The American poker pro is returning to form following a long winning drought
Jonathan Jaffe has captured his second Triton Super High Roller Series title, winning the $30,000 No-Limit Hold’em event in Jeju and collecting more than $1 million in prize money. The American pro, who had endured a long dry spell on the Triton circuit, secured the win after a heads-up deal with Renji Mao that awarded him $1,061,672 and 1,176 points in the Card Player Player of the Year standings.
The victory marks a major turnaround for Jaffe, who had gone 19 straight Triton events without a cash, including a tough run at both the Montenegro stop in May and the March Jeju series earlier this year. His breakthrough in Jeju put an end to that streak and added a second trophy nearly two years after his first Triton win in Monte Carlo.
The path to the title was anything but easy. Jaffe began final table play just behind Mao in chips, but the two quickly separated themselves from the rest of the field. The eliminations came swiftly: Michael Soyza exited in ninth, Brian Kim followed in eighth, and Edward Pak fell in seventh. Well-known names such as Ramin Hajiyev and Clemen Deng also fell short, leaving Jaffe to battle through a tough lineup that included Masashi Oya and newcomer Chi-Jen Chu.
Chu impressed with another deep run, ultimately finishing third for $551,000 after his flush draw attempt failed against Mao’s pocket tens. That set the stage for heads-up play between Jaffe and Mao, who agreed to adjust payouts before play began. Despite Mao building a commanding lead at one point, Jaffe fought back with a series of doubles, including a dramatic comeback with king-three against ace-three.
The final hand summed up the rollercoaster heads-up battle. Jaffe rivered two-pair to seal the win and finally put an end to his drought. The victory not only adds another seven-figure result to his career résumé but also highlights the resilience required to thrive in the ultra-competitive super high roller scene.
