Jack Duong Wins the PokerStars Festival New Jersey $2,000 NL Hold'em High Roller ($15,520)
The PokerStars Festival New Jersey $2,000 NL Hold'em High Roller drew 16 players, creating a $31,040 prize pool.
The plan was to pay the top three finishers, and on Friday night the event played down to just four players remaining after Team PokerStars Pro and 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker busted fifth.
David Vamplew, Jack Duong, Team PokerStars Online Pro Randy Lew and PokerStars Mind Sports Ambassador Jennifer Shahade all returned to play through the money bubble and down to a winner Saturday.
Vamplew would be the one to leave empty handed, losing a race with eights versus Shahade's big slick. Three handed play last a good couple of levels before Lew got relatively short and shipped king-high into Duong's ace-high and failed to improve, collecting third-place money.
Heads-up play began with Duong in front and it took just a few dozen hands of relatively cagey play before Shahade raised it up with the and Duong jammed pocket threes. Shahade called it off, but failed to connect and lost the race despite picking up a gutshot-straight draw on the turn.
Her second place finish gave Duong the win, and he now adds a second PokerStars Spade Trophy to a case that includes a 2015 World Series of Poker bracelet, after capturing the $ 1,100 No Limit Hold'em - Turbo Event #10 at PokerStars Festival New Jersey on Oct. 31.