Kung Yu-Chien Takes Down Players Series Taiwan Championship For NT$ 3.6M (~US$ 109K)

Following its debut last December, Players Serieskicked it up a notch, starting the year off with a Championship edition, marked by a NT$ 20,000,000 (~US$ 607,500) headliner. Much like the success of its first edition, this season brought another smashing turnout with a staggering 862 entries recorded across seven flights, driving the pot further to NT$ 24,570,000 (~US$ 746,000). 

Kung Yu-Chien Wins Players Series Taiwan Championship

Running from February 26 to March 3, the thrilling Players Series Taiwan Championship games welcomed a diverse mix of local amateurs, seasoned pros along with some of international bests, all gathering round at CTP Asia Poker Arena,Taipei City, Taiwan, in pursuit of the coveted title. Ultimately, it was Taiwan’s own Kung Yu-Chien who emerged victorious, securing his first major career win and a life-changing NT$ 3,601,000 (~USD 109,450) score.

PS Taiwan Championship Numbers

• Buy in: NT$ 33,000 (~US$ 1,000)

• Guarantee: NT$ 20,000,000 (~US$ 607,500)

• Entries: 862

• Prize pool: NT$ 24,570,000 (~US$ 746,000)

• ITM: 130 places

Final Table Recap

The Final Day had fourteen runners head back to the scene, with France’s Fabian Rolli leading the charge. With only five eliminations down to the final table, it didn’t take long to see the final nine take shape. Rolli delivered two of these eliminations, of which included former PS Main Event champion Lai Hsuan Yu, who was looking to defend his title. Japanese contender Mori Takemasa’s exit in 10th place marked the start of the final rounds, with Rolli still in the forefront.

With pressure mounting on the short stacks, Kuan Chung Chih was the first to fall after his pocket kings ran right into Beng Hong Ker’s turned wheel straight. Ker, hot on the run, delivered three more eliminations just in following, with South Korea’s Min Sung Jun (8th), Kennie Tay (7th), and Justin Pak Kwan Chan (6th), failing to get past the Singaporean’s premium hands.

Local runner Kung Yu-Chien, on the other hand, who started the final rounds middle of the pack, began to gain significant momentum, with a flopped flush against Ko Chia Hsiang, marking the start of his path to the title. Kung soon after shipped the lead, and extended it further after finishing off Ko in 5th place over a blind vs blind race, to rack half of the chips in play.

Still anyone’s game at this point, it wasn’t until Ker's failed bluff against Rolli, cost him a chunk off his stack, leading to his elimination at the hands of Kung shortly after. Kung’s domination was in full force from here on out, picking up more chips to deliver yet another bust, with Rolli being his latest victim to hit the rails in 3rd place.

With only two left in contention, the heads up match between Kung and South Korea's Ji Min Lee quickly unfolded, with Kung maintaining a commanding 5:1 chip lead. In the final hand, Lee pushed all-in with his remaining sixteen big blinds, holding ace-seven, only to be met by Kung’s stronger ace-nine. Two nines on board meant the win was sealed for Kung, earning him the 24K gold PS trophy, while Lee was left to settle for a runner up finish and a NT$ 2,388,000 (~USD 72,910) payday.

Other Festival Highlights

Along with the conclusion of the headliner, the festival saw several other events come to a close. Here's a look at the final highlights.

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Festival Results