HomeVarun Gupta has just stormed into second command after winning a nice beefy pot against Austin Walton. The hand began with a raise by Gupta from the cutoff seat and big blind Walton called the 38k.
At the flop 4♠ 9♣ 6♣, both quietly checked. On the Q♠ turn, Walton checked, Gupta bet 30k, and it was off to the river with Walton calling. On the river 7♦, Walton checked, Gupta bet 60k, Walton sized up Gupta’s stack then check-raised to 200k. Gupta was unfazed and called.
Walton 5♦ 4♥ bottom pair
Gupta Q♦ J♥ top pair
Gupta climbed to nearly 1M in chips while Walton dropped to around 500k.
Intense hand just went down between the big stacks Jack En-Ching Wu and Austin Walton. Walton raised it to 35k from the utg seat and found two callers in cutoff Wu and big blind Kai Paulsen.
At the flop 8♥ Q♦ 6♣, initial raiser Walton bet 42k and got one customer in Wu. On the 10♥ turn, action was the same with Wu calling an 80k. On the 5♣ river, heavy action ensued with Walton continuing with a 125k bet, Wu raised to 325k, Walton tanked and counted out the chips but eventually opted to surrender his bid for the pot.
Wu has now reclaimed the lead with over 1.1M in chips, Walton fell to 700k.
Shyh Chyn Lim and Kai Paulsen engaged in a preflop war that ended in both shoving their chips. Here is how it went down… Paulsen raised to 38k, Lim three-bet to 92k, Paulsen shoved, and Lim tossed in the call.
Paulsen Q♣ Q♦
Lim 10♠ 10♦
When the flop landed 10♥ 7♣ 3♦, Lim improved to a set and with the turn 6♦ and river K♥, he doubled up to nearly 850k. Paulsen dropped to 235k.
Catching the action on a turn board of 8♠ K♦ 6♠ A♦ and 184k in the middle, both players checked it and the 4♣ river landed. Jack En-Ching Wu checked, Varun Gupta bet 110k, and that was it. Gupta picked it up with Wu opting to fold.
Michael Soyza had a short day at the Final 8 as he has just been railed in 7th place by Austin Walton. Fresh off winning a huge pot against Shyh Chyn Lim, Walton raised to 27k from the cutoff and Soyza called on the big blind.
At the flop Q♠ A♠ 4♠, Soyza check-called Walton’s 35k bet. On the A♣ turn, Soyza checked, Walton announced all in, and Soyza called for his tournament life.
Walton A♦ 8♠
Soyza A♥ 6♦
With both players holding trips, the chances of a split was possible but with the river 3♥, it was not to be as Walton’s kicker played. Soyza was eliminated. He earned HKD 64,100 for his impressive run at the Main Event.
Walton is now the overwhelming chip leader with over 1M in chips. 6 players remaining.
Austin Walton went head-to-head against Shyh Chyn Lim and in the aftermath, he shipped in a massive pot to climb up to 820k
The hand began with a raise by Walton on the button, three-bet to 58k by Lim, then called. The flop ran 7♠ 4♠ 9♥ and Lim continued with a 45k bet. Walton called. On the 8♠ turn, action was the same with a 72k bet coming from Lim’s corner. Walton called. Lim continued with the aggression and fired out 160k on the river 3♦. This sent Walton in deep contemplation until he eventually found the courage to call.
Lim A♥ Q♦
Walton A♠ 7♥ pair
What a call! Lim dropped to 450k. Walton at 820k.
Immediately after Luen Hei Kwok eliminated Anson Wong Fuk On, he entered the next pot that cost him quite a bit of his stack. From mid position, Shyh Chyn Lim raised to 27k and was called by both Varun Gupta (db) and Luen Hei Kwok (sb).
On the flop 3♠ 3♣ 6♥, no bets. On the 10♣ turn Lim bet 57k and both Gupta and Kwok called. On the J♦ river, Kwok led for 110k, Lim folded, then Gupta moved all in. Kwok tried to get a read on Gupta with some light chatter then decided to fold while losing a chunk of the chips he just won from Wong. Kwok down to 230k.
The first casualty of the Final 8 has arrived with Anson Wong Fuk On sent to the rail by Luen Hei Kwok. Kwok raised 28k from the utg seat and bb Wong defended. When the flop came down A♠ 7♠ Q♥, it was fireworks time with Wong checking, Kwok betting 32k, then Wong with the check-raise all in for 187k. This induced some table talk from Kwok who said he could not fold his hand. He called.
Wong A♣ 7♦
Kwok A♦ Q♦
The turn 8♣ and river 4♦ didn’t improve Wong and after getting a count, both players had exactly the same stack which meant Wong was out in 8th place. He earned HKD 53,500 for his impressive run here at the Main Event.
Shyh Chyn Lim earned himself a nice pot against the two powerhouse players to his left, Jack En-Ching Wu and Michael Soyza. The hand kicked off with Lim raising 27k on the cutoff and called by button Wu and sb Soyza.
At the flop 3♣ Q♠ 2♥, action was checked to Wu who took the opportunity to bet 40k. Only Lim called and the 2♣ turn landed. Both players checked. The river 6♥ saw Lim bet 80k and after tanking, Wu folded.
Lim now at 760k.