We're down to a six-handed final table after Yazhou Chen's departure.
He open-shoved on the button for 745,000 with the and Austin Walton woke up in the big blind with . The board ran out to keep the pocket pair in front, and Chen said his goodbyes as he made his way to the cage. For seventh, he'll collect 242,600 HKD, roughly $31,000 US.
Two big pots have recently gone down that have seen quite a few chips change hands. In the first we picked up the action on a flop of with close to 400,000 already in the pot in a three-way hand involving Autin Walton (small blind), Xiaobo Zhou (big blind) and Wayne Zhang (button).
Both blinds checked, Zhang bet out for 130,000 and was called in both spots. The turn was checked all around, as was the river. Walton turned over for a missed flush draw but a rivered pair of kings. Zhou had dodged a bullet with a missed flush draw, and Zhang took the pot with .
The next hand Ivan Leow made it 110,000 to go from under-the-gun and Zhou jammed for 805,000 from the small blind. Leow made a quick call and it was off to the races.
Xiaobo Zhou:
Ivan Leow:
The board ran out to give Zhou a double and see Leow drop some chips.
Ivan Leow's steady sailing has just been rocked by Xiaobo Zhou. The hand started with a 125,000 hijack open from Zhou, which Leow called on the button. Wayne Zhang defended his big blind, and the three went to a flop. Zhang checked, and Zhou opted not to continuation bet. That let Leow take control for 225,000, which only Zhou called.
The turn was then the and Zhou checked again. Leow slid out a big bet of 650,000, and this got everyone's attention. Zhou began to count out his chips, seperating a call from his stack behind. Eventually he moved all-in for 1.32 million, and while Leow remained poised Zhou stood up and began pacing as he awaited his fate.
He needn't have worried though. Leow folded, and Zhou showed the as he raked in huge pot.
Wayne Zhang recently got very sneaky in a hand, and it paid off. It was a battle of the blinds, with Zhang limping the small and Walton checking his option in the big. The flop came down , which Walton bet for 80,000 when Zhang checked the action over.
The Chinese player called and the landed on the turn, with the action going check, check. The river saw Zhang check again, and Walton decided to fire for 250,000, though he probably now wishes he could take that back. Zhang called quickly and Walton tapped the table before turning over for bottom pair and a missed open ender.
The whole table was surprised when Zhang rolled over his slowplayed to take the pot. Crafty moves.
Xiaobo Zhou has just taken down a huge pot from Chang Bo Feng to take the chip lead.
It was a blind vs blind pot, with action folding to Zhou in the small which he opened to 125,000. Feng defended, bringing a flop, on which Zhou continued for 175,000. Feng stuck around, and they went to a turn. Zhou opted to slow down now, checking it to Feng who led for 280,000. Call.
The board was completed by the , which put three clubs out there. Zhou checked again, and Feng counted out a bet of 545,000 which he slid over the line. Zhou snap-called and Feng showed for pure air. Zhou showed , which had flopped an up-and-down draw before pairing on the river. It was the best hand all the way.
Zhou is up to 3.73 million now, while Feng drops to 3.6 million.
Now he has the chip lead Xiaobo Zhou has begun to throw his weight around, opening to 125,000 from UTG+1 and picking up three callers with Chang Bo Feng (cutoff), Ivan Leow (button) and Wayne Zhang (big blind) all making the call.
So it was four-way to a flop of and after Zhang checked, Zhou c-bet 180,000 with Chang Bo Feng the only caller. The turn saw Zhou load up another barrel and fire for 480,000, with Feng quickly giving it up. Zhou obligingly showed him for a turned gutshot draw and king-high.
A big pot played out the next hand, and while we missed the opening action we did catch the tail end, with Feng rolling over to beat Ivan Leow's in a hand that was good for a lot of chips, at least for Feng.