Friday, 29th March 2024 08:23
Home / Uncategorized / APPT Macau: $400K Super High Roller final table live updates

8:25pm: We have a winner!
Level 25 – Blinds 125,000/250,000 (ante 25,000)

It was a long time coming thanks to the two players’ style of play, but we finally have our winner.

Alex Foxen had the button and, with Shan Huang holding onto less than 10 big blinds, opened all-in on the button with Aâ™  6â™  . Huang made a production of it – looking first at one card, saying it didn’t look good, and then peeking at the other and moving his stack in the middle with Kâ™  Q♣ . (Not too good, indeed.)

The 5♥ 10♦ 8♥ flop had no good news for Huang, but the J♦ on the turn got the crowd gasping – he had just picked up outs to a potential straight. In the end, though, the 7♦ fell on the river, the draw was left incomplete, and Shan Huang’s incredible (and highly entertaining) journey through this tournament was over in second place.

Foxen is our champion. He takes $7.56 million. Huang will make do with $5.429 million, the biggest score of his career.

The winning moment for Alex Foxen

Click through for a full wrap of the tournament. –JK

8:15pm: Foxen pulling away
Level 25 – Blinds 125,000/250,000 (ante 25,000)

Shan Huang has been reluctant to play his weaker cards, and that’s played right into Alex Foxen’s hands. The last seven hands have seen Huang limp on the button and fold to Foxen’s out-of-position raises three separate times. He’s also open-folded on the button, taking his stack down to around 10 big blinds. If he doesn’t find a hand soon it’s all going to be over for him. –JK

Shan Huang: Slump

8:10pm: Foxen whittling Huang down
Level 25 – Blinds 125,000/250,000 (ante 25,000)

While we don’t have any specific hands to tell you about, Alex Foxen’s consistent aggression and Shan Huang’s love of playing a wide range of hands have seen the American extend his lead substantially.

Is the trophy now in sight for Alex Foxen?

They’re having a quick five-minute break, with Foxen at 12,125,000 and Huang with 4,875,000 – less than 20 big blinds. –JS

8pm: Equilibrium
Level 25 – Blinds 125,000/250,000 (ante 25,000)

Every time Shan Huang is able to pull close to Alex Foxen, Foxen springs back forward thanks to his consistent attacking posture. And every time Foxen begins to pull away, Huang picks up a pot to keep himself in contention – though not enough to move into the lead (up to this point, anyway). It’s a balance of power that could either keep things going all night or bring us to a quick end before we know it.

Shan Huang and Alex Foxen: Heads up equilibrium

For now, though, the duo continues to plug away. Huang has about 8 million chips, while Foxen retains the lead with 9 million. –JK

7:45pm: Huang closes the gap
Level 24 – Blinds 100,000/200,000 (ante 20,000)

Both players sit with similar stacks again after this last pot.

It started with a 450,000 button open from Alex Foxen which Shan Huang called. Foxen continued for 350,000 on the Q♦ 7♥ 6♣ flop when checked to, and again Huang matched it to bring the 8♦ turn. Check check.

The dealer put down the A♣ on the river, and Huang made an “Ooooohhh” sound. Whether he meant it or not we wouldn’t know until later. He checked again though, and Foxen fired a bet worth 550,000.

Shan Huang and Alex Foxen

Now Huang’s consistent promise to check-raise Foxen actually came to happen. He bumped it up to 1.45 million, and after using one of his time banks Foxen made the call.

Huang turned over the 6♦ 7â™  for a flopped two pair, asking “It’s good right?”

Shan Huang: “Good, right?”

It was. Foxen rolled his eyes and mucked. It’s now nine million for Foxen, eight million for Huang. –JS

7:25pm: Foxen cruising, Huang waiting
Level 24 – Blinds 100,000/200,000 (ante 20,000)

Alex Foxen remains aggressive in his heads-up match with Shan Huang. That hasn’t translated into many big pots at all, but lots of little ones are starting to add up.

Foxen has attacked on the button with the utmost consistency, and Huang has been unwilling to come along very often. In fact, Huang hasn’t gone past the turn in the past 15 minutes.

Alex Foxen: Reasserting himself

The atmosphere remains collegial, though – lots of smiles and friendly banter to go around. When the dealer changed recently, Foxen asked Huang if they could get the previous dealer – whose time in the box resulted in the lead swinging over to Foxen – to come back. Then Huang asked if Foxen would mind him dealing the cards instead. “I don’t know,” Foxen said. “You seem kind of tricky.” “Yes!” Huang replied. “I have tricks!”

Foxen is just over 10 million chips now, while Huang is close to 7 million. –JK

7:05pm: All Foxen so far
Level 24 – Blinds 100,000/200,000 (ante 20,000)

There hasn’t been any crazy action to report so far in this heads up, but the few pots that have gone to community cards have all gone Alex Foxen’s way.

First off, Foxen made it 450,000 on the button and Shan Huang called to bring a 10♠ 7♦ 2♦ flop. Huang check-called a 375,000 c-bet, which was followed by the Q♠ turn. Foxen fired 850,000 when it checked to him again and Huang let this one go.

It was a similar tale in another hand. Foxen opened the button to 450,000 again and Huang called. The dealer spread an 8♣ 7♠ Q♥ flop and Huang checked, albeit with a warning.

“I will check-raise you,” he predicted, but it didn’t work out that. Foxen continued for 400,000, and Huang just called.

“You gotta stick to your plan,” said Foxen, as the dealer laid the Q♣ turn. “OK,” replied Huang. “Now the check-raise is coming!”

He checked. Foxen bet 1.05 million. But Huang’s plan changed mid-hand once again. He let it go, and Foxen raked in another one. The stacks are slightly more even now. –JS

6:50pm: Heads up counts
Level 23 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (ante 20,000)

Two left for the title:

Shan Huang 10.04 million
Alex Foxen 6.96 million

Shan Huang: Chip leader!

6:45pm: Cowboys cracked, Greenwood leaves in third (HK $3.529 million)
Level 23 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (ante 20,000)

Sam Greenwood picked up pocket kings at least twice at this final table. We know that because they were cracked twice, the second time for nearly all his chips.

That hand began with Greenwood min-raising to 320,000 on the button. Alex Foxen folded but Shan Huang came along. “I take a chance, I call,” he said. “My hand not strong but I take a chance.”

Huang check-called Greenwood’s 610,000-chip bet on the 10♥ Q♣ 7â™  flop, bringing the 3♣ on the turn. Huang checked once more, but after Greenwood bet 1.3 million Huang moved all-in. Greenwood snap-called and turned up Kâ™  K♥ , but he was trailing Huang’s queens and sevens with Q♦ 7♥ . A ten or trey on the river would have given him the pot, but it was a blank instead and Huang earned the double to more than 10 million chips.

Sam Greenwood: A man whose kings were cracked

Greenwood wasn’t out just yet – he still had 330,000 chips remaining. He managed to double up with a rivered full house on the next hand, keeping hope alive. But the hand after that was the end of the line for Greenwood. –JK

Sam Greenwood: Time to depart

6:20pm: Nitsche unlucky twice, it seems
Level 23 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (ante 20,000)

Dominik Nitsche is on the rail routing for Shan Huang, and Huang just revealed a secret to the table.

“Me and Dominik always swap,” Huang said, referring to a percentage of each other’s potential winnings, a deal usually made at the beginning of the tournament. “Except this one we didn’t!”

That means that not only did Nitsche bubble this event, he’s also missed out on a pay day courtesy of Huang’s deep run. Ouch.

But I digress. Huang just took a pot from Alex Foxen, after Foxen limped the small blind and Huang checked the big. The flop came 7♦ 3♥ 10♠ and Foxen led for 160,000 which got a call, taking them to the A♠ turn. Check check.

The 6â™  completed the board and Foxen led again for 425,000. Huang made the call, and when Foxen announced he had queen high Huang rolled over ten-eight for the win. –JS

6:05pm: Rainer Kempe out in fourth (HKD$2,663,000)
Level 23 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (ante 20,000)

Rainer Kempe’s Super High Roller journey has come to its end, and Sam Greenwood is the beneficiary.

Kempe was on the button with Q♦ J♦ and, with the rising blinds and antes in mind, moved in for 2,300,000. Shan Huang got out of the way and Greenwood made the call with A♦ 5♦ , two cards that cut off any possibility of Kempe making a winning flush.

The board ran out 4♣ 4♠ 6♣ A♥ 6♥ , aces and fours took down the pot, and Kempe departed in fourth.

Rainer Kempe, your Super High Roller fourth-place finisher

The players are on an impromptu five-minute break now. Here’s the latest in chip counts. –JK

Name Country Chips
Alex Foxen USA 6,640,000
Sam Greenwood Canada 5,950,000
Shan Huang China 4,210,000

5:50pm: Big stack battle
Level 23 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (ante 20,000)

Alex Foxen and Shan Huang have tangled once again, and this time it was the American who got the best of it.

Foxen opened the cutoff (also now the under the gun seat) to 335,000 and Huang defended his big blind to see a Q♣ 2♣ Qâ™  flop. It went check check though, and the hand got interesting on the Q♥ turn. Foxen led for 500,000, and the pot swelled after Huang’s called.

The Q♥ completed things on the river, putting three ladies out there. Foxen took a time bank but eventually continued firing for 1.8 million. Huang had to take a time bank too, but would ultimately lay it down to fight another day.

Here’s how they stack up currently. –JS

Name Country Chips
Alex Foxen USA 7,400,000
Shan Huang China 4,900,000
Rainer Kempe Germany 2,900,000
Sam Greenwood Canada 2,700,000

5:42pm: Greenwood saved by the river
Level 23 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (ante 20,000)

Sam Greenwood just put his tournament life on the line and caught the card he needed to stay alive.

The action folded to Greenwood in the small blind, where he shoved with K♣ 10♣ . Alex Foxen asked for a count – the bet was 1,875,000 – and then made the call with A♣ 8â™  . Foxen’s hand stayed ahead through the 2♥ Q♦ 7â™  flop and J♣ turn, though Greenwood picked up quite a few outs after the latter. Instead of a straight, though, he made a pair of tens when the river brought the 10♥ .

That win boosts Greenwood’s stack to about 4,100,000, while Foxen falls to 4,300,000. –JK

“That card’ll work,” thinks Sam Greenwood

5:30pm: Foxen gets tricky with Huang
Level 23 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (ante 20,000)

We now have a new chip leader: Shan Huang!

He opened the button to 320,000 and when it got to Alex Foxen in the big blind the American three-bet it to 1 million. Huang didn’t take too long to call, and we were off to a flop.

It came the A♥ 5♦ 6♣ on which Foxen continued for 600,000. Again, Huang made a quick call, telling his opponent “Good luck.”

The Q♣ turn was checked by both, and there’d be no more betting on the Q♦ river either. Foxen quickly rolled over the 2♣ 3â™  for complete air, which was no good against Huang’s A♦ 7♦ . Huang is now leading with 6.3 million to Foxen’s 5.4 million.

“If he shoves river I fold,” Huang said afterwards. –JS

5:15pm: Back to work
Level 23 – Blinds 80,000/160,000 (ante 20,000)

The final four have resumed the action. –JS

4:56pm: Rainer Kempe doubles through Sam Greenwood
Level 22 – Blinds 60,000/120,000 (ante 20,000)

That massive hand for Shan Huang was the last action for a while that didn’t go raise-and-take-it. But every lull ends with a bang, and the bang worked in Rainer Kempe’s favor.

Alex Foxen opened the action for 270,000 chips on the button, a standard play for the big stack. Kempe squeezed his cards twice before deciding to move all-in for 1,760,000 on the button. Shan Huang agonized over a potential call but finally folded, saying, “I’m scared of you, Alex, but not of Rainer.”

As it turned out, the player to be scared of was the only one who had yet to act, Sam Greenwood. He moved all-in from the small blind to chase off Foxen and set up a clash with Kempe.

Kempe: A♥ 3♥
Greenwood: K♠ K♣

The board then fell Aâ™  9♥ 7♥ 10♣ 5â™  , cracking the cowboys to keep Kempe alive in this tournament. “I knew it!” Huang cheered to his railbirds as Kempe raked in the pot. “I made the right decision!”

Greenwood drops to 1,730,000 with that loss, while Kempe climbs to 3,700,000. We’re now on a 15-minute break. –JK

A timely double keeps Kempe alive

4:35pm: Double KO see Antonius (sixth) and Burns (seventh) depart
Level 22 – Blinds 60,000/120,000 (ante 20,000)

Well that was quite a hand, let me tell you.

It started with a 250,000 under the gun open from Rainer Kempe, but although three players ended up being all in, he wouldn’t be one of them. Shan Huang was one seat to Kempe’s left and he made the call, before it folded to Patrik Antonius on the button. He shoved for 955,000, and after Alex Foxen folded it was on Kahle Burns in the big blind.

The Australian then moved all in too for 1.87 million, which got a quick fold from Kempe. Huang then made the call, and all the cards were flipped.

Antonius: Q♣ Q♥
Burns: Aâ™  Qâ™ 
Huang: J♠ J♥

Antonius had the lead

Antonius had the lead, but that all changed on the J♦ 6♣ 10♥ flop. “Yes!” yelled Huang as he saw his flopped set, but that wasn’t enough for him. “Now I need a ten! Ten ten ten!”

Huang hits a jack

The turn wasn’t a ten. It was the K♥ . “Shit!” cried Huang.

Burns had now taken the lead with a straight, meaning Huang would need the board to pair to win, while Antonius could only chop with an ace on the river.

The river? Kâ™  , which brought a “Yes! Yes! Yes!” from Huang. His full house was officially the winner, while both Antonius and Burns gave ‘whaddaya gonna do?’-style shrugs.

“Nice playing with you,” offered Antonius as he became our sixth place finisher for $1,603,000 (HKD), while Burns-who had more chips to start the hand-exited in fifth for $2,068,000 (HKD).

Burns out

“OK, let’s play some poker!” Huang shouted. “I have chips now!”

4.6 million of them, to be precise. While Foxen has 7.5 million, Kempe has 1.45 million, and Sam Greenwood has 2.28 million. And with $2,663,000 HKD locked up, Huang is now guaranteed his biggest ever cash. –JS

4:20pm: Brian Rast busts in seventh (HKD$1,267,000)
Level 22 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (ante 10,000)

Brian Rast made the most of his short stack as long as he could, but he’s just played his last hand for this tournament.

He gets it in good…

The action opened with Rainer Kempe moving all-in for 815,000 under the gun. Rast called all-in on the button and a confrontation between the two short stacks was set:

Rast: K♦ Q♦
Kempe: J♦ 7♦

Rast had the best of it there and after the A♦ 9♣ Aâ™  flop, but the 7♥ on the turn gave Kempe the lead with a pair of sevens. The J♥ made two pair for him on the river, sending Rast to the rail in seventh place. –JK

Rast says goodbye

4:10pm: Chipping away
Level 21 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (ante 10,000)

Not much action to report, but here are up to date chip counts. –JS

Name Country Chips
Alex Foxen USA 7,200,000
Sam Greenwood Canada 2,500,000
Shan Huang China 2,000,000
Rainer Kempe Germany 1,790,000
Kahle Burns Australia 1,650,000
Patrik Antonius Finland 1,200,000
Brian Rast USA 720,000

4pm: ICM, ICYMI
Level 21 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (ante 10,000)

In case you missed it, ICM (Independent Chip Model) has become arguably the most important factor in final table play over the past five years. Sure, players have always looked to ladder up the payouts; but now players are well-versed in the mathematical formula used to calculate the equity of their chip stack in a tournament. 

We’re seeing most of the players at the final table crunch some numbers right now.

First off, Sam Greenwood opened to 200,000 from the hijack only for Alex Foxen to then set him all in from the small blind. Greenwood carefully scanned the stacks of the players, then turned his attention towards the tournament screen showing the blinds and payout structure. He opted for a fold.

Then action folded to Brian Rast in the small blind and he shoved on Patrik Antonius’ big blind for seven big blinds. You might think that’s a call with any two cards, but when Antonius himself only had 1.3 million for 13 bigs, it’s not so easy. Antonius folded.

An orbit later and Greenwood had the action on the button. He got a count for both Rast (sb – 500,000) and Antonius (bb – 1.2 million) before moving all in. He forced two quick folds.

Finally it was Rainer Kempe’s turn. The German moved all in from the UTG+1 seat for 1.1 million, but got no callers.

Still seven remaining. –JS

3:40pm: When it’s slow, it’s the Shan show
Level 21 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (ante 10,000)

Christoph Vogelsang’s departure was the last significant action we’ve seen. The last 15 minutes or so have mostly featured banter between the resurgent Shan Huang, who appears to be feeling like those quad eights he hit earlier have improved his chances, and his stablemates.

Moments ago the action folded to Rainer Kempe, who limped in from the small blind. Huang, in the big blind, didn’t take long to bump the bet to 350,000, and Kempe took even less time to fold his hand. “I have pocket kings,” Huang said after looking at one of his cards and handing them back to the dealer.

“Why did you only look at one card?” Alex Foxen asked from across the table. “I only want to show the red one,” Huang replied. “Yeah, because showing the black one would give too much away,” said Foxen.

A few hands earlier Huang opened in the cutoff while Patrik Antonius was in the big blind. Antonius took a few moments before folding and Huang triumphantly showed A♦ Q♦ . “I wish you shove, I snap-call, Patrik,” he said. “Well, if I shove you’re no good,” Antonius replied. –JK

The ever-chatty Shan Huang

3:25pm: Christoph Vogelsang falls in eighth (HKD$981,880)
Level 21 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (ante 10,000)

Despite just having doubled up, Christoph Vogelsang has become the next casualty at this final table.

Vogelsang needs to get there

He open-shoved for 1.34 million in the cutoff with the 9â™  10â™  , only for Alex Foxen to isolate him with a shove of his own on the button. Foxen had the A♦ Qâ™  , but Vogelsang flopped best on the 9♣ 2♥ 7♦ board. The A♥ on the turn changed everything though, and the German couldn’t catch up on the 7â™  river.

Vogelsang collects $981,880 (HKD) for his efforts, while Foxen has re-extended his lead and is up to 6.3 million. –JS

But it wasn’t to be for the German

3:15pm: A double for you, and a double for you, and…
Level 21 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (ante 10,000)

The short stacks are running the show at this final table, at least for now. Two of them doubled up in the last few minutes.

Brian Rast was the first. He called all-in from the small blind with A♦ K♣ after Sam Greenwood open-shoved on the button with A♣ J♠ . No jacks on the board meant more breathing room for Rast with 1,020,000 chips, Greenwood slipped to 1,900,000.

Everlasting Rast

The next hand saw Christoph Vogelsang move all-in for 780,000 chips under the gun. The action only progressed to the next seat, where Alex Foxen flat-called. Everyone else cleared out to leave Vogelsang’s pocket sevens heads-up with Foxen’s Aâ™  10â™  . A 5♦ 4â™  5♣ J♦ 2â™  board boosted Vogelsang back into competitive territory with 1,500,000, while dropping Foxen’s stack to 4,200,000. –JK

3:10pm: The rush continues
Level 21 – Blinds 50,000/100,000 (ante 10,000)

Ship another pot Shan Huang’s way.

After Alex Foxen opened to 220,000 from the cutoff, Huang defended his big blind and took them to a J♦ 8♥ 3♣ flop. Foxen continued for 185,000 when checked to, but Huang didn’t budge.

The dealer burned and turned the 10♠ and both checked to see the 6♥ on the river. Huang now put together a bet, sliding out 605,000. Foxen took his entire 30 seconds before folding.

“Good fold,” said Huang. “I had two pair.”

“Prove it!” said Foxen, fishing for more info.

“What do you want to see, the six or the three?” Huang offered. Foxen replied he wanted to see the three.

Huang ruffled his cards around, slid one into the muck, and then slammed the other down on the table face-up. It was the 3♥ .

Huang is now up to 2.7 million, while Foxen’s dominating lead has dipped to 5.48 million. –JS

2:48pm: Rast survives again – though not the way he’d like
Level 20 – Blinds 40,000/80,000 (ante 10,000)

Brian Rast’s up-and-down Day 3 was just encapsulated in the final hand of Level 20. He opened all-in for 450,000 from middle position and Christoph Vogelsang re-raised all-in for about another 300,000. That cleared out the field and left Rast in rough shape:

Rast: A♣ 2♦
Vogelsang: J♦ J♥

The 2♥ 3♦ 5â™  kept Rast in the hunt, and the A♦ on the turn made him aces and deuces. Then the 4♣ fell on the river to make a wheel straight for both players – a chopped pot.

Chop-chop

With that, we’re on a 15-minute break. Here’s the latest on the chip counts. –JK

Name Country Chips
Alex Foxen USA 5,200,000
Sam Greenwood Canada 2,450,000
Shan Huang China 2,300,000
Rainer Kempe Germany 1,790,000
Patrik Antonius Finland 1,715,000
Kahle Burns Australia 1,575,000
Christoph Vogelsang Germany 740,000
Brian Rast USA 510,000

2:40pm: Huang plays the rush
Level 20 – Blinds 40,000/80,000 (ante 10,000)

Shan Huang has been on a quite a heater in the last two hands.

First, he doubled up through Kahle Burns. The Australian made it 165,000 from the UTG+1 seat and Huang moved all in from middle position. Back to Burns, he called the 520,000 but his A♦ 9â™  was outflopped by Huang’s K♥ Q♥ on the 4♣ Qâ™  K♦ 7â™  8♣ board.

In the next hand, Huang opened to 160,000 and got a call from the short-stacked Brian Rast in the cutoff. Alex Foxen defended his big blind too to see the 8♥ 8♠ 10♣ flop, which checked around bringing the A♦ turn. Foxen checked, and Huang made a delayed c-bet for 260,000. Rast was the only caller.

The 6♣ completed the board and Huang took his time before leading for 525,000. Rast pulled out calling chips and would be left with just 350,000 if he called and was wrong. That’s exactly what happened, because when Rast’s chips went in Huang turned over the 8♦ 8♣ for quads!

Rast is in dire straits now, while Huang has increased his stack up to 2.5 million. –JS

2:30pm: Rast doubles through Greenwood
Level 20 – Blinds 40,000/80,000 (ante 10,000)

Brian Rast has been on life support for some time, but a second opinion from Dr. Sam Greenwood has him feeling a little better about his tournament life.

Kahle Burns kept up his pattern of late-position raises with a 165,000-chip opener, and Sam Greenwood, sitting in the small blind, was immediately suspicious. “How much do you have left?” he asked Burns. Burns indicated about 2,600,000 and that was good enough for Greenwood to announce himself all-in.

Before the action could return to Burns, though, Rast had a decision to make in the big blind. He used a time-bank chip to perform all the necessary calculations and then made the call. Burns cleared out to set up a coin-flip with Rast’s fortune hanging in the balance.

Greenwood: Qâ™  10â™ 
Rast: 5♦ 5♠

The 5♣ J♥ J♣ flop made a full house for Rast, but the Q♥ fell on the turn to keep things interesting. Not too interesting, though – the 9♦ river gave Rast the win. He’s now on 1,400,000, while Greenwood dips to 2,500,000.–JK

2:25pm: Vogelsang jams; Kempe jams
Level 20 – Blinds 40,000/80,000 (ante 10,000)

Christoph Vogelsang moved all in from the button, for 695,000. Everyone folded. Then action passed to Rainer Kempe in the small blind and he moved in too, putting Shan Huang at risk. Huang asked Kempe to look at his hand and tell him if he should call. Huang eventually decided that 6♣ 7♣ , though pretty, wasn’t good enough. — HS

Christoph Vogelsang: One move

2:20pm: Kempe doubles through Antonius
Level 20 – Blinds 40,000/80,000 (ante 10,000)

Rainer Kempe cruised through the first day of this event but needed some help to try to make a run today. He just got that assistance from Big Slick and Patrik Antonius.

Kempe opened the action under the gun, moving all-in for exactly 800,000 chips. Everyone folded to Antonius on the button and he called. That chased out the blinds and the players turned over their cards.

Antonius: Q♥ Q♦
Kempe: A♠ K♥

The 2♥ 9♠ 3♠ flop and 2♣ turn had Kempe on the edge of elimination, but the K♣ on the river kept him afloat.

Kempe jumps to 1,800,000 with that win, while Antonius falls to 2,500,000.

Rainer Kempe: At risk

2:15pm: Two in a row for Greenwood
Level 20 – Blinds 40,000/80,000 (ante 10,000)

Sam Greenwood is making his presence felt, taking down two consecutive pots.

First, Christoph Vogelsang made it 165,000 from under the gun which Greenwood called on the button. Patrik Antonius came along from the big blind and the flop fell 6♦ 2♥ 6♥ . Antonius checked it, letting Vogelsang in for a 150,000 c-bet. Greenwood then popped it up to 425,000, which got a fold from both.

In the next hand, it was Alex Foxen’s turn to open under the gun (160,000) and Greenwood called again from the cutoff. Over to Antonius in the small blind, he made the call too so it was three way to a flop once again.

The dealer spread the Aâ™  5â™  2♣ and interestingly Antonius led out for 325,000 (what the kids often call a ‘donk lead’). Both Foxen and Greenwood made the call though to see the 7♥ turn. Action slowed with all three checking.

The 10â™  completed the board and it went check-check-check once again. Antonius showed the 3♥ 3♣ , which Foxen had beat with his A♦ 6♥ . However, Greenwood had them all pipped with his A♥ A♣ for top set. That third spade on the river clearly wasn’t what he wanted to see.

After that Greenwood now sits with 2.7 million. –JS

Greenwood’s cruising

2:05pm: Huang doubles
Level 20 – Blinds 40,000/80,000 (ante 10,000)

Continuing the theme of short-stacks shoving, Shan Huang, who had the shortest of them all, just got his last 355,000 in the middle as a three-bet over Alex Foxen’s 170,000 open.

Foxen called with A♣ 9♥ but was trailing Huang’s A♦ J♦ .

Huang went through the motions — well, a few of his motions; he’s got lots in his playbook — as the dealer put the flop of Kâ™  3♥ 3♣ out there. “We chop?” Huang said.

Shan Huang: Looking for a chop

The turn of 5♣ changed little and the 7â™  river was also irrelevant. “We chop?” Huang said again. “Oh, I win!?!” he added, garnering a laugh even from Brian Rast.

Huang now has about 800,000 while Foxen is still OK with 5.8 million. — HS

2:00pm: Setting the tone
Level 20 – Blinds 40,000/80,000 (ante 10,000)

We haven’t had a lot of action outside of Patrik Antonius’s excellent call against Alex Foxen, but that’s not a sign of the tone of the table as Level 20 begins. There’s plenty of aggression on display.

Kahle Burns has been trying to take advantage of late position to pick up some easy chips. He shoved from the button on one hand and got no action, then turned over pocket jacks. He opened for 160,000 in the cutoff on the following hand and Sam Greenwood wasn’t having any of it. Greenwood moved all-in from the big blind and Burns quickly folded, giving the Canadian the pot. –JK

1:55pm: Superb Antonius makes wonder call against Foxen
Level 19 – Blinds 30,000/60,000 (ante 10,000)

We asked a rhetorical question at the start of play today: Can anybody stop Alex Foxen? We don’t necessarily have our final answer, but Patrik Antonius just stepped up to make sure everyone knows he’ll have a go.

This was a brilliant hand. He may have been away for a bit, but Antonius has still got it.

It started with a raise to 125,000 from Antonius in the cutoff. Foxen then three-bet to 410,000 in the small blind and the two of them saw a flop of K♣ K♠ 5♦ . Foxen continued to build the pot. He bet 225,000.

Antonius made a contemplative call, which then brought the A♣ on the turn. Both players checked it.

The 6♥ couldn’t have changed very much, and Foxen re-established his aggressive line. He bet 625,000.

Antonius, belying absolutely no emotion, simply took about 20 seconds and then put calling chips forward. Foxen had been caught at it with 10♣ 8♥ .

Oh, and Antonius’s hand? He had 9â™  9♥ . Lovely stuff.

Great call from the Finn

Antonius moves up to 3.3 million, while Foxen is now at 6 million.

That was the last hand of Level 19, so we’re now in Level 20, where blinds are 40,000/80,000 (10,000 ante). –HS

1:45pm: Burns knocks Rast off a pot
Level 19 – Blinds 30,000/60,000 (ante 10,000)

Kahle Burns just took Brian Rast’s stack down into the danger zone.

Burns opened the action for 125,000 under the gun and the table folded around to the cutoff, where Rast made it 390,000 to go. Burns was the lone caller, taking us to the 9♦ 3♠ 8♣ flop.

Both players checked and the 10♥ came on the turn. That was good enough for Burns to bet 280,000 after a 20-second pause. Last took about as long before cutting out his chips for the call. That gave us a 7â™  river, and another bet from Burns. This time it was for 300,000. Rast gave it some thought but finally tossed his cards in the muck. He’s now down to about 800,000 chips. –JK

1:35pm: Antonius trending upwards
Level 19 – Blinds 30,000/60,000 (ante 10,000)

You might have noticed Patrik Antonius being more active on social media of late. You might also have noticed that the Finnish high stakes legend has coincided that online presence with multiple high roller final tables.

This Super High Roller finale has gotten off to a good start for him. After Christoph Vogelsang opened to 125,000 from under the gun, it folded over to Sam Greenwood on the button and the Canadian made the call. Antonius came along from the big blind too, and all three saw the K♣ 6♣ 8♥ flop.

Antonius checked it, after which Vogelsang and Greenwood followed suit. The dealer then put down the 5♥ turn, putting a flush draw on board, and now Antonius led out for 275,000. Vogelsang would make the call, while Greenwood got out of the way.

The river was the 2♥ putting three hearts out there. Antonius quickly checked, and Vogelsang–who doesn’t do ‘quickly’–would eventually check back too. Antonius showed the K♥ J♣ for top pair, and that was good after the German mucked.

Vogelsang drops to 1.47 million, while Antonius increases to 1.95 million. –JS

1:25pm: Isaac Haxton out in ninth (HK$750,000)
Level 19 – Blinds 30,000/60,000 (ante 10,000)

Brian Rast’s chips were over the line twice in consecutive hands and both times he hauled them back, and then some. He also watched Isaac Haxton walk to the rail.

On the first of these two hands, Rast open-shoved from under the gun, with 760,000 in his stack, and everyone folded. On the next hand, everyone folded around to Haxton on the button and he open-pushed for around 580,000. Sam Greenwood folded his small blind, but Rast saw something to go with. He called, putting Haxton under threat.

Rast: 7♠ 7♣
Haxton: Kâ™  2â™ 

Haxton doesn’t like what he sees

Haxton was looking for a king, but it was a fruitless search through a board that ran Q♣ 6♣ J♦ 6♠ 9♠ .

That puts Rast up to about 1.5 million now, while Haxton heads away in ninth, picking up HK$750,000 (US$96,000). He was in for only one bullet, so that’s a doubling of his money. — HS

Huang and Haxton say goodbye

1:22pm: Foxen gets things going
Level 19 – Blinds 30,000/60,000 (ante 10,000)

We’re officially under way at this Super High Roller final table.

The first hand opened with a raise from Sam Greenwood in second position. The rest of the table folded around to Shan Huang, who squeezed his cards and then showed 7-2 offsuit. Greenwood flashed the Aâ™  and took down the pot.

The second hand began with Alex Foxen’s first action of the day. He opened for 130,000 in the hijack seat and got a call from Kahle Burns in the cutoff to his left. The flop fell 10â™  10♦ 4â™  and both men checked, bringing the Q♣ on the turn. This time Foxen, after sizing Burns up, put out a bet. Burns folded immediately and Foxen grabbed the modest pot. –JK

1:15pm: Cards in the air
Level 19 – Blinds 30,000/60,000 (ante 10,000)

And now, yes, play is under way. There’s 25 minutes still left on Level 19 and we’ll play that then move straight into Level 20. — HS

Meet the gang

1pm: Ready for the off
Level 19 – Blinds 30,000/60,000 (ante 10,000)

Players are taking their seats and preparing for play. Once they’ve been formally introduced and photographed, we’ll be off. Here’s the seating assignment for today:

Seat Name Country Chips  
1 Patrik Antonius Finland 1,520,000  
2 Christoph Vogelsang Germany 1,780,000  
3 Alex Foxen USA 7,055,000  
4 Kahle Burns Australia 1,865,000  
5 Rainer Kempe Germany 1,190,000  
6 Shan Huang China 685,000  
7 Isaac Haxton USA 675,000  
8 Sam Greenwood Canada 1,440,000  
9 Brian Rast USA 790,000

12:30pm: Can anybody catch Alex Foxen?

Good afternoon all and welcome back to the PokerStars LIVE card-room at the City of Dreams, Macau, where today we’ll be naming the first major title winner of this festival, and handing over the small matter of HK $7.56 million. That’s about US $964,000.

There have rarely been hotter favourites for a title than Alex Foxen, who is the runaway chip leader. Foxen is sitting with more than 7 million in chips, while he closest challenger, Kahle Burns, doesn’t even have 2 million. Is Foxen going to steam-roller this final too?

Well, it’s far from certain. The quality of the players remaining means we’re not likely to see many errors. And all of Rainer Kempe, Isaac Haxton, Christoph Vogelsang, Patrick Antonius, Brian Rast and Sam Greenwood have some pretty superlative poker resumes. Then there’s Shan Huang, who may not have the results of his opponents, but has chit-chat to better all of them.

Here’s how they line up:

Name Country Chips
Alex Foxen USA 7,055,000
Kahle Burns Australia 1,865,000
Christoph Vogelsang Germany 1,780,000
Patrik Antonius Finland 1,520,000
Sam Greenwood Canada 1,440,000
Rainer Kempe Germany 1,190,000
Brian Rast USA 790,000
Shan Huang China 685,000
Isaac Haxton USA 675,000

Patrick Antonius: Time for the final preen

The full payout schedule is on the payouts page. Stick with us as we play down to a winner.


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PokerStars Blog reporting team on the $400,000 Super High Roller: Jason Kirk, Jack Stanton and Howard Swains. Photography by Joe Giron/PokerPhotoArchive and Long Guan of Kenneth Lim Photography.

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