Main Event | 2017 PokerStars Festival Manila

08-07-2017 20:36 UTC+8

Michael Falcon Eliminated in 3rd Place (PHP2,456,000)

RazorSharpPro

Level 28 : 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante

When the end came for Michael Falcon it came quickly and unexpectedly and the hand saw Uday Bansal retake the chip lead.

Play had not long resumed following the short break and Bansal made it 180,000 to go on the button with both Antti Halme (small blind) and Michael Falcon (big blind) making the call to take the action three-way to a flop of .

Both Halme and Falcon checked the action over to Bansal, who continuation bet 275,000. Halme made the call from the small blind and the action was back on Falcon in the big blind who quickly announced he was all-in for 2.83 million.

Bansal asked for a count and did not take long to flick in the calling chip and Halme quickly got out of the way.

Michael Falcon:
Uday Bansal:

Falcon had made a ballsy play with a gutshot draw to the deck’s four sixes and been looked up by Bansal with top pair and the rail crowded around to see what the poker gods had in store for both players.

The turn was not a six and neither was the river and Falcon got up to shake Bansal’s hand after the Indian player had finished celebrating with his watching rail. The Dane headed off to collect the equivalent of $48,780 and that took the action heads up in the PokerStars Festival Manila Main Event and the clock was paused while the two remaining players discuss the possibility of a deal.

Player	Chips	Progress
Uday Bansal	10,190,000	3,590,000
Antti Halme	7,600,000	-500,000
Michael Falcon	Busted

Tags: Antti Halme Michael Falcon Uday Bansal

08-07-2017 20:26 UTC+8

Play Resumes with a Three-Bet

Christian Zetzsche

Level 28 : 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante

After a short five-minute break, the three remaining contenders for the title have returned to their seats here in the Grand Ballroom of the City of Dreams entertainment complex.

Uday Bansal raised to 180,000 on the button and Antti Halme's three-bet to 500,000 out of the small blind won the pot without further resistance.

Player	Chips	Progress
Antti Halme	8,100,000	365,000
Uday Bansal	6,600,000	-260,000

Tags: Antti Halme Uday Bansal

08-07-2017 20:17 UTC+8

Mike Takayama Eliminated in 4th Place (PHP1,900,000)

RazorSharpPro

Level 28 : 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante

Finland’s Antti Halme is hitting his form at just the right time and not long after clashing in those two pots against India’s Uday Bansal the Finn sent the field’s sole remaining Filipino player to the rail.

It was Mike Takayama who opened the action with a raise to 200,000 on the button and after Bansal folded out the small blind Halme squeezed his hole cards and reached for raising chips, sliding out a huge tower of red 25k chips for a raise to 600,000.

Takayama instantly announced all-in for just over 3.5 million in chips and was beaten into the pot by the Finn, who called so fast his chips left skid marks on the table and the cards were revealed.

Mike Takayama:
Antii Halme:

The Filipino rail crowded around and the sole Finnish rail (Aki Virtanen) raced up to give Halme support with a shoulder massage and it was off to the flop.

With both players holding a heart that brought Takayama no help and the river saw the Filipino teeter on the edge of elimination. The river paired the board and brought Takayama’s Main Event to an end and he departed in 4th place for the equivalent of a $37,737 payday.

“Every time Aki gives me a shoulder massage I win,” chuckled Halme as he stacked up his newly won chips to climb to 7,735,000 and take the chip lead.

The three remaining players are on a short break.

Player	Chips	Progress
Antti Halme	7,735,000
Uday Bansal	6,860,000
Michael Falcon	3,210,000
Mike Takayama	Busted

Tags: Aki Virtanen Antti Halme Mike Takayama

Level: 28

Blinds: 40,000/80,000

Ante: 10,000

08-07-2017 20:04 UTC+8

Halme Shoves Into Bansal

Christian Zetzsche

Level 28 : 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante

Uday Bansal raised to 135,000 on the button and Antti Halme three-bet to 400,000 from the small blind, picking up a call by Bansal. On the flop, Halme's continuation bet of 300,000 was called by Bansal before the appeared on the turn. Halme checked and Bansal bet 450,000 before the Finn check-raised all in for 2,265,000 in total.

Bansal asked for the count, and took more than two minutes before folding. Halme won the next hand against the Indian as well and jumped into second place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Uday Bansal	7,000,000	-1,600,000
Antti Halme	4,450,000	1,500,000

Tags: Antti Halme Uday Bansal

08-07-2017 19:52 UTC+8

Falcon and Takayama Meet Twice

Christian Zetzsche

Level 28 : 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante

Mike Takayama raised to 150,000 from under the gun and Michael Falcon three-bet to 360,000 in the big blind, which Takayama called. The flop came and a continuation bet of Falcon for 300,000 won the pot uncontested.

Soon after, Falcon raised to 140,000 and Takayama called. The flop came and was checked. After the turn, Falcon bet 150,000 and Takayama let go.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michael Falcon	3,300,000	700,000
Mike Takayama	3,100,000	-400,000

Tags: Michael Falcon Mike Takayama

08-07-2017 19:41 UTC+8

Halme Takes from Bansal

Christian Zetzsche

Level 27 : 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante

Mike Takayama won a small limped pot on the river when betting 100,000, as Michael Falcon called and mucked to the of Falcon.

Then, Uday Bansal made it 150,000 to go from the small blind and Antti Halme called in the big blind. The flop came and Bansal continued for 150,000, which Halme called. The turn was checked and Bansal check-folded the turn to a bet of 275,000 by Halme.

Player	Chips	Progress
Uday Bansal	8,600,000	-300,000
Mike Takayama	3,500,000	150,000
Antti Halme	2,950,000	350,000
Michael Falcon	2,600,000	-230,000

Tags: Antti Halme Michael Falcon Mike Takayama Uday Bansal

08-07-2017 19:35 UTC+8

The Hand That Had it All

RazorSharpPro

Level 27 : 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante

The players are pulling out all the stops here with Uday Bansal and Michael Falcon making moves and counter moves against each other to drive the watching rail wild.

It was Bansal’s turn to juice the action with a button raise, making it 135,000 to go with Falcon making the call from the big blind to take play heads-up to flop.

Falcon checked it over to Bansal, who continuation bet 160,000. Falcon slid out a check-raise to 375,00 and the Indian player looked at his opponent calculatingly for a minute and made the call.

The turn paired the board and brought a check from Falcon, opening the door for Bansal to bet out 340,000. Falcon reached for chips once more, busting out the rarely seen double check-raise and made it 800,000 to go and action was back on Bansal.

After 30-seconds in the tank, the Indian player announced all-in and it was Falcon’s turn to think. Eventually, the Dane folded and Bansal triumphantly slapped down for a stone cold bluff to a round of applause from the watching rail.

Falcon took down the blinds and antes the next hand and Antti Halme won the next hand after defending his big blind against a Falcon under-the-gun 125,000 raise. The Finn check called Falcon’s 125,000 c-bet on a flop of and the turn and river were both checked.

Falcon showed and Halme won the pot with to climb to 2.6 million while Falcon dropped to 2.83 million and the players have just gone on a short 5-minute break with the field stacking up as follows:

Player	Chips	Progress
Uday Bansal	8,900,000	700,000
Mike Takayama	3,350,000	-200,000
Michael Falcon	2,830,000	-1,070,000
Antti Halme	2,600,000	-600,000

Tags: Uday Bansal Michael Falcon Antti Halme

08-07-2017 19:19 UTC+8

Falcon Scores a Big Double

Christian Zetzsche

Level 27 : 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante

Uday Bansal raised from the cutoff and called a three-bet to 305,000 by Michael Falcon in the small blind. The flop came and Falcon checked before Bansal bet 375,000. Falcon moved all in and Bansal quickly called.

Michael Falcon:
Uday Bansal:

Both the turn and the river were blanks and Falcon doubled for 1,580,000. Bansal took a hit, but remains the comfortable chip leader with more than twice as many chips as Falcon.

Player	Chips	Progress
Uday Bansal	8,200,000	-2,000,000
Michael Falcon	3,900,000	1,800,000

Tags: Michael Falcon Uday Bansal

08-07-2017 19:14 UTC+8

Bansal Takes from Falcon

Christian Zetzsche

Level 27 : 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante

Uday Bansal raised to 130,000 and Michael Falcon called in the big blind. Both players checked the flop and Falcon bet the turn for 175,000, which Bansal called. After the river, Falcon bet 400,000 and Bansal tossed in a chip for the call.

Falcon showed and Bansal had that beat with .

Player	Chips	Progress
Uday Bansal	10,200,000	1,100,000
Michael Falcon	2,100,000	-300,000

Tags: Michael Falcon Uday Bansal