Triton Poker Series Invitational Won by Alleged Poker Cheat Bryn Kenney

Winning the Triton Poker Series London Luxon Invitational event was never going to be easy, but it was a huge victory for Bryn Kenney when he beat Talal Shakerchi heads-up. Not only did Kenney win a Triton title and finally get his hands on the famous trophy, but in adding another $6.86 million to his lifetime earnings, the Long Island player leapfrogged Justin Bonomo at the top of the all-time money list.

Jason Koon Sneaks into Money as Seidel Spiked

With a bumper eight-figure prizepool and some of the world’s best players in the mix, only 23 players would reach the money. Two big names were on either side of that money bubble, as first Erik Seidel lost with pocket aces to Paul Phua’s pocket jacks as they hit a four-flush and along with Wiktor Malinowski’s elimination, that meant that Jason Koon, the Event #3 Triton champion, cashed with his two big blinds, making $342,000 instead of leaving with nothing.

By the time the final table was reached, Koon was out, unable to add to his already incredible poker resume with a record-extending ninth Triton win. Instead, the British hedge fund manager Talal Shakerchi began with the lead, holding 72 big blinds. Out first from the nine finalists was the Taiwanese player James Chen, who moved over 20 bigs into the middle with ace-queen, only to run into Bryn Kenney’s ace-king, leading to Chen’s exit in ninth for $680,000.

Norwegian player Kayhan Mokri had begun the final table way behind the others, on just eight big blinds. He laddered that initial place thanks to Chen’s exit but it couldn’t last. All-in with pocket eights, he left in an appropriate eighth place when Aleks Ponakovs called with king-jack and turned a straight, sending Mokri home with a score of $860,000.

Chris Moneymaker Cashes for ‘Main Event’ Score

Of the remaining seven players, three hailed from the United States, but that was not to last long. Nick Petrangelo was short stacked when he got his chips in with ace-queen and lost a flip to Kenney’s pocket nines to exit for the first million-plus result of the event, winning $1,170,000.

Kenney was taking over, but Talal Shakerchi was loathed to let him have it all his own way, turning executioner to cut down Swedish pro Robert Flink, the British player’s queen-jack ending Flink’s hopes with queen-ten in sixth place for $1,582,000. Flink’s result was worth almost half of his poker career earnings, so will no doubt have meant a lot to him despite coming so close to the end of the tournament.

With five remaining, the 2003 WSOP Main Event winner Chris Moneymaker busted for a score not dissimilar to that which he took all those years ago. Two decades ago, Moneymaker won $2.5 million from an $80 online poker satellite. Here he converted his $250,000 entry into a result worth $2,030,000 when his pocket jacks couldn’t hold against Thailand player Punnat Punsri’s king-queen, a king arriving on the flop.

Shakerchi Bridesmaid Again, Kenney Takes the Crown

“I’m in a good place, standing here at the end of the tournament.”

With four remaining, Kenney and Shakerchi were in the box seats, and they stayed there through the next two bust-outs. Latvian Aleks Ponakovs won $2,540,000 when his turned trips ran into the British player’s full house, before Punsri departed for $3,107,000 when his ace-queen was usurped by Shakerchi’s ace-jack, a jack in the window doing the fatal damage.

Those two eliminations helped Shakerchi almost level the chipcounts between him and Kenney, but a series of small pots put Kenney into the lead. Shakerchi made a superb fold to preserve his stack with trips against a full house, perhaps mindful of how he himself had busted Ponakovs, but it only delayed his demise, leaving him dominated despite the superb laydown.

The first EVER $6.8 MILLION deuce. 🦆 pic.twitter.com/iOghJkYo0j

— Triton Poker (@tritonpoker) August 5, 2023

All-in with ace-king, the Brit was ahead of Kenney’s offsuit nine-eight, but an eight came on the flop and no ace or king followed, meaning Shakerchi once again finished as runner-up during the Triton series, this time cashing for $4.65 million. It was Kenney who became king and the controversial character, who admitted to nefarious behaviour in online poker after the infamous ‘frog poison’ Martin Zamani interview, had the title.

“It’s crazy.,” said Kenney in the aftermath, “I’m in a good place, standing here at the end of the tournament. Now I can hold up the trophy. I’m so blessed and thankful for this and everything.”

Winning the top prize of $6.86 million, Kenney’s result sees him leapfrog Justin Bonomo at the top of the all-time money list. Don’t expect Bonomo to rest on that.