Senior Editor U.S.
Table Of Contents
Don’t let his wire-framed eyeglasses, affectionate smile and recurring laugh fool you, Stephen Song is one of the last people you want to see at the poker table. That’s bad news for players at the Triton ONE series as the 2022 Global Poker Index (GPI) Player of the Year plans on playing a full slate of tournaments at the inaugural festival on South Korea’s Jeju island.
Song has already had more than his share of success on the island, including two high roller victories at The Lord Poker Tour (TLPT) earlier this year.
Yet it hasn’t all been smooth-sailing for the American pro, who revealed to CelestialPoker that he had a rough 2024 before turning it around and then some by winning the European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona Main Event for a career-best $1.4 million.
Triton ONE Series Sees Strong Start in Jeju
The Songbird of His Generation
Though his first cash dates back to 2016, a victory in a $500 October Poker Weekend at Turning Stone Resort for $32,957, and his resume included several World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit wins and a 2019 EPT Barcelona side event victory for $205,341, Song truly made a name for himself in 2022 when locked up POY by winning the World Poker Tour (WPT) Prime Championship at the eleventh hour for $712,650. If the overall POY distinction wasn’t enough of an accomplishment, Song was also named the Mid-Major POY.
“That year was probably the best I’ve ever run,” Song told CelestialPoker. “I mean, I’ve ran really, really good. But that year I just couldn’t miss. The year just felt easy. There was no downswings or anything, it was just consistent. It felt like I was cashing every tournament. One of those dream years for sure.”
The breakout year was anything but a fluke. Two years later, Song topped a field of 1,975 players in the 20th-anniversary EPT Barcelona Main Event to win seven figures after a heads-up deal with Brit Andrew Hulme. It was Song’s second trophy in Spain as he won a €2,200 EPT Barcelona side event in 2019 for $205,341.
Song’s second major run in Barcelona — plus an NAPT High Roller victory a few months later for $439,400 — saved him from what he described as a tough year of tournament poker.
“That was nuts because I’d actually been coming back from a pretty big downer at the time,” Song said. “I was down a decent amount during the summer but I kind of saved it and ended up slightly up with a couple good runs. But overall, that year I’d been getting crushed. So to win (the) EPT Barcelona Main, it just shows that you keep playing and anything can happen. As long as you show up, you’ve got a chance to turn everything around.”
“I Just Have to Force Myself to Fold Sometimes”
Song’s opponents in Jeju couldn’t have been thrilled to see him show up at the first-ever Triton ONE festival. In May, he won back-to-back The Lord Poker Tournament high rollers in this very venue for respective scores of $750,000 and $204,000.
“I tend to want to play more hands. I tend to not want to fold. I just have to force myself to fold sometimes.”
“The tournament scene is really great here,” he said. “It’s like a lot of action, which is cool. People aren’t afraid to (go for it). It makes it a little tougher, though, because you can’t just autopilot and fold. Some of these guys will try to savage you. So you’ve gotta fight back sometimes. But it’s fun here.”
Before speaking with Song on a break during an opening flight of the $3,000 buy-in Triton ONE Genesis (an event he failed to cash), CelestialPoker witnessed Song three-bet in late position and force a fold from an opponent who seemed more interested in taking his full 15-minute break than playing out the hand. Might the aggressive move be indicative of Song’s overall playing style?
“I’d say I can switch it up here and there,” Song said. “But I tend to want to play more hands. I tend to not want to fold. I just have to force myself to fold sometimes.”
Shared Success
Song isn’t the only one in his orbit to experience poker success. Earlier this summer, he watched his close friend and fellow high-stakes pro Adam Hendrix achieve the dream of making the final table of the WSOP Main Event, where he finished in sixth place for a career-best $1.9 million.
“Honestly, it was just unreal,” Song said. “We got together the day before and we were all hanging out and trying to look over stuff and prepare for his FT. But yeah, it was honestly so fun.”
“People talk about it all the time, but who you’re friends with or your network is just so big in poker. Especially in a tough game like this where a lot of money’s at stake and you can go on some pretty sizable downers. So it’s nice to have guys who are right in there with you who you talk through it (with) or bounce ideas off of. It helps out a lot, for sure.”
Song is currently playing in the $10,000 Mystery Bounty, where he is seated to the right of fellow crusher Kristen Foxen. Her husband, Alex Foxen, is among the chip leaders of the event with 132 players remaining as of publishing.
Meanwhile, the Triton One QQPK Genesis has reached its final two tables with $564,000 and two trophies awaiting the eventual winner.
*Photos courtesy Triton, Drew Amato & Spenser Sembrat
Senior Editor U.S.