Chinese cash game poker player Yue Feng Pan took the honours at this week’s Macau Poker Cup, scoring a US$272,000 first prize and China’s eighth Red Dragon title after besting a record field of 944 other players in the three day event.
The buy-ins doubled the guaranteed value of the prize pool, ensuring that other prizes were equally generous.
By the time action reached the nine-man final table, Pan was third among the chip counts, but as the six-hour closing stages of the competition developed he chipped up steadily and became the dominant player, and by the time the fifth elimination occurred he had a firm grip on most of the chips and the game.
When Taipei ace Tse Jui Tsai busted out at third for HK$750,000, the scene was set for the heads up between chip leader Pan and fellow countryman Shao Po Liu, with Pan holding a 2 to 1 chip advantage.
Although the two continued to fight it out for another hour or so, Pan was clearly in charge and ultimately dismissed his opponent with the second placing paycheck of HK$1,239,520.
Other final table payments were:
Zhixiong Tan China HK$539,000
Long Wen Zhu China HK$269,500
Ming Min Wu China HK$269,500
Xong Xin Liu China HK$225,500
Huafeng Gu China HK$196,000
Bin Wen Ren China HK$166,500
This year’s Macau Poker Cup has already smashed previous entry records, with several events still to be completed. So far 4,105 players have taken part – well above last year’s overall figure of 3,883 players.