HomeShort-stacked Erik Billgren moved all for a total of 130,000 chips and Steicke, who had initially raised to 28,000 asked for a count and then called.
Steicke: A♦ Q♣
Billgren: A♠ K♣
The board ran 3♦ 5♥ 7♠ A♥ 8♣ and with that, Billgren doubled up. Billgren now has 292,000,
Final day chip leader Norbert Koh has just been eliminated in 7th place. Koh got all his chips in the middle and following suit was Kwan Kit Kwok. Everyone folded to them and at the showdown, Koh had 4♠ 4♥ and Kwok had A♥ Q♥. The board ran 9♥ 9♣ 2♥ K♣ 6♥ giving Kwok a nut flush.
Kwok bowed out in 7th place and collects $4,900 for his good finish at the Main Event.
Battling each other for a big pot for the first time today, Sunny Zhang raised to 26,000 and David Steicke called. At the flop of 8♣ 6♠ 7♦, Zhang led for 30,000 and Steicke smooth-called. At the turn of 4♥, both checked their option and got a river card 10♠. Action began with Zhang who bet 55,000 and after some intense evaluating, Steicke raised to 142,000 and after tanking, that was enough for Zhang to fold.
Sunny Zhang raised to 27,000 from mid-position and two seats down, Samad Razavi shoved with his remaining 157,000 chips. Zhang gave it a thought but then folded his hand giving Razavi the pot and is now at around 216,000 chips.
Kwan Kit Kwok and Erik Billgren engaged in a pot that began with Kwok raising to 20,000 and getting called by the small blind Billgren. At the flop of 8♦ J♠ 9♦, Billgren checked to Kwok who continued for 21,000. Billgren called. At the turn of Q♦, both slowed down and checked, but on the river of A♠, Billgren led out for 35,000 and Kwok called. Billgren had A♥ J♣ top pair that was not good enough against Kwok’s 10♣ Q♣ straight.
Hideki Takafuji has had a hard time getting things going at the final table and eventually went all in holding K♦ K♣. He was called by Sunny Zhang with A♣ Q♥, . With the board running Q♦ 9♥ 10♣ 4♠, Takafuji was looking good but with the river of A♥, Zhang overtook and Takafuji exited in 8th place.
Hideki Takafuji earns $4,100 for his good finish at the Main Event.
It took Norbert Koh twice to announce all in to get a call and when he did, it was Kwan Kit Kwok who was ready to tango with him. Koh had A♠ 7♠, Kwok had A♣ Q♦. The board ran 7♣ J♥ 8♦ 9♦ 7♦, giving Koh trips and a double up. He is just under 200,000 chips.
Whenever action folds all the way to the button and then the button raises, sometimes it could be a steal or sometimes it could be a big hand, In a hand that saw just that, Bryan Huang raised to 22,000 from the button and Norbert Koh on the big blind tried to defend his big blind by going all in. Huang snap-called and showed his A♦ K♥ against Koh’s Q♥ 6♥. With the board running 4♠ J♠ 3♣ A♣ 2♣, Koh doubled up Huang.
Huang now sits with over 420,000 while Koh fell to around 75,000.
A few hands earlier, Samad Razavi lost a big pot to Erik Billgren and was sorely in need of a double up. He was given just that in a hand against Norbert Koh. Koh raised to 20,000 and when action swung to Razavi on the small blind, he went all in for 83,000. Koh called and their hole cards were revealed.
Koh: A♠ 9♠
Razavi: A♦ 7♦
The board ran J♣ 3♣ 6♦, no help to Razavi who surprisingly called out exactly what the turn card would be, 4♦. Then with the river of J♦, Razavi was pumped with a flush and a much needed double up. He now has 184,000 chips.