Xuan Liu had a heck of a Triton Poker Sequence debut, profitable the $25,000 buy-in WPT World Slam at Triton Montenegro. [Image: Flickr.com / World Poker Tour]
Triton newcomer topped champion
Triton Montenegro kicked off in model on Tuesday with the 155-entry, $25,000 buy-in WPT World Slam. A collaboration between the 2 prestigious manufacturers, it produced an elite discipline together with one Triton newcomer within the type of veteran professional, high-stakes money crusher, and two-time EPT finalist Xuan Liu.
Three days later, she was the final particular person standing, having battled ferociously, ninja’d the quick stack, timed her bluffs to perfection, laddered to heads-up, earlier than in the end working over a hapless Daniel Dvoress, who simply couldn’t make a hand within the last confrontation.
heads-up play was all one-way oncoming site visitors
Dvoress was competing for a 3rd Triton title and, for some time, that end result appeared like a fait accompli as he bossed the ultimate desk, which additionally included poker luminaries Kristen Foxen, David Peters, and Mike Watson. Nonetheless, having put himself in a commanding place, heads-up play was all one-way oncoming site visitors as Liu overcame her fellow Canadian to be topped champion.
The $860,000 first prize is the most important rating of Liu’s profession, eclipsing her 4th place within the 2012 PCA, however she isn’t any stranger to WPT titles, having beforehand received the WPT Fallsview Poker Basic at Niagara Falls in 2017. She can be an envoy for WPT World, a model she has partnered with for the previous few years.
The story of the tape
The story of the tape will present that it was removed from plain crusing for Liu, who got here into the ultimate desk tied for 4th in chips with Foxen in what’s affectionately often known as “ICM-hell,” as they have been sandwiched between three massive stacks and 4 shorties. A giant conflict with Foxen with six gamers left made her the quick stack, however she fought on gamely and by the point there have been 5 left, she was in third place, a greater scenario, however nonetheless cuffed by the ICM predicament posed.
In a single day, Dvoress was within the field seat, adopted by Peters, Liu, Foxen, and Tom Fuchs. The blinds had escalated to the purpose the place it was a shallower affair on Day 3. Fuchs fell first, adopted by Foxen, who was felted by Liu in a blind versus blind encounter. All of the whereas, Dvoress was pulling clear, and he can be the one to dispatch Peters when the 2 obtained it in blind versus blind, flush draw versus high pair on the flop.
instantly stopped her opponent and any riotous ambitions of their tracks
The flush coming appeared inevitable for the god-moding Dvoress, who went into heads-up play with an nearly 4:1 chip benefit, 61 massive blinds to Liu’s 16. Big credit score goes to the debutante, who instantly stopped her opponent and any riotous ambitions of their tracks. Quietly decided, she chipped away at his lead, one hand at a time, till they have been just about stage. Then got here the massive flip, Liu’s pocket Fives limp-jamming into Dvoress’ Ace-Queen. A clear run out was delivered to the desk, and Liu had all of the chips bar 4 massive blinds. One hand later, it was throughout.
Past her wildest goals
Talking with Henry Kilbane after the win, Liu was on cloud 9, waxing lyrical about the fantastic thing about the sport and reflecting on the importance of being the primary lady to carry a Triton trophy aloft. Liu mentioned that the outcome was “past [her] wildest goals,” but additionally instructed that she was one and performed.
“I solely got here right here to play this one event, and you may’t high this!”
It stays to be seen if she will tear herself away from the Balkan Peninsula. In any case, the WPT World Slam was simply the primary of fifteen high-stakes tournaments that shall be performed within the Maestral Resort & On line casino within the charming and historic Adriatic coastal city of Budva. It’s obtained to be tempting to attempt to go back-to-back and put extra ache on the Triton regulars.
The final cease in Jeju was a massacre for the elite professionals, who obtained wrecked by the VIPs. If that have been to occur once more, an enormous gap could possibly be blown in poker’s greatest bankrolls. No matter occurs, we’re in for ten days of high-octane drama and top-tier poker motion as Kilbane, Ali Nejad, Randy Lew, and Kevin Rabichow preside over poker’s premier livestream protection.
