The elimination of Liu Lifu takes play three-handed
As the final tables shortest stack Liu Lifu had been playing quite snug and had dropped to 1.2 million. The action was 10-minutes into the new level when the action folded around to the Chinese player on the button. Lifu peeked down at his cards and declared himself all-in and big blind Longyun Li asked for a count.
Lifu had exactly 1.2 million and Li, who had chips to spare with roughly 5.7 million, thought it over and evidently thought the opportunity to take play three-handed was one he could not pass up on and slammed down a huge tower of pink 25k chips to represent the call and the hands were turned face-up.
Liu Lifu:
Longyun Li:
While Lifu grimaced as soon as Li made the call his ace-high was actually the best hand, that was until the flop fell , giving Li the lead and leaving Lifu teetering on the brink of elimination.
The turn was the final nail in Lifu’s coffin and left him drawing dead, meaning the river, while giving Lifu top pair, was irrelevant.
That took the action three-way and Li stacked up to a little over 6 million while Li headed for the rail, stopping by the cash desk to collect the equivalent of US$59,273.
Blinds have climbed once more, and though there have been no significant pots played for a while there has been quite a bit of blind and ante swapping with pre-flop raises or re-raises taking down the last several hands.
We have missed a little of the action writing up the last few bust outs and it appears Michael Soyza has edged back into the chip lead, taking from next closest rival Longyun Li with the remaining four players stacking up as follows:
The action is coming to the boil and the bust outs are now coming thick and fast. Huang Qien is the latest casualty, moving all-in from under-the-gun for a little less than 800,000 and big blind Zhong Yuan Hang called quickly.
Huang Qien:
Zhong Yuan Hang:
It was race time once again, but unfortunately for Qien it was one he took the back seat in immediately with the flop coming down to pair Hang’s ace. The turn and river were of no help and the final table is down to four. Hang stacked up to 2.3 million and Qien headed to the cash desk to collect the equivalent of US$44,394.
Just minutes after the departure of Simon Burns and the final table has another casualty with Michael Soyza gunning down the unfortunate Weizhou Zha.
Soyza was the man attacking Zha’s blind once again, only this time the Chinese player played back and moved all-in for roughly 675,000. Soyza decided the chance to thin the field was too good to pass up on and made the call and the cards were turned over.
Weizhou Zha:
Michael Soyza:
While Zha had the best hand pre-flop he was not that far in front but the flop paired his jack to improve his lead. However, this was the calm before the storm as Soyza had a gutshot straight draw which came in when the hit the turn to leave Zha drawing dead and he departed in sixth place, taking home the equivalent of US$35,670.
While ace-seven worked out for Simon Burns once, it did not do so the second time and we are now down to six players in the Poker King Cup Macau Main Event.
Burns got his last 850,000 in pre-flop from middle position and Liu Lifu called quickly from the button.
Simon Burns:
Liu Lifu:
The board ran out and Burns headed for the rail to collect the equivalent of US$29,769 for his seventh place finish while Lifi stacked up to a little over 2.3 million.
Action folded around to Weizhou Zha the very first hand after the break and Simon Burns is the only other player on the table with nearly the same size stack so Zha can be forgiven for shoving as Burns would need a decent hand to make the call.
Unfortunately for Zha the UK player had one and made a quick call.
Weizhou Zha:
Simon Burns:
However, poker being a game where luck does occasionally play a factor, the flop fell to give Zha the lead in the hand. The turn was no help and Zha made two pair when the landed on the river.
A non-plussed looking Burns dropped down to 175,000 while Zha climbed to 1.3 million.
Michael Soyza made it 180,000 to go the very next hand from middle position and Weizhou Zha made the call from the button before Burns got the last of his chips in from the small blind. Zhong Yuan Hang also made the call and the action went four-way to a flop which was checked around, as was the turn.
Soyza led for a tickly little 80,000 bet on the river folding out everyone except Burns, who was all in. Soyza turned over but could not best the UK players’ turned trip sevens and Burns quadrupled to 850,000.
, giving Li the lead and leaving Lifu teetering on the brink of elimination.
turn was the final nail in Lifu’s coffin and left him drawing dead, meaning the 
river, while giving Lifu top pair, was irrelevant.
to pair Hang’s ace. The 
turn and 
river were of no help and the final table is down to four. Hang stacked up to 2.3 million and Qien headed to the cash desk to collect the equivalent of US$44,394.
hit the turn to leave Zha drawing dead and he departed in sixth place, taking home the equivalent of US$35,670.
and Burns headed for the rail to collect the equivalent of US$29,769 for his seventh place finish while Lifi stacked up to a little over 2.3 million.
landed on the river.
flop which was checked around, as was the 
turn.