First Triumph
Molenaar bagged his first trophy at the festival on Thursday, October 15, in the swift Event #41: $15K King's Single Day High Roller - Turbo. With a buy-in of $15,000, the tournament drew a total of 34 entries, boosting the prize pool to $477,400.
On the final table, Molenaar outmaneuvered strong international competition and defeated Nevan Chang in the concluding heads-up. For his win, the Dutch player pocketed $168,400.
His initial triumph almost came at the event's start. In the opening tournament $5K KPC King's Debut, he finished second, taking home $150,000.
Results of Event #41: $15K King's Single Day High Roller Turbo
|
Place |
Player |
Country |
Prize |
|
1. |
Michel Molenaar |
Netherlands |
$168,400 |
|
2. |
Nevan Chang |
Taiwan |
$111,000 |
|
3. |
Renji Mao |
China |
$72,000 |
|
4. |
Wenzhi Fei |
China |
$52,000 |
|
5. |
Yi Ye |
China |
$40,000 |
|
6. |
Vladas Tamasauskas |
Lithuania |
$34,000 |
Second Title Added
Just three days after his first victory, Molenaar struck again. On Sunday, October 18, he triumphed in the exclusive $25K Single Day Super High Roller. The tournament drew a modest 10 registrations, creating a prize pool of $234,000, with payouts for only the top two positions.
Lithuanian pro Vladas Tamasauskas burst the money bubble in the unenviable 3rd place. Molenaar entered the final heads-up against Chaoui with a chip lead of more than 2:1.
In the decisive hand, Molenaar went all-in with 4 s 4 d, and Chaoui risked his tournament life with A s 2 c. The board 7 d J c 3 s 4 h 3 d gave Molenaar a full house, securing his second title of the KPC series.
Results of Event #57: $25K Single Day Super High Roller:
|
Place |
Player |
Country |
Prize |
|
1. |
Michel Molenaar |
Netherlands |
$140,000 |
|
2. |
Mehdi Chaoui |
Morocco |
$94,000 |
“I Feel Like a VIP Here”
After securing his second title, the Dutch champion expressed his satisfaction with the Jeju setting and his own form: “Everything here is extremely luxurious for players. The service and entire staff do an excellent job. You really feel like a VIP here, unlike being customer number 700, which is common at other stops,” Molenaar noted.
With a smile, he also mentioned that his most favorite aspect of the series is the great hands he's been getting. He further praised the Chinese players, who participate in large numbers, creating attractive prize pools and keeping the tables lively.
Sources: KPC Poker, SoMuchPoker
