Ryan Laplante Leads Event #2 Final Table; Thai Ha and Chance Kornuth Reach Second Final Table
The second event of the 2019 Poker Masters saw the game switched to Pot-Limit Omaha as 62-entrants took a seat inside the PokerGO Studio. After 17 full levels of play, Ryan Laplante finished as the chip leader with 2,540,000 in chips heading into Wednesday’s PokerGO streamed Event #2 final table.
After opening the 2019 Poker Masters with one of the biggest $10,000 buy-in tournaments the PokerGO Studio has seen, the numbers decreased as the cards increased for Event #2. With the game switching from No-Limit Hold’em to Pot-Limit Omaha, a new crop of players took a seat and created a prize pool of $620,000.
With the action flowing throughout the day, the redraw to the final two tables immediately saw a flurry of eliminations as Manig Loeser would be the eventual bubble boy in tenth place. Anthony Zinno (9th) and Brent Roberts (8th) all fell before the final seven redrew to one table, and although action stalled for a little, eventually it would be Damjan Radanov eliminated in seventh place to conclude play for the day.
The final six players are currently all guaranteed a $37,200 payday, but all eyes will be set on the first-place prize of $186,000 and the title of Event #2 champion. The player best positioned to claim that first prize is chip leader Ryan Laplante. Not a regular in these High Roller tournaments, Laplante is taking advantage of his opportunity after winning several key hands down the stretch to ascend to the top of the leaderboard. If Laplante can win this event, it will be just $4,000 shy of his biggest career cash when he won the 2016 WSOP Event #12: $565 Pot-Limit Omaha bracelet for $190,328.
Sitting second in chips is Thai Ha who finished in eighth-place in Event #1. Ha held the chip lead – along with Laplante – for the latter stages of the tournament, but after losing several pots to Laplante and others, he slipped down to finish with 1,730,000. Although Ha is one of the lesser known players at the final table, he is fresh off a WSOP Europe where he collected six cashes including a second-place finish in the €25,500 No Limit Short Deck Hold’em – High Roller for €457,964.
Third overall is the defending Poker Masters Purple Jacket holder Ali Imsirovic. Although he arrived to the final table of seven players as one of the short stacks, he rode a mini-heater and eliminated Radanov to finish with 1,596,000 in chips and is in position to collect points to make a run at back-to-back Purple Jacket victories. In fourth place is John Riordan with 990,000 in chips courtesy of a double through Ha a few hands before play concluded. Riordan has been a regular in the Pot-Limit Omaha tournaments held in the PokerGO studio, but this will be his first cash in either of the U.S. Poker Open or Poker Masters series’.
Rounding out the final spots at the final table are Chance Kornuth and Tim McDermott with 545,000 and 410,000 respectively. Like Ha, Kornuth already collected a cash in Event #1 when he finished in second-place to Isaac Baron for a $164,900 payday. Already a regular in the PokerGO studio with appearances on Poker After Dark and other shows, Kornuth is making a run at becoming the 2019 Poker Masters Purple Jacket winner as a fifth-place finish sees him tied with Baron, while a fourth-place finish gives him the lead – and barring a Ha victory in Event #2 – he will be the points leader heading into Event #3. McDermott is another player new to the High Roller scene in the PokerGO Studio, but after 10 cashes during the WSOP which included a second-place finish in the $1,500 Dealer’s Choice, he will be hoping to spin up his 14-big blind stack to collect the first-place prize that is nearly twice his biggest career score.
| Seat | Name | Country | Chip Count |
| 1 | Chance Kornuth | United States | 545,000 |
| 2 | John Riordan | United States | 990,000 |
| 3 | Thai Ha | Vietnam | 1,730,000 |
| 4 | Ryan Laplante | United States | 2,540,000 |
| 5 | Ali Imsirovic | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1,595,000 |
| 6 | Tim McDermott | United States | 410,000 |
The button is on Thai Ha, and there is 26:04 remaining in Level 18 with blinds at 15,000-30,000 and a 30,000-big blind ante.
The Event #2: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha final table begins at 12 p.m. (PT) on Wednesday, November 6, with action continuing until the Event #2 champion is crowned. Follow every hand when the PokerGO coverage begins at 1 p.m. (PT) / 4 p.m. (ET).
Follow the final table exclusively on PokerGO through your favorite devices and in the embedded player below. Can’t watch live? Catch the action on-demand at your leisure. New to PokerGO? Subscribe right now.
Event #2 Final Table Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Laplante | 2,540,000 |
410,000  |
| Thai Ha | 1,730,000 |
-70,000  |
| Ali Imsirovic | 1,595,000 | - |
| John Riordan | 990,000 |
20,000 |
| Chance Kornuth | 545,000 |
-40,000 |
| Tim McDermott | 410,000 |
-234,000 |
Damjan Radanov Eliminated in 7th Place ($31,000)
Ali Imsirovic raised to 75,000 from middle position and Damjan Radanov called in the big blind.
The flop landed [Jh7hAd] and Radanov checked. Imsirovic bet out and Radanov check-raised all in. Imsirovic called.
Imsirovic: [AsAc8c6c]
Radanov: [KsJcJd4s]
In a set-over-set cooler for Radanov, he would need to find the case jack to stay alive.
The [kh] on the turn, followed by the [5d] on the river wouldn’t be what he was after, and Radanov would be eliminated in seventh place for a $31,000 payday.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Ali Imsirovic | 1,595,000 |
865,000 |
| Damjan Radanov | Busted |
-1,030,000 |
John Riordan Doubles Through Thai Ha
John Riordan opened to 90,000 from middle position and Thai Ha three-bet to 310,000 as the next player to act. The table folded back to Riordan and he called, leaving himself around 175,000~ behind.
Those chips went into the middle after the [9c5h2h] flop fell and Ha snap called to try to score the knockout.
Ha tabled [AdAs9d8d] and he needed to hold against [KcQh7h6c].
The former chip leader didn’t though, as the turn completed Riordan’s draw with the [4h].
The [8s] completed the board and when the dust settled Riordan was near 1,000,000.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Thai Ha | 1,800,000 |
-675,000 |
| John Riordan | 970,000 |
365,000 |
Kings for Chance Kornuth
Chance Kornuth limped in from the hijack and Thai Ha raised to 80,000 on the button.
Action folded back to Kornuth, and he called before both players checked the [4c2h6s] flop.
The turn landed the [8h] and Kornuth bet out 75,000. Ha called, and when the river landed the [9s], both players checked.
Kornuth tabled his [KdKh7h2c] and Ha mucked.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Thai Ha | 2,475,000 |
-75,000 |
| Chance Kornuth | 585,000 |
195,000 |
Ryan Laplante Shoves the River Against Thai Ha
Ryan Laplante opened to 50,000 from under the gun and three players called – including Thai Ha in the small blind.
Ha checked the [QcJd7h] flop and Damjan Radanov did the same in the big blind. Laplante continued for 125,000, leading John Riordan to fold on the button before Ha called and Radanov released.
The [5c] fell on the turn and Ha checked again – only to see Laplante bet 325,000. Ha called and he checked for a third time after the [7s] paired the board on the river.
Laplante took a few moments before he announced his next bet – sized at 850,000.
Ha went deep into the tank, using two time extensions and nearly a third before he eventually folded.
“Show the bluff.” Ha said hopefully, to which Laplante quickly replied, “No one ever bluffs in PLO.”
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Thai Ha | 2,550,000 |
-50,000 |
| Ryan Laplante | 2,130,000 |
200,000 |
Thai Ha Extends Chip Lead with Flop Lead
Thai Ha raised to 50,000 from under the gun and Damjan Radanov called next to act. Ryan Laplante raised pot to 230,000 from the hijack, and both Ha and Radanov called.
The flop landed [9d8cJc] and Ha announced a bet of 450,000. Radanov mucked, and Laplante showed his [Qh8d] and then mucked too.
Ha showed the [Ac] and collected the pot to extend his chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Thai Ha | 2,600,000 |
570,000 |
| Ryan Laplante | 1,930,000 |
-145,000 |
| Damjan Radanov | 1,030,000 |
-230,000 |
Straight for Damjan Radanov
Thai Ha raised to 50,000 in middle position and Damjan Radanov called in the hijack next to act. Chance Kornuth comes along from the big blind and then checked the [5hQc4c] flop.
Ha checked behind, and Radanov bet 125,000. Kornuth folded, but Ha called, before the [2h] and [3h] checked through.
Radanov tabled his [9c8d6d5c] for a straight, and Ha mucked.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Thai Ha | 2,030,000 |
-250,000 |
| Damjan Radanov | 1,260,000 |
210,000 |
| Chance Kornuth | 390,000 |
-70,000 |
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