Running Pure From the Start
From the opening hand of the tournament, Kenney felt the momentum was with her. Sitting in the big blind with Ace-King of hearts, she flopped top pair against an opponent holding King-Queen and doubled up immediately. Throughout Day 1, she continued to pick up premium hands, including pocket aces on five separate occasions — and held every time.
By the end of the day, she was among the top chip stacks, a position she carried into Day 2 with confidence and determination.
Grinding the Final Table
When play reached the final nine, Kenney entered seventh in chips. With the average stack shallow, she leaned on her reputation as a “short stack specialist”, navigating tricky spots and carefully laddering up.
“I know how to survive. I know how to ladder. I know how to grind. I know how to close out events. I just couldn’t close this one.” Kenney said afterward. That approach largely paid off as she won key spots with Ace-Queen, a hand that became her lucky charm throughout the final table.
At one point, a dramatic three-way all-in between pocket tens, Ace-King, and pocket queens allowed her to climb further up the payout ladder without risk. Later, a miraculous runner-runner straight with Queen-Ten cracked pocket jacks to keep her in contention.
Heads-Up Heartbreak
Kenney’s resilience carried her all the way to heads-up play against Singapore’s Jun Hao Wu. Starting with a nearly 3-to-1 chip deficit, she managed to draw the stacks even and briefly had control of the match. But she admitted afterward that she wasn’t fully present in the biggest moments.
“I actually didn’t play as present and in the match as I know that I could have,” Kenney reflected. “I had a stranglehold at the start, but I didn’t adjust once he adjusted.”
Ultimately, her final hand saw Ace-Queen fall to Wu’s 8-3, as he rivered trips to seal the victory. Kenney graciously accepted her $614,500 runner-up finish, while Wu celebrated the title and the $969,000 top prize.
A New Level of Presence
Despite the disappointment of falling just short, Kenney described the Jeju experience as transformative. Between sessions she took time to dance, meditate, and read affirmations — practices that kept her grounded and positive.
“It truly felt like I unlocked some parts of presence I hadn’t experienced previously,” she said. “Every time I trusted myself and stayed fully present, I played well and had fun.”
This focus, combined with her trademark grit, made her presence at the table impossible to ignore. Several fellow players even commented on how locked-in she appeared throughout the event.
Carrying ACR Pride on the World Stage
For Kenney, representing ACR Poker on the Triton stage is a point of pride. Many players and fans in Jeju asked about ACR’s presence, highlighting the team’s growing reputation on the international circuit.
“It’s so sick how the ACR brand is tied into Triton,” she said. “I’ve had so many people ask me, ‘Is the ACR team coming? Where’s everybody?’ It’s really cool.”
Another Triton Deep Run
Kenney’s runner-up finish follows her historic $1.7 million score at the Coin Rivet Invitational in 2022, where she became the first woman to cash for seven figures in a Triton event. With two final tables in Jeju and three deep runs across just six events played, she has quickly established herself as one of the most consistent performers on the Triton stage.
As Ebony put it, “To get so close to a Triton trophy is making me hungrier for it.”
Final Thoughts
Ebony Kenney’s Jeju performance in the $15,000 Triton ONE High Roller was about more than just the money. It was a demonstration of her resilience, her evolving mindset, and her ability to compete with the very best in the game. With ACR’s banner on her back, she continues to inspire fans and prove that her Triton journey is only just beginning.
To learn more about Ebony Kenney, visit her ACR Pro page here.
