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Shanghai Sensation Chenxiang Miao Claims WPT Korea Main Event Title in Commanding Fashion! ($215,400)

Chenxiang Miao Cover 26-11-24
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  • Indrakshi Mukherjee November 27, 2024

  • 4 Minutes Read

The dust has settled, the cards are cold, and a new champion has risen from the exhilarating battleground of the World Poker Tour (WPT) Korea 2024! Held at the Landing Casino, Jeju Shinhwa World, from November 15 to 21, this year’s championship was a spectacle. For eight incredible days, the casino floor pulsed with the energy of over 2,100 players from around the world, all vying for glory across 28 action-packed events. With a staggering KR₩ 4 Billion prize pool at stake, the championship crowned 28 champions from 10 different countries, a true testament to the international appeal of poker.

But one player’s story rose above the rest. Chenxiang Miao, a Shanghai native and a familiar name in the poker circles since 2009, didn’t just win the KR₩2.50 Million Main Event; he crushed it. This wasn’t just any victory; it was his third WPT title, and it came with a staggering KR₩ 300 Million (~$215,400) prize – the biggest of his career.

Chenxiang Miao
Chenxiang Miao

Miao’s journey to the top was a masterclass, culminating in a decisive heads-up battle against Nantong’s Dingding Guan. While Guan fought bravely and earned a respectable KR₩200 Million (~$143,600) as the runner-up, Miao’s superior skill and calm under pressure proved too much to overcome. He raised the coveted WPT Trophy and Main Event Ring high, a symbol of his hard-earned victory.

And this wasn’t even Miao’s first victory at the WPT Korea! Earlier in the week, he conquered Event #3: KR₩ 1 Million Pot Limit Omaha, adding another KR₩ 5.11 Million (~$3,655) to his winnings. With these two consecutive wins, Miao’s poker career has been launched into orbit. His total live tournament earnings, previously at $536,014, have now rocketed past $755,000.

 

Side Event Showdowns

While the Main Event captivated the spotlight, two side events also delivered their share of thrills and unforgettable moments:

WPT Opener: The championship kicked off with a thrilling race in the KR₩ 5 Million WPT Opener. Slovakia’s Tomas Patka emerged from a field of 106 contenders to claim the KR₩ 37.98 Million (~$27,188) top prize – his fifth-largest career score – along with the championship trophy and the coveted Opener ring. Hong Kong’s Heung Tsz Kin gave Patka a run for his money, ultimately finishing as runner-up and taking home KR₩ 25.33 Million (~$18,135).

WPT Super High Roller: This KR₩ 16 Million event was a high-stakes battle, attracting a field of 40 elite players, including renowned Asian pros like Koichi Chiba and Joseph Cheong. But it was Dong Chen from Ningbo, the 2023 WSOP Paradise Event #15 winner, who stole the show. He claimed the title and a KR₩182,278,000 (~$130,615) cash prize – his sixth-largest career cash.

Chen’s victory came after an intense heads-up duel with Mongolia’s Bayar Saran, who earned KR₩155,262,000 (~$111,230) as runner-up. The two finalists agreed to an ICM deal while Chen held the chip lead, snagging his first WPT Korea Championship trophy and the prestigious WPT High Roller ring.

 

Main Event: A Day-by-Day Recap

The WPT Korea Main Event was a spectacle of intense competition and high-stakes poker action. With a KR₩ 2.50 Million (~$1,795) buy-in, the event drew a massive field of 667 entries, generating a prize pool of KR₩ 1.68 Billion (~$1.21 Million). The top 96 finishers were guaranteed at least KR₩ 5 Million (~$3,581).

Day 1A: Zhiyuan Zhang set a blistering pace, bagging a monster stack of 376,500 chips. Xixiang Luo (294,000) and Jianglong Zheng (292,000) were in hot pursuit.

Day 1B: Xiajing Ji, determined to improve on his previous runner-up finish in the WPT Korea Main Event, ended the day with a vengeance, bagging 366,500 chips. Russia’s Evgenii Chzhen and Xinxin Jiang (348,500) were close behind.

Day 1C: The atmosphere was electric! With celebrities like Japanese comedian and poker enthusiast Horita Seiki Antoni and Japanese influencer Chinatsu Uda joining the action, the excitement was off the charts. Day 1C drew 340 entries, bringing the total number of Main Event participants to an impressive 667. Ren Junjie emerged as the overall chip leader with a commanding stack of 529,000 chips.

Day 2: 228 players returned, including 2019 WSOP bracelet winner Joseph Cheong, who had a great run and advanced to Day 3 with a healthy stack of 335,000. The money bubble period was a nail-biter, with five players being eliminated in dramatic fashion across five simultaneous all-ins. The tension in the room was thick as the bubble burst, guaranteeing a minimum cash prize of KR₩ 5,000,000 for the remaining 96 players. Baofeng Zhang ended Day 2 as the chip leader with 1.52 Million chips, leading the 79 survivors into Day 3.

Day 3: The field narrowed down to 24 players as the competition intensified. Dong Li, winner of Event #6: KR₩ 1 Million Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, emerged as the chip leader with a commanding 4.50 Million chips. Chenxiang Miao (8.98 Million) and Yong Li (5.05 Million) were among the top contenders. Julie Zhu, one of the last two women remaining in the tournament, fought valiantly to keep her hopes alive.

Day 4: The day was a whirlwind of action, with players adopting aggressive strategies to gain an edge. Several notable players made deep runs but fell short of the final table, including Nguyen Quang Minh (74th for KR₩ 5 Million), Li Jun (63rd for KR₩ 5.50 Million), Chen Yu-Chun (51st for KR₩ 6.25 Million), Pak Valeriy (25th for KR₩ 9.25 Million), Hiroi Yukako (18th for KR₩ 13 Million), Sergei Kim (15th for KR₩ 15 Million), and Chuang Hao (11th for KR₩ 22 Million).

Feng Xiang became the final table bubble boy, finishing in tenth place with KR₩ 27 Million.

Dong Li, who maintained a dominant chip lead throughout the tournament, led the final six players into the final table. The final table action was swift and decisive, with Andrew Matahira (9th for KR₩ 27 Million), Zhikang Dai (8th for KR₩ 33 Million), and Hongshuang Hu (7th for KR₩ 42 Million) falling out quickly.

Relive all the excitement of the Main Event final day! Watch the full replay on WPT Korea’s YouTube channel below.

#5 WPT MAIN EVENT FINAL TABLE livestreaming is ON now！

Final Day Chip Counts

  1. Dong Li – 12,700,000 (102 BBs)
  2. Chenxiang Miao – 8,975,000 (72 BBs)
  3. Yong Li – 5,050,000 (40 BBs)
  4. Lin Baojie – 3,075,000 (25 BBs)
  5. Guan Dingding – 2,500,000 (20 BBs)
  6. Takeo Kimura – 2,000,000 (16 BBs)

 

Final Day Recap

The final day of the WPT Korea Main Event dawned with six players remaining, each with their eyes on the coveted title and the massive first-place prize. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife as these poker warriors took their seats at the final table.

The first to fall was Japanese player Takeo Kimura. Despite a valiant effort, he couldn’t find the cards he needed and finished in sixth place. He exited the tournament with grace and a smile, a true ambassador for the game.

Takeo Kimura
Takeo Kimura

Yong Li, who started the final day with a mountain of chips, couldn’t maintain his momentum. After a dramatic clash with Dong Li, his tournament run came to an end in fifth place.

Yong Li
Yong Li

Lin Baojie, despite starting as one of the short stacks, proved that you don’t need a massive stack to make a deep run. With skilful play and a bit of luck, he navigated his way to a respectable fourth-place finish.

Lin Baojie
Lin Baojie

Dong Li, who had commanded the chip lead for much of the tournament, suddenly found himself facing a series of setbacks. He lost crucial pots to Miao in intense deep-stack battles, his once-towering stack slowly dwindling. The final blow came in a dramatic hand where Miao, holding , hit a straight on the river against Li’s . The board read , sending Li to the rail in third place.

Dong Li
Dong Li

Now, it was down to two: Chenxiang Miao and Dingding Guan. The tension was almost unbearable as these two skilled players locked horns in a heads-up duel for the championship title. With the stakes at their highest, Miao, holding , moved all-in against Guan’s . The dealer slowly revealed the board: . A set for Miao! He erupted in celebration as he realized he had just won the WPT Korea Main Event. Guan, though disappointed, finished as a worthy runner-up, his head held high.

Dingding Guan
Dingding Guan

Final Table Results (KRW)

  1. Chenxiang Miao – ₩300,000,000
  2. Dingding Guan – ₩200,000,000
  3. Dong Li – ₩150,000,000
  4. Baojie Lin – ₩110,000,000
  5. Yong Li – ₩80,000,000
  6. Takeo Kimura – ₩55,000,000
  7. Hongshuang Hu – ₩42,000,000
  8. Zhikang Dai – ₩33,000,000
  9. Andrew Tomoya Matahira – ₩27,000,000

 

The Poker Party Continues in Jeju!

The WPT Korea Championship may have come to a close, but the poker action in Jeju is far from over! The Jeju Poker Festival 2024 continues until December 1. With the Korea Poker Cup and Red Dragon Poker Tour joining forces, players can expect the thrilling action to continue.

 

Images and Content Courtesy: So Much Poker and WPT

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