Rui Chen Wins Macau Poker Cup Championship
September 17, 2012 11:05 amRui Chen has won the Macau Poker Cup Championship (MPCC), after defeating a field of 270 players over three days to lift the title, and collect the HK$1,108,500 (US$142,996) first place prize.
Despite the tournament held at the Grand Waldo Entertainment Complex costing HK20,000 (US$2,580) to enter, China’s Rui Chen payed just HK$1,000 having first qualified via an online satellite. After going on to top the field, the 37 year old commented:
“The past few years had seen a huge development (for poker) in China. Poker is suited for the Chinese because we are particularly good at mind games.”
As the nine seated final table got underway, chip leader Rui Chen had double the stack of his nearest rival and soon added further to his lead. First to go was Australian Robert Streatfeild in 9th, whose K-Q ran into Rui Chen’s A-A, followed by Australia’s Ryan Hong (8-8) in 8th, this time at the hands of Yosuke Sekiya (10-10).
Rui Chen (K-9) then dispatched Lisi Wei (10-8) in 7th, after she decided to defend her blind on an 8-4-9 board, and Jessica Ngu in 6th, whose A-J was badly dominated by Chen’s A-K.
Next, USA’s Kevin Kung departed in 5th, Korea’s Sunny Jung in 4th, and after Wenlong Jin exited in 3rd, the heads-up phase of the competition got underway between Japan’s Yosuke Sekiya and Rui Chen. However, the swingy affair saw the lead change sides several times before the defining hand was played with Sekiya pushing preflop holding K-J and being called by Chen with Kc-Qc. Subsequently, the board ran out 2-10-6-4-8 to relegate Yosuke Sekiya to a runner-up finish worth HK$759,000 (US$97,910), while Rui Chen was crowned the 2012 MPCC Champion.
The final table payouts were as follows:
1st: Rui Chen – HK$1,108,500
2nd: Yosuke Sekiya – HK$759,000
3rd: Wenlong Jin – HK$458,000
4th: Sunny Jung – HK$361,500
5th: Kevin Kung – HK$289,160
6th: Jessica Ngu – HK$241,000
7th: Lisi Wei – HK$193,000
8th: Ryan Hong – HK$144,500
9th: Robert Streatfeild – HK$120,500