Chinese Poker Player Wins $5 Million in High-Stakes Cash Game

The ultra-high-stakes cash game world has seen some of the biggest pots in poker history, and the trend continued in a massive hand that recently played out on a live stream from Jeju, South Korea. The King Poker Cup million-dollar cash game featured $1,000-$2,000 blinds, with a straddle and a $3,000 squid game in play. The hand involved several key players, including a Chinese high roller under the moniker ‘ST’, and Triton Super High Roller Series event winners Aaron Zang and Wiktor Malinowski.

The hand began with ‘ST’ limping for $4,000. Zang and one other player did the same. Malinowski, on the button, raised to $35,000 with K♥J♣. ‘ST,’ whose hand was hidden from viewers at this point in the stream, called, as did Zang, with J♦9♣, and ‘HY’, who had 8♥7♥. They went four ways to a Q♠10♦7♣ flop, and action ultimately checked around to Malinowski, who bet $45,000. ST and Zang both called. On the K♠ turn, the action once again checked to Malinowski, who bet $135,000. ‘ST’ paused for a significant stretch before he ultimately called. Zang also pondered his options for quite a bit before he eventually raised to $635,000. Malinowski, with his top pair and straight draw, thought for about a minute and eventually let his hand go.

With $2.2 million remaining in his stack, ‘ST’ went deep into the tank once again and then called. The 8♦ landed on the river. With a little less than $1.7 million in the pot, almost identical to his remaining stack, ‘ST’ checked. Zang bet $800,000, and ‘ST’ responded with an all-in shove. Even with almost half of ‘ST’s’ stack committed to the pot, Zang thought for almost two minutes before he called. ‘ST’ rolled over A♥J♥, taking down the $5,029,000 pot with his superior straight in a pot that ultimately took 14 minutes to play out from start to finish.