$235 Mix-Max No-Limit Hold'em
Day 1 Completed
$235 Mix-Max No-Limit Hold'em
Day 1 Completed
The 10th event on the 2016 Run It Up Reno schedule came to a conclusion on Saturday night with Randy "nanonoko" Lew winning the $235 Mix-Max No-Limit Hold'em tournament for $4,300.
Mix-max tournament poker has been trending upwards in popularity over the last few years as it has slowly been featured more regularly on tournament schedules. With today's tournament kicking off just after the second flight of the Run It Up Main Event got underway, 61 players tried their hand at the format where play would shift from eight-handed, to six-handed, down to four-handed, and then eventually heads-up play for the final eight players.
Notables such as Kevin Martin, Chad Holloway, Deb Swift, Kevin Gerhart, and Rob Hamilton all tried their luck in this event but they would all tumble to the rail shy of the money. Michael Flores, Raphael Bouchard, Zhihao Zhang, and Danny Alvarez each collected $650 for reaching the heads-up stage, where it was Lew matched up with Alex Lavinthal and Nick Aguilera against Steve Kujubu.
Play would bounce back and forth between the two heads-up matches before both suddenly ended just minutes apart. Lavinthal found himself all in preflop holding the against Lew's . Lew flopped a jack and then went runner-runner flush. Aguilera found himself in a dominated position when his was up against Kujubu's , and although he had outs to a chop, he joined Lavinthal on the rail for a $1,400 payday.
After Kujubu went into heads-up play with a chip advantage of just one big blind, his lead would soon be flipped around as Lew charged ahead to hold a 2-1 position. Just several hands later Kujubu, three-bet shoved over Lew's button raise holding the . He was called by Lew and his . The flop brought an ace, and when no additional help arrived for Kujubu, he was out in second. Lew was crowned the champion and was serenaded by a "Re-No-No-Ko" chant led by Jason Somerville and some of the others in the tournament room.
While this isn't Lew's biggest result of his career, it is his second live win following his HK$3,772,000 ($484,617) score for winning the APPT Macau Main Event back in November 2011.
For Lew, he will take home the $235 Mix-Max No-Limit Hold'em trophy, $4,300 in prize money, and some run good for when he takes part in Day 2 of the Run It Up Reno Main Event on Sunday.
From the button, Randy Lew opened to 75,000 and Steve Kujubu moved all in for 304,000 with Lew quickly calling.
Lew:
Kujubu:
With Kujubu at a slight disadvantage, the flop saw his hopes drop dramatically as he would now need running cards to stay alive.
The dealer burned and turned to reveal the on the turn to render Kujubu drawing dead as the completed the board on the river.
For Kujubu's efforts, he collects $2,500 in prize money while Lew is crowned the Mix Max Champion and recipient of the $4,300 first prize.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Randy Lew |
976,000
365,000
|
365,000 |
Steve Kujubu | Busted |
The levels have now gone up and the blinds are 12,000/24,000 with a 4,000-ante.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Randy Lew |
611,000
96,000
|
96,000 |
Steve Kujubu |
365,000
-96,000
|
-96,000 |
Steve Kujubu raised to 60,000 on the button and Randy Lew called in the big blind to see a flop.
Kujubu continued for 40,000 and Lew check-called before the and were checked down.
Kujubu tabled his as Lew tabled his to see the pot chopped up.
Steve Kujubu limped the button and Randy Lew checked to see a flop fall with both players checking.
The turn of the saw Lew lead out for 20,000 with Kujubu calling as the completed the board on the river.
Lew bet 60,000, and after nearly two minutes of deliberation, Kujubu raised to 180,000.
Lew folded and the chip difference between the two is now less than three big blinds.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Randy Lew |
515,000
-135,000
|
-135,000 |
Steve Kujubu |
461,000
135,000
|
135,000 |
The levels have gone up and are now 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000-ante.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Randy Lew |
650,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
Steve Kujubu |
326,000
-4,000
|
-4,000 |
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Randy Lew |
646,000
166,000
|
166,000 |
Steve Kujubu |
330,000
-166,000
|
-166,000 |
Both these two were straight into their heads-up match with blinds starting at 8,000/16,000 and a 2,000-ante.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Steve Kujubu | 496,000 | |
Randy Lew | 480,000 |
From the button with blinds at 8,000/16,000, Steve Kujubu opened to 35,000 only to have Nick Aguilera shove all in for roughly 180,000. Kujubu called and the 2015 Run It Up Reno Main Event Champion was at risk.
Aguilera:
Kujubu:
The flop gave additional outs to Aguilera as now any king would ensure a chop.
The on the turn also kept Aguilera's chances alive, but when the river blanked out with the , he was sent to the rail in 3rd place for a $1,400 payday.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Steve Kujubu |
496,000
299,000
|
299,000 |
Nick Aguilera | Busted |