Former footballer wins $975,225 in debut Triton ONE Main Event

The first Triton ONE Main Event with an $8,000 buy-in was held at the Landing Casino on Jeju Island. The winner was a former football player who outplayed the pros and took home $975,225.

The inaugural Triton ONE Main Event with an $8,000 buy-in has concluded at Landing Casino in South Korea, located within the luxurious Jeju Shinhwa World resort. This event marked the debut of a brand-new mid-stakes tournament series under the renowned Triton Poker brand, famous for its high roller competitions. The tournament drew an impressive field of 1,046 entries, generating a prize pool of $7,607,558—a record-breaking sum for the launch of a new series. The Final: Pros vs. a Newcomer The heads-up battle for the title brought together two players with completely different backgrounds: Thai entrepreneur Punnat Punsri and a former footballer who played as a defensive midfielder in Germany’s lower leagues, ending his sports career in 2019 at just 24 years old. It was this ex-footballer—whose name is withheld at the source’s request—who emerged as the tournament’s champion, prevailing in a tense and unpredictable duel. For his victory, he earned $975,225—a sum dozens of times greater than his previous largest live poker cash ($40,099). He had also already made the money in the opening Triton ONE event, the $3,000 QQPK Genesis Event. His win was made even more significant by the fact that he qualified for the Main Event through a satellite hosted by title sponsor QQPK, and received an additional exclusive bonus—$100,000 in tournament credits for the popular online app. Punnat Punsri, who finished runner-up, took home a consolation prize of $1,205,775. That amount may come in handy in the next two weeks, when the second leg of the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Jeju II kicks off on Jeju Island. Many of the world’s top poker stars are expected to take part, with more than a dozen high buy-in events on the schedule. Context: The Triton ONE Series and Its Participants Triton ONE is a new mid-stakes tournament series created by the organizers of the legendary Triton high roller events. The first stop took place in South Korea, on Jeju Island, and immediately attracted not only local players but also world-class professionals. Punnat Punsri is one of Asia’s most accomplished poker players. According to The Hendon Mob database, before this series began, he had already earned over $26.2 million in live tournaments, including four Triton Poker Super High Roller Series titles from 2022 to 2025 (two of them this year, in Jeju and Montenegro). His appearance in the final of the first Triton ONE Main Event was a fitting confirmation of his status. During a break with three players remaining, Punsri chatted with Jason Koon, who was playing a short deck event at the time, but this time the title slipped away from the decorated Thai pro. The former footballer’s victory was a true sensation. He started the final day with one of the largest stacks but remained under the radar until the decisive hands. According to him, his strategy was to observe his opponents’ playing styles and adjust to their aggression or passivity. Despite limited live tournament experience (his first cash came in March 2020, and he has been playing actively since 2023), he managed to keep his composure and not get rattled, even against recognized masters. In an interview, the winner noted that he had never met Punsri in person before and was visiting Jeju for the first time. He only knew his opponent from broadcasts and called him a poker legend, adding that playing heads-up for a major trophy against such an opponent was “the best thing that could happen.” Final Day Action: Key Hands and Eliminations The final day began with 16 players seated at two feature tables. In the very first hand, short stack Ming Juen Teoh doubled up, repeated his success soon after, and then eliminated Takashi Yagura when his pocket sixes held against AK. The pace of play then slowed, but a series of quick eliminations soon followed, narrowing the field to 10. Weiran Pu lost with AQ against Dajie Zhuo’s A7, and in a Chinese showdown, Hongjun Zhao’s TT lost to Ruogo Wen’s AK. The day’s starting chip leader, Yuefeng Pan, finished 13th after losing a flip to Daiki Shingae—becoming the third Chinese player to exit before the final table. Ruogo Wen knocked out Teoh and Chao Li back-to-back, after which Artur Martirosian and Punsri both doubled up several times while on the brink of elimination, and then Punsri eliminated Michael Zhang to set the nine-handed final table. In the very first hand of the final table, Sergei Petrushevskii three-bet with AK, made top pair and top kicker on the turn, and shoved all-in, but ran into Punsri’s slow-played pocket aces. Next to bust was Igor Yaroshevskyy, who was among the chip leaders after the bubble but entered the final table short-stacked. In a three-way pot, Yaroshevskyy made trip eights, but Ruogo Wen caught back-to-back jacks to make a full house. After several time extensions, Yaroshevskyy called the all-in and saw his opponent’s unfortunate cards. Short stack Kaoru Kishimoto, taking advantage of the pay jump after Yaroshevskyy’s exit, soon left the tournament as well. In a Japanese showdown, Kishimoto defended K9 in the big blind and shoved with a gutshot, but Shingae’s AK was ahead and improved to top pair on the river. The game then became deeper stacked. Artur Martirosian increased his stack with a 5-bet shove holding AK against Ruogo Wen’s AJ. However, when the Russian pro got involved in another preflop war, his 6-bet shove with A3s ran into Punsri’s AK—giving the chip lead to the Thai player. Punsri extended his lead by eliminating Zhuo, who made top pair on the flop with KJ, but Punsri’s AJ stayed ahead. Wen then busted in a flip with KQs against Shingae’s 66, making Shingae the chip leader among the final three, holding a three-to-one advantage over the eventual champion, who still had 30 big blinds. Shingae consolidated his lead but then lost a big bluff to Punsri, who made a heroic call and became the clear favorite. Shortly after, the future champion doubled through Shingae and then eliminated him, hitting a straight on the river with AQ against his opponent’s pocket kings. In heads-up play, Punsri had the chip lead, but the match was far from one-sided. The newly crowned champion doubled up twice, seized the initiative, and moved ahead. Punsri, finding himself in a tough spot, managed to double up twice, but his comeback was short-lived—he soon lost and finished runner-up, just shy of another title. Full Payout Table for Triton ONE $8,000 Main Event (Jeju, 2024) Place Player Country Prize 1 [Removed:547] Germany $975,225* 2 Punnat Punsri Thailand $1,205,775* 3 Daiki Shingae Japan $700,000 4 Ruogo Wen China $555,000 5 Dajie Zhuo China $440,000 6 Artur Martirosian Russia $340,000 7 Kaoru Kishimoto Japan $260,000 8 Igor Yaroshevskyy Ukraine $190,000 9 Sergei Petrushevskii Russia $140,000 *First and second place prizes reflect a deal made before heads-up play. Poker Formats and Terms: Explanations for Readers Buy-in — the amount a player pays to enter a tournament. In this case, the buy-in was $8,000. Satellite — a qualifying tournament with a small entry fee, where the winner earns a seat in a more expensive event. Stack — the number of chips a player has in a tournament. Stack size determines tactics and playing style. Heads-up — the final stage of a tournament when only two players remain to play for first place. Bubble — the stage of a tournament when one elimination remains before the money; the player who busts on the bubble leaves empty-handed. Pay jump — an increase in prize money for each higher place in the tournament standings. Double-up — doubling a player’s stack, usually after winning an all-in. Full house — a hand consisting of three cards of one rank and two of another (for example, three jacks and two tens). Trips — three cards of the same rank. Gutshot — an inside straight draw, where only one specific card completes the straight. Bluff — betting or raising with a weak hand to make an opponent fold. River — the fifth and final community card in Texas Hold’em. The Significance of the Event for the Poker World The debut of the Triton ONE series was a landmark event for mid-stakes players. The record number of entries and prize pool exceeded expectations, and a final featuring both seasoned pros and newcomers showed that poker always has room for surprises. The victory of a satellite qualifier with no major prior results is an inspiration to many amateurs and proves that even against top pros, success is possible with the right strategy and composure. The tournament also served as a meeting ground for players from different countries and generations: the final table featured players from Germany, Thailand, Japan, China, Russia, and Ukraine. This highlights the international status of the series and its appeal to a wide audience. Triton Poker organizers have already announced the continuation of the series in Jeju, with new high roller tournaments coming in the next two weeks. Interest in Triton ONE events is expected to keep growing, along with the prize pools. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, this news offers several practical lessons. First, the success of the former footballer who qualified via a satellite shows that even players without much experience can achieve outstanding results in major events. This is a great incentive to participate more often in satellites and qualifiers, which are regularly held in PPPoker clubs—the path to big tournaments is open to everyone. Second, the variety of styles and strategies displayed at the Triton ONE final table underscores the importance of adapting to your opponents. In online clubs, where players from different countries and backgrounds meet at the tables, flexible thinking and analyzing playing styles are key skills for success. Finally, Triton ONE demonstrated that poker is not just for professionals, but also for ambitious amateurs willing to learn and pursue their goals. PPPoker clubs provide the perfect platform for such players to gain experience, play in tournaments of various formats and levels, and find like-minded people for growth and sharing knowledge. Stay tuned for updates, take part in qualifiers, and don’t miss your chance to join the ranks of the winners!