Ding Baio Beats Legend Phil Ivey to $1M Triton Pot in South Korea

Ding Baio beat out five-time Triton Poker winner Phil Ivey at the recent Triton Poker Jeju event in Jeju Shinwa World in South Korea. And he became $1.107 million richer for it.

Baio beat out poker legend Phil Ivey on the final table in the $50K Pot Limit Omaha tournament over the weekend. It was Baio’s second Triton title.

American Ivey finds himself steady with just five Triton Poker titles for now. That puts him in second place all-time, tied with Danny Tang.

Both the men are chasing Triton legend Jason Koon, who boasts six Triton titles.

In this latest event, a runner-up finish saw Poker Hall of Famer Ivey fall just short against Baio, who secured his second Triton title and seventh cash at the Triton Jeju stop. Baio’s victory came less than a week after his second-place finish in Event #9.

The PLO $50K tournament paid out 14 places. Recent PLO Bounty Quattro champion Nacho Barbero was eliminated in eighth place, ensuring a star-studded final table.

Baio cemented his place among the Super High Roller elite by clinching the crown. This victory followed an exceptional couple of weeks in Jeju, where he notched seven cashes and three final tables.

“Phil Ivey is a very good player,” Biao said after the game, as reported in a press release from Triton Poker.

“There’s always a lot of luck. I got the cards this time.”

The Final Table

The final table featured a slew of poker legends, including Baio, Phil Ivey, Jason Koon, Nacho Barbero, Ole Schemion, and Stephen Chidwick.

Barbero, three-betting with his aces, eventually fell to Schemion’s straight, settling for eighth place and $152,500.

Amidst fierce competition, Ivey managed to take the chip lead into heads-up, but was quickly overtaken by Baio.

At the final table, Ivey was one short of a straight and went all-in, only for Baio to secure a simple pair on the river to secure the title.

Despite Ivey’s formidable reputation, Baio’s skill and a fortunate river card secured him the million-dollar win in the end.

Baio’s performance in Jeju, which included cashing six times and making two final tables, ended in the biggest prize – becoming the latest Triton two-time champion. His victory over Phil Ivey in the final showdown earned him $1,107,000 and solidified his status among the poker elite.

“The more I play, the better I get!”  Baio said shortly after his victory. “Luck plays a role in heads-up, even against Phil Ivey. He’s a great player. But I just hit the cards better than him this time. I love a heads-up victory against Ivey!”