Triton Jeju 2026: New Faces Topple High Roller Legends in South Korea

While the heads-up deal ensured that Vallinas actually walked away with the larger paycheck ($1,337,000), Zhao’s $1,160,000 score and the trophy solidified his position as the tour's latest breakout star. He joins Joshua Gebissa as the only other player to hold a Triton ONE Main Event title.

The $20,000 No-Limit Hold’em event saw Aren Bezhanyan reach the mountaintop. Bezhanyan, who has been a steady presence on the live circuit post-2020, converted his fourth final table of the year into a career-best $990,000 win. The victory was far from easy, as he had to navigate a field of 247 entries and a final table featuring Aleksejs Ponakovs and Kayhan Mokri.

The win was particularly significant for the Player of the Year standings. Bezhanyan earned 1,224 POY points, catapulting him into second place in the global rankings. Reflecting on the win, Bezhanyan expressed deep emotion: “I have dreamt of winning such a tournament for such a long time... only now I have done it.”

The High Roller portion of the series ended with a script that felt more like a Hollywood movie. Siang Ang ‘Austin’ Yang, a Triton newcomer from Malaysia, found himself at a final table with Isaac Haxton and Bryn Kenney—two men with over $140 million in combined earnings. In a high-stakes three-way deal, Yang locked up $842,000 but fought on for the title and the remaining $90,000 in the prize pool.

Yang eliminated Kenney in third and bested Haxton heads-up, holding with10♣A♣ against Haxton's7♦10♦. It was a breakthrough moment for the 29-year-old, who credited a handshake from Paul Phua for his "super-hot" run. The series concluded with huge headlines for female players as well, with Elizabeth Chen winning the ONE-W Championship and Yuna Kanaizumi taking 7th in the "Player ONE" race after her Mystery Bounty win.