Australian Steven Zhou became the winner of the World Series of Poker International Circuit 2019 (WSOPC 2019). The champion of the Star Sydney Main Event Steven Zhou claimed his $178,305 cash prize of the total prize pool of $1.537.570 over 117 players.
The Champion
Steven Zhou became the winner of the poker international circuit this year. He overcame his opponent Lior Serge with a 3 to 1 chip lead. The match was finished with a single hand. Lior claimed his prize of $224.114 with moving to second place, which is a drastic improvement after his 11th place result, which was last year. With this Zhou claimed his major title and had the best career result scored in the tournament.
As Zhou gave the interview after winning the championship, he said that he had no doubts regarding the participation in the tournament, though he was waiting for the cash game, while apparently ending up in the Main Event for four days and claimed his prize as well as receiving the title and scoring the best result in the tournament.
The top prize was initially $280.650, with the four-handed table with Edwin Chiu, Steven Zhou, John Wayne and Lior Serge participating in the final table paying out. The list of the final table decision is the following: Steven Zhou, Lior Serge, Edwin Chiu, John Zwaine, Chao Duan, Duy Vu, Huss Hassan, Adrian Attenborough, and the final ninth place is for Trevor Saunders.
The Final Table
It was Edwin Chiu the man coming back with the chip lead in the wake of fixing both the Day 2 and Day 3 checks, however, it was Duy Vu the man to take first blood, sending short-stack Trevor Saunders to the rail only 15-minutes into the Final Table activity.
Saunders went out swinging, three-wagering holding nothing back with pro jack fit over the highest point of a Vu open with the last deciding with pocket eights and winning the race to send Saunders to the rail in ninth for an AU$40,689 payday.
Adrian Attenborough, who was playing his subsequent last table over the course of about seven days in the wake of wrapping sprinter up to Shivan Abdine in the $5k Challenge for AU$160,610, was left short after a fender bender of a hand at that point happened against John Zwaine.
Zwain had a chance to get into the three main. At this time, Attenborough had on his account only seven major blinds to drop and to tap the check, he then withdraws within the time of the eye blink on account of Chiu. Chui was the one who ran out a secondary passage with a seven-six fit, considering that the ace-six fit was the best Attenborough. In the end, the last-mentioned has gone home with $51,052 while occupying the eight place.
Huss Hassan dropped down the checks throughout the following hour-long level played after a bold feign exploded backward against Zhou, with the last completing the activity soon after the principal break after Hassan submitted the remainder of his chips under a lot of pressure with ruler raise and Zhou woke with pocket pros. Hassan claimed the cash prize of AU$64,765 while finishing the seventh.
Chiu sent Vu to the 6th place and therefore claiming the prize of $83,086 in cash while having half of the total amount of chips. Duan moved to hold nothing back for his last 12 major blinds with pro four and Zhou woke up with pocket jacks in the little visually impaired. Duan held the 5th place and therefore got rewarded with $107,837.
While Zhou was not far away from the leaders, Chui was the one to lead. Zwaine and Serge were the ones to distribute the places of third and fourth in the list. Following this, the activity expanded dramatically and the following level saw the competition end. Serge was lucky enough to beat Zwaine, while sending Zwaine to third place and he himself holding the second position.
Zwaine then dedicated his last 10 major blinds from under significant pressure with pocket nines, with Zhou with sovereign jack offsuit and winning the competition.
At this point, both players missed the board to take play heads-up. Though, Zhou had his chip lead for the first time in the tournament and moved all-in with king-queen offsuit. This was the victorious move for Zhou wrapping up the competition with him winning the WSOPC 2019.