Lin takes down Jason Koon on his way to making poker history
Ren Lin continued having success on Day 4 of the 2023 WPT World Championship on Monday, finishing third in chips at the end of the night and among the 45 players remaining as the final table approached, along with the $5.6 million prize for the champion.
Lin began to feel somewhat ill before the start of Day 5, taking medication to try to relieve the symptoms before tragedy struck. Lin would finish the tournament in 20th place, taking home $236,300, which isn’t a bad run but less than the kind of payouts and awards he’s used to. Lin would then register for the $50,000 Alpha8 event at Wynn Las Vegas late Wednesday to position himself for another chance at a big payday on this journey to Las Vegas.
He would get exactly what he was looking for, surviving the money bubble early and making a run all the way to the championship to take the biggest cash of his career of $1,045,781. Lin would have to go heads-up with Jason Koon, the #3-ranked player on the all-time money list and someone highly respected by Lin.
“You know, Jason Koon, he’s my idol,” Lin said. “I think he’s my favorite player in the world. I just can’t believe I can beat him. I got a lot of good hands heads up, and I did get lucky. But I beat him.”
Lin’s win in the WPT Alpha8 is the highlight of a career year, where he won over $6.6 million. Besides his first-ever US Poker Open win in March, Lin took second or third place in several major events in 2023, including the $50,000 Diamond High Roller at WSOP Europe.
Emma Rodriguez is the Proofreader at the Big Blind, with seven years of experience and five years in online gambling. She plays a crucial role in maintaining content quality by ensuring error-free, reader-friendly information about the gambling industry.
