KRW 4,350,000 High Roller
Day 2 Completed
2017 PokerStars Festival Korea
KRW 4,350,000 High Roller
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2017 PokerStars Festival Korea
Buy-in
4,350,000 KRW
Entries
62
Level
22
Blinds
10,000 / 20,000
Ante
3,000
Boyuan Qu Wins Inaugural PokerStars Festival Korea ₩4,350,000 High Roller for ₩72,160,000
Level 22
: 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante
Boyuan Qu emerged victorious in the richest poker tournament held on Korean soil to date, the ₩4,350,000 buy-in High Roller at the first ever PokerStars Festival Korea, banking a ₩72,160,000 payday. He bested a stacked field of 34 unique players who collectively made 62 separate entries and a tough final table that included PokerStars Team Online Pro Randy Lew. Remarkably, he was the chip leader at the start of play on Day 2 and never relinquished the lead, going wire-to-wire to claim the top prize and trophy.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boyuan Qu | China | ₩72,160,000 |
| 2 | Kazuhiko Yotsushika | Japan | ₩52,200,000 |
| 3 | Takayuki Iwamoto | Japan | ₩33,680,000 |
| 4 | Horzuchi Yutaka | Japan | ₩25,500,000 |
| 5 | Randy Lew | USA | ₩19,730,000 |
| 6 | Daniel Demicki | Poland | ₩15,400,000 |
| 7 | Xiangbiao Zhu | China | ₩12,270,000 |
| 8 | Sparrow Cheung | Hong Kong | ₩9,620,000 |
Since only eight places were paid in this event, the final table was reached before the money bubble broke. That didn't happen until Randy Lew eliminated Elias Gutierrez when the two players got the chips in before the flop and Lew's ace-ten caught up to Gutierrez's ace-king to send him to the rail. Eliminations followed at a frantic pace from that point forward. Sparrow Cheung was the next to fall in eighth place when he got undersetted by Xingbiao Zhu, who entered late on Day 2. Zhu subsequently departed in seventh place when he got his chips in the middle with pocket nines against the ace-king of Kazuhiko Yotsushika and lost the coin flip. On the very next hand, Yotsushika dispatched another foe to the rail when Daniel Demicki got his stack in with king-ten suited against Yotsushika's pocket deuces and Yotsushika turned a boat to leave Demicki drawing dead. Randy Lew followed shortly thereafter in fifth place when he shoved from the small blind with nine-seven suited into the eventual champion's king-jack and didn't improve when the board rolled out. Next to go was Horzuchi Yutaka, who departed in fourth place when he got his stack in preflop against Qu holding pocket nines to Qu's ace-king suited only to see Qu flop the nut flush. Takayuki Iwamoto became the third-place finisher when he got his short stack in the middle preflop with pocket fours and Qu, who called with king-eight, paired his eight on the flop to take the lead and Iwamoto found no help on the turn or river.
At the start of heads-up play, Qu had a nearly three-to-one chip lead over Kazuhiko Yotsushika. However, Yotsushika didn't go quietly and nearly overtook Qu at one point as the two players battled back and forth for over an hour. It all came to an end when Yotsushika shoved into Qu's turned trip nines with king high and no hope of improving on the river. After the last card fell, Qu, who only has two previous live cashes on his tournament record, had officially banked the largest payday of his poker career by miles, taking home the approximate equivalent of $64,000 for his efforts in this event.
While the High Roller is in the books, the Main Event is already in progress, so be sure to keep it here for coverage of the remainder of the first PokerStars Festival Korea from the PokerNews live reporting team.
Kazuhiko Yotsushika Eliminated in 2nd Place (₩52,200,000)
Level 22
: 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante
Kazuhiko Yotsushika raised to 45,000 from the button, Boyuan Qu three-bet to 135,000 from the big blind, and Yotsushika called.
The flop came 
and Qu bet 135,000. Yotsushika raised to 330,000 and Qu called.
The turn brought the 
and Qu checked. Yotsushika shoved for about 480,000 and Qu called to put him at risk.
Qu: 
Yotsushika: 
Qu had turned trip nines and Yotsushika was drawing dead with one card to come. The meaningless 
fell on the river and Qu took the pot to eliminate Yotsushika and finish the tournament as the winner.
A full recap will be posted shortly.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
3,100,000 | 1,240,000 |
|
Busted |
Yotsushika Climbing
Level 22
: 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante
Boyuan Qu called from the button and Kazuhiko Yotsushika checked his option.
The flop came 
and Yotsushika bet 40,000. Qu called.
The turn was the 
, Yotsushika bet 65,000, and Qu called.
The river was the 
and Yotsushika bet again, 200,000 this time. Qu called ant Yotsushika tabled 
for two pair, tens and threes. Qu mucked and Yotsushika stacked the chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,860,000 | -320,000 |
|
|
1,240,000 | 320,000 |
Yotsushika Doubles Up
Level 22
: 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante
Boyuan Qu called from the button, Kazuhiko Yotsushika raised to 45,000 from the big blind, Qu three-bet to 110,000, and Yotsushika called.
The flop came 
and Yotsushika bet 100,000. Qu called.
The turn brought the 
and Yotsushika shoved for 284,000, sending Qu into the tank. He tossed the dealer his last time bank chip and ultimately called to put Yotsushika at risk.
Yotsushika: 
Qu: 
Yotsushika had the lead with top pair and Qu needed to pair his ace or hit a ten to make Broadway in order to end the tournament. The river was the and Yotsushika's pair of kings held for the double-up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,180,000 | -275,000 |
|
|
920,000 | 275,000 |
Yotsushika Takes One
Level 22
: 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante
With a substantial pot of about 170,000 already brewing and the board reading , Boyuan Qu checked from the big blind and Kazuhiko Yotsushika bet 100,000 from the button. Qu called.
The river was the 
and both players checked. Yotsushika tabled 
for a pair of tens, which was good enough to win the pot against Qu's 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,455,000 | -190,000 |
|
|
645,000 | 190,000 |
Qu Staying Aggressive
Level 22
: 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante
Boyuan Qu raised to 45,000 from the button and Kazuhiko Yotsushika called from the big blind.
The flop fell 
and Yotsushika checked. Qu bet 56,000, Yotsushika folded, and Qu took the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,645,000 | 135,000 |
|
|
455,000 | -135,000 |
Level: 22
Blinds: 10,000/20,000
Ante: 3,000
Yotsushika Keeps His Foot On the Gas
Level 21
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
Kazuhiko Yotsushika raised to 40,000 from the button and Boyuan Qu called from the big blind.
The flop fell 
and Qu checked. Yotsushika bet 60,000 and Qu called.
The turn brought the , Qu checked, Yotsushika bet 100,000, and Qu folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,510,000 | -55,000 |
|
|
590,000 | 55,000 |
Qu Fires the River
Level 21
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
With a substantial pot of about 200,000 already brewing and the board reading 
, Boyuan Qu bet 107,000 from the big blind and Kazuhiko Yotsushika called from the button.
The fell on the river and Qu bet 210,000. After a bit of consideration, Yotsushika folded and Qu scooped the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,565,000 | 215,000 |
|
|
535,000 | -260,000 |