Tony Lin Wins KPC 5M High Roller in Jeju

Tony Lin Takes Down the KPC 5M High Roller

Ren "Tony" Lin added another trophy to his collection with a victory in the KPC 5M High Roller at LES A Casino on Jeju Island, South Korea. The Chinese player closed out the event following a heads-up deal with fellow countryman Zhengqing Zhao, taking 134,120,000 KRW (approximately $99,940) plus the championship trophy.

The 5,000,000 KRW buy-in event (roughly $3,726) drew 167 registrations, comfortably surpassing the original 420 million KRW guarantee. The final prizepool reached 745,154,000 KRW, or about $555,300, with the top 26 finishers paid.

Heads-Up Deal Decides the Top Two

By the time the tournament reached heads-up play, Lin held a commanding lead of more than 3:1 in chips over Zhao. The two players agreed to a financial deal that guaranteed Zhao 130,000,000 KRW (approximately $96,870) for second place, while Lin collected 134,120,000 KRW and the title.

Final Table Action

The final table produced plenty of swings. Sean Ooi of Malaysia authored one of the more memorable runs of the event, recovering from a stack of just five big blinds on the money bubble to reach the podium. Ooi's comeback ended in third place, eliminated by Lin.

On the decisive hand, Lin held Kd 7d against Ooi's Ac Th. The board ran out 3d Kc 2h 5c Jh, giving Lin a pair of kings and sending Ooi to the rail. Lin went on to eliminate five opponents at the final table in total, cementing his control of the event.

Final Table Results

• 1st: Ren "Tony" Lin (China) — 134,120,000 KRW* (~$99,940)
• 2nd: Zhengqing Zhao (China) — 130,000,000 KRW* (~$96,870)
• 3rd: Sean Ooi (Malaysia) — 80,000,000 KRW (~$59,610)
• 4th: Hyunyeong Kang (South Korea) — 57,000,000 KRW (~$42,470)
• 5th: Aleksandras Rusinovas (Lithuania) — 42,500,000 KRW (~$31,670)
• 6th: Nevan Chang (Taiwan) — 32,700,000 KRW (~$24,370)
• 7th: Marius Kudzmanas (Lithuania) — 26,000,000 KRW (~$19,370)
• 8th: Rokas Asipauskas (Lithuania) — 20,500,000 KRW (~$15,280)
• 9th: Siyoung Lee (South Korea) — 16,000,000 KRW (~$11,920)

*Denotes a heads-up deal.

What the Result Means

The score continues a strong stretch for Lin on the Asian high roller circuit. The KPC series has become a regular stop for players based in the region, and the 5M High Roller's overlay-beating turnout reflects continued demand for mid-to-high buy-in tournaments outside the traditional European and American stops.

For players following the schedule, the structure of the event is worth noting: a 5,000,000 KRW buy-in, a guarantee that was exceeded by a wide margin, and payouts reaching roughly 15 percent of the field. Those are typical markers of a well-attended regional high roller, where a single re-entry decision can swing the value of the prizepool considerably.

Deal Dynamics at the Top

Heads-up deals are common in high buy-in events, particularly when one player holds a large chip advantage. In this case, the chip leader secured the larger share of the remaining prize money while the shorter stack locked in a guaranteed six-figure sum in local currency terms. Such arrangements are generally negotiated with the assistance of tournament staff and must be approved before play resumes.

Lin's win adds to a growing record of results for Chinese players at Korean stops, where fields often combine local regulars with traveling professionals from across Asia and Europe. The final table here featured players from five different countries, a sign of the event's international draw.

Looking Ahead

With the October series completed, attention turns to the next stops on the regional calendar. Results from Jeju often serve as a form guide for players planning schedules around major Asian festivals, and Lin's performance will be one of the more closely watched data points from this series.