3-Bet: Chun Lung Wong & Sam Sternfield Win Main Event Titles; Nils Pudel Clinches Trophy in Mystery Bounty

Three rising contenders delivered standout performances this past week, bagging marquee titles across Asia, North America, and Europe. In this 3-Bet edition, we spotlight Chun Lung Wong’s career-best victory in Jeju, Sam Sternfield’s No-Limit Hold’em triumph in Daytona, and Nils Pudel’s composed finish in Dublin’s Mystery Bounty finale.

The Korean Poker Cup Series 2025 took over Landing Casino at the Shinhwa World Resort from April 7 to 13, awarding 23 trophies and generating a massive KRW 8,084,922,376 (~$5.68 Million) in total prize money. The festival’s centerpiece—the KRW 1,300,000 (~$917) Main Event—drew 1,228 entries, pushing the prize pool to KRW 1,304,160,000 (~$917,705). After three days of intense play, Chun Lung Wong (cover image – left) emerged as the Main Event champion, collecting a career-high payout of KRW 200,740,000 (~$141,255) following an ICM deal. Weiwi Tang finished second for KRW 160,000,000 (~$112,590).

Over at the Daytona Beach Racing & Card Club, mixed games specialist Sam Sternfield (cover image – top right) made a statement in No-Limit Hold’em, taking down the Moneymaker Tour Main Event. The win was Sternfield’s second Moneymaker title, earning him $80,855. Alejandro Jauregui Reynoso came in second, banking $56,890.

The €1,150 Luxon Mystery Bounty at the 2025 Irish Open, hosted at the Royal Dublin Society and backed by PokerStars and Paddy Power Poker, wrapped up with a gripping finale. Out of 1,222 entries and a €595,725 prize pool, only eight players returned for the final day. Less than 90 minutes in, three remained—Nils Pudel (cover image – bottom right), Nikolaos Angelou, and Fabian Rolli. After an extended three-way battle, the trio agreed to an ICM deal. Despite being the shortest stack, Pudel locked in €67,510 and closed it out by winning the final hand. Rolli, who fell third in the last hand, secured the largest payout at €73,480, while Angelou collected €71,090.

Chun Lung Wong Triumphs in Korean Poker Cup Series 2025 Main Event for Career-Best KRW 200.74 Million Payday

The Korean Poker Cup Series 2025 delivered seven days of intense poker action from April 7 to 13 at Jeju’s iconic Landing Casino in the Shinhwa World Resort. With 23 trophies up for grabs and a combined turnout of 3,393 entries across events, the series generated a jaw-dropping KRW 8,084,922,376 (~$5.684 Million) in prize money.

The centerpiece of the festival—the KRW 1,300,000 (~$917) buy-in Main Event—pulled in 1,228 entries, creating a massive KRW 1,304,160,000 (~$917,705) prize pool. And after 36 grueling levels across three days, it was Chun Lung Wong who rose to the occasion, clinching his first-ever Main Event title and a career-high payout of KRW 200,740,000 (~$141,255) following an ICM deal. Weiwi Tang finished a hard-fought second, pocketing KRW 160,000,000 (~$112,590).

Overwhelmed with emotion, Wong shared in the post-win interview, “I feel very excited. I feel nervous and happy! It’s like I’m feeling everything at once. I’m just really happy today. This is my third win in a live event. But this is my first time winning the main event, so it’s definitely the biggest one so far and biggest cash.”

When asked about his plans for the prize money, Wong didn’t hesitate: “I’ll probably buy some Bitcoin, and save the rest… maybe for more poker!”

Despite starting heads-up play with a 2-to-1 chip advantage post-deal, Wong didn’t coast to victory. The final showdown was anything but straightforward, with momentum swinging back and forth. At one point, Wong was on the ropes after getting caught bluffing, but he regained ground holding , and kept the pressure on until the final hand. That last pot— versus Tang’s —sealed the deal, landing Wong the win he’d long chased.

You can watch the live stream of the final table right here.

Final Table Results (KRW)

1. Chun Lung Wong – KRW 200,740,000
2. Weiwi Tang – KRW 160,000,000
3. Chen Yu Sung – KRW 101,000,000
4. Yao Zhao – KRW 71,500,000
5. Qin Yuan – KRW 51,500,000
6. Daqiao Jiang – KRW 37,700,000
7. Sin Lan Chen – KRW 28,300,000
8. Yirui Zhang – KRW 21,400,000
9. Mou Shuangchun – KRW 16,500,000

Sam Sternfield Banks $80,855 & Second Moneymaker Trophy in Daytona Beach Main Event

Sam Sternfield might usually prefer the texture and rhythm of mixed games and Omaha, but No-Limit Hold’em just earned a permanent spot on his highlight reel. The Floridian grinder took down the Moneymaker Tour Main Event at the Daytona Beach Racing & Card Club, pocketing a hefty $80,855 and adding a second Moneymaker trophy to his resume.

The event pulled in 263 entries, generating a $355,000 prize pool that attracted a diverse field, including Ryan Hogan and reality TV star Trishelle Cannatella of Traitors Season 2 fame. Cannatella made an impressive deep run, finishing 17th. But by the time the dust settled, it was Sternfield standing tall with the title.

“Feeling good. Feeling really good,” Sternfield said with a grin moments after his win. “First big no-limit win. Poker’s been absolutely crazy.”

Crazy might just be putting it mildly. Sternfield has been on a tear lately, racking up cashes at the PokerGO Studio during their recent Mixed Game and PLO series. There, he final-tabled twice and clinched a runner-up finish worth $156K in the $10K HORSE event.

“I play mostly not-hold’em, so this is a big accomplishment—and a big middle finger to those that say I can’t,” he said, clearly savoring the moment.

And while this win came in a format he doesn’t usually prioritize, his Omaha instincts weren’t far behind. “There’s been a running joke where I just want the best hand on the turn, and we can gamble on the river,” he joked.

Sternfield came into the final day with an average stack among the last six, chasing Hyndi Kohmutetsky, who started as the chip leader. Kohmutetsky eventually bowed out in third place, banking $36,395. That left Sternfield heads-up against Alejandro Jauregui Reynoso, and after a tense back-and-forth, he clinched the victory. Reynoso walked away with a runner-up prize of $56,890.

But this win was about more than money or trophies. It carried weight on a personal level. Sternfield dedicated the performance to his mother, who recently overcame a severe medical scare involving borderline brain cancer and multiple surgeries. He also paid tribute to his late grandmother.

“Shoutout to my mom. She just survived some pretty crazy borderline brain cancer and some crazy surgeries. I just lost my grandma, and I know she’s looking out for me. I can’t wait to make a couple of big donations and share this with my family.”

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Sam Sternfield – $80,855
2. Alejandro Jauregui Reynoso – $56,890
3. Hyndi Kohmutetsky – $36,395
4. Caleb Powell – $22,135
5. Blake Ellinghaus – $17,095
6. Craig Pollak – $14,165

Nils Pudel Wins Luxon Trophy After Three-Way Deal in Irish Open €1,150 Mystery Bounty (€67,510)

The €1,150 Luxon Mystery Bounty at the 2025 Irish Open wrapped up in fittingly dramatic fashion, with Germany’s Nils Pudel clinching the trophy and the winner’s photo after a three-way deal brought a close to one of the most unpredictable finales of the series.

Congratulations to @luxonpay €1k Mystery Bounty winner Nils Pudel 🏆

Pudel locked up €67,510 after a three-way ICM deal, and secured the trophy after winning the flip 👏

📍@Irish_PokerOpen
✍️https://t.co/nwGX7eObI5 pic.twitter.com/xhIzuAxfJT

— PokerStars UK & IRE (@PokerStarsUK) April 15, 2025

Held at the iconic Royal Dublin Society and sponsored by PokerStars and Paddy Power Poker, the tournament attracted 1,222 entries, building a robust €595,725 prize pool. Only eight contenders returned for the final day, but things moved quickly—within just 80 minutes, the field had whittled down to three.

Pudel, along with Nikolaos Angelou and Fabian Rolli, went the distance. What followed was a drawn-out back-and-forth filled with big pots, gutsy all-ins, and timely double-ups. As the blinds escalated and stacks drew closer together, the trio reached an agreement to divide the remaining payouts based on ICM.

Despite having the shortest stack at the time of the deal, Pudel banked €67,510 and went on to win the final flip, locking up the title and the Luxon trophy. Rolli, who landed third in the flip, actually walked away with the biggest payout—€73,480—while Angelou took the middle ground with €71,090, both in chips and prize money.

It was a roller of a day. Pudel and Rolli had entered the finale tied for third in chips, while Angelou came in with a hefty lead and kept the pressure on early. Pudel wasted no time making his presence felt, busting short-stacked Maksim Petrov (8th) right after the cards were in the air. Angelou tightened his grip on the table in the opening hour, steadily building his stack.

But then the tides turned. In a pivotal hand, Angelou shoved preflop with jack-ten, putting Rolli’s 35-big blind stack at risk. Rolli called with ace-king and held, flipping the momentum and seizing the chip lead. He didn’t stop there. Over the next half hour, Rolli took out Florian Duta (7th), Tobias Peters (6th), and Yannick Jobin (4th) in rapid succession. Angelou, meanwhile, dispatched Patrick Eagers (5th)—the last Irishman standing.

At that point, Pudel was the short stack by a wide margin, sitting with just seven big blinds. Most expected a two-player finish between Angelou and Rolli. But Pudel had other plans.

He clawed his way back with three consecutive double-ups, catapulting into the lead and, at one stage, controlling nearly two-thirds of the chips. But as the blinds climbed, the chips started circulating again, and the momentum see-sawed between all three.

Eventually, with stacks nearly even and the blinds applying constant pressure, the players paused the action and opted for a deal. A flip decided the trophy—and it was Pudel’s ace-jack that held, adding a hard-fought title to his growing resume.

Final Table Results (EURO)

1. Nils Pudel – €67,510*
2. Nikolaos Angelou – €71,090*
3. Fabian Rolli – €73,480*
4. Yannick Jobin – €35,080
5. Patrick Eagers – €27,000
6. Tobias Peters – €20,785
7. Florian Duta – €15,980
8. Maksim Petrov – €12,280

*denotes a three-way ICM deal