Following five days of intense battles, China’s Chenxiang Miao has taken down the 2024 World Poker Tour Korea Main Event, claiming a career-high KRW 300,000,000 (~$215,400), the WPT trophy, and the WPT Main Event Ring. Miao last cashed in 2017, and it took him seven years to cash in live poker, which he did with style. This victory has now pushed his career earnings over $700k, and he added a second WPT title to his name after his victory in the 2014 WPT National China PLO Event. This was his sixth live title overall.
The KRW 2,500,000 (~$1,795) buy-in attracted 667 entrants across three starting flights, building up a total prize pool of KRW 1,680,000,000 (~$1,206,430). From the massive 667 entrants, the top 96 players shared the massive seven-figure score, with the top 3 pocketing a six-figure sum.
The final table was formed on Day 4, however, only six of them advanced to the final day. Japan’s Andrew Matahira, Zhikang Dai, and Hongshuang Hu failed to reach the final day, as they busted out in 9th, 8th, and 7th place respectively. Miao entered the final day with the second largest stack and started off strong, eliminating Japan’s Takeo Kimura in 6th place. Miao played top-notch poker and swiftly took the chip lead from the start of the day chip leader, Dong Li.
Li made a strong comeback, eliminating Yong Li and Baojie Lin in 5th and 4th place, respectively. But he couldn’t surpass the dominant run of Miao. Dong Li’s run came to an end, as a rivered straight of Miao cracked his pocket aces. Li banked a career-high payday of KRW 150,000,000 (~$107,177) for his podium finish.
Miao held the commanding lead at the start of the heads-up battle and finished off things quickly. The final hand saw Miao jamming with 4h-4d, and Guan called with Js-Jh. The board ran, 8s-4c-Kh-10h-6s, and Miao took down the coveted title y with a set of fours. Guan had to settle for a payout of KRW 200,000,000 (~$142,903), while his fellow countrymen cashed a staggering KRW 300 Million (~$214,355).
2024 WPT Korea Championship Final Table Payouts
Rank | Player | Prize (KRW) | Prize (USD) |
1st | CHENXIANG MIAO | ₩300,000,000 | $214,355 |
2nd | DINGDING GUAN | ₩200,000,000 | $142,903 |
3rd | DONG LI | ₩150,000,000 | $107,177 |
4th | BAOJIE LIN | ₩110,000,000 | $78,597 |
5th | YONG LI | ₩80,000,000 | $57,161 |
6th | TAKEO KIMURA | ₩55,000,000 | $39,298 |
7th | HONGSHUANG HU | ₩42,000,000 | $30,010 |
8th | ZHIKANG DAI | ₩33,000,000 | $23,579 |
9th | ANDREW TOMOYA MATAHIRA | ₩27,000,000 | $19,292 |
The 2024 WPT Korea has officially concluded. The festival ran from November 15 to November 22 and featured 28 events, which attracted over 2,100 entrants generating a massive prize pool of KRW 4 Billion ($3,000,000). It was the World Poker Tour’s last Asian stop of this year, as it will now move to Las Vegas in December.
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Images and hands courtesy: WPT & SMP