Kai Chang Wins 2013 WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star for $1,138,350
The 2013 World Poker Tour Bay 101 Shooting Star Main Event, which drew 643 entries, continued on Friday with Day 4 action and saw a winner walk away with the $1,138,350 first-place prize. After five levels of play, Kai Chang defeated a stacked final table to walk away as champion.
WPT Bay 101 Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Kai Chang | $1,138,350 |
| 2nd | Joe Nguyen | $666,740 |
| 3rd | Paul Volpe | $435,610 |
| 4th | Erik Seidel | $295,590 |
| 5th | Chris Johnson | $208,910 |
| 6th | Joe Kuether | $162,240 |
Action recommenced in Level 25 with the blinds at 15,000/30,000/5,000, but it wouldn’t be until Level 28 (30,000/60,000/10,000) that the first elimination of the final table occurred. According to the WPT Live Updates Team, it happened when Chang opened for 125,000 from the button only to have Joe Kuether three-bet all in for 860,000 from the small blind. Joe Nguyen then moved all in from the big blind for 4.28 million, and Chang folded.
Nguyen: A♦A♠
Kuether: J♥J♠
Kuether had picked up a big pocket pair, but unfortunately for him, he had run into Nguyen's pocket rockets. According to the PokerNews Odds Calculator, Kuether had only an 18.64% chance of surviving the hand, and that chance dropped to a measly 1.72% when the flop came down A♥Q♠7♣ to give Nguyen a set. The Q♣ left Kuether drawing dead, on the turn, and after the 3♦ was run out on the river, he took his leave in sixth place for $162,240.
On Hand #80 of the final table, which happened in Level 28 (30,000/60,000/10,000), Chris Johnson opened for 125,000 under the gun, and Chang called from the cutoff. Erik Seidel called from the big blind, and it was three-way action to the 10♦8♠5♥ flop. Seidel checked, Johnson bet 200,000, and Chang raised to 700,000. Seidel folded and Johnson moved all in for 1.92 million. Chang called and tabled the 10♠10♣ for top set, and it was good as Johnson could only muster the K♥10♥. Neither the J♠ turn nor Q♣ river changed a thing, and Johnson was eliminated in fifth place for $208,910.
In the next level (Level 29: 40,000/80,000/10,000), on Hand #117 of the final table to be exact, Poker Hall of Famer and Bay 101 Shooting Star bounty Seidel moved all in from the small blind for 1.285 million holding the J♠10♥, and Paul Volpe called from the big blind with the A♦4♦. The board ran out J♥J♦7♦K♦8♥, and Seidel, who had flopped trips, was sent packing by Volpe’s flush. Seidel finished in fourth place and took home $295,590.
On Hand #146 (Level 30 50,000/100,000/15,000), Volpe moved all in from the small blind for 1.54 million, and Chang called from the big blind. Volpe rolled over the Q♥10♥, but he needed help to overcome the A♣9♣ of Chang. The K♥K♠7♦ flop was pretty dry, and the 6♦ turn was the same. Volpe, who finished second in the WPT L.A. Poker Classic just last week, needed either a queen or ten to stay alive, but it literally wasn’t in the cards as the 3♠ blanked to send him home in third place for $435,610. Interestingly, with his third-place finish Volpe not only made PokerNews’ own Rich Ryan’s prediction come true, but he took over the lead in the WPT Season XI Player of the Year race.
Heads-up play began with Chang holding a nearly 2-1 chip lead, and it took him just six hands to seal the deal. It happened when Nguyen raised to 250,000 and Chang called, bringing about a flop of 10♥7♦5♠. Chang proceeded to check-call a bet of 325,000, and then he checked the 9♦ turn. Nguyen took the opportunity to bet 530,000, and Chang thought for a brief spell before check-raising. Nguyen moved all in for 7.01 million and Chang snap-called with the 8♠6♦ for a straight. Nguyen rolled over the 10♦2♦ for a flush draw, and he would end up missing as the 6♣ blanked on the river. Nguyen was eliminated in second place for $666,740 while Chang went on to finish as the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star champion for $1,138,350.
Congrats to Kai Chang on not only adding his name to the WPT Champions Cup, but also on taking down the second-largest prize in WPT Bay 101 history.
Past WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Champions
| Season | Player | Entrants | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Phil Gordon | 243 | $360,000 |
| 3 | Danny Nguyen | 438 | $1,025,000 |
| 4 | Nam Le | 518 | $1,198,300 |
| 5 | Ted Forrest | 450 | $1,100,000 |
| 6 | Brandon Cantu | 376 | $1,000,000 |
| 7 | Steve Brecher | 391 | $1,025,500 |
| 8 | McLean Karr | 333 | $878,500 |
| 9 | Alan Sternberg | 415 | $1,039,000 |
| 10 | Moon Kim | 364 | $960,900 |
| 11 | Kai Chang | 643 | $1,138,350 |
Data and photo courtesy of WorldPokerTour.com.
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