MLG Spring Championship
Three is the Magic Number
Polt completes the Triple Crown
The Other Tales of Anaheim
Brackets and results at Liquipedia
VODs on Youtube
Polt Wins MLG Spring
With less than stellar results at WCS America and Dreamhack: Stockholm following after he left the Korean team-house environment in favor of university life at UT Austin, it looked like

![[image loading]](http://i.minus.com/irsyxJOghVJ3h.gif)
Such assumptions couldn't have been further from the truth. At MLG Anahiem, Polt didn't seem anything like a washed-up part timer, but instead looked every bit the cunning and decisive player he had been in his championship days. With a thrilling 3 - 2 victory over former TSL teammate

An Easy Start, then NaNiwa
Starting out the open bracket tournament,





![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/MLG/spring2013/naniheim.jpg)
-Photo: Silverfire

There would be no upset, as Polt emerged victorious in his match with Naniwa, capitalizing on a failed immortal bust in the first game and following it up with an equally impressive victory on the second map, advancing to the semifinals of winners side. Dropping manner mules and giving a thumbs down to Naniwa, the disappointment from early eliminations in WCS and at Dreamhack were slowly washing away. Still, having not faced a Korean in the competition, Polt still had much to prove if he was to be considered a championship contender.
Oh Dear, NaNiwa again
It didn't take long for Polt to offer up that proof, as his next match was an emphatic victory against key STX Soul player

Making it to the top four of a tournament for the first time since NASL of last year, Polt was dealt a return match against

![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/MLG/spring2013/thumbsdown.jpg)
Polt and NaNniwa's interactions were one of the juiciest sub-plots of the tournament.
-Photo: Silverfire
Polt began the Bo7 with a 2 - 0 extended series advantage, but Naniwa was able to take one map in impressive fashion, taking advantage of Polt's decision to sacrifice to units to snipe a nexus by launching a massive counter-attack that slaughtered Polt's weakened army. Fortunately for Polt, he was able to take the next two maps as Naniwa seemed off of his game, making errors ranging from small positioning errors to crucial colossus giveaways while performing a colossus all-in. With the 4 - 1 series victory in hand, Polt gave an interview, waved the American flag, and headed to the finals.
The Finals: TSL Reunion
In his first major final since ThorZain used Swedish magic to beat him at last year's Dreamhack: Stockholm, Polt faced off against close friend and former teammate





![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/MLG/spring2013/hyunners.jpg)
-Photo: itsjustatank
Hyun seemed to be on the verge of victory, marching across the map with an ultimate ground army of ultras, transfusing queens, and infestors. The timing looked dangerous, coming just before Polt could completely switch to an air Terran army. Plowing through a massive minefield, Hyun was able to get into the Terran natural and up the ramp into the main. However, two seeker missiles wiped out the infestor force of Hyun, giving him no way to combat the growing air force. Slowly killing off the ultras with the attacks of the battlecruisers, Polt was able to clean up the Zerg force and emerge with an invincible force dominating both the air and the ground. With yamato cannons zapping everything in sight, HyuN surrendered the game and braced himself for the rest of the series.
The next two games saw both players hit successful timing attacks to win a game a piece. Massing up roaches and banes on the second map, Hyun caught Polt moving his army across the map and crushed him with an overflowing amount of units, destroying his army, third base, and then the natural before Polt finally tapped out. Game three was one of the strangest of the tournament and possibly the year, as Polt banked up 2,000 minerals before investing it into a mass hellbat timing attack backed by siege tanks and marauders. With no air threat to take out the core units of Polt's army, it was game over when he pushed across the map, burning through everything Hyun threw at him. That put Polt at a 2 - 1 advantage, and one game away from winning his first championship in over a year.
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/MLG/spring2013/poltrophy.jpg)
-Photo: Silverfire
The score tied 2 - 2, the expectation were high for an epic, fifth and final match to decide who would walk out the Spring champion. Well, while Polt had provided plenty of entertainment in and outside the game, he couldn't deliver on every point. He made some hellions and reapers, found a hole in Hyun's wall, and then killed off 25+ workers. That move effectively won the game for Polt, and he powered up on economy and production while easily denying HyuN's attempts to even take a third base. Using mines to control his space, drops to smash expansions, and finally a strong push into the natural and main, Polt captured his long sought for MLG championship, and his first one in America.
The Meaning of Three
Terran Money All-Time Rankings
(SC2earnings.com)
1. Jeong "Mvp" Jong Hyeon - $373,520
2. Choi "Polt" Seong Hun - $194,670
3. Lee "MarineKing" Jung Hoon - 187,140
4. Mun "MMA" Seong-Won - $180,595
5. Lee "PuMa" Ho Joon - $142,650
Not only did Polt finish his three-continent grand slam, but it was also his third championship on his third different team—something that only HuK has done in his career—having won the Super Tournament on Prime, Assembly Winter on TSL, and now the MLG Spring Championship on CMStorm. Additionally this is the third consecutive year where Polt has won a major championship, as he's been hoisting trophies since the Super Tournament in 2011. (SC2earnings.com)
1. Jeong "Mvp" Jong Hyeon - $373,520
2. Choi "Polt" Seong Hun - $194,670
3. Lee "MarineKing" Jung Hoon - 187,140
4. Mun "MMA" Seong-Won - $180,595
5. Lee "PuMa" Ho Joon - $142,650
Now, with a major title under his belt in 2013, Polt will enter WCS America Season II as one of the big favorites to take the entire tournament. On summer vacation from his courses at the University of Texas, Polt can be expected to be at the same level he was at MLG when he plays in the upcoming WCS tournament. For one of the greatest players in StarCraft II history, there will be no stopping.
The Other Tales of Anaheim
The Era of Naniwa?
With




The next step to Naniwa's rise to the foreign throne will be WCS Europe, where he will hope to break Mvp's hold on the continent and take the championship. NaNiwa's PvZ and PvP have looked top class the past few tournaments he's been in, but with the Europe region littered with elite Terrans like Mvp, MMA, and ForGG, he will need to improve his PvT if he wants to take the title. Still, even if Terrans prove to be NaNiwa's ultimate undoing, he might still have a chance to face Stephano in a highly anticipated "King of Europe" match. All in all, MLG was a great tournament for Naniwa, and makes us look forward to what he might do in the future.
The Kong Line's New Member
In less than a year,

On Quantic, Hyun will have a lot more chances to compete in foreign tournaments, hoping to break his Kong streak in 2013. Not being in the WCS American Premier League will hurt him, as he showed his inconsistent side by failing to qualify for the tournament despite being one of the best players signed up for the region. But he may be able to still make the Blizzcon finals if he can continue racking up points on the foreign tournament circuit and qualify for WCS America Season Three. Most importantly, he will be trying to break his Kong curse, wanting to win an offline championship for the first time in his career and not drop another final in the climactic game of a tournament.
Quick Hits on the Rest
KesPA: There wasn't a lot of hype around the three players who qualified from the online KeSPA qualifiers, and they didn't do anything to change that opinion this weekend.




eSF: And to be fair, it's not like eSF had a good showing either. Like the KeSPA pros, neither




