2024 WSOP Paradise: India`s Santhosh Suvarna Joins Ivey, Negreanu, and More on Day 2 of the Star-Studded $1 Million Triton Million Invitational

The Bahamas in December – turquoise waters, luxurious resorts, and the world’s best poker players battling for millions and those coveted gold bracelets. That’s the scene at the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise, and right in the thick of it is India’s high-roller extraordinaire, Santhosh Suvarna (cover image).

This isn’t just another WSOP winter e-run; with 15 bracelet events and the $25K Super Main Event boasting a record $50 Million guarantee, the stakes are astronomical. But the event that has everyone buzzing is the $1 Million Triton Million Invitational—a unique tournament in which VIPs invited the world’s top high-stakes pros to play alongside them.

This first-ever collaboration between the WSOP and Triton Poker Series has created an unprecedented spectacle. With a $1 Million buy-in, half of which is covered by the pro, the field is overflowing with talent. Santhosh Suvarna is partnered with high-stakes legend Nick Petrangelo. 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Ivey was chosen by Malaysian businessman Paul Phua. Jason Koon, the 2023 Ivan Leow Triton Poker Player of the Year, was invited by Vinny Lingham. Fedor Holz got the invite from Jessica Teusl. And Daniel Negreanu, the Poker Hall of Famer, got roped by Hustler Casino Live’s Ryan Feldman.

For Suvarna, this isn’t new territory. This is his second invitation to the prestigious Triton Million Invitational and at least his third million-dollar buy-in event in the past two years. He’s already India’s top-ranked player and the only Indian in the global top 100, currently sitting at 83rd with over ₹124 Crores in winnings. With two WSOP bracelets, a Triton title, and an EPT win under his belt, Suvarna undoubtedly has the skill (and a poker resume) to deserve a place in this lineup!

And what a year it’s been for the Dubai-based casino entrepreneur. Coming off a career-best $5.42 Million win in the 2024 WSOP Super High Roller, Suvarna is riding high. He was the second-highest earner of the entire series (only behind the Main Event winner), raking in a total of $6.06 Million (₹50.66 Crores). He’s currently leading the 2024 GPI Player of the Year (India) race, a small distance ahead of the two-time race winner Ankit Ahuja.

The $500,000 re-entry event attracted 95 runners (74 unique), with some players taking their biggest shot ever. Jessica Teusl, Monika Zukowicz, and Shaun Deeb have all ponied up the largest buy-ins of their careers.

Day 1 was a battlefield of poker titans. Names like Isaac Haxton, Justin Bonomo, Michael Addamo, Adrian Mateos, Alex Foxen, and many more were all fighting for a spot in Day 2.

The wrapped up with 67 players remaining, including two fan favourites: Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu. Both poker legends are chasing their second bracelets this year after Ivey won his 11th this summer in the $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship and Negreanu his seventh in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship.

Leading the way into Day 2 is Michael “Texas Mike” Moncek, a two-time bracelet winner best known for his near 100% VPIP on streams like Hustler Casino Live, with a commanding 3.815 Million chips. He is followed by Paul Phua (with Phil Ivey by his side), Sosia Jiang, and the latest Poker Hall of Fame inductee, Patrik Antonius.

Despite the ups and downs, Suvarna finished Day 1 with his starting stack, ranking 42nd out of the 67 survivors.

The action was intense from the very first hand. David Einhorn, holding Ace-King, ran straight into Jared Bleznick’s pocket Aces and was immediately sent to the rebuy counter.

💥FIRST Triton MILLION Bust Out! 🚨

David Einhorn 6-bet All in with A♣️K♦️, and Jared Bleznick snap called. Einhorn was shown the bad news running into Jared's A♠️ A♦️.

The board ran out clean A♠️ A♦️> A♣️K♦️for the first Triton Millions player felled.

Check out…

— Triton Poker (@tritonpoker) December 7, 2024

Suvarna’s Day 1 Journey

Suvarna’s run started with a minor setback against Malaysia’s Wai Kin Yong. But he quickly recovered, chopping a pot with Alfred Decarolis in Level 2 to stabilize his stack.

His first big pot was reported in Level 5. Holding (classic Suvarna!), he rivered a flush on a board against Brandon Steven‘s .

Shortly after, still in Level 5, Suvarna three-bet with against Yong’s , with Steven also in the hand holding . The flop came , and Suvarna fired a continuation bet. Yong called, and Steven folded. The turn brought the , and Suvarna bet again, with Yong calling once more. The river was the , and Suvarna’s final bet forced Yong to fold.

But Level 5 also brought another hit. On a board, Suvarna held top pair but was forced to fold his winning hand to Ryan Feldman’s relentless pressure, who pulled off a crafty bluff.

In another notable hand in Level 6, Suvarna raised with from the cutoff. Feldman called with , and Yong joined the action with . The flop was checked down. The turn was the , giving Yong a gutshot straight draw and Feldman a full house! Yong bet, Suvarna called with his top pair, and then Feldman raised it up. Yong folded, but Suvarna wasn’t going anywhere, especially after being bluffed in the previous level. The river was . Suvarna checked, Feldman put in a large bet, and Suvarna called, only to be shown the bad news – Feldman’s eights full.

Despite the ups and downs, Suvarna finished Day 1 the same as his starting stack, ranking 42nd out of the 67 survivors.

You can watch the featured table coverage of Day 1`s action on Triton Poker`s YouTube channel.

Day 2 started at noon (local time) today on Level 11 with blinds of 10,000/25,000/25,000 and 50-minute levels. The plan is to play down to a final table, meaning the bubble will burst on Day 2 (payout details awaited). The Indian community will be closely following Suvarna to see if he can pull off another epic deep run in this star-studded event!

You can follow the Day 2 live stream on Triton Poker`s YouTube channel.

Top 10 Chip Counts For Day 2

1. Michael Moncek – 3,815,000
2. Sinan Unlu – 3,200,000
3. Paul Phua – 2,750,000
4. Sosia Jiang – 2,665,000
5. Fedor Holz – 2,625,000
6. Patrik Antonius – 2,570,000
7. Jared Bleznick – 2,535,000
8. Konstantin Maslak – 2,150,000
9. Chance Kornuth – 2,140,000
10. Taylor Von Kriegenbergh – 2,140,000

Content & Images Courtesy: WSOP & PokerNews

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