The high-stakes grinder barely misses adding another big victory to his list of accomplishments
Phil Ivey is currently tied with Danny Tang for second all-time in Triton Poker titles, with five. He could have moved closer to leader Jason Koon’s 10 Triton titles if things had worked out in Event #15: $50k Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) in Jeju.
The Poker Hall of Famer finished as runner-up against Biao Ding, but Ivey still added his fourth cash at this Triton stop for his 10th since the start of last year. Ding won his first Triton title after taking the $30,000 NLHE Mystery Bounty last year in Northern Cyprus. His seventh cash at the Triton Jeju stop comes less than a week after he took second in Event #9: $150K NLH 8-Handed for $2,870,000.
“The more I play, the better I get!” said Ding after the win. “Luck plays a role in heads-up, even against Phil Ivey. He’s a great player but I just hit the cards better than him this time.”
The top 14 players cashed in the event, including recent PLO Bounty Quattro champion Nacho Barbero, who finished in eighth place for $152,500. Ivey would then eliminate Patrik Antonius (7th for $200,000) before Ding increased his stack after sending home Ole Schemion (6th for $247,500).
Ding eliminated Stephen Chidwick in fifth place ($317,500), but Ivey would regain the chip lead after sending Paul Phua (4th for $401,000) to the rail. Jared Bleznick (3rd for $490,000) eventually lost to Ivey, giving him a big chip lead before heads-up play.
The momentum in PLO can change quickly, and Ding got help on the river on several hands as he secured the title and the $1,107,000 prize. Ivey took home $755,000 as runner-up.
