Event 23: $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em SuperStack $250,000 Guarantee 

Level 27
Blinds: 25,000/50,000 w/ 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7

Keith Morrow

Barry Hutter raised to 150,000 from the small blind and Keith Morrow shoved all-in for 1,110,000 from the big blind. Hutter snap-called.

Keith Morrow = A♦8♠
Barry Hutter – A♥Q♣

Morrow picked up a pair of Eights on a 10♣8♦7♣ flop, two pair with the 7♠ on the turn and a Full-House with the 8♥ on the river to double-up.

Keith Morrow – 2,150,000
Barry Hutter – 950,000

Level 27
Blinds: 25,000-50,000 w/5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 7

Hilary Hin Cheung

Hilary Hin Cheung tried as hard as he could to keep climbing the pay ladder but his run as the short stack is over. Cheung found a spot to get his chips in but had unlucky timing against Josh Evans.

Evans opened in the cutoff to 110,000 and Cheung three-bet all-in for 625,000 total. Evans confirmed the total and dropped in chips for a call with A♣J♠. Cheung’s A♥4♥ was out-kicked and he fell further behind on the K♠10♦5♥ flop. The 10♥ gave him extra life with a flush draw and some chop outs but the 3♦ river sealed his fate.

Evans was short as recently as last level but is now up to 1,600,000 and at his final table peak.

Level 26
Blinds: 20,000-40,000 w/5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8

Brian Altman

The player with the most fluctuation in their chip stack at the Event 23 final table is Brian Altman. Altman has been up and down the whole time but is in a relatively good place after coming into Day 2 with only 17,000. Clayton Jiang took down a sizable pot against Altman but Altman was able to gain those chips right back through Barry Hutter.

Jiang raised on the button and Altman called out of the big blind to see a A♦Q♠J♠ flop. Altman checked and then called a bet of 70,000 from Jiang. Altman repeated the same action for 180,000 on the 4♠ turn and then checked the 10♠ river. Jiang bet enough to put Altman all-in for 480,000 and Altman squirmed in his seat trying to decide for his tournament life. Altman ended up folding to the pressure and Jiang took in the chips to move up to 1,245,000.

The very next hand, Altman shoved from the small blind with K♣8♣ and was called by Hutter’s A♠3♥ in the big blind. The Q♣8♠4♥4♠10♠ board paired Altman and he doubled up. Hutter is down to 1,700,000 and is near even with Ben Ector for the chip lead.

Level 26
Blinds: 20,000-40,000 w/5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8

The blinds have increased in Level 23 and the relative stacks of all players are now down by that much more. The average stack is currently at 32 big blinds and exactly four players are on either side of that mark. Ben Ector and Barry Hutter are the two chips leaders with both players over 2,000,000. Hilary Hin Cheung and Josh Evans are both in need of a double as both are under 20 big blinds. As the payouts start to become more staggered, it will be interesting to see how players adjust to the ICM implications in play. A look at the updated chip counts and remaining payouts are below.

1. Barry Hutter – 2,220,000
2. Ben Ector – 2,040,000
3. Rick Alvarado – 1,380,000
4. Keith Morrow – 1,375,000
5. Clayton Jiang – 925,000
6. Brian Altman – 875,000
7. Josh Evans – 720,000
8. Hilary Hin Cheung – 420,000

1. $106,479
2. $65,429
3. $47,153
4. $35,662
5. $26,746
6. $20,307
7. $15,850
8. $12,383

Event 23: $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em SuperStack $250,000 Guarantee 

Level 25
Blinds: 15,000/30,000 w/ 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8

Rick Alvarado

Rick Alvarado made it 65,000 from the hijack and Barry Hutter called from the big blind. The dealer fanned Q♦8♦6♦ and Hutter check-called Alvarado’s bet of 75,000. The two checked down the remainder of the board – 2♣A♦ – and the hands were tabled.

Hutter showed 9♥8♣ and Alvarado took the pot with K♠Q♣.

Barry Hutter – 2,400,000
Rick Alvarado – 1,800,000

Event 23: $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em SuperStack $250,000 Guarantee 

Level 25
Blinds: 15,000/30,000 w/ 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8

Ben Ector

Ben Ector opened to 65,000 from middle position. Hilary Hin Cheung called from the small blind and Brian Altman followed from the big blind.

All three checked following a flop of Q♦9♣9♠ and the same pattern followed the K♦ on the turn. The 8♠ river brought a bet of 125,000 from Cheung and Altman folded. Ector called and showed K♣4♣ to best Cheung’s Q♣J♠.

Ben Ector – 2,200,000
Brian Altman – 585,000
Hilary Hin Cheung – 425,000

Level 25
Blinds: 15,000-30,000 w/5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8

Clayton Jiang

Clayton Jiang was among the shorter stacks when the Event 23 final table started but thanks to some patient play, he is nearing 1,000,000 with a double through Brian Altman serving as his primary source of chip income.

Altman opened for 60,000 from early position and Jiang defended his big blind. Jiang checked the A♦J♣3♥ flop and Altman continued for 45,000. Jiang called and the two players checked the A♠ turn. The 10♠ came on the river and Jiang checked again. Altman moved all-in for effectively 315,000 and Jiang called immediately with A♥7♠ for turned trips.

Altman’s K♥10♥ was no good and he is down to about 600,000. Altman, Josh Evans, and Hilary Hin Cheung are packed together at the bottom of the leaderboard, with neither player having more than 20 big blinds.

Event 23: $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em SuperStack $250,000 Guarantee 

Level 25
Blinds: 15,000/30,000 w/ 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8

From the button, Barry Hutter raised to 65,000 and Ben Ector called from the big blind. The two checked down a board of J♠7♥6♦2♣7♠ and tabled their hands.

Ector showed K♦8♠ and Hutter rolled over A♥8♦ to take the pot.

Barry Hutter – 2,625,000
Ben Ector – 1,800,000

Level 25
Blinds: 15,000-30,000 w/5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 8

Barry Hutter

Barry Hutter lost control of the chip lead but is now back in first place following his elimination of the player who wished to remain anonymous, “Jack Smith.”

Smith opened to 75,000 in middle position and Hutter responded with a shove for 1,500,000 from the small blind. Keith Morrow had Hutter covered in the big blind and folded. Smith tanked for a minute over his last 775,000 and finally called with K♦Q♥ to put himself at risk. Hutter was ahead preflop with A♦K♣ but fell behind on the Q♣10♠2♣ flop.

The K♠ turn gave Hutter a fighting chance heading to the river where he hit the J♥ for a straight. Smith headed to the rail and Hutter is playing 2,225,000.

Event 23: $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em SuperStack $250,000 Guarantee 

Level 25
Blinds: 15,000/30,000 w/ 5,000 ante
Players Remaining: 9 

Keith Morrow

From under the gun+1, Keith Morrow raised to 65,000 and the player in the cutoff called. Brian Altman added the additional chips to call from the big blind and the three saw a flop of K♣K♠Q♣.

Altman checked and Morrow bet 85,000. The player in the cutoff called and Altman let go of his cards. Morrow and his opponent saw the 9♣ on the turn. Morrow slid out a bet of 130,000, his opponent called and the 5♣ fell on the river.

Morrow cut out a stack of 175,000 and received a call. Morrow quickly showed 10♠10♣ for a King-High flush to take the pot.

Keith Morrow – 1,700,000
Opponent – 850,000