Event #3 $25,000 Short Deck

Wai Leong Chan Leads Headed into Final Day of Event #3

Posted March 8, 2020 at 5:11 pm ET by Brandyn Trenholm

The partypoker LIVE MILLIONS Super High Roller Series in Sochi has now seen the first day of Event #3: $25,000 Short Deck come to an end on level 17 with 23:10 remaining on the clock. Sitting atop the leader board is Malaysia’s Wai Leong Chan with 6,385,000 headed into the final day of the second Short Deck event of the series with just six remaining of the 61 entry slips that were sold here on Day 1.

Chan played most of the day in the average position and it was not until level 12 that he really started to kick it into high gear. The Malaysian native found a pot against fellow countryman Yeu Wei Hsiang who had big slick which dominated the ace-queen of Chan but thanks to a runner-runner flush it was Chan who took down the pot, sending Hsiang to the rail in what was the beginning of a red-hot end of the night for Chan.

The biggest pots of the day for the end-of-day leader happened against the same opponent in Sergi Reixach, who attempted to bluff Chan on the bubble with a turned flush draw, only to run into the already made flush of Chan who took down a monster double. The two had another clash just hands after when Reixach turned a full house only to have the same card give Chan a straight. Chan shoved the river and Reixach called to see his demise, taking as exit as the inevitable bubble boy and all players were then guaranteed at least $45,750 for their efforts.

Headed into the final day as second on the totem pole Thai Ha who like Chan did not really have an eventful start to the day. Ha picked his spots wisely, running pure during the latter stages of the night and will be starting Day 2 with 4,705,000. Ha is first on the all-time Vietnam money list and is sure to extend his lead as he has already locked up another cash to add onto his resume.

Triton Poker co-found Paul Phua joined this tournament shortly after busting final table of Event #2: $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em and by the time the bubble came around he was at the bottom. He managed to find a double on the button and parlayed that into eliminating Dmitriy Kuzmin, catapulting his stack up 2,395,000 which is good for third in the ranks. Watch for Phua as he looks to add a new feat by taking down his first Super High Roller Series event.

Rounding out the final table is Danny Tang (2,380,000), Aaron Van Blarcum (1,710,000), and Ivan Leow (725,000). Tang was yet to play a tournament during in 2020 until this series after coming off of a stellar year which saw him become a regular poker crusher in the public eye. Aaron Van Blarcum is relatively new to the high rollers but has already made a name for himself and will be looking to add another solid cash to his career earnings that already exceed $3.4 million. Leow, like Phua, will be playing his second final table in a row during this series after finishing second in Event #2 but will need some help as he starts the final day at the bottom.

Official Final Table

Play began at 2 p.m. (MSK) with two tables of players to start but by the end of late registration, the number had grown to an impressive 61 which was the biggest field thus far in the series. That number gathered a total prize pool of $1,525,000 with the top nine finding a payday of at least $45,750 with the eventual champion pulling in $457,500.

Event #3: $25,000 Short Deck final table begins at 1 p.m. (MSK) on Monday, March 9, with the action continuing until a winner is crowned, taking home the $457,500 first-place money.

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Level 17

Posted March 8, 2020 at 4:38 pm ET by Brandyn Trenholm

Hand-For-Hand Has Begun

Posted March 8, 2020 at 3:59 pm ET by Brandyn Trenholm

The final 10 players will now be playing hand-for-hand as they prepare for the bubble to pop.