Event #53: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack
Day 3 Completed
2019 World Series of Poker
Event #53: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2019 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$800
Prize Pool
$2,676,408
Entries
3,759
Level
42
Blinds
1,000,000 / 2,000,000
Ante
2,000,000
Level 42
: 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Santiago Soriano has won his first bracelet in Event #53: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack, seeing off tough final table opposition including bracelet holder and prior Main Event finalist Amir Lehavot and triple 2019 Deepstack finalist Ben Underwood, ending today the last man standing from a field of 3,759.
Professional poker player Soriano, no stranger to the WSOP, having finished 197th in the Main Event last year (a Day 5 run), said of his win, “It feels amazing. I started leading with ten left. I ran really good: I never lost an all-in. I felt comfortable, felt confident [and] didn’t see myself as an underdog.”
Soriano’s experience and assurance contributed to his win, but he noted that with such fierce opposition, “It came down to the luck of the all-ins.”
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santiago Soriano | Spain | $371,203 |
| 2 | Amir Lehavot | Israel | $229,410 |
| 3 | Ben Underwood | Canada | $168,960 |
| 4 | Nick Blackburn | United States | $125,432 |
| 5 | Joao Valli | Brazil | $93,866 |
| 6 | Samuel Gagnon | France | $70,813 |
| 7 | Daniele D'Angelo | Italy | $53,858 |
| 8 | Ori Hasson | Israel | $41,300 |
Ten players returned for an originally unscheduled third day’s play as the interest in an $800 buy-in event awarding a total prizepool of $2,676,408 was understandably high. With the elimination in 10th ($31,933) of Gustavo Hess, the unofficial nine-handed final table was soon set, Soriano and Canadian Samuel Gagnon nearly neck and neck for the chip lead. Gagnon was pulled back down to the middle of the counts quickly, however, as he doubled Underwood (pocket kings overcoming pocket tens) to keep the deepstack phenomenon of the year in the running for a bracelet.
When Soriano busted Jeff Tahler in 9th ($31,933), having flopped a straight in the big blind with 
, Tahler drawing to a non-appearing nut flush, he cemented his place at the top of the chip counts and wielded his stack for maximum pressure on his opponents.
It was not all one-way traffic, however. Nick Blackburn, bedecked in “Hillbilly Poker” gear, had a good level, taking chips in and out of position, his scooping of pots announced to the crowd with an idiosyncratic crowing noise and the exclamation, “Hillbilly wins another one!”
With Blackburn ascendant, Ori Hasson had dropped to ten big blinds, finding a spot to three-bet all-in with ace-ten over a preflop raise from Underwood. Behind him lurked Joao Valli with ace-queen, however, and with no outdraw on the cards, the young Israeli player busted in 8th ($41,300). Valli’s vocal Brazilian rail cheered their man, as they had done from the start of play today, as his first WSOP cash turned into the largest payday of his tournament career thus far.
Daniele D’Angelo busted in 7th place ($53,958) as, despite calling on his “one time,” he failed to spike, finding himself all in with king-queen vs. the ace-queen of Soriano. Samuel Gagnon, too, was eliminated by Soriano, his six big blind shove – with pocket aces, no less - given a spin by the chip leader with five four of clubs. Soriano flopped the nut straight, improving to a flush on the river, and Gagnon collected $70,813 for 6th place.
Five-handed, Valli, who had been picking spots to move all-in uncalled, or three-bet players off pots, finally ran into a willing caller in the form of Lehavot, whose jacks disposed of his ace-eight to hand him a payout ticket worth $93,866. This set Lehavot on what seemed a plausible path towards a second WSOP bracelet (his first awarded in 2011 for his victory in the $10,000 Pot Limit Hold’em Championship); even when he dropped in chips, he soon found a double through courtesy of Blackburn.
Four-handed it was Underwood in the driving seat, action-wise, overtaking both Lehavot and Soriano to secure the chip lead. A major boost to his stack came via his elimination of Blackburn (4th for $125,432) in a huge pot in which he flopped top pair top kicker when Blackburn decided to pull the trigger and check-raise all in with bottom pair. His reign was relatively short-lived, however, as he doubled Lehavot and found himself on the wrong side of several small pots with the blinds a stratospheric 1,000,000/2,000,000.
Soriano’s fabled all-in run-good continued when he put Underwood to the test, setting him in from the small blind when it folded to him. Underwood called and despite starting the hand ahead, with ace-nine of spades to Soriano’s king-four of diamonds, didn’t end it that way, as his opponent flopped a pair of fours and stayed ahead despite a spade flush sweat. Having already finished fourth for $135,959 in Event #9: $600 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack and fifth for $74,435 in Event #37: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack this year alone, should he continue his trend, Underwood is on schedule for runner-up next, then a bracelet of his own.
Heads up play lasted just two hands. Both went Soriano’s way, the final hand in dramatic ace-cracking fashion. Amir Lehavot just flat called Soriano’s preflop raise with two black aces and stacks went in on a ten-high flop, Soriano holding jack-ten offsuit. A tournament-deciding third ten appeared for Soriano, and abruptly, this marathon Deepstack had come to an end, Lehavot collecting $229,410 for the runner up spot and Soriano his first bracelet and $371,203.
Of the crucial final hand, Soriano said, “It was surprising that he had that big of a hand. Top pair heads up is pretty strong, it was really amazing.”
Although a professional player, Soriano said that he had recently taken six or seven months off, deciding to return to the felt at the WSOP.
“I was ready to win,” he said. “I’ll play more events until the summer’s gone. I hope to win the Main Event next!”
Level 42
: 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Santiago Soriano, after a confident run through the final table, has emerged victorious, winning $371,203 and his first WSOP bracelet. He defeated Amir Lehavot of Israel heads-up, who was denied a second bracelet. Ben Underwood of Canada made his third deep run of the summer in a Deepstack event and finished in third place.
A full recap of the day will follow.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santiago Soriano | Spain | $371,203 |
| 2 | Amir Lehavot | Israel | $229,410 |
| 3 | Ben Underwood | Canada | $168,960 |
| 4 | Nick Blackburn | United States | $125,432 |
| 5 | Joao Valli | Brazil | $93,866 |
| 6 | Samuel Gagnon | France | $70,813 |
| 7 | Daniele D'Angelo | Italy | $53,858 |
| 8 | Ori Hasson | Israel | $41,300 |
| 9 | Jeff Tahler | United States | $31,933 |
Level 42
: 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Hand #111: Santiago Soriano raised to 5,000,000 on the button and Amir Lehavot made the call. It all kicked off on a 
flop: Lehavot checked, Soriano bet 7,000,000, Lehavot check-raised to 17,000,000 and Soriano moved all in. Lehavot called all in for 22,700,000 total.
Lehavot: 
for some slow-played aces.
Soriano: 
for top pair.
While Lehavot was ahead, the deck was to favor the big stack, bringing a third ten, the 
on the turn to crack Lehavot's aces, which did not crack back on the 
river. The Israeli, who lives in the United States, saw a second attempt at a bracelet come up just short and he hit the rail in 2nd place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
150,300,000
46,300,000
|
46,300,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 42
: 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Hand #110: Amir Lehavot raised to 4,500,000 on the button, called by Santiago Soriano in the big blind. The flop: 
. Check to the raiser, who checked right back. The turn was the . Now Soriano bet 5,500,000 and was called. The river double-paired the board with the 
. Soriano bet a hefty 18,500,000 and Lehavot made the call... and mucked when he saw the 
for nines full.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
104,000,000
28,500,000
|
28,500,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
54,000,000
-21,200,000
|
-21,200,000 |
|
|
||
Level 42
: 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Hand #109: Santiago Soriano open-shoved from the small blind and Ben Underwood called all in for 22,800,000 in the big blind.
Santiago Soriano: 
Ben Underwood: 
The 
flop brought something to sweat for both players. While Soriano paired up his four, he was still a mathematical dog against Underwood's flush draw with overcards. The 
turn kept Soriano in the lead and the 
river wasn't what Underwood needed either, ending another deep run for him.
After finishing fourth for $135,959 in Event #9: $600 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack and fifth for $74,435 in Event #37: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack, the Deepstack crusher now added a third place to his resumé, worth $168,960.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
75,500,000
23,100,000
|
23,100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
75,200,000
18,700,000
|
18,700,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 42
: 1,000,000/2,000,000, 2,000,000 ante
Hand #103: Small blind Soriano jammed from the small blind and big blind Underwood passed.
Hand #104: Underwood completed his small blind and Lehavot checked. On the 
flop, neither player elected to bet, but on the turn, Underwood led out for 2,500,000 and was called. The river brought the . Underwood now checked, Lehavot fired 7,500,000 after a short think. Underwood underwent his own period of reflection before folding his hand.
Hand #105: Button Underwood made it 4,200,000 to go, and small blind Lehavot made the call. Lehavot checked the 
flop and Underwood bet 6,000,000. Lehavot re-popped it to 28,800,000, asking the all-in question. It was answered in the negative.
Hand #106: Soriano opened to 20,800,000 small-to-big, setting Underwood to the test for his stack once more. Again, he declined.
Hand #107: A walk for Lehavot.
Hand #108: Ben Underwood shoved all in for 17,800,000 on the button and everyone folded.
Level: 42
Blinds: 1,000,000/2,000,000
Ante: 2,000,000
Level 41
: 800,000/1,600,000, 1,600,000 ante
Hand #101: Santiago Soriano raised to 3,200,000 on the button and Amir Lehavot defended the big blind. The flop was 
and Lehavot checked. Soriano bet 4,500,000 and Lehavot called.
The turn was the 
and Lehavot led out for 5,000,000. Soriano came along with the call in position. The river was the 
and Lehavot checked. Soriano took a long time before betting 16,500,000 and Lehavot folded.
Hand #102: Lehavot limped in and Soriano checked. The flop was and Lehavot bet 3,200,000. Soriano folded.
The players went on a 15-minute break after the hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
56,500,000
-11,100,000
|
-11,100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
52,400,000
19,300,000
|
19,300,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
42,200,000
-800,000
|
-800,000 |
Level 41
: 800,000/1,600,000, 1,600,000 ante
Hand #95: Button Soriano raised to 3,200,000 (a min-raise at this stratospheric blind level), picking up the pot uncontested.
Hand #96: Amir Lehavot made up the small blind; Soriano checked. On the 
flop, Lehavot led out for 2,000,000 and took it down.
Hand #97: Soriano called in the small blind, found Underwood raising to 5,000,000 in the big blind, and moved his whole stack over the line almost before the raising chips had come to a complete stop. Underwood folded.
Hand #98: Lehavot received a walk, and his forced bet and ante back.
Hand #99: Soriano received the same courtesy.
Hand #100: Lehavot raised to 3,800,000 on the button and big blind Underwood set him in. Lehavot snap-called and found himself in dominating shape, with 
to Underwood's 
.
Though already ahead, his hand was bolstered by a king on the 
flop, making him impervious to the on the river (the turn a harmless 
).
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
67,600,000
35,000,000
|
35,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
43,000,000
-12,900,000
|
-12,900,000 |