JEJU – Vietnam's Ngo Khoa Anh is now the first player in Triton ONE history to win two titles. He closed out the $10,000 7-Handed event in Jeju with a straight on the turn, collecting $612,000 and a second trophy after starting the final table with just six big blinds.
"I'm speechless, to be honest," Ngo said when it was over. "It's beyond any expectation."
His first title came last September at Triton ONE's debut Jeju stop, a $2,000 single-night turbo. This one was a different scale entirely. The $10K event drew 347 entries and generated a $3.15 million prize pool. Wang Yang, who led for stretches of the final day, finished second for $388,000. Lin Meng-Ling took $280,000 for third.
Ngo picked up poker during the Covid pandemic, initially just to pass the time. He eventually turned professional after committing to study the game. He also credited Triton ONE for giving players at his level a stage to compete on. "Triton has made a perfect stage for mid-stakes players," he said. "I like everything here, it's so professional."
From Six Big Blinds to Champion
Ngo came to the final table as the short stack, with 1,500,000 chips against a field where Lin Meng-Ling had 20,825,000. His path back started on the very first hand, when he three-bet shoved pocket kings into Ander Vallinas' A♣ 9♥, flopped a set, and doubled up. He later got his aces in against Tang Yixi's K♦ Q♣ for a second double that gave him more breathing room.
Tang Yixi was the first player eliminated. He got his last three big blinds in with pocket jacks, but Zhou Yinan's pocket nines flopped a set and rivered a full house to crack them. Tang finished seventh for $103,000.
At the top of the counts, Lin took a significant blow when she called Wang's three-bet holding T♣ 9♣ from the cutoff. Wang was in the big blind with K♥ K♠. The J♠ 3♣ 8♥ flop gave Lin an open-ended straight draw and she called his bet, then jammed the 3♥ turn with the covering stack. Wang called and held, pulling ahead in the chip counts.
Yuan Yilu extended his run by doubling through Wang, getting pocket tens to hold against A♣ 8♥. But he later ran A♦ Q♣ into Lin's A♠ K♥, and Lin's hand improved to a full house on a K♠ 3♥ 2♣ 3♠ 3♣ board. Yuan took $138,000 for sixth.
Zhou Yinan went out fifth for $180,000 in a three-way cooler. He held kings in the big blind and committed his stack after Wang opened and Lin three-bet. Lin showed aces and held on the 10♥ 6♠ 8♥ flop.
Vallinas was eliminated on the very next hand. He got his last five big blinds in with pocket nines, but Ngo flopped an ace holding A♥ 8♦. Vallinas took $227,000 for fourth.
The Final Three
After eliminating Vallinas, Ngo had 12 big blinds and sat third of three. The blinds kept climbing, and the three remaining players eventually found themselves at roughly 19 big blinds each, with the tournament genuinely up for grabs.
Ngo then won the pot that ended Lin's run. Both players held an ace and got everything in pre-flop. Ngo's nine kicker outlasted Lin's five on a Q♥ K♥ 8♠ Q♦ board. Lin finished third for $280,000.
Ngo took the chip lead into heads-up play, 25 big blinds to Wang's 18.
The Winning Hand
Wang announced all-in holding A♦ 3♠. Ngo asked for a count, then called with A♠ 4♦.
The 7♦ 2♣ 3♣ flop paired Wang's three and put him in front. But the 5♥ on the turn completed a five-high straight for Ngo. The 5♦ river was a formality.
Wang took $388,000 for second. Ngo took everything else, including his place in the record books as Triton ONE's first two-time champion.
