Koray Aldemir ships in the 2017 Triton SHR series Main Event title

Entering the final table with the second largest stack, Germany’s Koray Aldemir defeated Spain’s Sergio Aido at the heads up round of the HK$1,000,000 (US$128,845) buy-in Main Event to become the newest champion of the Triton Super High Roller Series.

The Somuchpoker team was lucky enough to have a brief interview with the champion before he left to celebrate.

SMP: How does it feel winning today and winning your first super high roller event?

KA: It feels pretty good! I don’t really know what to say but it’s a good feeling and I think I need a night or two to realize it. But it really does feel good.

SMP: Did you have a strategy coming into the final table especially that it was short-handed?

KA: Not specifically. Just the same as how I would approach any final table. You have to think about the different stack sizes, different opponents, some ICM considerations, definitely positions. My opponents were tough; Daniel Cates is a heads up specialist, so I probably would not have liked to play him heads up.

SMP: Entering the heads up round you were behind in chips, did you have a plan or a read on how to play Sergio?

KA: Not really. I just hit a lot of flops and made a lot of good hands. A few bluffs worked as well but I would say I just made better hands than Sergio because he played good as well. Sometimes in heads up, you get lucky against your opponent. On one hand I rivered a straight against his trips, I think I should have jammed. He overbet a little and I think I should have gone all in coz it was a really good hand.

SMP: Where will you be traveling to next?

KA: I will be heading to the USA tomorrow, going to Los Angeles for the LAPC. Then there is something in Las Vegas after. It has been a long poker trip. I’ve travelled from the PCA to Australia to here in Manila then the US.

Aldemir shipped in US$1,292,509 (deal made), his first super high roller title and his second live tournament seven-digit payout.

Final table race to the title

The final table kicked off with six players returning to the felt. Interestingly, defending champion Wai Kin Yong, Sergio Aido, and Bryn Kenney were all at the final table of the previous edition of the Triton series. While chips moved around the table, short-stacked Kenney took a chunk of Devan Tang’s stack to slowly inch out of the danger zone; Yong, on the other, played aggressively from the get-go then suffered a big chip drop against Aldemir and Kenney to become the first casualty of the table. Shortly after, Aldemir shut the door on Tang in 5^thplace.

Action resumed with Daniel “Jungelman” Cates fueling up with a double through Aldemir. At this point, Aldemir proposed a deal but there were no takers. Cates proceeded to eliminate Kenney in 4^thplace, and now a deal was being considered. After ten minutes of deliberation, no deal was reached and it was back to war at the felt.

A few hands in, Aido surged to over half of the chips in play winning a big pot with his set on a board of against Cates’s top pair. For the third time, a deal was proposed again and this time a gentleman’s agreement was established.

Not long after, the heads up round was reached with Cates railed by Aido. Cates shoved with king-jack and Aido had better with king-queen.

Heads up round: Aido vs Aldemir

After shipping in all of Cates’s chips, the Spaniard held a 1.5:1 chip advantage against the young German, and was now one spot further than his previous finish at the series last year.

Yet despite his lead, Aido couldn’t catch a break against Aldemir and lost several sizable pots to lose control of the chip lead. On one of the hands, Aido had two pair, while Aldemir had a higher two pair. Aldemir climbed to nearly 4:1 in chips in a crushing hand that clearly turned the tides. Aldemir opened up for a straight against Aido’s trips on a completed board of . This was the hand Aldemir mentioned above in our short interview with the winner.

Several hands later, it was all over. Aldemir shoved his massive stack holding and Aido decided to go ahead and gamble with his . The board drew blanks running and the newest Triton champion emerged.

Final Table Payouts:

1^stKoray Aldemir – Germany – HK$10,032,869 (deal made)

2^ndSergio Aido – Spain – HK$10,378,375 (deal made)

3^rdDaniel “Jungleman” Cates – USA – HK$7,765,156 (deal made)

4^thBryn Kenney – USA – HK$3,893,000

5^thDevan Tang – China – HK$2,780,000

6^thWai Kin Yong – Malaysia – HK$2,224,000

The fourth installment of the Triton Super High Roller Series ran from February 17-21, 2017 at Solaire Resort & Casino in Manila, Philippines. The HK$1,000,000 buy-in Main Event drew in 39 entrants for a total prize pool of HK$37,073,400

Article by Triccia David

More: Triton High Roller Series Manila 2017 – Coverage