Staes Cracks Aces to Survive
Level 41
: Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
Valentin Imperatore raised to 800,000 from under the gun. Aliosha Staes, in the small blind, three-bet jammed for 10,000,000 and Imperatore called.
Aliosha Staes: 8♥8♦ 
Valentin Imperatore: A♥A♦
Staes was in trouble, but the 10♠8♣4♠ flop materialised one of his outs, allowing him to take the lead. The 9♣ turn and the K♦ river saw Staes crack aces to survive.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
21,000,000
11,575,000
|
11,575,000 |
|
17,000,000
13,000,000
|
13,000,000 |