Set of Aces Cracked by Runner-Runner Flush: Biggest Hands from WPT SHRPS
The World Poker Tour (WPT) Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship recently recently reached its final six players at South Florida’s Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Action is now on pause until the televised final table in Las Vegas on May 29.
There were plenty of big moments in the championship event that drew 1,755 runners for a prize pool of $5,616,000, including Ory Hen hitting a runner-runner flush against Aaron Massey's flopped set of aces and Clemen Deng also cracking aces on the river when he improved to a set of queens.
Here's a look at the five biggest hands from the WPT SHRPS Championship in South Florida.
Check Out Big Hands from Last Year's Championship!
Deng Two-Outs Opponent
High-stakes pro Clemen Deng delivered a stomach-wrenching cooler on Day 1b during Level 9 of the championship event.
As reported by WPT, Deng cold-four bet with Q♥Q♦ and was called by the three-bettor with A♠A♥.
A ten-high flop set Deng up for a big cooler as he bet and called a check-raise from his opponent. The rest of the chips got in on the 3♣ turn as Deng drew to just two outs.
He managed to hit his 5% as the Q♠ landed on the river to give him queens full of threes as he sent his grimacing opponent to the rail.
Runner-Runner Flush Crushes Massey
Just one level later, aces were cracked again in just as painful a fashion.
According to WPT, Aaron Massey held A♥A♦ and three-bet from the big blind against Ory Hen in early position with Q♣8♣.
The flop of A♣Q♠9♠ gave Massey a near lock on the hand and he bet every step of the way as the board ran out 2♣6♣. It wasn't until the river that Hen raised and Massey called to be left with just six big blinds.
Nut Flush Versus Full House
There was big hand during the previous starting flight as Dragana Mackelprang hit a full house against the nut flush of Ankit Ahuja.
As reported by WPT, Mackelprang held A♥A♦ against the K♣J♣ of her opponent. The flop of A♣2♣2♥ had Ahuja drawing dead before he improved to a no-good nut flush on the 7♣ turn.
Ahuja check-raised on the turn before moving all in on the 10♣ river and seeing the bad news. Thankfully for Ahuja, he still had a formidable stack after doubling Mackelprang up to over 100 big blinds.
Poetra Slowplays a Flopped Straight
As the field dwindled on Day 4, Alfie Poetra slowplayed a flopped straight and may have gotten the maximum value.
After defending his big blind with J♠10♦ against Rafael Rodriguez in the small blind, Poetra checked back after flopping the nuts on the A♦K♥Q♥ board, according to WPT. Poetra then and called a bet of 225,000 from his opponent on the 4♦ turn.
Rodriguez bet 350,000 on the 4♣ river and Poetra raised to 850,000. Rodriguez called and saw the bad news.
Peacock Shows His True Feathers
Final table chip leader Arthur Peacock got his stack by applying aggression to his opponents. That was on full display on Day 4 during Level 28.
In one example, Mihai Niste raised in middle position and Peacock defended his big blind. Peacock called a continuation bet on the flop of 10♥4♥2♥ and then check-raised on the 9♣ turn. Niste called.
Peacock didn't slow down on the 3♣ river and moved all in as his opponent used a time chip before folding. The hand got Peacock up to 127 big blinds, according to WPT, a little more than he ended the day with as the Day 4 chip leader.
Read more about the WPT SHRPS Championship final table and the side event winners at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood.
*Images courtesy of Seminole Hard Rock.
