Schulman Takes the Main, Simão Takes Nearly $10M From Triton Jeju II

Triton Jeju II spent two weeks handing out seven-figure cheques, but two players ended up taking rather more than their share of the attention.

Nick Schulman left South Korea with the Main Event trophy and the biggest cash of his career, while João Simão put together an extraordinary closing week worth almost $10 million. The pair provided different stories from the same festival: Schulman finally landing Triton’s biggest regular title, and Simão turning two big final tables into one record win and another multi-million-dollar payday.

The $100,000 Main Event brought together 196 entries, producing a $19.6 million prize pool and nine final-table payouts ranging from $424,000 to almost $3.9 million.

Bernhard Binder looked capable of taking another major title for much of the final table. He sent Roberto Perez out in ninth, won an important pot against Danilo Velasevic and later caught a pair against Isaac Haxton to end the American’s run in sixth.

*Heads-up deal.

For Schulman, the result was not simply another high-roller cash. His $3,854,888 payday was a career best and his first Triton Main Event title after more than two decades at the top end of the game.

If Schulman’s route was built around surviving one elite final table, João Simão’s Invitational story began much earlier.

The Brazilian had only two big blinds left shortly after the money bubble in the $200,000 Invitational. He recovered to bag 25 blinds for the final day, then kept climbing until he was the player eliminating Matthias Eibinger in 10th and taking the chip lead into the final table.

The 173-entry field built a $34.6 million prize pool, and Simão’s first prize set a new personal best by a wide margin. It also became the largest tournament payout recorded by a Brazilian player.

Simão returned to the last two again in the $150,000 Anniversary Special, but this time Nick Petrangelo was sitting opposite him.

The final table included Adrian Mateos, Danny Tang, Seth Davies and Canadian Dan Dvoress, with 67 total entries generating $10.05 million. Simão eliminated Mateos in third to start heads-up with more than a three-to-one advantage.

Rather than play the full prize difference, Simão and Petrangelo agreed an ICM chop. Simão locked up the larger $2,517,090 share, but Petrangelo doubled twice before taking the title and $2,212,910.

*Heads-up deal.

It left Simão with nearly $9.9 million across the Invitational and Anniversary Special. Petrangelo took the final major trophy, but the Brazilian left Jeju with the larger pile of cash.