John Juanda Wins Triton HK$1m Super High Roller for HK $22,410,400 (US $2,872,299)

Poker Hall of Famer John Juanda has taken down the Triton Super High Roller HK$1m Main Event in Macau for HK $22,410,400 (US $2,872,299) after starting the day as the short-stack. He defeated high roller phenom Fedor Holz after a lengthy heads-up battle to take the title.

The first player to be eliminated from the final table was online phenom Ike "philivey2694" Haxton who started the day with the second shortest stack. He was involved in the first few hands and had fallen to the short stack by the time he shoved his remaining chips in the middle with . Haxton received a call from Germany's Dietrich Fast who turned over the dominating . A jack on the flop was enough to oust Haxton who left in 8th place, booking a HK $2,421,000 (US $310,271) win.

There were no further eliminations before the first break, but shortly after play resumed Canada's Timothy "TimOthee" Adams fell in 7th after being on the wrong end of a cruel cooler. All the chips went in preflop as Adams 4bet shoved for c.2.5m chips with only for Aussie Kahle Burns to snap-call with . The board changed nothing and Adams left the table HK $2,811,000 (US $360,257) richer.

This pot escalated Burns to the chip lead. However, he didn't hold it for very long as he suffered a similar cooler at the hands of Fedor Holz. After heavy betting both preflop and on the flop, all the chips went in on the turn. Burns turned over for top pair top kicker, but Holz had him beat all the way with to win the +6m chip pot and to assume the lead.

Burns continued to fall as he lost a 1.7m pot to Juanda, who shortly thereafter took another decent pot from the day's early chip leader, Adrian Mateos. By this time Juanda had moved from the short-stack to top three alongside Mateos and Holz.

The next player to fall was the UK's Stephen Chidwick. Chidwick almost got a stone-cold bluff through after jamming his last 1.6m into a 3m chip pot on a  board with for a missed straight draw. After a full five minutes deliberation (and having the clock called on him by Juanda) Holz made the call with and Chidwick was out in 6th, good for a HK $3,436,000 (US $440,380) payday.

Shortly after and Dietrich Fast joined Chidwick on the rail when his couldn't catch up with Kahle Burns after Fast committed his last 1m chips to the pot preflop. He took fifth place and a HK $4,607,000 (US $590,425) payday.

By the time the next break came,. Holz held a big chip lead with 9.6m with Burns on 4.97m, Mateos with 3.3m and Juanda on 2.9m.

After the break Mateos became heavily involved in the action, going up to 4.5m and down to 1.4m before eventually crashing out at the hands of Juanda. Juanda had raised preflop with and Mateos chose to commit all his chips holding just . Juanda made the call, flopping a 10 and winning the pot. Mateos left in 4th and with HK $6,950,000 (US $890,757) as consolation.

Above: The overnight chip leader Adrian Mateos eventually bowed out in 4th after losing his last chips to John Juanda.

John Juanda completed his ascent from bottom of the pack to chip leader a little while later when he won a huge 9.7m pot against Holz. All the chips went in preflop with Holz showing to Juanda's and it looked as though Holz was heading for a huge chip-lead and a heads-up confrontation with Kahle Burns all the way to the river when the enable Juanda to double up and take the lead. Holz, meanwhile, fell to 3rd out of three.

It didn't take Holz long to recover, however, and he managed to double up on the very next hand when Burns jammed with and the German called with . This time Fedor's pair not only held up but in fact made a set on the turn. This pot left Burns with just over 3.2m chips.

Just a few minutes later and Kahle Burns was out in 3rd. He 3bet shoved with preflop and was called by Juanda who woke up with . A board of blanks spelled the end for Burns who made his way to the cashier's desk to collect his HK $10,151,000 (US $1,301,018).

Heads-up play began with Juanda playing 13.5m to Holz's 7.25m. Juanda quickly went to work, picking up nearly 3.5m of Holz chips with pocket aces. It looked like it might be over soon after when Holz got his final chips in with and Juanda called with . A four on the turn, however, helped Holz to a timely double-up shortly before the first break.

This seemed to be a recurring theme of the 3.5 hour long heads-up match, with Juanda repeatedly knocking Holz down to around the 3m chip mark, only for the German pro to build back up to the 6-7m mark. At one stage it actually looked as though Holz might be headed to victory after surviving a series of all-ins as he took the chip lead for the one and only time in the match. With the blinds at 200k/400k with a 50k ante Juanda shoved with and was called by Holz with in an 11m chip pot. An ace on the river sent Fedor into a 13m - 7.75m chip lead. The lead didn't last long, however, with Juanda winning the next 3 pots to once again take a 2:1 chip lead in the match.

The end finally came when Holz was down to just under 7m chips and he jammed with and Juanda called with . Heading to the river the odds were on a chopped pot but the Poker Gods responded to Juanda's cry of "five" as the peeled off to hit the river and Fedor's valliant battle came to an end. He had to settle for runner-up and the not inconsiderable HK $16,398,000 (US $2,101,674) prize money, while Juanda took the title, the trophy, and the $22,410,400 (US $2,872,299) first place cash prize.

2017 Triton Super High Roller Series Macau HK$1m Main Event Results

Place	Winner	Country	Prize (HKD)	Prize (USD)
1	John Juanda		22,410,400 HKD	$2,872,299
2	Fedor Holz		16,398,000 HKD	$2,101,674
3	Kahle Burns		10,151,000 HKD	$1,301,018
4	Adrian Mateos		6,950,000 HKD	$890,757
5	Dietrich Fast		4,607,000 HKD	$590,425
6	Stephen Chidwick		3,436,000 HKD	$440,380
7	Timothy Adams		2,811,000 HKD	$360,257
8	Isaac Haxton		2,421,000 HKD	$310,271