Main Event
Day 4 Completed
2017 PokerStars Festival Chile
Main Event
Day: 4
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2017 PokerStars Festival Chile
Buy-in
$1,650
Prize Pool
$500,000
Entries
329
Level
27
Blinds
30,000 / 60,000
Ante
10,000
Level 27
: 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante
After 112 hands at the final table today, and just 10 hands of heads-up play, Chile's own Christopher Franco has taken down the PokerStars Festival Chile $500,000 guaranteed Main Event for $97,360! Franco made his way past 328 players over four days of play at the beautiful Casino Enjoy Viña del Mar in Viña del Mar, Chile to win his first major title.
Franco has had success in live tournament play, with multiple cashes over the last four years, including a win last year in Las Vegas. His tournament win came from a Venetian Deepstack Extravaganza Bounty Event and netted him $11,517. His previous best cash was in 2013, where he finished in 20th place in the Latin America Poker Tour Main Event in Lima, Peru for $4,780. Today's victory surpasses all of his previous results and now puts him into six-figures for his career live earnings. Franco has impressive online stats where he has amassed $843,979 in online career earnings. His PokerStars handle is 'KhrizPkR23' and his largest cash was for just over $11,400.
The runner-up was Colombia's Juan Sebastian Gomez after getting his remaining stack in the middle with ace-seven against the ace-eight of Franco. The board ran out clean and low, sending Gomez to the rail in second place for $61,900. Gomez booked his best cash in this event, adding an impressive milestone to his professional poker career.
Here are the final table results:
| Place | Player Name | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christopher Franco | Chile | $97,360 |
| 2 | Juan Sebastian Gomez | Colombia | $61,900 |
| 3 | Sergio Dario Tello | Argentina | $46,400 |
| 4 | Andres Vega | Chile | $37,560 |
| 5 | Amos Ben | Chile | $29,600 |
| 6 | Rodrigo Zambra | Chile | $22,600 |
| 7 | Oscar Toloso | Argentina | $16,600 |
| 8 | Diego Lizana | Chile | $12,200 |
Team PokerStars Pro and High Roller champion, Leo Fernandez finished on the money bubble on Day 2 after getting his stack in the middle with pocket fives against Andres Vega's pocket jacks. He won't be going home empty-handed though, as he took down the $3,300 High Roller event for $20,360 earlier in the week. Fernandez added to his impressive resume with over $2 million in lifetime earnings in the live arena.
Final Table Action
The final table of eight began with just five minutes remaining in level 23. Chile's Diego Lizana was the player who got involved the most early on, and won a big pot against Franco before proceeding to lose three in a row, folding aces along the way. He was eventually the first player to be eliminated in eighth place ($12,200) at the hands of Vega in a double-elimination hand. Oscar Toloso, a recreational player from Argentina, was the other player involved. He had more chips than Lizana and finished in seventh place for $16,600. Vega held pocket tens while his two opponents held the same hand with ace-queen. The board ran out clean and Lizana and Toloso headed for the rail. Vega soared towards the top of the counts and was just a few big blinds behind chip leader Ben.
A short while later, Sergio Dario Tello doubled his short stack through Vega with aces. It was then Gomez's turn to double up after chopping a lucky pot with Franco. Franco also won a big pot from Ben and took over the chip lead, dropping Ben down to the middle of the pack.
In the midst of that action, Rodrigo Zambra was the next to go in sixth place for a payout of $22,600. The Chilean dwindled down to just six big blinds and got it in with jack-high. He was unable to improve against Gomez's ace-high and was sent to the rail.
Next to go was Ben, after he got his remaining 25 big blinds in the middle with ace-king of diamonds, racing against Franco's two black jacks. The board ran out dry, and the two-time LAPT High Roller champion settled for fifth place, pocketing $29,600 for his deep run. In the very next hand, Franco five-bet shoved with two red jacks and Vega called off his stack of 2,100,000 with ace-king off suit. The board ran out dry for him also, and Vega hit the rail in fourth place for an impressive $37,560.
Three-handed play did not last long, with Tello going out in third place for $46,400. Franco defended his big blind and flopped trips, and was lucky enough to get Tello to shove his stack into the middle with pocket jacks, sending him home and leaving just two players to battle it out. Heads-up play lasted just ten hands, and Franco won with a better ace-high than Gomez to secure the win.
As expected, Chile has turned out to be a popular poker destination for South Americans, but plenty of players from other countries around the world have joined in on the action.
Of the 224 unique entries in the Main Event, Chile made up 133 of these, with Argentina having the second-best showing with 63. Brazil had six entries, and Mexico attracted five. There were 17 players from other countries, including one a piece from the Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States and Canada.
Some of the notable players who made the money included Martin Pineiro (12th place - $7,400), Tomas Carvallo (15th place - $6,660), Roberto Andres Finkelberg (21st place - $4,660), Joaquin Barcena (23rd place - $4,660), Nicolas Malandre (26th place - $4,160), Richard Dubini (29th place - $3,660), and Javier Swett (35th place - $3,200).
The field was most certainly a strong one, and while many players had success, many players also fell short. Some of those players included Team PokerStars Pro, Leo Fernandez, Chilean brothers Fabian and Ricardo Chauriye, Alex Manzano, Oscar Alache, Alex Vega, and Jorge Postigo.
PokerStars Festival Chile has almost come to an end, with a couple of side events wrapping up later tonight. The next PokerStars Festival will be happening from June 19th through the 25th in Marbella, Spain at the beautiful Casino Marbella. More information is available on the PokerStars Live website.
Thank you for following along as the PokerNews team reported all of the live updates during this festival!
![[user340040]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 27
: 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante
Juan Sebastian Gomez was on the button and called. Christopher Franco was in the big blind and raised to 280,000. Gomez took no time at all and moved all in for 1,275,000. Franco quickly called.
Franco tabled 
and Gomez showed 
.
The flop was 
and Franco was still in the lead with his eight kicker.
The turn was the 
and got rid of Gomez's opportunity to have chop outs on the river. He now needed one of the three remaining sevens or a four for a straight or he would be our runner-up.
The river was the 
and Gomez could not improve. Heads-up play lasted ten hands and Gomez battled it out against a stacked final table. He fell just short of the title, but will surely be seen more of in the future.
Christopher Franco is the winner, taking home $97,360 and the title. A full recap will be posted shortly.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
8,225,000
1,295,000
|
1,295,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 27
: 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante
After the recent elimination of Sergio Dario Tello in third place, heads-up play has now begun.
Christopher Franco holds a commanding lead with 6,930,000 chips, while Juan Sebastian Gomez has an uphill battle, sitting on a stack of 1,295,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,930,000 | |
|
|
1,295,000
-55,000
|
-55,000 |
Level 27
: 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante
Christopher Franco was in the small blind and raised to 150,000. Sergio Dario Tello was in the big blind and called.
The flop was 
and Franco checked. Tello announced all in and Franco snap-called, almost beating him into the pot.
Franco showed 
and Tello tabled 
. Tello needed a jack or this would be the end of his day.
The turn was the 
and the river was the 
and Tello could not improve, sending him to the rail and bringing the Main Event down to just two players remaining.
The remaining two players are guaranteed a payout of $61,900.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,930,000
930,000
|
930,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 27
: 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante
Andres Vega raised to 130,000 from under the gun, and Christopher Franco three-bet to 330,000. Vega four-bet to 850,000 and Franco moved all in. Vega called.
Franco: 
Vega: 
It was another classic race with Franco holding pocket jacks in back-to-back hands after just eliminating Ben in fifth place.
The board ran out 
and Vega was eliminated in fourth place.
All remaining players are guaranteed a payout of $46,400.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,000,000
2,125,000
|
2,125,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 27
: 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante
Christopher Franco raised to 130,000 on the button, and Amos Ben moved all in for 1,525,000 from the small blind. Franco called.
Franco: 
Ben:
It was a classic race, with Ben being the player at risk. The flop came 
and Franco stayed ahead with two black jacks. The turn was the 
, and the river was the , sending the two-time LAPT High Roller champion to the rail in fifth place.
Ben was the chip leader in this tournament for a solid day and a half of play, adding another five-figure cash to his already-impressive resume.
All remaining players are guaranteed a payout of $37,560.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,875,000
1,575,000
|
1,575,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 27
Blinds: 30,000/60,000
Ante: 10,000
Level 27
: 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,300,000 | |
|
|
1,800,000 | |
|
|
1,750,000
-75,000
|
-75,000 |
|
|
1,350,000
175,000
|
175,000 |
|
|
1,050,000
210,000
|
210,000 |
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Andres Vega was on the button and raised to 105,000. Christopher Franco was in the big blind and moved all in for 1,120,000. Vega called, putting him at risk.
Franco tabled and Vega showed
The board ran out giving Franco a full house and vaulting him back to the top of the leaderboard.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,300,000
940,000
|
940,000 |
|
|
1,800,000
-550,000
|
-550,000 |