The Triton Poker collection in Jeju, South Korea, was the positioning of head-scratching fold this week from excessive curler Xu Wang.
Wang held pocket kings however finally determined to throw them into the muck with out a lot deliberation. His instincts turned out to be right.
The Action
On the primary day of the collection, in a $15,000 no-limit maintain’em occasion, the blinds have been at 2,000-4,000 with a 4,000 huge blind ante.
Wang raised to eight,500 from beneath the gun and 2022 World Series of Poker foremost occasion champion Espen Jorstad three-bet to 29,000 from the button.
Wang counted out a four-bet to 100,000 and the motion shifted again to Jorstad, who rapidly moved all in. Wang had 192,000 in chips remaining, having round put in additional than a 3rd of his stack. He took a look on the event clock, after which mulled over his choices.
“If this man folds pocket kings… I don’t know how far we are from the ocean, but I’m diving right into it,” mentioned commentor Ali Nejad.
“You just can’t fold this, right?” requested co-commentator Randy Lew.
Despite lower than a minute within the tank, Wang nonchalantly folded his two kings face up.
His opponent certainly had pocket aces – proving that Wang had made an excellent learn.
A surprised Jorstad couldn’t consider his opponent was capable of throw that hand away. Pocket aces are an 81% favourite in opposition to pocket kings, in line with the Card Player Poker Odds Calculator.
Watch Wang’s superb laydown under.
@UhlenPoker could have nightmares about this one… pic.twitter.com/HRxPDmmERq
— Triton Poker (@tritonpoker) February 26, 2025
Folding Kings Is Rare
Originally from China, Wang has restricted event outcomes and Triton describes him as a member of the Asian poker media who “works with poker influencers in Japan.”
Wang could have made the right laydown, however he didn’t money within the event. Jorstad completed twenty seventh for $41,000 whereas China’s Zhao Hongjun went on to seize his first Triton win for $818,000.
Jorstad now has almost $19 million in dwell event winnings. Along with successful the WSOP foremost occasion in 2022, he additionally has a Triton title from the 2023 London collection.
Folding pocket kings preflop is not any straightforward activity. Card Player technique columnist and two-time World Poker Tour champion Jonathan Little described his personal expertise and strategy of folding pocket kings at a WPT occasion again in 2019.
“While I essentially never fold K-K preflop (because if you are folding K-K, you are folding everything), sometimes it makes sense,” Little famous. “When a play makes sense, do not be afraid to make it.”
In 2006, Canadian document producer René Angélil (additionally the husband and supervisor of singer Celine Dion) made a world-class laydown within the WSOP foremost occasion. Angelil opened for a elevate in early place and was three-bet by a participant behind him. He rapidly folded his kings face up. The whole desk was schocked, however his opponent was good sufficient to point out he had the aces.
Doug Polk tackled the subject of folding kings preflop on his YouTube channel final 12 months, highlighting some extra circumstances together with a spot the place Tom Marchese threw away kings in opposition to Jennifer Tilly.
*Photo by Triton Poker – Drew Amato
