Chidwick Near Felted, Doubles to Merely Short; Still Finishes 6th for $63,000
A big flip sent Stephen Chidwick down to a felt-brushing stack, his [QdQc] all in preflop after Aaron Van Blarcum three-bet his original raise to 230,000 all in with [AhKs] – to a total of 1,440,000. The board brought help for Van Blarcum: [Ac7h7dJsJc] and he doubled through.
Moments later Chidwick’s last 235,000 was all in preflop with his own [AcKs], called by John Cynn with [Tc8s]. Chidwick stayed ahead over the [9h9dQhJsAh] run out to keep this final six handed, but only momentarily. The high roller veteran leaves the table in 6th, winning $63,000.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Van Blarcum | 3,000,000 |
1,530,000  |
| Stephen Chidwick | Busted |
-1,700,000  |
Wai Leong Chan Uses Big Stack Power
Stephen Chidwick opened to 180,000 under the gun plus one holding [AhTh], called by cutoff Wai Leong Chan with [JcTc] and button Cary Katz ([QcJh]). On the flop of [Ac6cJd], Chidwick checked, Wai Leong Chan bet 325,000, called by Chidwick alone.
The turn: [7h]. Check to Wai Leong Chan again, who now bet 600,000, eventually prompting a fold.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Wai Leong Chan | 4,745,000 |
740,000 |
| Stephen Chidwick | 1,700,000 |
-430,000 |
He Doubles with River Straight (Short Deck Style)
Aaron Van Blarcum opened to 250,000 in the hijack with [QsQh], finding cutoff Jiang Xie He moving all in over the top holding [AcJs]. Now facing a total bet of 1,250,000, button Wai Leong Chan took a little while to pass his own [AdJc], but did so, leaving Van Blarcum to make a quick call.
The board remained safe for the queens as it rolled out [7hKd9h8d], but He’d picked up straight outs on the turn, which came good for the short stack with the [6h] river.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Santi Jiang | 2,650,000 |
1,090,000 |
| Aaron Van Blarcum | 1,470,000 |
-1,430,000 |
Katz Folds Trip Jacks After Torturing Self on River
Multiple time bank cards were used by Cary Katz who faced a decision for his tournament life courtesy of Aaron Van Blarcum on the river of a pot that took about three times as long as any previous hand on the final.
Katz had checked behind, holding [Jd8d], on a [Js6cth] flop, then bet when it was checked to him on the [7s] turn. Van Blarcum, holding [AhQs], made the call, then set Katz all in when the river paired the board with the [Jh].
A pained tank ensued, as Katz ran through the possibilities regarding his opponent’s holding. These included, “You could have made a snap decision and just bluffed,” as well as the fact that, “I was ecstatic about the river – until you jammed!”
“Just tell me when I have ten seconds left,” said Katz, before finally throwing his hand into the muck.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Van Blarcum | 2,900,000 |
500,000 |
| Cary Katz | 730,000 |
-595,000 |
After three-betting all in preflop with [AcQs] for 1,600,000 (and picking up 200,000 from initial raiser Wai Leong Chan who passed [JcTs]), John Cynn lost a pot to Aaron Can Blarcum the very next hand. Cynn limped for 50,000 with [9s9h], then called Van Blarcum’s raise to 225,000 (holding [AcKs]) to see a flop of [8c6h6d]. Cynn checked and Van Blarcum bet 250,000. Cynn folded.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Van Blarcum | 2,400,000 |
390,000 |
| John Cynn | 1,600,000 |
30,000 |
Bottom Chip Counts Bunch More Closely
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Wai Leong Chan | 4,005,000 |
-95,000 |
| Stephen Chidwick | 2,130,000 |
430,000 |
| Aaron Van Blarcum | 2,010,000 |
-25,000 |
| John Cynn | 1,570,000 |
-430,000 |
| Santi Jiang | 1,560,000 |
-240,000 |
| Cary Katz | 1,325,000 |
-275,000 |
Katz Doubles After Preflop “Fair Fight”
Cary Katz, representing for PokerGO, started the final as the short stack but has doubled through to 1,600,000 after moving all in preflop for 735,000 over the top of a preflop open from Aaron Van Blarcum with [AhKd]. Katz held [QdQs]; “Anything high it’s over…” he sweated, as the flop came down [Jd7dTh], but the turn and river fell [8s6d] securing him the double.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Van Blarcum | 2,035,000 |
-690,000 |
| Cary Katz | 1,600,000 |
795,000 |
Best Hand Folds, then Next Best Hand Folds: Pot to Wai Leong Chan
A fiveway limped pot – “not something you normally see on a final table,” as commentator James Dempsey noted, ended up with a pot going to Wai Leong Chan after he turned his second pair into a bluff on the river.
A flop of [qcAs6s] saw four checks to cutoff Stephen Chidwick who bet 75,000 holding [Ac9d], called by under the gun first limper Jiang Xia He with [AhTs] and his neighbour Wai Leong Chan with [KcQh].
The turn brought the [7h] and two checks to Chidwick, who bet 175,000. He folded his bigger ace; Leong Chan made the call.
The river: [9s]. Now Wai Leong Chan led out for 475,000, turning his pair of queens into a bluff. After spending a timebank card, Chidwick folded.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Wai Leong Chan | 4,100,000 |
620,000 |
| Stephen Chidwick | 1,700,000 |
-140,000 |
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