The first Triton ONE series in Jeju: $20 million in prizes and new champions

The first Triton ONE series has concluded in South Korea, gathering nearly $20 million in prize money and introducing ten new champions to the poker world.

The inaugural Triton ONE series, held on Jeju Island in South Korea, wrapped up with impressive numbers: across ten tournaments, there were 3,541 entries and a total prize pool of $19,646,308. This new series, designed for professionals just beginning their journey into the high roller scene, took place at Landing Casino and crowned ten new champions, instantly making their mark on the poker world. Triton ONE Tournament Week in Jeju: New Faces and Records Triton ONE’s motto—“where poker legends are born”—truly lived up to its promise at the debut festival. Over the course of just over a week, both seasoned pros and rising talents looking to break into the global poker elite battled it out on the green felt. The highlight of the series was the $8,000 Main Event, where a former professional footballer from Germany claimed victory and took home $975,225 for first place. The tournament attracted some of the world’s best players, and the fight for the title went right down to the wire. Beyond the Main Event, the series featured a wide range of tournaments with varying buy-ins and formats, giving both up-and-coming players and established poker stars a chance to shine. Yoko Sakaki — The First Female Champion in Triton ONE History A historic moment of the festival came courtesy of Japanese poker player Yoko Sakaki. She became the first woman ever to win a Triton ONE tournament—achieving this milestone after just a few events in the debut series. Sakaki triumphed in the $2,000 One Night NLH event, earning $69,000. In heads-up play, she defeated Australia’s Josh McCully, who received $46,800 for his runner-up finish. The series was also a huge success for McCully: in addition to his second-place finish here, he also finished runner-up in the $20,000 High Roller for $226,000, and placed 40th in the Main Event, adding another $23,800 to his bankroll (according to the Triton Plus app). The final table of the $2,000 One Night NLH event finished as follows: 1st place: Yoko Sakaki (Japan) — $69,000 2nd place: Josh McCully (Australia) — $46,800 3rd place: Kaifan Wang (USA) — $32,200 4th place: Tingjia Cao (China) — $26,300 5th place: Wang Yuzhu (China) — $21,000 6th place: Florencio Campomanes (Philippines) — $16,188 After her victory, Yoko posed for a photo with renowned Japanese pro Tamon Nakamura. Final Table $2,000 One Night NLH: Payouts Place Player Country Payout 1 Yoko Sakaki Japan $69,000 2 Josh McCully Australia $46,800 3 Kaifan Wang USA $32,200 4 Tingjia Cao China $26,300 5 Wang Yuzhu China $21,000 6 Florencio Campomanes Philippines $16,188 Ebony Kenney’s Standout Run and Jun Hao Wu’s Victory in the $15,000 High Roller Women made their presence felt at Triton ONE beyond Sakaki’s win. American pro Ebony Kenney made headlines once again, finishing second in the $15,000 Triton ONE High Roller and banking $614,500—the second-largest score of her career. This was Kenney’s second final table of the series: earlier, she finished ninth in the $5,000 One Night NLH Bounty Quattro, earning $25,000. Kenney had already made waves at the 2022 Triton Poker Super High Roller series in Cyprus, where she notched two top-five finishes: fifth place in the $25,000 event for $240,500, and another fifth-place finish in the $200,000 Coin Rivet Invitational, where she took home $1.7 million—her career-best result. The $15,000 Triton ONE High Roller title in Jeju went to Singapore’s Jun Hao Wu, who claimed the trophy and the top prize of $969,000—the biggest cash of his poker career. The final table also featured several other well-known pros. Canadian Mike Watson finished fifth for $284,003, while British star Stephen Chidwick took eighth, adding $117,500 to his tournament earnings. For Chidwick, this is another step up the global all-time money list, though he still needs to win about ten times more to catch the leader, Bryn Kenney. Meanwhile, Kenney continues to extend his lead at the ongoing Triton Super High Roller Jeju II series. Final Table $15,000 Triton ONE High Roller: Results Place Player Country Payout 1 Jun Hao Wu Singapore $969,000 2 Ebony Kenney USA $614,500 3 Yu Xiangyu China $423,000 4 Vamerdino Magsakay Philippines $350,000 5 Mike Watson Canada $284,003 6 Yeu Wei Hsiang Taiwan $221,000 7 Xiaqing Ji China $155,000 8 Stephen Chidwick United Kingdom $117,500 Winners of Other Triton ONE Series Events The festival kicked off with the $3,000 GGPK Genesis event, where China’s Chengxu Hu emerged victorious, earning $564,000. The series’ Main Event, the $8,000 buy-in, was won by a German player for $975,225. Throughout the series, PokerNews provided in-depth live coverage from the venue. Other Triton ONE champions included: Johan Schultz-Pedersen (Denmark) — $5,000 One Night NLH Bounty Quattro, $78,000 Chenxiang Miao (China) — $20,000 High Roller, $315,000 Khoa Anh Ngo (Vietnam) — $2,000 One Night NLH, $58,700 Player from Austria — $2,000 One Night Bounty Quattro, $54,000 (recently became a GTO Wizard ambassador) In total, ten new Triton ONE champions were crowned over the week in Jeju, each leaving their mark on the series’ history. Full List of Triton ONE Jeju Winners Tournament Winner Country Payout $3,000 GGPK Genesis Chengxu Hu China $564,000 $2,000 One Night NLH Khoa Anh Ngo Vietnam $58,700 $5,000 One Night NLH Bounty Quattro Johan Schultz-Pedersen Denmark $78,000 $2,000 One Night Bounty Quattro Player from Austria Austria $54,000 $8,000 Main Event Player from Germany Germany $975,225 $2,000 One Night NLH Yoko Sakaki Japan $69,000 $20,000 High Roller Chenxiang Miao China $315,000 $15,000 Triton ONE High Roller Jun Hao Wu Singapore $969,000 Overview of Tournament Formats and Triton ONE Features The Triton ONE series is tailored for players looking to step into the world of major tournaments and high roller action. Buy-ins ranged from $2,000 to $20,000, making it accessible to both established pros and those just starting to play at higher stakes. Events were held in NLH (No Limit Hold’em) and Bounty Quattro formats (with bounty prizes for knocking out opponents), adding extra excitement and incentive for participants. The debut series was hosted at Landing Casino on Jeju Island—a popular destination for major Asian poker events. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players The success of Triton ONE clearly demonstrates that even in elite series, there’s room for new faces and true breakthroughs. For PPPoker club players, it’s a great example of how regular practice and participation in a variety of tournaments can lead to big results—even on the most prestigious stage. Take note of the variety of formats and buy-in levels: Triton ONE has shown that the path to major prizes is open not only to superstars, but also to those willing to improve their game and embrace new challenges. Use PPPoker club tournaments as an opportunity to hone your skills, experiment with different structures, and prepare for bigger events. Moreover, the stories of Yoko Sakaki and Ebony Kenney are a powerful inspiration for women in poker: the doors are open to everyone, and international success is more attainable than ever. Stay tuned for updates, take part in club series, and maybe your name will be among the future Triton ONE champions!