Out of the small blind, Hok Lee raised the pot and then called all in for what looked like 80,000 when Fabian Geisel reraised in the big blind.
Hok Lee:
Fabian Geisel:
Geisel was marginally ahead preflop, and that lead improved on the flop, as the German hit two pair. The on the turn gave Lee some hope with the flush draw and gutshot, but the river was a blank. Lee was eliminated in 6th place for HK$196,100 (~$25,240).
Fabian Geisel raised from the cutoff and Ka Kwan Lau defended the big blind to see a flop of . There were just 88,000 in the pot, but a raising war ended up with both players getting their stacks in and Geisel was the one at risk and showed the worse hand.
Fabian Geisel: for a set of sixes
Ka Kwan Lau: for a set of eights
The turn and river blanked and that sent Geisel to the rail in 5th place for HK$251,000 (~32,307).
Ka Kwan Lau took a big pot off Maksim Shuts early into four-handed play and the latter took revenge on Daniel Geeng, firing a pot-sized bet of 78,000 on the flop. Geeng folded with about as much behind.
Then, Lau raised to 55,000 first to act and Shuts three-bet to 142,000 from the big blind. Lau called and the flop came . Shuts bet the pot and Lau folded. "He wants to win every pot," Shuts said and Lau joked "I know, I am a fish," and tried to hide his face behind the hoodie with a big grin on the face.
After scooping a small pot against Ka Kwan Lau, Maksim Shuts raised to 50,000 from the button and Daniel Geeng checked his cards. He then said "bingo" with a smile on the face, towards the table and his friends on the rail, before moving all in. Shuts called and the cards were tabled.
Daniel Geeng:
Maksim Shuts:
On the flop, Geeng said "that's good, so I need to dodge a ten or a six?" before the turn and river blanked. Geeng doubled for 104,000 and moved from five to almost 11 big blinds.
Soon after doubling through Maksim Shuts, Daniel Geeng faced another button raise to 50,000 by the Belorussian and announced a pot-sized reraise. Shuts moved all in and Geeng laughed with a "no no no," then called for around 200,000.
Daniel Geeng:
Maksim Shuts:
"Oh my god, he is even blocking the queen," Geeng added before the flop came . "I am so dead," the American continued, but he picked up a glimpse of miracle with the turn, drawing to the last three in the deck for quads. However, a blank river completed the board and Geeng had to settle for 4th place and a payday of HK$321,000 (~$41,317).
The remaining three players, and especially short stack Felipe Ramos, have HK$419,000 locked up, which equals approximately $53,930.
After having to forfeit his big blind twice, Felipe Ramos was down to just five big blinds and raised to 70,000 from the button. Maksim Shuts folded in the small blind and Ka Kwan Lau checked his cards. "I won't fold," Ramos said and then added "I have 34,000 behind."
Lau just called with the words "let's see a flop", which came . Lau bet enough to set the PokerStars Team Pro in and Ramos called.
Felipe Ramos:
Ka Kwan Lau:
The turn improved Lau to two pair, and a blank river sent Ramos to the rail in 3rd place for a payday of HK$419,000 (~$53,930). Both remaining players then headed into a quick five-minute break and Lau holds an almost 2-1 lead over Shuts for the upcoming heads-up.
Ka Kwan Lau and Maksin Shuts briefly discussed an ICM deal and considered leaving HK$20,000 as well as the trophy on the side, but Shuts eventually ended the discussion with a smile and "Okay, I first double and then we discuss a deal again."
There are around 22 minutes left on the level and the cards are back in the air.
Maksin Shuts raised to 60,000 and Ka Kwan Lau called. On the flop, Lau checked and folded to a bet worth 60,000 by Shuts.
Two hands later, the same action repeated preflop, and the flop came . Lau this time however check-called a bet of 60,000 before checking again the turn. Shuts made it 120,000 to go and Lau folded.
After less than ten minutes and half a dozen hands of heads-up, a winner was crowned and the fireworks started with a pot-sized raise by Ka Kwan Lau and a pot-sized reraise by Maksim Shuts. Lau called and the flop fell . With more than 350,000 in the middle, Shuts bet the pot with few chips behind, and Lau moved all in, covering his opponent. Shuts snap-called and the cards were tabled.
Maksim Shuts:
Ka Kwan Lau:
Shuts had gotten it in with the best of it, holding pocket aces and the nut flush draw. Lau was drawing very thin, but saw the board complete with the turn and the river. The final community card gave the Spaniard two pair and Shuts was eliminated in 2nd place for HK$656,500 (~$84,500). Considering that Shuts started the day as shortest stack with less than five big blinds, that is one hell of a comeback.
Lau takes home the trophy and a payday of HK$950,000, which equals approximately $122,277. A recap of today's action will be available shortly.