Stephen Song Wins TLPT Main Event SHR For $750K

05/19/2025

The Lord Poker Tournament - TLPT Jeju 2025 Trophy — The Lord Poker Tournament

USA’s Stephen Song added another major title to his growing poker portfolio, clinching the inaugural TLPT Main Event 15K Super High Roller title in Jeju and locking up a career highlight payday of $750,000. Song outlasted a stacked field of 191 entries in what was the richest No Limit Hold’em event ever staged in the region, backed by a $3 Million guarantee.

Dan Cates at TLPT Main Event 15K SHR — Dan Cates – TLPT Brand Ambassador

With a prize pool this large and no fees of any kind deducted, it brought in many of Asia’s elite grinders and European players such as Lei Yu, Yunkyu Song, Sean Ooi, Renji Mao, Ivan Zhang, Nguyen Quang Minh, Martin Nielsen, Gary Thompson, Amichai Barer, Calvin Sungwon Lee, Dominik Nitsche, Patrik Demus, including TLPT brand ambassadors Dan Cates and Quang Zhou.

Stephen Song’s Wins TLPT Main Event 15K SHR

Stephen Song at TLPT Main Event 15K SHR — Stephen Song

However it wasn’t smooth sailing for many, even Song needed multiple bullets during extended late registration to find his momentum. Song climbed steadily at Day 2 and returned for the final day among the top stacks.

James Mendoza runner-up at TLPT Main Event 15K SHR — James Mendoza runner-up

At the final day, Song went on a tear to amass a 6:1 lead entering heads up against James Mendoza. Despite a lengthy battle, Mendoza could not crack the big stack for Song to close it out and claim the $750,000 top prize.

#9 TLPT MAIN EVENT 15K (SHR) - 8 HANDED ($15,000)

Stephen Song Wins TLPT Main Event 15K SHR And $750K

USA's Stephen Song needed the extended late registration to get out of the hole and into the champion's seat at the inaugural TLPT Main Event 15K Super High Roller. Song outlasted the 191-entry field, keeping James Mendoza far behind at heads up to lock up a huge score of $750,000 and his first ever TLPT trophy. The TLPT Main Event 15K SHR was richest NLH event ever introduced in the region with a guarantee of $3 Million. The top 29 places earned a share with six figure payouts starting at 7th place.

Read up on the action via the Live Updates.

Interview With Stephen Song

Days prior to his victory, Somuchpoker interviewed Song after he reached the final table of the TLPT Main Event Circuit Series.

Congrats on making the final table! Its been an eventful day, almost out with Q♠ 6♠ and then running it up into the lead right after. How did you experience the day?

It was pretty exciting, I started the day with a big stack got to 600k right away then down to 300k then up to 2.5m then down to 900k and ended at 1.95m so it was a very rollercoaster day.

You will be starting the final table in 2nd with chip leader William Jia four seats to your right and a lot of short to medium stacks around you. What's the game plan for tomorrow?

I tend to not have an exact gameplay on these final tables, I try to just take it one hand at a time and see what happens. Experience definitely helps and takes away any nerves some other players might have. It helps with being able to execute without letting emotions tie into decision making too much.

Another congrats is in order on your recent EPT Barcelona win - the biggest cash of your career for $1.4M. How did that compare to all the other big cashes you've had before?

EPT Barcelona is definitely the highlight of my poker career. To win a massive main event of that stature still doesn’t feel like real life and extremely grateful for that win to this day.

Going back to the beginnings, how did you get into poker?

My dad taught me poker at the age of 10 when we watched the WSOP Main Event 2005.

What impact did the bracelet win in 2019 have on your life? Beating almost 2,500 players for your biggest win at the time?

Winning the bracelet in 2019 was a massive boost of confidence and bankroll. Without that win that early in my career who knows if I’d be where I am today.

Are you going to the WSOP this year to hunt for another bracelet?

I will be at WSOP again this year, obviously I want to win a bracelet but after playing for so many years I know to not expect anything so it is not a goal to win a bracelet more that if it happens that’s great and if not then can’t do anything about it.

Total Prize

$3,000,000

Guaranteed

3,000,000

Entries

191

ITM

#	Payout	Player
1	$750,000	SS Stephen Song United States of America
2	$450,000	JM James Mendoza United States of America
3	$320,000	MG Marius Gierse Germany
4	$220,000	MN Martin Nielsen Denmark
5	$170,000	PD Patrik Demus Hungary
6	$130,000	IZ Ivan Zhang China
7	$100,000	HW Hua Wei Lin Taiwan
8	$76,000	JZ Jiaming Zhao China
9	$62,000	HL Haitao Lei China