Main Event Day 1a | 2017 Poker King Cup Macau

05-21-2017 19:55 UTC+8

Hamnett and Xu Tangle

RazorSharpPro

Level 10 : 500/1,000, 100 ante

Almost every time we walk past Benjamin Hamnett’s table recently we find him in a pot and this time is no exception.

Hamnett made it 2,500 to go from late position and was looked up by Xinhao Xu in the big blind. The two have played quite a few hands together already today, with Xu being one of the reasons Hamnett has so many chips.

Both players checked the flop and Xu decided to take control of the hand on the turn, leading out for 3,500, which Hamnett swiftly called.

That slowed Xu right down and he checked the river over to the US player who decided that the right amount to bet was 7,500.

It seems like this was the perfect amount, and while he did not look like he liked it Xu eventually threw in a crying call. Hamnett turned over and Xu forlornly slid his cards face down into the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Benjamin Hamnett	175,000	34,800
Xinhao Xu	74,500	-23,500

Tags: Benjamin Hamnett Xinhao Xu

Level: 10

Blinds: 500/1,000

Ante: 100

05-21-2017 19:37 UTC+8

Lee Rails Zhou

RazorSharpPro

Level 9 : 400/800, 100 ante

While it looked like the high rolling Quan Zhou had got his Poker King Cup Macau Main Event off to a good start earlier, the thing about tournament poker is that the wheels can fall off at any moment, which is exactly what has just happened for Zhou.

Pre-flop Lei Seng limped from early position before Singapore’s Alex Lee made it 3,100 to go from middle position. Lee has been extremely active in the last few orbits, a fact that Zhou may well have noticed as when the action came around to the Chinese player in the big blind he quickly moved all-in for 27,000. Lee calmly tossed in the call and the cards were turned over.

Quan Zhou:
Alex Lee:

While Zhou had a decent sized pocket pair, Lee had him just out-pipped with a slightly bigger one and the was of no help whatsoever. The turn and river were also no good and Zhou hit the rail while Lee stacked up to around 80,000.

Zhou can still re-enter, either today, tomorrow or on Tuesday as this is when the rest of the starting flights are running and this event has unlimited re-entries available, although the way the Chinese player stalked off we are thinking that it won't be today...

Player	Chips	Progress
Alex Lee	80,000	23,000
Quan Zhou	Busted

Tags: Alex Lee Quan Zhou

05-21-2017 19:08 UTC+8

Pics From the Poker King Cup Macau 2017 Main Event Day 1A

RazorSharpPro

Chung Yuan Yu receives his High Roller trophy

Level: 9

Blinds: 400/800

Ante: 100

05-21-2017 18:42 UTC+8

Break started

Break: 15 min.

05-21-2017 18:41 UTC+8

Hamnett Busts Suri Before Break

RazorSharpPro

Level 8 : 300/600, 75 ante

We are not sure when all the chips went in as we arrived as the river was being turned over in a hand between Bobbie Suri and Benjamin Hamnett.

With community cards reading Suri is on his feet and has face up in front of him and his entire 20,000 remaining chips scattered across the felt next to his hole cards.

While Suri has two pair with sevens and fives, this is not enough to best Hamnett’s flopped trips and the US player is on fire at present and is now back up to 140,200.

Player	Chips	Progress
Benjamin Hamnett	140,200	34,200
Bobbie Suri	Busted

Tags: Benjamin Hamnett Bobbie Suri

05-21-2017 18:36 UTC+8

Stack Check

RazorSharpPro

Level 8 : 300/600, 75 ante

Here’s how some of the field is stacking up. It looks like Benjamin Hamnett is still the chip leader, but only just and he looks to have lost close to 50,000 in chips since the last time we checked, and judging by the fact that Xinhao Xu now has close to 100,000 we are guessing that this is where they went.

Player	Chips	Progress
Benjamin Hamnett	106,000	-44,000
Arnold Chan	100,000	13,000
Xinhao Xu	98,000	52,000
Jianzhang Song	95,000	31,500
Yuehin Lam	68,000	16,500
Yuan Li	66,000	36,000
Quan Zhou	63,000	33,000
Jun Wang	60,000	4,000
Alex Lee	57,000	1,000
Xixiang Luo	50,000	-3,000

05-21-2017 18:25 UTC+8

Quadzilla!

RazorSharpPro

Level 8 : 300/600, 75 ante

As you can probably guess from the title someone has just made one of the best poker hands possible. That man in question is Hong Kong’s Arnold Chan and while we came running when Chan shot out of his chair with a whoop we did not arrive in time to catch the action, only the aftermath.

However, a clearly elated Chan was happy to run is through the action. We are not sure who Chan’s unfortunate opponent in the hand was as his seat is conspicuously empty by the time we arrive.

Pre-flop the action folded around to the button, who made it 1,200 to go. Chan peeked down at his hole cards and saw two shiny black aces staring back at him and re-raised to 2,500, which his opponent called.

The flop fell a monochrome giving Chan top set, which he decided to slow play, and he checked over to his opponent, who obligingly bet 2,000, which Chan called.

The turn was the to give Chan quads and he checked once more, craftily smooth calling his opponent’s 5,000 second barrel. The hit the river and this is when all the chips went in.

Chan checked, the button bet 15,000 and Chan moved the rest of his chips in and was called instantly. The button had flopped huge with but the timely appearance of the ace on the turn had locked up the hand for Chan who now has around 87,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Arnold Chan	87,000	39,000

Tags: Arnold Chan

05-21-2017 18:15 UTC+8

Hamnett Seizes Lead

RazorSharpPro

Level 8 : 300/600, 75 ante

We arrived at Benjamin Hamnett’s table just in time to see the US player involved in a huge three-way hand against Jun Wang and Xinhao Xu.

We have no idea what the pre and post flop action was but there had evidently been plenty as there was already well over 20,000 in blinds and antes in the middle of the table and the action was at the river with the board reading .

There are all sorts of hands the three players could have here, with full houses and a spade flush both possible. Jun checked the action over to Hamnett who fired out an 8,000 bet and the action was on Xu.

The Chinese player took his time over the decision but decided to raise, throwing out a bet of 19,000 and the action was on Jun who reached for chips, then some more chips but eventually decided to just call, swelling the pot still further.

While he did not look thrilled about it Hamnett threw in the extra 11,000 and waited with baited breath for Xu to turn over his hand. Eventually, Xu did so, rolling over for two pair – aces and sixes.

Wang quickly pitched his cards into the muck but Hamnett rolled over for trip sixes to scoop the massive pot and climb into pole position.