2017 PokerStars Championship Macau

HK$206,000 Single-Day High Roller II
Day: 1
Event Info

2017 PokerStars Championship Macau

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
33
Prize
3,130,000 HKD
Event Info
Buy-in
206,000 HKD
Prize Pool
9,212,000 HKD
Entries
47
Level Info
Level
20
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
10,000

Zhao Straightens Out Chen

Level 4 : 1,000/2,000, 300 ante

We caught the action on the flop in a 3-way hand between James Chen, Hongjun Zhao and Dan ‘leisure wear’ Smith on a flop of {7-Spades}{q-Hearts}{9-Hearts} just as Chen fired out a bet of 8,000.

Both Zhao and Smith made the call to keep the action 3-way to the {8-Diamonds} turn and Chen fired again, this time for 20,000. Zhao thought it over for a bit and made the call and Smith bowed out to take play heads-up to the {k-Spades} river.

Chen moved nearly all the rest of his stack into the middle for a bet of a little under 30,000, keeping back a single 500 chip, which is sitting on top of his cards.
Zhao called pretty quickly and Chen turned over {a-Hearts}{j-Hearts} which was not enough to beat Zhao’s straight.

Player Chips Progress
Hongjun Zhao cn
Hongjun Zhao
175,000
James Chen tw
James Chen
WSOP 1X Winner
500 -80,900

Tags: James ChenHongjun Zhao

More New Arrivals, Along With Some Old

Level 4 : 1,000/2,000, 300 ante

There have been some more new arrivals in the form of Michael Addamo, Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier, Nan Hong, Mikita Badziakouski and defending HK$200,000 Single Re-Entry Shot Clock Champion Quan Zhou.

Dan Smith has also just rocked in sporting a comfy looking white towelled dressing gown bringing the term ‘leisure wear’ a whole new meaning. Will Smith set a fashion trend here in Macau? Too early to tell but it should make for an interesting winners photo should he take this event down.

There have also been 3 re-entries, and although we are not quite sure who has fired twice we will be able to add this information when we get a list of player entries later so watch this space.

Player Chips Progress
Michael Addamo au
Michael Addamo
WSOP 4X Winner
100,000
Bertrand Grospellier fr
Bertrand Grospellier
100,000
Nan Hong cn
Nan Hong
100,000
Mikita Badziakouski by
Mikita Badziakouski
WSOP 1X Winner
100,000
Quan Zhou cn
Quan Zhou
100,000
Dan Smith us
Dan Smith
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
100,000

Level: 4

Blinds: 1,000/2,000

Ante: 300

Happy Birthday Steve O’Dwyer

Level 3 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

Some more late arrivals have trickled in including Yat Wai Cheng, Tobias Ziegler, Canlin Chen, John Juanda and Mustapha Kanit, the latter of whom had some interesting news for the rest of the field.

“Happy birthday Steve O’Dwyer!” Kanit shouted across the room to O’Dwyer who is seated at one of the other tables.

“Give me the microphone…” Kanit jokes, “and we can get the rest of the poker room to sing happy birthday.”

Player Chips Progress
Yat Wai Cheng hk
Yat Wai Cheng
100,000
Tobias Ziegler de
Tobias Ziegler
100,000
Canlin Chen cn
Canlin Chen
100,000
John Juanda id
John Juanda
WSOP 5X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
EPT 1X Winner
100,000
Mustapha Kanit it
Mustapha Kanit
Winamax
100,000

Kozlov Wins First Hand

Level 3 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

Martin Kozlov’s run in the HK$82,400 PLO has come to an end and he has decided to try his luck in the HK$200,000 Single Re-Entry Shot Clock event instead and so far it’s working out.

Pre-flop it was Kozlov who was the aggressor in this particular hand, opening for 3,600 from middle position and finding a caller in the form of James Chen in the small blind.

Both players checked the {3-Spades}{5-Clubs}{k-Clubs} flop and when the {7-Hearts} hit the turn Chen decided to take a stab for 5,000. Kozlov thought it over for a bit and threw in the call and the river came down {j-Hearts}.

This brought a check from Chen and Kozlov took around 20 seconds before deciding the right amount to bet was 145,000 and that was enough to get Chen to fold.

Player Chips Progress
Martin Kozlov au
Martin Kozlov
WSOP 1X Winner
108,600
James Chen tw
James Chen
WSOP 1X Winner
81,400 -18,600

Tags: James ChenMartin Kozlov

Level: 3

Blinds: 800/1,600

Ante: 200

Alvarado Wins From Murthy As Field Grows

Level 2 : 600/1,200, 200 ante

We have had some more late arrivals with Devan Tang and Steve O’Dwyer joining the fray, though the latter is without any fruit this time around.

While the new arrivals were taking their seats Neel Murthy opened the action with a raise to 3,000 from the cut off and JC Alvardo re-raised to 8,000 from the button. Both blinds bow out and Murthy made the call to take the action heads-up to a flop of {3-Hearts}{a-Spades}{9-Clubs}.

This brought a check from Murthy and a bet of 7,000 from Alvarado, which was enough to take it down.

Player Chips Progress
JC Alvarado mx
JC Alvarado
127,000 8,000
Neel Murthy us
Neel Murthy
116,800 -8,000
Steve O'Dwyer ie
Steve O'Dwyer
EPT 1X Winner
100,000
Devan Tang hk
Devan Tang
100,000

Tags: Neel MurthyJC Alvarado

Wong Wins From Haxton

Level 2 : 600/1,200, 200 ante
Isaac Haxton
Isaac Haxton

Isaac Haxton is another recent arrival, though the US player is not having the start he wanted and was already below the 100k initial stack.

Haxton was the aggressor in this particular hand opening to 3,200 from the button with Nick Wong the only caller.

The {j-Spades}{8-Spades}{9-Diamonds} flop brought checks from both players with Wong taking a stab for 6,000 on the {a-Spades} turn. Haxton called and it was off to the {5-Hearts} river.

Wong kept the betting lead and fired out 10,000, which after thinking it over for 20-seconds, Haxton called, but could only muck when Wong turned over {q-Diamonds}{10-Diamonds} for the flopped straight.

Player Chips Progress
Nick Wong hk
Nick Wong
96,000 4,500
Isaac Haxton us
Isaac Haxton
WSOP 1X Winner
67,000 67,000

Tags: Isaac HaxtonNick Wong

Murthy Takes From Price

Level 2 : 600/1,200, 200 ante

The field has now grown to 23 with James Chen, Oliver Price and Neel Murthy joining the mix and we caught a hand involving the latter of the two.

The pot was already 15,000 when we arrived on the {k-Clubs}{a-Clubs}{3-Clubs} flop, just as Murthy led out for 5,500 from the blinds. Price made the call and the {k-Diamonds} landed on the turn.

This brought a check from Murthy and a bet of 11,800 from Price. Murthy thought it over for about 15-seconds but made the call and it was off to the {2-Clubs} river.

The fourth club saw Murthy immediately lead out for 22,500 and Price chewed through nearly the full 30-seconds on the shot clock before grudgingly folding.

Player Chips Progress
Neel Murthy us
Neel Murthy
124,800 124,800
James Chen tw
James Chen
WSOP 1X Winner
100,000
Oliver Price gb
Oliver Price
76,200 76,200

Tags: Neel MurthyOliver Price

Alvarado Plays Position

Level 2 : 600/1,200, 200 ante
JC Alvarado
JC Alvarado

Nick Petrangelo opened to 2,500 from under-the-gun and both Nick Wong (middle position) and JC Alvarado (button) called to take the action 3-way to a flop of {j-Hearts}{4-Clubs}{7-Diamonds}.

It was checked around to Alvarado on the button and he took a stab for 6,000 with Nick Wong the only caller.

Wong checked the {6-Diamonds} turn, Alvarado fired for 14,000 and that was enough to end the hand.

Player Chips Progress
JC Alvarado mx
JC Alvarado
119,000 10,500
Nick Petrangelo us
Nick Petrangelo
WSOP 2X Winner
97,500 -2,500
Nick Wong hk
Nick Wong
91,500 -8,500

Tags: JC AlvaradoNick PetrangeloNick Wong