yau followed in seventh for USD 190,000. Yau moved in from the cutoff with king-queen, Lee re-shoved from the small blind with ace-king, and Yau found no help despite picking up a straight draw.

Tsai then took over the knockouts. Kudzmanas moved all in for 1,500,000 with ace-ten of hearts and ran into Tsai's pocket jacks, with the ten on the river completing a straight for Tsai and ending Kudzmanas' run in sixth for USD 240,000.

Overnight chip leader Ryuta Nakai never found any traction and fell in fifth for USD 300,000, three-betting his last 725,000 with ace-jack before Tsai woke up with ace-king in the big blind.

Girard doubled for a fifth time four-handed, his ace-queen rivering an ace against Mehdi Chaoui's king-jack to leave the Moroccan with just 300,000. Chaoui was all in on the very next hand with king-jack, and Lee's king-queen played through a king on the turn to send him out in fourth for USD 370,000.

Girard doubled once more three-handed, his king-jack holding against Lee's king-seven, but his run finally ended in third. He moved all in with king-jack and was called by Tsai's ace-queen, and while the jack on the flop put Girard ahead, the queen on the river gave Tsai the pot. Girard collected USD 470,000.

Tsai Gets Over the Line

Heads-up began with Lee holding 18 million to Tsai's 15 million, and the pair traded small pots until Tsai took the lead. Lee bet the turn with king-high and a gutshot into Tsai's turned two pair with jack-seven, and when Tsai filled up to sevens full on the river, he moved all in over Lee's 3.5 million bet. Lee folded, and Tsai led 21 million to 12 million.

Lee hit back, first shoving a deuce-four-seven flop with middle pair to force Tsai off top pair, and later climbing to 14 million with a big river shove.

The stacks stayed close for a while, but the final hand came when Lee moved all in for 12 million on the button with pocket jacks and Tsai called with king-jack. Lee's jacks held through the four-queen-ten-seven board until the nine on the river gave Tsai a straight and the title.

Lee's runner-up finish adds to a remarkable run in Jeju, where eight of his nine cashes in 2026 have come, including second in the APT Jeju Super High Roller just last month.

Tsai Dedicates Win to His Wife

"This is the largest cash of my career and my first seven-figure payout," said Tsai, who surpassed his previous best of USD 951,252. He dedicated the win to his wife, whose photo he held during the winner's photos as she was away competing in a pickleball tournament. "Even though she isn't here, I know she shares this joy with me."

Tsai pointed to two pivotal all-ins: the chop with Yau that kept him in the top half of the counts, and the three-handed clash with Girard. "Naturally, A-Q started ahead, but the flop came ten-jack, giving him a jack. Winning that runout in the end was extremely important."

Asked how he handles the pressure of high-stakes final tables, Tsai pointed to "bankroll, mindset, and experience," adding that business and investment setbacks had made the poker table feel comfortable by comparison. His one-word summary of the day: "Lucky."

Players can view the complete KPC Poker October Series schedule on Somuchpoker.

Images and data courtesy of KPC.