Song added $970,000 to his tournament winnings in this series alone
Stephen Song made a major impact at The Lord Poker Tournament Jeju festival in South Korea, racking up nearly a million dollars in prize money across three events. His run included two victories and a total of $970,000 in cashes, making the Jeju stop one of the most successful trips of his poker career.
The highlight of Song’s performance came in the $15,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event, held at the Jeju Shinhwa World Resort from May 16 to 18. The tournament drew 191 entries but didn’t quite reach its $3 million guarantee, creating extra value for those who made it into the money.
Song walked away with the top prize of $750,000 after defeating James Mendoza in heads-up play. It’s now the second-largest payday of his career, just behind the $1.4 million he earned for winning the EPT Barcelona main event in 2024.
The final table wasn’t short on competition. Marius Gierse of Germany finished third for $320,000, and Denmark’s Martin Nielsen took fourth, banking $220,000. After eliminating Gierse, Song entered the final duel with a huge chip advantage over Mendoza. Though Mendoza narrowed the gap for a time, Song held strong and closed it out.
His festival didn’t begin with fireworks, but even his seventh-place finish in a $500 buy-in event added $16,000 to his total. Just a day after winning the main event, he went into the $20,000 high roller with momentum and the chip lead. Song turned that lead into another title, topping a 32-player field for an extra $204,000.
Mendoza also stood out by following up his runner-up main event finish with another deep run in the high roller, this time taking fourth place for $75,000.
