£880 Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2016 888Live Poker Festival London
£880 Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2016 888Live Poker Festival London
Buy-in
£880
Prize Pool
£228,096
Entries
288
Level
25
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
10,000
Level 25
: 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
After an epic final day and action-packed final table, Ka Him Li has won the 888Poker London Live Main Event after beating Shah Raza heads-up for £45,300 and the glittering trophy.
Two friends from the cash game tables of London would meet heads-up for the biggest prizes they had won in their poker careers, but the final day action was fast from the start. The remaining 14 players were barely in their seats before Tony Doggett left in 14th place. He moved all-in for 14 big blinds, too, but his queen-high couldn’t catch Andrea Volpi’s ace-high and he started the exodus.
Over on the feature table, Philippe Souki had won a pot that would transform his tournament. A full house on the river with his pocket fours toppled Jose Lopez’ pair of queens and just a few hands later, Souki was the proud owner of a baseball cap proclaiming him a bounty-slayer. His pocket kings dealt with Kara Scott’s pocket tens after Scott’s lower pair was all-in pre-flop and Souki was chip leader.
Scott had busted in an unlucky 13th, but she wasn’t the only one leaving. Volpi and Triantipillou busted before Kevin Allen went in 10th, losing a coinflip to Enzo Del Piero to send play nine-handed with the following chip-counts:
| Seat | Player | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cristian Mihu | 1,611,000 |
| 2 | Shah Raza | 1,226,000 |
| 3 | Jose Lopez | 974,000 |
| 4 | Sam Grafton | 725,000 |
| 5 | Mikhail Pokrepa | 729,000 |
| 6 | Charles Chattha | 573,000 |
| 7 | Ka Him Li | 477,000 |
| 8 | Philippe Souki | 1,817,000 |
| 9 | Enzo Del Piero | 539,000 |
The final table did not take long to heat up, with half the players knowing each other from two tables out. Enzo Del Piero was not around long, and unfortunate to be all-in and at-risk with two-pair on the turn against a better two pair for his eventual conqueror, Ka Him Li.
It was a longer time to wait than might have been expected for the next elimination, but when it came, Jose Lopez made the right move, but walked into a cooler. His late-position shove with 
was crushed by Shah Raza’s pocket aces and they held to eliminate the Spanish player from the final table after sweating a straight draw on the river.
Two players busted in quick success soon after, with Mikhail Pokrepa very short-stacked and unlucky to bust when his all-in move with pocket queens was in the perfect spot double through Cristian Mihu’s call with pocket sevens…until the seven on the flop, that was. Charles Chattha was the shortest left, and his final thirteen big blinds were all-in with ace-high, but Sam Grafton paired a jack on the flop to eliminate his friend and fellow British legend.
Five players were left, but that wasn’t the case for long. Romanian player Cristian Mihu left the table after he flopped the straight in a three-way pot with Sam Grafton and Ka Him Li. Li called Mihu’s shove with a set of threes which made a full house and we moved four-handed.
Down to four, Sam Grafton was the chip leader, but he lost an all-in against Shah Raza when the latter moved all-in from the small blind with ace-high, and Grafton called with 
. He could find no help and Raza took what would turn out to be a critical lead.
Grafton was short-stacked and needed to double, so when he shoved all-in on Ka Him Li’s big blind from the small blind, he was hoping for a call with a worse hand. Instead, he was dominated and was out after the board to join his entertaining rail. Philippe Souki was out directly after Sam Grafton's elimination when he moved all-in with pocket sevens and ran into Li’s eights.
Suddenly, the 21-year-old Hong Kong born player Li was heads-up and with a 3:1 chip lead. However, that didn’t last. Raza moved all-in with pocket eights and was called by Li’s ace-high. The flop gave Raza a full house and a deal discussion saw Shah Raza lock up £40,000 and Ka Him Li, who had the chip lead, take £45,000.
They would play on for £300 and the trophy and it didn’t take long for it to be presented. After a series of small raises and folds, Raza’s ace-high was dominated by Li’s 
and he rode out the board to triumph.
After four days of spectacular play, drama and excitement, the 888Poker London Live Main Event champion is Ka Him Li, and he leaves with £45,300 and of course the trophy. We look forward to bringing you more action from the live felt very soon.
Level 25
: 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
After a series of small raises and folds, Shah Raza found 
and when he moved all-in over Li’s button-raise, Li had an easy call with .
The board of 
only gave Raza a sweat on the river, but he missed his six outs and it was all over. Shah Raza takes home £40,000 as runner-up, but congratulations go to Ka Him Li, who has won £45,300 and the 888Poker London Live Main Event trophy.
We'll have a full recap for you shortly on a terrific final day's play.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
8,640,000
3,225,000
|
3,225,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 25
: 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
Shah Raza and Ka Him Li have discussed a deal and very quickly agreed.
There was no need for an abacus, calculator or even pen and paper to sort things out, with Ka Him Li's chip lead meaning that he takes home £45,000. Shah Raza locks up £40,000 and the pair will play heads-up solely for £300 and the trophy.
We'd imagine they may widen their ranges.
Level 25
: 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
Shah Raza moved all-in with 
and was called by Ka Him Li with 
.
The flop almost nailed it stone dead for a result as Shah Raza flopped gold of 
, with the turn 
ending the hand, the river .
With the stacks a lot more level, there is a pause almost immediately afterwards to discuss a deal.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,415,000
-1,325,000
|
-1,325,000 |
|
|
3,255,000
1,355,000
|
1,355,000 |
Level 25
: 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
Ka Him Li (pictured, right) has the chip lead of around 3:1 heads-up, with the impetus of knocking out several players at this final table.
Shah Raza will be hard to beat, however and is desperate to get level.
"One double up and I'm back." he tells Li, who is motionless.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,740,000 | |
|
|
1,900,000
-500,000
|
-500,000 |
Level 25
: 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
Philippe Souki was out directly after Sam Grafton left when he moved all-in with 
against the 
of Ka Him Li.
The board of 
never even looked like giving him much of a sweat and his two outs on the river turned to none in no time.
Souki, who came in the final day fairly short before running up to being chip leader, was left sucker-punched by his bust-out.
"I can't complain overall, but I wanted that trophy. I've had a bunch of third and fourth places and I just want to win one right now."
We go to heads-up, with Ka Him Li a fairly big chip leader at present.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,740,000
2,540,000
|
2,540,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 25
: 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
Sam Grafton has busted in fourth place after having the lead just a few minutes ago!
All-in pre-flop from the small blind, Grafton held and was all-in for 1.5m. He was called by Ka Him Li in the big blind with and Grafton needed a huge amount of help from the board. That never came across 
and Grafton was out.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,200,000
1,700,000
|
1,700,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 25
: 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
With four players remaining and chips not super-deep, the lead isn't changing hands, but others are catching Ka Him Li. Players seem to be taking less risks, as the ladder obviously makes things difficult to move, but Sam Grafton remains a marginal short-stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,500,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
|
2,400,000
-900,000
|
-900,000 |
|
|
2,200,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
|
1,600,000
500,000
|
500,000 |
|
|
||
Level 25
: 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
Action was folded to Shah Raza in the small blind, and he moved all-in for 20 big blinds with 
. Sam Grafton called it off in the big blind with and needed help from the board to bust Raza.
It didn't happen. The 
saw Raza double up in style and he is now chip leader with 3.3m.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,300,000
1,800,000
|
1,800,000 |
|
|
2,300,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
2,000,000 | |
|
|
1,100,000
-1,700,000
|
-1,700,000 |
|
|
||