Chin Wei Lim is standing in some random corner of the King’s Resort in Rozvadov, finger and thumb hammering on a mobile keyboard as if it’s a drum. A note filled with exultation weaves its way through the fibres – “I have just won €2.1m”.
I wonder who receives it?
Whoever it is, I have an inkling that before long they’re going to get bored.
Lim has just whistled through a 39-entrant €100,000 No-Limit Hold’em event like a wind high on serotonin. Nobody could stop the Malaysian star, and that included a final table housing an in-form Phil Ivey.
You can go out on a limb and say that Lim’s 2019 is full of good vibrations. The Triton Poker stalwart bubbled the £1m buy-in Triton Million final table, collecting £1.1m, before finishing fifth and fourth in £25k and £50k events. Lim then boarded a jet plane for Barcelona and finished second and third in a €25k and €50k.
And now a gold bracelet.
Manig Loeser led the final 25 players at the end of Day 1.
Anatoly Filatov led at the end of Day 2.
Let’s get to the action.
Final Table Seat Draw
Seat 1: Christoph Vogelsang – 15,385,000
Seat 2: Chin Wei Lim – 20,460,000
Seat 3: Matthias Eibinger – 27,445,000
Seat 4: Anatoly Filatov – 42,300,000
Seat 5: Ole Schemion – 5,900,000
Seat 6: Phil Ivey – 2,375,000
Seat 7: Danny Tang – 3,900,000
Seat 8: Jean-Noel Thorel – 26,085,000
The Nutshell Action
The WSOPE has been a good stomping ground for Ivey. It would be wonderful to see the old warhorse back in full-time high stakes tournament action, and let’s hope his deep runs in Rozvadov will help create the meaning and purpose he needs to remain in the game.
Being Phil Ivey didn’t stop Phil Ivey from being the first casualty, though.
With blinds at 120k/240k/240k, Ivey moved all-in for 2.375m from the hijack holding Ad5c, and Christoph Vogelsang called and won from the small blind, holding pocket sixes.
Danny Tang won his first bracelet in the summer, beating the field in the $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em event, but he would fall short of his second attempt. The man from Hong Kong moved all-in for ten bigs after Matthias Eibinger had opened from under the gun. Eibinger called with pocket jacks, and Tang showed ace-king. The two highest cards remained snuggled in the deck; Tang was out.
Ole Schemion is one of those players who carry the tag “Greatest Player Not to Win a Bracelet.” It’s still sewn inside his scarf. The WPT Tournament of Champions winner, moved all-in over a raise from Anatoly Filatov and the Russian called. Schemion’s Ad9d needed help against the pocket kings of Filatov, and like the leopards of Amur, no help came.
Then Lim made his play.
With blinds at 200k/400k/400k, Lim opened to 900k from under the gun, holding a pair of sixes, and Christoph Vogelsang defended the big blind. The dealer bathed the flop in shadow (Ts6s3c), prompting Vogelsang to check-raise to 2.4m with his 4d3s. Lim, as cool as a freshly polished eye socket, made the call. The turn of 4c was a disaster for Vogelsang. With the unlikeliest of two-pair hands underneath the long fingertips of the German, he check-raised all-in, and Lim called with his set. The frivolous 7h completed the action, and Lim charged to the top of the chip counts. Vogelsang sank to the bottom.
The action slithered like a serpent into the 300k/600k/600k level where Vogelsang found a fortunate double-up, with his pocket jacks elbowing the pocket queens of Eibinger in her girly bits. Eibinger then got the remainder of his chips in with Jd8c facing the Qs6d of Lim, and Lim won to send the Austrian to find a fire that crackled.
Lim continued to send people to the moon, this time Vogelsang running out of oxygen when he moved all-in, holding Ac3s, only for Lim to call and win with AdJd.
Chip Counts
Chin Wei Lim – 58,700,000
Jean-Noel Thorel – 56,800,000
Anatoly Filatov – 22,500,000
With blinds at 400k/800k/800k, the action folded to Filatov who moved all-in for 12.5m from the small blind holding Ah3d. Thorel was in the big blind holding KhTh, and he made the call. The Frenchman was behind, but a king on the flop looked like goat’s cheese to a man holding a cracker. A jack and a five finished the runout, and Thorel would take a chip lead into heads-up action.
Heads-Up
Tale of the Tape
Jean-Noel Thorel – 73,400,000
Chin Wei Lim – 70,600,000
With blinds at 500k/1m/1m, Thorel made it 2m to play from the button, holding Kh9h, and Lim called with Ks4d. The flop of AsKd4c brought the anti-aircraft missiles out. Lim checked, Thorel bet 3m, and Lim called. The Jh on the turn prompted Lim to check for a second time. Thorel bet 4m, and Lim once again called. The river was the 5d, and Lim bet 13m, Thorel called, and was left with a nasty hangover when Lim turned over his hand.
Then it was all over.
Lim opened to 2.4m, and Thorel called. The dealer laid 8c4d2c onto the flop like a soldier diligently laying landmines. Thorel checked with Ad9c and then called Lim’s 4m bet holding 8s4c for two-pairs. The 3c on the turn gave Thorel a stronger flush draw than Lim, and it was sufficient enough for the Frenchman to call a 6.8m bet. The final card was the 4s, and Thorel surprised everyone by check-raising all-in for 45m after Lim had bet 19m. Lim called, and it was all over.
ITM Results
- Chin Wei Lim – €2,172,104
- Jean-Noel Thorel – €1,342,459
- Anatoly Filatov – €907,301
- Christoph Vogelsang – €633,336
- Matthias Eibinger – €457,107
- Ole Schemion – €341,510
- Danny Tang – €264,440
- Phil Ivey – €212,504
- Daniel Pidun – €177,477
- Paul Phua – €177,477
- Ryan Riess – €154,285