Event #7: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em

Stephen Chidwick Wins Event #7: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em at the 2021 Poker Masters for $183,600

Posted September 14, 2021 at 6:46 pm ET by Donnie Peters

Event #7: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em at the 2021 Poker Masters is in the books, and the winner is Stephen Chidwick. Chidwick topped a field of 68 entries to win the tournament’s $183,600 first-place prize.

Through the first five events of the 2021 Poker Masters, Chidwick had whiffed on making the money, but he’s now put together two consecutive results that have moved him into fifth place on the overall series leaderboard. Chidwick placed third in Event #6: $10,000 8-Game right before he went on to win this event.

“It feels great,” Chidwick said of moving into the top five of the 2021 Poker Masters leaderboard. “I always feel like when I’m coming into a series like this that I’m one of the favorites to string together some big results and win the jacket. To get off the mark the past couple of days and put myself in contention, I guess it’s a bit of a relief heading into the higher stakes portion of the series to be able to be within striking distance.”

Known as one of the top minds in the game and for having a high work ethic, Chidwick also spoke about how much it takes to perform at such a high level, with a lot of the work coming off the felt in preparation for events like these at the Poker Masters.

“For me, very,” Chidwick said of how important preparation is off the felt. “I spend a lot of time in between days and in the run-up to series like this trying to prepare as best as I can. Especially for this kind of series when there’s a tournament every single day for 10-plus days and if you’re doing well you’re playing 10, 11, or 12 hours in a day. I still try and find the time when I’m done to review spots or look at streams or other things to prepare for the next day.”

Chidwick, who is currently seventh on poker’s all-time money list with more than $36 million in live tournament earnings, consistently competes in the highest stakes around the world against some of the game’s best players. Wherever you look, especially on the PokerGO Tour presented by Guaranteed Rate, Chidwick is there and it appears safe to say that will continue for quite some time.

“If I stop enjoying it, then I’ll probably stop playing as much,” Chidwick said. “But right now, I love it as much as I ever have, my motivation is very high, and I just really, really enjoy it. I don’t have any plans to slow down anytime soon.”

If you’d like to relive all of the action from the final table, you can find the replay on PokerGO.com.

Day 2 of Event #7 began with five players remaining and Chidwick in the lead. First to bust was Dan Smith, hitting the rail when his pocket eights ran into the pocket kings of Chidwick. Smith picked up $54,400 in prize money.

Next to go was Brek Schutten, busting in fourth place when his ace-king lost to AP Louis Garza’s ace-seven. The money went in preflop and Garza flopped two pair. Schutten earned $68,000.

Garza was next to go. He once again for the money in preflop with ace-seven, only this time he wasn’t able to come from behind against Dylan DeStefano’s [AsJs]. DeStefano had raised on the button, Garza moved all in from the small blind, and DeStefano made the call. The board ran out [AhKd2h5hKs] to eliminate Garza.

Heads-up play began with Chidwick still in the chip lead. He had 5.68 million in chips to DeStefano’s 2.82 million. Chidwick worked to increase his lead from there and then finished things off in the same way he got the final table eliminations started, by holding pocket kings.

With the blinds at 40,000/80,000 with an 80,000 big blind ante, DeStefano raised to 180,000 on the button with the [QhTs]. Chidwick looked down to find the [KdKc] in the big blind and three-bet to 550,000. DeStefano made the call and the flop came [Qs9h5d]. Chidwick bet 350,000 and DeStefano made the call. The turn was the [3c] and Chidwick bet 525,000. DeStefano made the call and the river was the [8s]. With 2.93 million in the pot, Chidwick put DeStefano all in. DeStefano had 885,000 left in his stack and made the call. DeStefano saw the bad news and was eliminated in second place for $136,000.

While Chidwick improved to fifth place on the Poker Masters leaderboard, Daniel Negreanu remains at the top. Sean Perry finished in sixth place in this event and moved to within one point of Negreanu. DeStefano jumped up to fourth place, directly ahead of Chidwick.

You can see the top 10 of the 2021 Poker Masters leaderboard below.

The only change within the top 10 of the PokerGO Tour presented by Guaranteed Rate leaderboard is to Perry’s point total, and he increased to 2,301 points to narrow the gap some with leader Ali Imsirovic.

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Watch the Event #7 Final Table on PokerGO.com at 4 p.m. ET

Posted September 14, 2021 at 12:25 pm ET by Tim Duckworth

The final table of Event #7: $10,000 8-Game of the 2021 Poker Masters is set and will be airing on PokerGO.com at 4 p.m. ET.

Watch the Event #7 final table on PokerGO.com here!

Stephen Chidwick ended Day 1 as the overwhelming chip leader with 2,950,000 in chips ahead of Dylan DeStefano, Ap Louis Garza, Dan Smith, and Brekstyn Schutten. The final five players are guaranteed $54,500 in prize money, but all eyes are on the $183,600 first-place prize and title of Event #7 champion.

When play resumes, there is 12:14 remaining in level 15, the button is on Dan Smith.

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Stephen Chidwick Headlines the Event #7: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Final Table

Posted September 14, 2021 at 3:49 am ET by Tim Duckworth

Stephen Chidwick entered the PokerGO Studio on Monday with intentions of winning Event #6. However, the Brit would fall short in third place, but immediately jumped into Event #7: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em of the 2021 Poker Masters. Chidwick managed to parlay his late entrance into the overwhelming chip lead as he headlines a final table featuring fellow regular high stakes player Dan Smith, and three new players to the high roller scene that includes Dylan DeStefano, Ap Louis Garza, and Brekstyn Schutten.

The final five players have all locked up $54,500 in prize money, but when they return on Tuesday, September 14, at 4 p.m. ET to play out the final table on PokerGO.com, they will all be eying the title of Event #7 champion and $183,600 first-place prize.

The final $10,000 buy-in of the 2021 Poker Masters would attract a 68-entrant field that created a $680,000 prize pool. Series winners Shannon Shorr, Adam Hendrix, Daniel Negreanu, and Brock Wilson were a few of the players finding themselves on the rail prior to reaching the money. Once the tournament was reduced to the final two tables, a quick succession of eliminations saw Jake Daniels, Sam Soverel, and John Riordan all eliminated before Alex Foxen fell on the money bubble when his [AsTs] was outdrawn by the [Ah9c] of Schutten.

Down to the final ten players, the elimination of Ben Yu in tenth-place saw the players combine to one table where Event #3 runner-up Matthew Wantman fell in ninth-place after losing a race to DeStefano. As players were heading on a break, Jeffrey Trudeau made a move with a superior ace-high on chip leader Chidwick, but Chidwick also held a flush draw and called before spiking a heart on the turn to eliminate Trudeau in eighth-place. Shawn Daniels ran into the pocket queens of DeStefano to exit in seventh-place, and when Event #2 winner Sean Perry fell in sixth-place it would end the day’s play while simultaneously seeing Perry sit in second place on the Poker Masters Purple Jacket leaderboard by just one point behind Negreanu.

Chidwick put on a dominating display at the final table to build his stack all the way to 2,950,000 in chips. Chidwick is chasing another win in the PokerGO Studio, and with it comes a surge up the leaderboard to sit in fourth-place overall, while he would move into 14th place on the PokerGO Tour presented by Guaranteed Rate leaderboard. DeStefano and Garza sit bunched in second and third in chips overall with 1,970,000 and 1,940,000 respectively. DeStefano has locked up his third cash of the 2021 Poker Masters – tied for first with Perry and Riordan – while Garza has locked up his second cash following a tenth-place in Event #2.

Dan Smith made his debut at the 2021 Poker Masters, and has managed to navigate the short stack before finding a late double through Chidwick to finish fourth overall heading into the final table. Rounding out the final five is Event #4 third-place finisher Schutten who will be looking for retributing after entering that final table as the dominating chip leader.

The final five players return to conclude Event #7 on Tuesday, September 14, with cards in the air at 12 p.m. PT. The PokerGO.com stream will air at 1 p.m. PT with all the action until the Event #7 champion is crowned.

When play resumes, there is 12:14 remaining in level 15, the button is on Dan Smith.

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