Today, the first-ever PokerStars Championship Macau will crown its Main Event winner inside the PokerStars LIVE Macau poker room in the City of Dreams complex. They will earn HK$3,130,000 and they’ll receive the honor of being just the third person to win a PokerStars Championship since the new tour began.
It will be one of the six players remaining with Canadian Elliot Smith best position to accomplish the task. He will return to the table when play resumes at noon with 4,585,000 chips. Right on his heels is China’s Tianyuan Tang with 4,500,000 while nobody else at the table has reached the 2,000,000 mark, making it a top-heavy field with two players in control of most of the chips.
Also in contention is Aymon Hata from the U.K. (1,970,000), Australian Daniel Laidlaw (1,855,000), Canadian Avraham Oziel (1,735,000), and Taiwan’s Yen Chen (1,170,000).
Play paused last night when the tournament reached six players and Level 27 had just begun. Play will resume at noon today with the remainder of that level and continue until just one player remains.
Day 6 Level Structure
Level
Duration
Small Blind
Big Blind
Ante
27
90
30,000
60,000
10,000
28
90
40,000
80,000
10,000
29
90
50,000
100,000
10,000
30
90
60,000
120,000
20,000
31
90
80,000
160,000
20,000
32
90
100,000
200,000
25,000
The PokerNews live reporting team will be doing hand-for-hand coverage of this final table, so follow along right here on this page to catch every moment of the action until a champion is made.
Yen Chen looked down at cards he was ready to commit his tournament life to. He pushed all in for about 950,000 from the hijack seat and action folded around to Tianyuan Tang in the big blind. He quickly said, "I call."
Chen:
Tang:
Chen was in bad shape and Tang celebrated his situation, being well ahead. Then the flop came and Chen politely tried to suppress a smirk as he took the lead with a set.
The turn was the and players on the rail started calling for the jack.
The river fell and Tang jumped out of his seat, yelling in celebration of hitting one of only two cards in the deck that would win him the pot. He shook Chen's hand who left the table to collect HK$705,000 for finishing in sixth place.
Daniel Laidlaw was the first into the pot as he raised to 135,000 from the cutoff. Tianyuan Tang three-bet to 360,000 from the button and action came to Avraham Oziel in the small blind. He pushed all in. Laidlaw quickly folded but Tang called.
Oziel:
Tang:
Oziel slapped his aces on the table triumphantly and Tang shook his head as he learned how good of a hand he was up against.
"Seven, seven," Tang's rail called.
The dealer flopped and the rail erupted in cheers. Oziel looked sick as the board completed with and , eliminating him in fourth place for HK$1,280,000. This was a great run for the Canadian PokerStars Spin & Go qualifier.
Elliot Smith shaking Daniel Laidlaw's (right) hand
For the second time in a row, Elliot Smith slid out a bet of a million from the small blind into Daniel Laidlaw's big blind. Laidlaw looked down at his hand and announced he was all in. Smith quickly called.
Smith:
Laidlaw:
The board ran out and, although Laidlaw flopped a flush draw, the turn and river bricked out and the Aussie was eliminated in third place. Laidlaw earned HK$1,724,000 for his efforts.
After about an hour of negotiations, the two finalists have struck a deal. Tianyuan Tang and Elliot Smith have decided to chop up the remaining prize pool, securing HK$2,577,000 each and playing for HK$300,000 to the eventual champ.
Hand #54: Elliot Smith raised to 190,000 and won the pot uncontested.
Hand #55: Tianyuan Tang raised to 165,000 and Smith called, going to a flop of . Both players checked and the turn was the . They also checked through to the river. Smith led out for 250,000 and Tang called, mucking when he saw Smith's .
Hand #56: Smith raised to 190,000 and found a call from Tang. The flop came and Tang checked. Smith bet 125,000 and Tang raised it up to 280,000. Smith called.
The turn was the and Tang continued with a bet of 250,000. Smith called, going to a river of . Tang bet 1,200,000 and Smith pushed forward a raise to 3,500,000. After a long time in the tank, Tang folded, giving up not just the pot but the chip lead.
Hand #67: Tianyuan Tang took down the pot with a bet of 150,000 on the turn of a board.
Hand #68: Tang got a walk.
Hand #69: Tang opened to 190,000 and Smith called. The dealer issued a flop and both players checked through the on the turn to see the on the river. Both players checked and Tang tabled for the win.
Hand #70: Smith opened to 190,000 and Tang called. Smith fired again on a flop and Tang called the 125,000 bet. After seeing the on the turn, both players checked and the fell on the river. Tang bet 225,000, Smith called, and mucked when Tang showed .
Hand #71: Tang opened to 190,000 and folded when Smith three-bet to 600,000.
Hand #106: After checking down a board, Elliot Smith bet 175,000 which was called by Tianyuan Tang. Tang won the pot with .
Hand #107: Smith got a walk.
Hand #108: Smith won after opening to 225,000.
Hand #109: Tang limped in and Smith checked allowing a flop to fan out. Both players checked and Smith fired 100,000 on the turn card. Tang called and the completed the board. Smith bet 300,000 and Tang folded.
Hand #110: Smith bet 100,000 on a flop and won the pot.
Hand #111: Tang opened to 250,000 and Smith called. The flop came and Smith check-called a bet of 250,000. The fell on the turn and both players checked to the on the river. Both checked again and Smith won with .
Hand #231: Tianyuan Tang raised to 400,000 and got a call. He won the pot on the flop when he put out another bet and Elliot Smith instantly folded.
Hand #232: Smith raised to 400,000 and Tang called. Smith bet 275,000 on the flop and won the chips.
Hand #233: Tang limped in and Smith raised to 600,000. Tang called and the flop came . Smith continued with a bet of 600,000 and Tang called.
The turn was the and Smith checked. Tang pushed all in for about 6,000,000 and Smith thought for most of a minute before folding.
Hand #234: Smith raised to 400,000, got called, and saw a flop of . They both checked to the turn and Tang won the pot when he placed chips forward and Smith quickly folded.
Hand #235: Tang raised to 400,000 and won the pot uncontested.
and Chen politely tried to suppress a smirk as he took the lead with a set.
and players on the rail started calling for the jack.
and Tang jumped out of his seat, yelling in celebration of hitting one of only two cards in the deck that would win him the pot. He shook Chen's hand who left the table to collect HK$705,000 for finishing in sixth place.
board and Hata was knocked out in fifth place, taking home HK$950,000.
and 
and, although Laidlaw flopped a flush draw, the turn and river bricked out and the Aussie was eliminated in third place. Laidlaw earned HK$1,724,000 for his efforts.
. Both players checked and the turn was the 
river. Smith led out for 250,000 and Tang called, mucking when he saw Smith's 
.
and Tang checked. Smith bet 125,000 and Tang raised it up to 280,000. Smith called.
and Tang continued with a bet of 250,000. Smith called, going to a river of 
. Tang bet 1,200,000 and Smith pushed forward a raise to 3,500,000. After a long time in the tank, Tang folded, giving up not just the pot but the chip lead.
on the turn, both players checked and the 
.
fell on the turn and both players checked to the 
