Jeju has cemented its status as a premier poker destination, playing host to an unprecedented trifecta of tournaments: the World Poker Tour (WPT) Korea, Korea Poker Cup (KPC), and Red Dragon Poker Tour (RDPT). This powerhouse collaboration delivered a festival of poker, unlike anything the region has ever seen.
The combined series drew 5,471 entries across 65 events, generating a hefty KRW 15,093,174,000 ($10.7 million) in prize pools. Tournament winners walked away with KRW 3,999,572,000 ($2.84 million), along with the bragging rights to call themselves poker champions.
Among the standout performers, Chenxiang Miao claimed the WPT Korea Main Event title, prevailing over a 667-entry field and adding a Pot Limit Omaha side event victory to his resume. Jian Ting Cai emerged victorious in the RDPT Red Dragon Championship, besting 642 entries, while the Netherlands' Joris Michl captured the KPC Main Event title, earning KRW 190,000,000 (~$136,410).
A special mention should also go to Dong Li, who won four side events. Two triumphs came in PLO, with another coming in PLO Hi-Lo. A No-Limit Hold'em title was also dished out to Li, after he hoovered up every last chip in the RDPT Win the Button Hyper Turbo.
KRW to USD conversion rate: 1 South Korean won equals 0.00071 United States Dollar
The WPT Korea Championship proved to be a smash hit, with sizeable turnouts for the 28-event schedule. As expected, the WPT Main Event was best attended and saw 667 entries vie for a slice of the KRW 1,680,000,000 guaranteed prize pool (~$1,197,788).
Chenxiang Miao halted Dong Li's quest for a quintet of titles in the final three before defeating compatriot Dingding Guan in heads-up play to capture the KRW 300,000,000 (~$213,000) first-place prize.
The victory marked a career-defining moment for Miao, eclipsing his previous personal best—a €136,900 score from a €25,000 High Roller at EPT Monte Carlo a decade ago.
Miao was one of two WPT Korea players to earn multiple titles during the series. Xinhong Li also had an exceptional run on the live felt, capturing back-to-back victories in the Pot Limit Omaha - Hyper Turbo and the WPT Mystery Bounty events. The two gold medals earned Li KRW 52,648,000 (~$37,380).
There's been no rest for the folks at WPT, as all eyes are on the 2024 WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open Championship finale. After the trip to Florida, the WPT heads to Las Vegas for the third edition of the WPT World Championships, which plays out from December 3-23.
| Rank | First Name | Country | Prize (KRW) | Prize (~USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chenxiang Miao | China | 300,000,000 | $213,000 |
| 2 | Dingding Guan | China | 200,000,000 | $142,000 |
| 3 | Dong Li | China | 150,000,000 | $106,500 |
| 4 | Baojie Lin | China | 110,000,000 | $78,100 |
| 5 | Yong Li | China | 80,000,000 | $56,800 |
| 6 | Takeo Kimura | Japan | 55,000,000 | $39,050 |
| 7 | Hongshuang Hu | China | 42,000,000 | $29,820 |
| 8 | Zhikang Dai | China | 33,000,000 | $23,430 |
| 9 | Andrew Matahira | Japan | 27,000,000 | $19,170 |
| Event | Entries | Prize Pool (KRW) | Prize Pool (~USD) | Winner | Country | Prize (KRW) | Prize (~USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPT Opener | 106 | 138,807,000 | $98,553 | Tomas Patka | Slovakia | 37,977,000 | $26,964 |
| Single Day High Roller | 16 | 69,840,000 | $49,586 | Calvin Lee | United States | 38,410,000 | $27,271 |
| Pot Limit Omaha | 9 | 7,857,000 | $5,578 | Chenxiang Miao | China | 5,107,000 | $3,626 |
| Hyper Turbo Bounty | 36 | 18,857,000 | $13,388 | Dong Su | China | 4,147,000 | $2,944 |
| WPT Main Event Championship | 667 | 1,680,000,000 | $1,192,800 | Chenxiang Miao | China | 300,000,000 | $213,000 |
| Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo 8 | 8 | 6,984,000 | $4,959 | Dong Li | China | 6,984,000 | $4,959 |
| WPT High Roller | 45 | 323,010,000 | $229,337 | Meng Lin Lin | Taiwan | 80,910,000 | $57,446 |
| Single Day Mystery Bounty NLH | 40 | 52,380,000 | $37,190 | Guo Xu | China | 9,700,000 | $6,887 |
| Hyper Turbo NLH | 27 | 14,143,000 | $10,042 | Fan Chen | China | 5,303,000 | $3,765 |
| Deepstack NLH | 57 | 49,761,000 | $35,330 | Jiaqi He | China | 15,731,000 | $11,169 |
| 5 Card Pot Limit Omaha | 16 | 13,968,000 | $9,917 | Xiaochuan Zhang | China | 7,678,000 | $5,451 |
| Short Deck NLH | 14 | 24,444,000 | $17,355 | Fabrizio Falzei | Italy | 13,444,000 | $9,545 |
| Flip and Go | 91 | 39,722,000 | $28,203 | Weiwei Huang | China | 39,722,000 | $28,203 |
| Win the Button Hyper Turbo | 57 | 29,857,000 | $21,198 | Jianfeng Sun | China | 9,437,000 | $6,700 |
| Survivor Bounty (20% of the field) | 75 | 68,213,000 | $48,431 | Tsz Kin Heung | Hong Kong | 20,123,000 | $14,287 |
| Single Day High Roller NLH - Turbo | 33 | 115,236,000 | $81,818 | Yong Li | China | 40,976,000 | $29,093 |
| Pot Limit Omaha - Hyper Turbo | 40 | 20,952,000 | $14,876 | Xinhong Li | China | 7,122,000 | $5,057 |
| WPT Mystery Bounty | 161 | 281,106,000 | $199,585 | Xinhong Li | China | 45,526,000 | $32,323 |
| Limit 2-7 Triple Draw | 9 | 7,857,000 | $5,578 | Ryoma Tsunoda | Japan | 5,107,000 | $3,626 |
| Single Day High Roller NLH - Turbo | 18 | 62,856,000 | $44,628 | Bayar Saran | Mongolia | 28,296,000 | $20,090 |
| Hyper Turbo Bounty NLH | 86 | 45,047,000 | $31,983 | Thijs Hilberts | Netherlands | 7,817,000 | $5,550 |
| WPT Closer | 194 | 338,724,000 | $240,494 | Wanyu Zhang | China | 78,534,000 | $55,759 |
| No Limit 2-7 Single Draw | 26 | 22,698,000 | $16,116 | Tsz Kin Heung | Hong Kong | 8,518,000 | $6,048 |
| WPT Super High Roller | 40 | 595,840,000 | $423,046 | Dong Chen | Hong Kong | 182,278,000 | $129,417 |
| Win the Button - Hyper Turbo NLH | 72 | 37,714,000 | $26,777 | Shiina Okamoto | Japan | 11,104,000 | $7,884 |
| Mini High Roller - Turbo | 46 | 100,395,000 | $71,280 | Jie Chen | Australia | 29,495,000 | $20,941 |
| WPT Mini Closer - Turbo NLH | 38 | 49,761,000 | $35,330 | Kanwen Du | China | 17,691,000 | $12,561 |
| Monster Stack Hyper Turbo NLH | 80 | 69,840,000 | $49,586 | Tsuyoshi Ikeda | Japan | 20,050,000 | $14,236 |
Dutchman Joris Michl was another player who reached new heights in Jeju after his tournament-winning performance in the KPC Main Event. After he overcame Wei Chen Lin in the final showdown, Michl captured KRW 190,000,000 (~$136,410) from the KRW 1,000,000,000 (~$717,000) prize pool and almost doubled his career-live earnings.
Michl has been in hot form in 2024, with his latest top-of-the-podium finish being his fifth outright tournament win in 2024. This achievement was the most lucrative and caps off a fine year at the tables.
Another player from The Netherlands also proved their worth in the KPC festival as Rene van Krevelen helped himself to a $691,228 payout in the KPC Super High Roller Short Deck. The intimate field of 52 entries created a massive KRW 3,230,860,000 (~$2,304,088) prize pool and like Michl, Van Krevelen earned himself his best career payout.
The KPC hosted 13 events, with the 1,488 entries swelling the final prize pool total to KRW7,405,623,000 (~$5.266m). Xinyin Xu was another big winner, receiving a windfall of KRW615,150,000 (~$436,757) from besting 72-entries in the KPC Single Day Super High Roller.
| Place | Name | Country | Prize (KRW) | Prize (~USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joris Michl | Netherlands | 190,000,000 | $134,900 |
| 2 | Wei Chen Lin | Taiwan | 117,500,000 | $83,425 |
| 3 | Cheng Yen Lo | Taiwan | 83,900,000 | $59,569 |
| 4 | Changyang Liu | China | 65,000,000 | $46,150 |
| 5 | Yi Ma | China | 51,000,000 | $36,210 |
| 6 | Jianfeng Sun | China | 40,000,000 | $28,400 |
| 7 | Jianwei Lin | China | 30,000,000 | $21,300 |
| 8 | Xiao Liu | China | 20,700,000 | $14,697 |
| Event | Entries | Prize Pool (KRW) | Prize Pool (~USD) | Winner | Country | Prize (KRW) | Prize (~USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KPC Main Event | 530 | 1,000,000,000 | $718,110 | Joris Michl | Netherlands | 190,000,000 | $134,900 |
| Single Day High Roller | 33 | 147,246,000 | $105,008 | Bohao Huang | China | 55,856,000 | $39,834 |
| Pot Limit Omaha | 20 | 17,460,000 | $12,452 | Dong Li | China | 8,730,000 | $6,226 |
| Turbo NLH | 78 | 34,047,000 | $24,281 | Zihao Wang | China | 10,437,000 | $7,443 |
| Single Day High Roller | 35 | 156,170,000 | $111,373 | Calvin Lee | United States | 53,070,000 | $37,847 |
| Freezeout NLH | 49 | 42,780,000 | $30,509 | Dongli Shen | China | 13,970,000 | $9,963 |
| Turbo NLH | 73 | 31,870,000 | $22,728 | Nan Zhang | China | 9,740,000 | $6,946 |
| Jeju Poker Cup | 297 | 311,140,000 | $221,889 | Chen Yu Hung | Taiwan | 65,900,000 | $46,997 |
| KPC Single Day Super High Roller | 72 | 2,236,750,000 | $1,595,138 | Xinyin Xu | China | 615,150,000 | $438,694 |
| Mystery Big Bounty NLH | 107 | 93,410,000 | $66,615 | Chang Lian Sun | China | 12,440,000 | $8,872 |
| All-in or Fold | 46 | 20,080,000 | $14,320 | Xu Chen | China | 7,140,000 | $5,092 |
| KPC Super High Roller Short Deck | 52 | 3,230,860,000 | $2,304,088 | Rene van Krevelen | Netherlands | 969,260,000 | $691,228 |
| UltraStack NLH | 96 | 83,810,000 | $59,769 | Chao Li | China | 24,080,000 | $17,173 |
Back in July, Jian Ting Cai hopped into the Red Dragon Championship and navigated his way to a 16th-place finish. Fast forward six months, Cai was back in the saddle and proved unstoppable as he galloped confidently toward the finish line in first place.
Even with tournament powerhouse Joseph Cheong at the final table, Cai remained steadfast in his pursuit of the KRW 243,800,000 (~$173,098) top prize, last eliminating Zehao Li to get the winner's spoils.
The major win gave Cai's total live earnings a spectacular boost, with his previous tally of $29,838 rising to $202,936.
| Place | First Name | Country | Prize (KRW) | Prize (~USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jian Ting Cai | China | 243,800,000 | $173,098 |
| 2 | Zehao Li | China | 162,150,000 | $115,127 |
| 3 | Ngoc Nguyen | Vietnam | 112,450,000 | $79,840 |
| 4 | Chi Jen Chen | Taiwan | 79,350,000 | $56,339 |
| 5 | Ye Li | China | 57,000,000 | $40,470 |
| 6 | Joseph Cheong | United States | 41,700,000 | $29,607 |
| 7 | Kyosuke Nagami | Japan | 31,050,000 | $22,046 |
| 8 | Xiaobin Zhou | China | 23,450,000 | $16,650 |
| Event | Entries | Prize Pool (KRW) | Prize Pool (~USD) | Winner | Country | Prize (KRW) | Prize (~USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby Dragon | 269 | 352,256,000 | $250,102 | Jiale Li | China | 77,406,000 | $54,958 |
| Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo 8 | 10 | 8,730,000 | $6,198 | Xi Xiang Luo | China | 5,240,000 | $3,720 |
| Red Dragon Super High Roller | 49 | 541,850,000 | $384,714 | Yita Choong | Australia | 177,750,000 | $126,203 |
| Hyper Turbo Bounty NLH | 76 | 24,609,000 | $17,472 | Xiao Liu | China | 6,969,000 | $4,948 |
| Red Dragon Championship | 642 | 1,380,000,000 | $979,800 | Jianting Cai | China | 243,800,000 | $173,098 |
| Lady Dragon | 26 | 22,698,000 | $16,116 | Yu-Lun Huang | Taiwan | 9,238,000 | $6,559 |
| Short Deck NLH | 25 | 32,738,000 | $23,244 | Hao Chuang | Taiwan | 13,318,000 | $9,456 |
| Win the Button Hyper Turbo | 15 | 7,857,000 | $5,578 | Haonan Tian | China | 3,707,000 | $2,632 |
| MegaStack NLH | 45 | 58,928,000 | $41,839 | Tsz Kin Heung | Hong Kong | 20,098,000 | $14,270 |
| Single Day High Roller NLH - Turbo | 23 | 80,316,000 | $57,024 | Yin Liu | China | 32,716,000 | $23,228 |
| Pot Limit Omaha Hyper Turbo | 25 | 13,095,000 | $9,297 | Kun Han Lee | Taiwan | 5,325,000 | $3,781 |
| Dragon Egg Mystery Bounty | 110 | 384,120,000 | $272,725 | Dmitrii Gnusaev | Russia | 66,120,000 | $46,945 |
| Survivor Bounty NLH | 24 | 8,868,000 | $6,296 | Haonan Tian | China | 8,868,000 | $6,296 |
| Big Bounty Turbo | 11 | 28,809,000 | $20,454 | John Panish | United States | 10,709,000 | $7,603 |
| Hyper Turbo Bounty NLH | 74 | 38,762,000 | $27,521 | Yan Zhao | China | 6,772,000 | $4,808 |
| Mini Main Event | 170 | 222,615,000 | $158,057 | Xianglai Li | China | 53,275,000 | $37,825 |
| Pot Limit Omaha | 20 | 26,190,000 | $18,595 | Dong Li | China | 12,340,000 | $8,761 |
| Red Dragon High Roller | 45 | 274,559,000 | $194,937 | William Teoh | Malaysia | 86,259,000 | $61,244 |
| Flip and Go | 56 | 24,444,000 | $17,355 | Jianfeng Jiao | China | 8,324,000 | $5,910 |
| Win the Button Hyper Turbo | 38 | 19,905,000 | $14,133 | Dong Li | China | 7,115,000 | $5,052 |
| All-in or Fold Hyper Turbo | 37 | 19,350,000 | $13,739 | Tze Yau Wong | Hong Kong | 4,410,000 | $3,131 |
| SuperStack Bounty Turbo | 26 | 34,047,000 | $24,173 | Patrik Demus | Hungary | 8,547,000 | $6,068 |
| MegaStack Turbo | 46 | 40,158,000 | $28,512 | Hidenari Tomita | Japan | 13,698,000 | $9,726 |
| MonsterStack Hyper Turbo | 14 | 9,778,000 | $6,942 | Chao Ting Cheng | Taiwan | 4,608,000 | $3,272 |
The three tours orchestrated a successful series during their time in Jeju, demonstrating a clear commitment to placing the player experience at the heart of their planning. From the moment the cards were in the air, every detail seemed designed to enhance the atmosphere, ensuring players felt valued and engaged on and off the tables.
This focus did not go unnoticed, as players expressed overwhelmingly positive feedback. Many highlighted the thrill of competing in varied and challenging fields, the satisfaction of competing for prestigious titles, and the joy of immersing themselves in an event that blended world-class poker with the unique charm of Jeju.
