Today in the PokerStars LIVE Macau poker room inside the City of Dreams, this PokerStars Championship Macau Main Event will get closer to determining the third winner of a PokerStars Championship.
Play will resume at noon with 37 players returning to the tables out of the 536 who bought in to this tournament. With a total prize pool of HK$20,796,800, the eventual winner will pocket an astounding $3,130,000.
Leading the way today is Xuan Tan who was one of only two players to bag a seven-figure stack. Tan completed Day 3 with 1,380,000 chips, followed by Yan Li with 1,000,200. The top five stacks are rounded out by Dong Guo (880,000), David Peters (875,000), and Thibaut Blondel (870,000).
The plan for Day 4 is to play through five 90-minute levels or until just 16 players remain, whichever comes first.
Day 4 Level Structure
Level
Duration
Small Blind
Big Blind
Ante
20
90 min
6,000
12,000
2,000
21
90 min
8,000
16,000
2,000
22
90 min
10,000
20,000
3,000
23
90 min
12,000
24,000
4,000
24
90 min
15,000
30,000
5,000
Everyone returning to the tables today is guaranteed to make at least HK$101,000. Those who are among the final 16 (which is likely to be when play pauses today, rather than reaching the end of five levels), will be guaranteed HK$170,000, but they'll be just one elimination away from laddering to HK$221,000.
PokerNews will be back on the tournament floor providing constant updates of all the action, so follow along here on the blog to find out who thrives and who dives on Day 4 of the PokerStars Championship Macau Main Event.
Canadian Elliot Smith is off to a dream start. The British Columbia native opened to 25,000 on the first hand from under the gun and Artem Metalidi three-bet to 63,000, one seat over.
Action folded back around to Smith who four-bet jammed for 256,000 and Metalidi quickly called.
Metalidi:
Smith:
A sick cooler right off the bang. The board ran out and Smith raked in an easy double-up.
Xinan Yu opened to 27,000 from late position, receiving calls from David Peter on the button and big blind Dong Guo. The flop came and, after Guo and Yu checked, Peters fired out a bet of 52,000. Guo decided to bump it up to 108,000 and just Peters called.
The fell on the turn and Gup led for 135,000. Peters called.
Guo led again on the river , this time for 155,000. Peters jammed all in and Guo snap-called.
Guo:
Peters:
Guo had Peters crushed with his full house and, after both stacks were counted, Guo had Peters just covered.
Kiryl Radzivonau was under the gun and raised to 30,000. Julius Malzanini called from the cutoff and Thibaut Blondel called from the big blind. The three-way flop came .
Blondel checked to Radzivonau who bet 43,000, getting a call from just Malzanini while Blondel bowed out. The turn was the .
Radzivonau checked and Malzanini thought for a moment before betting 75,000. Radzivonau pushed all in for about 330,000.
"Three-hundred twenty-seven," he said for his opponent.
Malzanini went in the tank, taking about two minutes to process his decision.
"I call," he finally said.
Radzivonau flipped over for a pair and the flush draw. Malzanini revealed an overpair with .
The river of was essentially a brick, eliminating Radzivonau from the tournament and giving Malzanini a large stack.
The clock has been paused as Yasuyuki Tsuji was just eliminated in 25th place. The final 24 players are being redrawn for the final three tables and play will resume momentarily. We'll have the new seating chart for you as soon as it's available.
Elliot Smith was the first to put chips in the middle when he raised to 45,000. Ya Li called on the button and then Petar Kalev pushed all in for 480,000 from the small blind. Smith folded and Li called.
Kalev:
Li:
The board came and Kalev was eliminated in 20th place for HK$170,000.
With action at the turn and on the felt, Aymon Hata checked to his one opponent, Artem Metalidi. Metalidi bet 103,000 and Hata called.
The turn was the and Hata checked again. Metalidi made it 144,000 this time and Hata called. Metalidi flipped over for best set and Hata mucked without showing.
Fabrice Soulier opened to 55,000 from the button and got a call from Avraham Oziel in the small blind. A flop was laid in front of them and Oziel took the betting lead, firing 60,000. Soulier called.
The touched down on the turn and Oziel checked. Soulier counted out a bet of 117,000 and slid it forward. Oziel instantly announced all in and stood up from the table.
Soulier raised his hands, seemingly shocked by the turn of events. Unsure what to do, Soulier took a few moments before eventually giving up and sliding his cards towards the dealer.
Oziel picked up his cards and said, "I never bluff," tabling for a flopped set. The Canadian who qualified through a $10 Spin & Go on PokerStars has now joined the others with a seven-figure stack.
Julius Malzanini opened to 51,000 from under-the-gun only to be three-bet one seat over by Aymon Hata. Hata bumped it up to 108,000 but Yan Li wasn't having any of that. Li four-bet jammed, having both players covered.
Malzanini went into the tank for a moment before reluctantly letting it go. Hata grabbed a handful of chips and set them down in front of him, making a call for his tournament life.
Li:
Hata:
Hata smashed the flop, taking a big lead with two pair. Li needed a jack or running cards to pause the clock on Day 4 but the turn — and river — were no help and Hata survived, vaulting up the chip counts.
and Smith raked in an easy double-up.
and, after Guo and Yu checked, Peters fired out a bet of 52,000. Guo decided to bump it up to 108,000 and just Peters called.
fell on the turn and Gup led for 135,000. Peters called.
, this time for 155,000. Peters jammed all in and Guo snap-called.
.
.
was essentially a brick, eliminating Radzivonau from the tournament and giving Malzanini a large stack.
and Kalev was eliminated in 20th place for HK$170,000.
for best set and Hata mucked without showing.
and Malzanini doubled to around 600,000.
flop was laid in front of them and Oziel took the betting lead, firing 60,000. Soulier called.
touched down on the turn and Oziel checked. Soulier counted out a bet of 117,000 and slid it forward. Oziel instantly announced all in and stood up from the table.
and river —