TMT 19 Final Day: Zee Hyo Jung Crowns TMT 19 Main Event Champion After Epic Comeback

The TMT 19 Main Event Final Day concluded in spectacular fashion at Red Space, capping off the Taiwan Millions Tournament (TMT) 19 on a high note. South Korea’s Zee Hyo Jung etched his name into TMT history books by conquering a fierce 8,066-entry field, generating a jaw-dropping TWD 59,236,800 (~ USD 1,871,792) prize pool.

Jung secured his place among the festival’s champions in style, taking home the coveted trophy along with a monumental TWD 6,800,000 (~USD 215,200) first-place prize. Starting the day as the chip leader, he faced a mid-day downswirl but battled back to reclaim the top stack at the final table. After a tense tie, he ultimately outmaneuvered the tactical Pao Hsuan Hsu from Taiwan to claim the Main Event title, leaving a legacy that will be remembered for years to come.

Riding the momentum of the festival, Zee Hyo Jung not only secured his place among the TMT Main Event champions but also set a new personal record with his career-best payout, establishing a new benchmark in his poker resume.

With an impressive turnout, TMT not only delivered life-changing payouts for the final nine survivors but also awarded an invaluable ticket to the 2026 TMTC, giving the final table elites even more opportunities to write their own chapters in the Taiwan Millions Tournament 2026 history book.

With coveted payouts and seats to the 2026 TMTC on the line, the first objective for the returning 36 players was to battle their way to the final table, each vying for another chance to compete in a benchmark-setting festival and create their own glorious moments.

The player who faced the harshest end to his day was Hong Kong’s Beng Hong Ker , who fell in the very first hand-for-hand play for the Final Table. Ker open-shoved with king-jack but ran headfirst into Jin Yu Chen ’s pocket fives. With the board running out clean, Ker hit the rail in tenth place, falling just one spot shy of the final table, and with that, the coveted 2026 TMTC tickets slipped through his fingers.

Final Table Results

Champion’s Reaction: A Story of Redemption and Strategy

For Zee Hyo Jung, the road to the TMT 19 crown was as much about personal redemption as it was about tactical precision. Having first discovered poker in a college club, Jung took a four-year break before recently returning to the tournament circuit. This victory served as the ultimate reward for that time away. “I’m incredibly happy,” Jung shared. “I have the support of my brothers and juniors, and it feels like the challenges of the past four years were all redeemed in this one moment.”

Jung’s performance at the final table was a masterclass in short-stack survival. Entering the finale as one of the underdog stacks for the second time in his career, he remained focused on doubling up and making high-value plays. “Poker reminded me once again that it is a game of skill,” he noted. “Because it was the final table, the play was very tight. I focused on stealing blinds to gain momentum, and fortunately, it allowed me to take control of the game.”

Despite reaching what he considers the peak of his career, Jung plans to take a temporary step back from the felt. Mentioning the social challenges of playing poker in South Korea, he intends to focus on international travel for future games. However, his first experience with the Taiwan Millions Tournament has left a lasting impression. “To have such a happy ending in my first TMT is wonderful,” Jung concluded. “I definitely plan to return, and next time, I’ll be looking to return as the chip leader.”

Jung’s Epic Chip Lead Fight

Korea’s Zee Hyo Jung bagged the chip lead on Day 2 to start his Final Day. Despite scoring some eliminations and trying to add more ammunition to his stack before the final table, his momentum briefly stalled.

One of the victims before the final table was Oliwer Sankiewicz from the United States, whose king-high shove ran straight into Jung’s ace-high call . Jung caught the right side of fortune, flopping aces and then improving to a rivered set, sending Sankiewicz out decisively.

Jung also chipped up more from Wen Ting Lin , demonstrating the precision of a true poker pro. Facing Lin’s river bluff , Jung went deep in the tank before eventually making the call. At showdown, Jung successfully picked off Lin’s ace-high bluff with his mid-pair of tens.

Since then, Jung’s momentum seemed to stall as he entered the final table with the second-shortest stack. However, he didn’t let the setback last long. Soon after You Xi Yang ’s exit, he scored a crucial double-up against Po Yu Chang . Jung shoved with an open-ended straight draw to face Chang’s flopped pair of fours. On the turn, Jung flipped the script and completed his straight, cracking Chang’s two pair and raking in a double-up, marking the true beginning of his underdog story.

Jung continued chipping up when he faced chip leader Pao Hsuan Hsu . He rivered two pair and called Hsu’s ace-high river bet, further building his stack. After a few more hands of chip exchanges between players, Jung climbed the leaderboard, holding the fourth-largest stack.

The next player to contribute chips to Jung’s stack was Xianwen Fu . Jung extracted heavy two-street value with a flopped pair of kings , staying ahead of Fu’s turned pair of jacks. Although Fu earned some revenge with a double-up a few hands later, Jung quickly replenished his stack by picking up more chips from Jin Yu Chen .

The momentum peaked in a pivotal clash against Hsu. Jung called with pocket tens after Hsu three-bet with pocket jacks. Jung check-called the flop when it came down to the river, where a crucial card completed a full house for Jung . Sensing the moment, Jung fired out a chunky river bet, which Hsu ultimately called, handing over the chip lead.

Holding onto the chip lead was anything but easy, as Hsu soon chipped away at Jung by extracting two massive pots in quick succession. In the first hand, Hsu picked up a flopped flush and pulled in two streets of value from Jung. Although Jung eventually yielded to Hsu’s triple barrel, he still edged out a slim lead of just two big blinds after the hand.

The two clashed again shortly after. This time, Hsu rivered another flush and fired a second barrel. Jung made the call and paid it off, surrendering the chip lead.

Jung’s first victim at the final table was Jin Yu Chen, who shoved with king-high and ran straight into Jung’s pocket fives. With no help from the board, Chen hit the rail, adding more chips to Jung’s stack.

Sitting second on the leaderboard, Jung continued to look for ways to build his stack. However, Chun Lin Shih briefly halted his momentum when Jung’s king-high ran into Shih’s ace-high . With the board offering no help, Jung paid off Shih’s double-up.

Jung didn’t linger on the setback for long. Instead, he quickly refilled his arsenal by taking down Po Yu Chang’s stack. Chang shoved with pocket tens, only to run headfirst into Jung’s flopped pair of jacks . The runout offered no miracle for Chang, shipping his chips Jung’s way. With Chang’s stack added, Jung reclaimed the chip lead.

Jung’s bitter rival soon struck back. Hsu opened with ace-nine suited and check-raised after picking up a flush draw. The river completed Hsu’s flush, and he fired a hefty double barrel. Jung paid it off with his flopped pair of kings, taking a significant hit and relinquishing the chip lead for the second time to Hsu .

The tug-of-war at the top then tightened to a near standstill as Jung successfully bluffed Hsu off a turned pair of eights with his pocket fives, closing the gap to just one big blind.

The final knockout before heads-up came at the hands of Jung against Shih. Both players tabled king-high, but Shih’s six kicker was dominated by Jung’s jack kicker. The board ran out clean, ending Shih’s deep run in third place and boosting Jung back into the chip lead heading into heads-up play.

Heads-Up

Carrying a dominant stack into heads-up play, Jung wrapped up the final sprint in fewer than ten hands. Jung four-bet shoved with king-jack against Hsu’s pocket jacks and seized control on the flop with a king. With Hsu’s hooks cracked, the match ended with Hsu settling for the runner-up spot.

The victory of Zee Hyo Jung at the TMT 19 Main Event serves as a historic milestone, marking one of the most remarkable underdog stories in the tournament’s history. By outlasting a monumental field of 8,066 entries and overcoming a significant chip deficit at the final table, Jung demonstrated the resilience and tactical precision required of a true champion.

His head-to-head battle with Pao Hsuan Hsu provided a fittingly dramatic end to a festival characterized by limit-shattering prize pools and intense international competition. As the Taiwan Millions Tournament looks forward to its milestone 20th edition, Jung’s legacy, defined by his career-best payout and a hard-fought title, stands as a beacon of inspiration for all who aspire to reach the summit of Asian poker.