American pro Jason Koon won a sixth Triton high roller title with a victory at the 2023 Triton Super High Roller Series Cyprus. Koon outlasted a field of 138 runners to win $663,000 in a Seven-Max NL Higher Roller. He now has a two-win lead in Triton events over Mikita Badziakouski.
Mark it six, Dude. We already knew Jason Koon was a bad ass, but he shipped another high roller event. Is that even news anymore? He's invading Steve O'Dwyer territory when it's bigger news when he doesn't win an event. That's what happens when you're a consistent winner, because it looks too easy when you're a god walking around mere mortals.
Cyprus has become a hot bed for high-balla poker in the last decade, so once again the top pros and sharks in the world flocked to the latest Triton Poker high roller series at the Merit Hotel & Resort in Northern Cyprus.
Event #2 $20,000 buy-in Seven-Handed NL event attracted 138 entrants including 44 re-entries. The top 20 places paid out of the $2.7 million prize pool.
The final nine included a pair of American pros including Jason Koon and Sean Winter. A couple of Brits went deep including Stephen Chidwick and Ian Bradley. The Russians were out in force including super pro Artur Martirosian, Eduard Barsegian, and Viacheslav Buldygin. Spanish pro Adrian Mateos went on another deep run. Kanan Taherkhani was the lone Turk among the final nine. and he had one of the more impressive performances in Event #2.
Chidwick was the big stack among the final nine, with Martirosian and Koon right behind him. Bradley and Taherkhani were the short stacks.
Bradley hit the rail in seventh place when his 
lost a flip against Martirosian's pocket fives. Bradley flopped a pair of Queens, but Martirosian rivered a set and dragged the pot on a two-outer. Ooooof.
Martirosian's stack came under assault, and he's pocket treys ran into Koon's pocket fours. Martirosian bowed out in sixth place which paid out $154,400.
Mateos made a final stand with 
in a three-way pot against Barsegian and Taherkhani, who both had Ace-mid. Mateos failed to double up and he was knocked out in fifth place, which paid out $197,300.
Barsegian was getting short and he made a stand with 
but whiffed on a flush draw. Taherkhani missed a Broadway draw but dragged the pot with Ace-high. Barsegian busted in fourth place, but the rookie banked $245,500.
With three to go, Koon emerged with a healthy big stack. Koon chipped away at Chidwck's stack after winning a flip with a baby pair and also hitting a four-flush. Taherkhani took out Chidwick in third place which paid out $298,000.
Taherkhani the rookie from Turkey found himself heads up against the American giant, Koon. Taherkhani trailed nearly 4-to-1 in chips, but the Turk put up a good fight considering he was a shorty when the final nine began and he stay alive long enough to face Koon in a heads-up duel.
On the final hand, Taherkhani lost with two pair and 
against Koon's 
. Koon missed a flush draw, but dragged the pot with an eight-high straight.
Taherkhani won $451,200 for a runner-up finish. Not too shabby, eh?
Koon took down his sixth Triton high roller with a victory in Event #2. He banked $663,000 for the victory. He now has over $44.4 million in winnings, and ranked #5 overall on Hendon Mob just ahead of Erik Seidel and David Peters.
Sean Winter bubbled the final table in seventh place. Among those lucky souls who cashed in Event #2 included... Viacheslav Buldygin, Punnat Punsri, Kiat Lee, Samuel Ju, Hossein Ensan, Tom Dwan, Alexey Tsessarsky, Patrik Antonius, Andriy Lyobovetskiy, Henrik Hecklen, Isaac Haxton, and Axel Hallay.
2023 Triton Super High Roller Series Cyprus
Event #2: Seven-Handed NL
Buy-in: $20,000
Entrants: 138
Prize Pool: $2,760,000
Payouts: 20
Final Table Results:
1. Jason Koon (USA) $663,000
2. Kanan Taherkhani (Turkey) $451,200
3. Stephen Chidwick (UK) $298,000
4. Eduard Barsegian (Russia) $245,500
5. Adrian Mateos (Spain) $197,300
6. Artur Martirosian (Russia) $154,400
7. Ian Bradley (UK) $115,900
