To finish second but grab millions more than the winner

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Poker is an amazing phenomenon that can make dreams come true, and one of the few games that can make you enjoy second place more than first place. That's exactly what's happening in 2019 at the Triton Millions event, the 2019 event with the biggest first place payout in live poker history.

In the tournament in question, 54 millionaires engage in a mad race for the first place in the tournament with one of the biggest "buy-ins" in history - 1 million pounds. The series takes place in London, and the race for the biggest win in live poker is not the main event, but for the so-called "super high rollers" - the players with the "thickest" pockets. In the end, two players remain in the head-to-head race – Aaron Zhang (China) vs. Bren Kenny (USA).

In the "heads-up", the Chinese enters as an absolute outsider, but the two millionaires make a deal who will collect what amount, and in the end, they will only play for the title of "winner" in the tournament. So Kenny settled for just over $20m (£16m), the biggest live poker tournament win to date. Zhang, for his part, settled for "only" 16 million dollars, or nearly 4 less than his American opponent.

However, the Chinese millionaire is hardly happy about this deal to this day. In an epic one-on-one duel, he was able to turn the tide of events in London, gradually not only matching Kenny's chips, but overtaking him. In the final hand, Zhang decided to call his opponent all-in for 23 million chips. He has top pair but is taking a serious risk, with the American having over 40% odds of taking the hand post-flop, but the Chinese's pair holds and he wins the tournament. At least officially, because in the end, the runner-up wins 4 million more than the winner of the tournament.

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