Ash cloud
The Triton Poker live streams are a seasonal delight for poker fans, especially those who love praising the proceedings of those in the upper echelons of our beautiful game. This week, poker’s high-stakes roadshow took place in Jeju, the South Korean island known for its white-sand beaches and stunning volcanic scenery. Over the next two weeks, however, the only ash cloud will be the one emanating from the lit buy-ins of unlucky poker players.
Event 1 is already set and it’s German prodigy superman Fedor Holz, who won his fourth Triton title and the lion’s share of Triton dollars after stilettoing his way through a record-breaking field of 269 competitors. In the home straight he had to assert himself against the hyper-aggressive Dominykas Mikolaitis, the dangerous Dimitar Dancyev, final boss Nick Petrangelo and the unpredictable Seth Gottlieb.
signaled that his hunger and passion for the game was reborn
Holz won $786,000 for his efforts, a drop in the bucket of his live earnings, but interestingly, in his post-match interview with Ali Nejad, he signaled that his hunger and passion for the game had been reborn. In 2016, he announced his retirement from poker, but that didn’t stop him from growing his fortune as a part-timer. In fact, this result has resulted in him making $21 million in live winnings since his retirement, which is exactly half of his total winnings.
269 to 1
47 of the 269 players won in this opening $15,900 buy-in game in Jeju, suggesting we’re in for another record-breaking stop at poker’s most luxurious traveling circus. The prominent players who made it into the money included Espen Jorstad (46th), Timothy Adams (40th), Michael Soyza (37th), Jesse Lonis (28th), Daniel Dvoress (25th), Lewis Spencer (21st), Aleksejs Panakov (17th) and ACR CEO Phil Nagy (13th), who may or may not have increased the buy-in at Schiphol Airport on his way to South Korea.
The final table was set when the in-form Isaac Haxton 4-bet pushed his AJ and failed to improve on the AK of then chip leader Gottlieb. Pieter Aerts was the short stack and was eliminated in ninth place. Ken Tong and the unlucky Josh McCully weren’t far behind, retiring in 8th and 7th place. Lun Loon played over the top throughout the tournament, but was next and was eliminated in 6th place.
From there, Gottlieb defeated both Mikolaitis (5th) and Petrangelo (4th), while Holz eliminated Danchev (3rd). Heads-up, it would be a dramatic encounter as amateur Gottlieb, a digital marketing manager, stubbornly fights for his second Triton title. In a crucial hand, Holz cracked his aces and never looked back.
Five ingredients
After the win, Holz spoke with Nejad and praised the Triton organizers for putting on a great tournament. The large number of entries in Event 1 certainly bodes well, both for this festival and for the expectant audience for whom these quarterly livestreams are a treat. But why are Triton Poker live streams so good? There are a few ingredients.
First and foremost, the show’s players are the best of the best, willing to exploit each other because the tour pampers them and because there’s a lot of marbling in the form of VIPs. Secondly, the employees on and off the felt are the best of the best. The event managers understand the needs of their idiosyncratic clientele, while the vendors and event staff ensure everything runs smoothly.
The Triton app is a groundbreaking invention in poker reporting
Third, the coverage is produced by ShareHand, the best livestream team in the industry. When I work with these guys and see their attention to detail up close, I am always impressed by their hard work, innovation and creativity. Fourth, the Triton app is a groundbreaking invention in poker coverage that expands the viewing experience and allows railbirds to expand the perspective beyond what is presented on the feature table. It brought poker coverage into the era of interactive television.
Last but not least, the organizers are hiring top talent – commentators who bring their vast gaming and analysis experience. This element adds hugely to Triton’s sophisticated boutique brand of nosebleed poker action.
VegasSlotsOnline news spoke with Nejad, who broke down the formula from his perspective: “When it comes to live poker streaming, the recipe for success is simple: elite professional fields, peppered with wealthy VIPs, wrapped in top-notch production quality. As a Triton commentator or casual viewer, the boxes are ticked and the ingredients are all there.”
Dempsey praises Triton’s talent
To ensure high broadcasting standards are maintained, Triton’s secret weapon is talent producer James Dempsey, an outstanding commentator and top player in his own right. He knows what the viewer wants to see and hear. He was the voice of partypoker for many years and was on the mic for WPT, WSOPE and Merit Poker streams. He also has an active resume that includes a WSOP bracelet, a WPT title and winning the Brighton Summer Shaker. VSO news contacted Dempsey before the festival:
“At Triton we never sit still and it’s great to welcome Nick Schulman and Brian Rast back to the stand, two guys who are respected in the high-stakes world as both players and commentators. Will Jaffe, a man who has caused a stir in the poker world, will also be there for the first time. We really look forward to seeing what he can bring to the coverage as Triton is always looking to support emerging talent.”
has the unique ability to keep the comments sounding fresh day after day.”
Dempsey also praised incumbent GPI Global Poker Award-winning host Nejad for his quality and consistency on the microphone:
“Ali is leading the team again and we are lucky to have him. His broadcasting experience is unmatched in our industry and he has a unique ability to keep commentary sounding fresh day after day.”
There’s no doubt that Nejad’s utter smoothness is synonymous with Triton livestreams, as he pairs every single frame with the most unlikely of transitions. He’s simultaneously smart, playful and mischievous, and his “night shift” repartee with Schulman is the pinnacle of poker commentary. I suspect we’re in for a fun few weeks.
