888Live London Festival Main Event
Day 3 Completed
888Live London Festival Main Event
Day 3 Completed
The 888Live Poker Festival London at Aspers Casino Westfield ended in a grueling heads up battle between Tom Hall and Ning Lu with Hall finally sealing the deal at 4:30 a.m. after a twelve-and-a-half-hour final day and a titanic struggle heads-up.
The Main Event was the last tournament of a 12-day poker Festival at the 888Poker room at Aspers and it was a suitably memorable if stamina sapping end to a hugely successful series of tournaments.
The ��1,100 Main Event attracted 427 entries over three starting days which generated a prize pool of ��427,730. Seventeen players returned for the final day to battle it out for first place money and the trophy.
It wasn��t long before the final table of nine was set with a live stream featuring the commentary of David Tuchman and guests including Kara Scott, Tiffany Michelle and Parker ��Tonkaaaap�� Talbot��, who made the final day but busted in 15th.
Final Table
Seat | Player | Chip Count |
---|---|---|
1 | Pascal Pflock | 1,020,000 |
2 | Pol Canals Hernandez | 1,799,000 |
3 | Paul Scipioni | 1,769,000 |
4 | Ning Lu | 583,000 |
5 | Daniel Stanway | 894,000 |
6 | Charles Akadiri | 545,000 |
7 | Paul Nugent | 1,071,000 |
8 | Shao Zhen | 1,125,000 |
9 | Tom Hall | 4,060,000 |
Again it was all action as players were swiftly dispatched to the rail until play was three-handed.
Tom Hall began the day and the final table with the chip lead but ICM considerations and then even stack sizes at three handed play made for tense but at times overly cautious play.
Hall, Ning Lu and Pol Canals Hernandez all had the lead at some point but it was Hernandez who slipped behind and was eliminated when he shoved and busted versus the of Lu.
Heads-up play featured Lu versus Hall and the two players swiftly agreed a deal that seemed to favor the experienced Hall. Lu had a near 2:1 chip lead at that stage but agreed to take ��72,142 to the ��70,000 of Hall and they would play for the title, trophy and an additional ��8,888.
If anyone thought that would lead to a swift conclusion to the tournament they would be sorely disabused of that notion over the next three-plus hours.
No player can outrun the blinds though and the final hand saw Lu all in with called by Hall holding and a run out of , handing Hall first place.
Here is what he had to say after his victory:
The chips eventually had to go in the middle to determine a winner.
Ning Lu:
Tom Hall:
The board ran out .
Hall had done it but Lu was a gracious loser as a tired rail clapped their support and the two weary poker players shook hands.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Tom Hall |
12,810,000
5,610,000
|
5,610,000 |
Ning Lu | Busted |
Tom Hall raised with and Ning Lu moved all in with . Hall gave it a bit of thought and called.
The board ran out .
Hall has nosed into the lead but that one was chopped up.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Tom Hall |
7,200,000
1,400,000
|
1,400,000 |
Ning Lu |
4,600,000
-2,100,000
|
-2,100,000 |
Ning Lu limped with and Tom Hall raised with .
Lu folded and Hall took the pot.
That��s a pretty fair reflection of how play has been going for the last few hours.
Level: 31
Blinds: 150,000/300,000
Ante: 2,000
Hall has upped the aggression ever so slightly and coupled with Lu missing flops, Hall is creeping back up to even.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Ning Lu |
6,700,000
-1,900,000
|
-1,900,000 |
Tom Hall |
5,800,000
1,600,000
|
1,600,000 |
Tom Hall suggested making the levels 20 minutes long but Ning Lu is having none of it. Nothing else notable has happened.
On the turn of a board reading , Tom Hall bet 600,000 with for two pair and Ning Lu called with for one pair and a flush draw.
The river was the and a pot-sized shove won Hall the hand.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Ning Lu |
8,600,000
-1,300,000
|
-1,300,000 |
Tom Hall |
4,200,000
1,200,000
|
1,200,000 |
Level: 30
Blinds: 100,000/200,000
Ante: 20,000