Level: 10
Blinds: 500/1,000
Ante: 100
2017 Poker King Cup Macau
Main Event
Day: 1b
Liu Folds to Pressure
Level 9
: 400/800, 100 ante
We caught the embattled Xiaojie Liu in a big hand against an opponent who chose to put her to the test. There was already a little over 15,000 in the pot on the flop with the board reading 
and Liu had just led out for 8,500.
Liu’s opponent, sitting on the button, quickly moved all-in to send Liu deep into the think tank, where she remained as level nine ticked over into level ten. With 29,500 behind and the all-in bet in the region of 55,000 the call would be for Liu’s tournament life.
While Liu looked sorely tempted she eventually chose to let it go and the pot is shipped to her opponent.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
22,900 | -5,300 |
Cheung Beats Bloggers Curse
Level 9
: 400/800, 100 ante
In recent tournaments, Day 1A included, every time we watch Sparrow Cheung in action things go badly for the Hong Kong player. However, proving that this is just coincidence rather than our fault Cheung has just managed to win a race.
The hand was eerily similar to the one that played out yesterday against Geoff Mooney where Cheung raised the button and was shoved on by the big blind. Only this time things worked out a little differently.
It all started with a limp from a player in early position, with the recently arrived Fabian Quoss making the call from the cutoff before Cheung made it 5,000 to go from the button.
The small blind folded but big blind Ning Sun decided to put Cheung to the test and moved all-in. Both the original limper and Quoss got out of the way and the action was back on Cheung who had a decision to make as, with just over 30,000 left, the call would be for his tournament life. However, Cheung made the call quite quickly and the cards were turned over.
Sparrow Cheung: 
Ning Sun: 
The main difference between this hand and the one that played out yesterday is the fact that Cheung had 
then and his opponent Mooney had 
. This time Cheung is racing rather than being a 3-1 dog but he would need to hit to survive.
The 
flop gave Cheung some additional outs to go with his two overcards, but he didn’t need them as the 
hit the turn to give him the lead. The 
river locked in the double for the Hong Kong player and he climbed to 63,200 while Sun dropped to 22,500. While we can’t take any credit whatsoever for Cheung’s victory it’s just nice to know that we are not bad luck…
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
63,200 | 22,175 |
|
|
22,500 | 22,500 |
Level: 9
Blinds: 400/800
Ante: 100
Pics From the Poker King Cup Macau 2017 Main Event Day 1B
Last Break of the Day
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
The remaining 87 Day 1B players are on their last 15-minute break of the day.
Stacks
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
Sam Cheong has made a sterling comeback as the Macanese player was down to his last 5,000 in chips but he now has significantly more, however, it currently looks as though Rain Hu is leading the charge. There are 88 players still in the running from the 129 Day 1B entries and here's how some of them are stacking up:
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
119,000 | 34,000 |
|
110,000 | 70,500 |
|
110,000 | 20,000 |
|
103,000 | 10,500 |
|
|
100,000 | 43,500 |
|
95,000 | 68,000 |
|
|
85,000 | 2,300 |
|
|
75,000 | 2,850 |
|
|
60,000 | |
|
52,000 | 18,500 |
|
|
51,500 | |
|
27,000 | -9,700 |
More for Ma
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
The USA’s Richard Ma is currently one of the bigger stacks and while he has less than the last time we checked Ma has just taken down a decent sized pot from tablemate Wei Guoliang to keep himself in the running.
Pre-flop Ma made it 1,200 to go from the cutoff and Guoliang tossed in the extras from the big blind taking the action heads-up to a flop of 
, which both players checked.
The turn saw Guoliang reach for chips, and he took a stab for 1,200 with Ma throwing in the call quickly. The 
river brought four to a club flush and neither player looked too happy about it and the action went check, check.
Guoliang turned over 
for a rivered top pair, but this was not enough to beat Ma’s 
and he scooped the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
90,000 | 5,000 |
|
55,200 |
Level: 8
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 75
It Rains on the River
Level 7
: 250/500, 50 ante
An increasingly active Rain Hu is stacking up well and has just padded out his stack a little more at the expense of tablemates Hongdi Zhao and Liang Peng.
Peng had already noticed Hu’s frisky behaviour and had re-raised him from the blinds on several occasions previously and folded him out, meaning the two have some history already.
Pre-flop Hu was at it again, making it 1,400 to go from the cutoff. Peng snap called the button and while he took slightly longer about it Hongdi Zhao also called from the big blind and the action went three-way to a flop of 
.
All three players checked and the 
hit the turn. Zhao checked it over to Hu, who took a stab for 2,400 and Peng eyed him up suspiciously. Peng was probably thinking the same as us – surely Hu would have bet the flop with a flush draw – and made the call.
While Zhao looked tempted he decided against it and folded to take the action heads-up to the river. Hu now checked and Peng checked it back, throwing his cards disgustedly into the muck when Hu tabled 
for a rivered top pair. When it rains it pours…
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
85,000 | -15,000 |
|
|
52,000 | -1,100 |
|
|
29,000 | 29,000 |