Rui Kao wins the €25,000 Triton Madrid Series in a short-term event

Rui Cao hasn’t scored a live poker tournament score since the summer of 2019, but the high-stakes Frenchman ended his nearly three-year hiatus in style with a win in the 2022 tournament. Triton Madrid Series Short purchase event of €25,000. Cao defeated a field of 68 entries to secure his second Triton Cup, along with the highest payout of €497,000 ($521,850) American dollar).

The victory also saw the securing of Cao 504 card player overall player points. This was his first qualifying result for 2022 POY sponsored race Global Poker.

The second and final day started with only 13 players remaining and nine of them set to earn money. Chris Brewer, just one day after winning the €20,000 short group buy event, was decimated into the money bubble to ensure that the remaining nine all closed out at least $51,870. That amount eventually went to Ryan Yum. It was followed by Isaac Huxton in eighth place ($67,830 American dollar) when his Q-10 suit failed to beat Kenneth Kee’s AQ.

Santi Jiang was the second to fall, his A-9 suits hitting the AQ of Cao. Both players made a pair, but the Queens of Kao were the best and Jiang came out in seventh place ($87,675) American dollar).

Jason Kwon World Series of Poker Bracelet winner and three-time Triton champ, saw his finish in sixth place ($110,670) American dollar) when his 10-9 suit was hit by an A-10 from Cao. Koon also got 168 POY Point to display eighth in this year’s final table. With 2,145 points and more than $2 million in earnings for the year to date, Kun is now 12th overall in the rankings. With over $37.2 million in career earnings, Koon is still 8th on the poker money all-time list.

Choon Siow got his last chips with the pocket kings driving a Q-10 fit for Kee, but the board gave Kee queens and scores to win the bowl. Siow earned $142,800 as the fifth place finisher.

Tom Dwan canceled his last short set with a Q-10, only to show K-10 dominated by Cao. King High was the best near the river and Dwan was eliminated in fourth place, taking $183,855 for his second finish at the final table in as many days.

Slide Kee onto the leaderboard in a triple action. He eventually got it all done with an AK driving a proper AQ for Cao, but two queens on the board sent Kee packages in third place ($243,600) American dollar).

This way Cao took over 2:1 in the lead in a singles match with Richard Young. Young saw a big hand blocking the gap greatly, and had a chance to take a big lead by himself when an entire house collapsed against Cao Straight which had also been completed on Fifth Street. Cao bet folded on the double board to keep a large portion of his pool. Yong took out the pot to move to the lead, but Cao quickly slid forward and then extended his lead.

By the time the final hand was dealt, Cao almost had an advantage in the 4:1 minute. All chips got with Cao holding an A9 While Young got 108. Board ran out 98798 To give both players a full house. Young’s eighth was full in second place, though, and he lost in second place ($374,850) American dollar). The Malaysian now has approximately $15 million in lifetime course money.

Here is a look at the payments and POY Points awarded on the final table:

Image credit: Joe Giron/Triton Poker.