Kunal Patni Ends Decade-Long Wait with GOP Phnom Penh Main Event Victory for $109,540

Patni’s Thoughts on the Win

A day after his victory, Somuchpoker caught up with Patni, who was still absorbing the weight of the win as he headed to the airport for his next stop in Hanoi. “This is surprisingly, you know, after 10 years of playing poker, 11 years of playing professional poker, this is my first ever main event trophy,” he said. “So it’s special. And it’s a super sexy trophy, so that makes it even better”. The win brought him to the brink of a massive milestone, placing him just a stone’s throw away from the $2 million mark in career live earnings.

Patni reflected on the grueling path to the title, specifically the unique tournament structure of the series. “It takes you a little bit of a time to get used to it because it’s a little different from what we are used to playing over the years,” he noted. “But frankly… I think it’s a fantastic structure. It gives you a lot of gameplay”. He admitted he nearly missed the event entirely due to travel logistics involving his passport. “I didn’t have my passport right now, it had gone for a Schengen visa… but when it came in late, I saw that I still could probably go for the main event”.

The final table provided a rollercoaster of emotions, including what Patni described as the hand of a lifetime—a royal flush. “If I remember correctly, this is the first time ever in my life that I hit a royal flush in a live poker game,” he said. While he extracted value from an opponent who had also made a flush, he later realized he had missed out on a huge boost. “If you’re going all-in on the river, you were getting a call,” his opponent told him afterward. “So when I hit the flush on the river, you would not put me on a flush, so if you went all-in you would have got all my chips”.

Despite the highlight reel, the win required absolute focus and a recovery from an early mistake. “I made a one massive spew… I lost the chip lead at that point,” Patni recalled, after opening king-queen from under the gun and jamming after the big blind three-bet, who had ace-king. He regained his footing through a sick hero call against the tightest player at the table.

“He barreled triple streets and went all-in on the river… I had to use like three or four time banks. I ended up calling and thankfully that was the right call”. Though he eventually reclaimed the lead, he dismissed any idea that the path was easy. “It looks easy to a lot of people who probably see the news… but it was a little bit of a roller coaster ride. It wasn’t as easy”.

Patni also praised the leadership behind the series, particularly his long-time friend and tournament director, Lloyd Fontillas. “I’ve known him for over 10 years now… he’s one of the best tournament directors out there,” Patni said. “When he started Gods of Poker… I had promised Lloyd I would definitely come and support him”.

When asked what comes next, Patni’s eyes were already on the next grind. “I’m going to go to Hanoi, there’s a series called the Centerpoint… I have like six-seven days left for the series,” he said. Beyond that, he is preparing for the ultimate stage in the United States. “I will be doing the full series at the World Series in Vegas. End of May I’m going to be there”. Before leaving, he noted the special relationship he has with the venue. Patni also referred back to his podium finish at WPT Cambodia a couple of months ago, logging a cash of $145,000  “Cambodia has been a good hunting ground for me… I like coming here”.