2018 US Poker Open

USPO #06 – $25,000 No Limit Hold'em
Day: 2
Event Info

2018 US Poker Open

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a3
Prize
$416,500
Event Info
Buy-in
$26,000
Prize Pool
$1,225,000
Entries
49
Level Info
Level
23
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
50,000

Level: 22

Blinds: 20,000/40,000

Ante: 40,000

Hands #59-60: Pollak Folds to Save His Tournament Life

Level 21 : 20,000/40,000, 30,000 ante

Hand 59: Jason Koon peeled {J-Diamonds}{J-Clubs} and raised to 90,000. Benjamin Pollak looked down at a defendable {9-Spades}{6-Spades} and called.

Pollak flopped well on the {3-Diamonds}{3-Hearts}{6-Clubs} flop but he was still trailing Koon's pocket pair. Pollak let Koon bet 55,000 and then check-raised to 170,000. Koon, however, fired back with a 400,000 three-bet. Pollak matched the price.

The {8-Diamonds} turn was checked by both and the {8-Hearts} river double-paired the board. Pollak checked to Koon who overshoved for 1.77 million effective. Pollak counted his own stack and took over a minute before making a correct laydown which saved his tournament life.

Hand 60: Pollak limped in with {5-Diamonds}{2-Diamonds} but Koon had other plans, raising up with {9-Spades}{5-Clubs} to force Pollak out of his hand.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Jason Koon us
Jason Koon
4,445,000
560,000
560,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Run It Once
Profile photo of Benjamin Pollak fr
Benjamin Pollak
1,725,000
-560,000
-560,000

Tags: Benjamin PollakJason Koon

Hands #54-58: Pollak Gets Some Back

Level 21 : 20,000/40,000, 30,000 ante

Hand 54: Benjamin Pollak raised to 90,000 with the {8-Clubs}{8-Spades} and Jason Koon three-bet to 260,000 with the {k-Hearts}{q-Diamonds}. Pollak four-bet shoved all in and Koon let it go.

Hand 55: Koon opened with the {a-Diamonds}{k-Hearts} and Pollak folded his big blind.

Hand 56: Pollak opened with the {10-Clubs}{3-Spades} and Koon mucked.

Hand 57: Koon limped with the {j-Spades}{6-Hearts} and folded when Pollak made it 160,000 with his {10-Hearts}{10-Diamonds}

Hand 58: Pollak limped with the {q-Hearts}{3-Diamonds} and Koon raised to 175,000 with the {7-Diamonds}{4-Spades} getting Pollak to fold.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Jason Koon us
Jason Koon
3,885,000
-290,000
-290,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Run It Once
Profile photo of Benjamin Pollak fr
Benjamin Pollak
2,285,000
290,000
290,000

Tags: Benjamin PollakJason Koon

Hands #49-53: Slow Start into the Final Match

Level 21 : 20,000/40,000, 30,000 ante

Hand 49: Jason Koon raised to 90,000 with king-high and Benjamin Pollak folded his rags in the big blind.

Hand 50: Pollak made it 90,000 {Q-Clubs}{10-Spades} and Koon defended with {Q-Spades}{9-Clubs}. Both players quickly checked the {A-Clubs}{K-Diamonds}{8-Clubs} flop and Pollak took it down with a bet on the {6-Diamonds} turn.

Hand 51: Koon opened to 90,000 again with {J-Clubs}{10-Hearts} and Pollak had a bad hand again, leaving the pot to Koon preflop.

Hand 52: This time Pollak raised and took it with {A-Spades}{9-Clubs}.

Hand 53: Koon limped in with {4-Diamonds}{2-Spades} and Pollak checked his options with {7-Clubs}{6-Hearts}. The {Q-Clubs}{K-Diamonds}{4-Spades} gave Koon the bottom pair and Pollak check-folded to his min-bet.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Jason Koon us
Jason Koon
4,175,000
-50,000
-50,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Run It Once
Profile photo of Benjamin Pollak fr
Benjamin Pollak
1,995,000
-110,000
-110,000

Tags: Benjamin PollakJason Koon

Stephen Chidwick Eliminated in 3rd Place ($183,750)

Level 21 : 20,000/40,000, 30,000 ante
Stephen Chidwick
Stephen Chidwick

Hand 48: Stephen Chidwick shoved his last 100,000 in the middle from the small blind with the {q-Diamonds}{10-Clubs} and Jason Koon snapped him off in the big blind turning over the {a-Spades}{k-Hearts}.

A {6-Clubs}{a-Clubs}{3-Hearts} flop left Chidwick drawing slim but the {5-Clubs} on the turn opened a backdoor flush draw. The {k-Spades} completed the board and sent Chidwick to the rail in third place earning $183,750.

With the cash, Chidwick sits just under $1,000,000 in cashes during the US Poker Open, adding some more distance between him and the rest of the leaderboard.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Jason Koon us
Jason Koon
4,225,000
265,000
265,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Run It Once
Profile photo of Stephen Chidwick gb
Stephen Chidwick
Busted
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Jason KoonStephen Chidwick

Hands #46-47: Chidwick Chops to Stay Alive

Level 21 : 20,000/40,000, 30,000 ante

Hand 46: Jason Koon opened from the small blind with the {5-Clubs}{4-Diamonds} and Benjamin Pollak folded in the big.

Hand 47: Koon raised it up with the {9-Diamonds}{6-Hearts} making it 80,000 and Stephen Chidwick moved all in from the big blind for 105,000 with the {9-Hearts}{3-Hearts}. Koon put the rest in.

A {q-Diamonds}{10-Spades}{8-Diamonds} flop gave Chidwick some chop outs which kept him alive through the {5-Clubs} on the turn and the {k-Diamonds} on the river.

Tags: Benjamin PollakJason KoonStephen Chidwick

Hands #41-45: Chidwick Crippled by Koon in a Cooler

Level 21 : 20,000/40,000, 30,000 ante

Hand 41: Jason Koon made it 90,000 on the button with {Q-Spades}{J-Hearts} and Stephen Chidwick called from the big blind with {K-Hearts}{9-Diamonds}. The low {4-Hearts}{5-Hearts}{3-Spades} flop missed them both but Chidwick and Koon both had a heart for a backdoor flush draw. Koon continued with a c-bet and Chidwick laid down.

Hand 42: Benjamin Pollak opened the button to 85,000 with {K-Clubs}{10-Hearts} and Koon found {8-Spades}{8-Diamonds} in the big blind. Koon three-bet shoved for almost 50 big blinds effective and Pollak let it go, asking Koon if he saw his big-value chips.

Hand 43: Chidwick now had the button and he raised it up to 90,000 with {8-Diamonds}{7-Diamonds}. Pollak asked Chidwick how much did he have and then shoved from the big blind with {A-Clubs}{9-Diamonds} for about 1.3 million. Chidwick folded.

Hand 44: Pollak made it 135,000 out of the small blind, holding {Q-Spades}{3-Hearts}. Chidwick called with a dominating {K-Diamonds}{3-Diamonds}. Neither player connected to the {A-Diamonds}{10-Clubs}{6-Clubs} flop and Pollak took it down with a continuation bet.

Hand 45: Chidwick completed the small blind with {A-Spades}{Q-Diamonds} and Koon checked his options with {Q-Hearts}{10-Diamonds}. A disastrous flop hit the felt for Chidwick as he had top pair top kicker on the {Q-Spades}{10-Hearts}{4-Clubs} texture while Koon hit the top two. Chidwick tried to trick Koon with a check-raise, making it 175,000 from 55,000. Koon called.

The {J-Hearts} turn gave Chidwick a Broadway draw but Koon still had the best hand. Chidwick checked and Koon checked back as they were both trying to hide their strength.

The {2-Diamonds} river card changed nothing whatsoever and Chidwick bet almost all of his chips, 745,000. Koon instantly called to cripple Chidwick who was left with fewer than three big blinds. He's been good at bouncing back from the nub during US Poker Open and now has another opportunity to rise from the ashes.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Jason Koon us
Jason Koon
3,960,000
1,185,000
1,185,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Run It Once
Profile photo of Benjamin Pollak fr
Benjamin Pollak
2,105,000
170,000
170,000
Profile photo of Stephen Chidwick gb
Stephen Chidwick
105,000
-1,355,000
-1,355,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Benjamin PollakJason KoonStephen Chidwick

Level: 21

Blinds: 20,000/40,000

Ante: 30,000

Hands #36-40: A Pot for Everyone

Level 20 : 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Hand 36: Benjamin Pollak opened with the {2-Diamonds}{2-Clubs} on the button and Jason Koon defended his big blind with the {10-Spades}{6-Diamonds}.

Both players checked a {6-Spades}{4-Diamonds}{8-Diamonds} flop and the {7-Diamonds} landed on the turn. Koon led with a bet of 45,000 and Pollak mucked.

Hand 37: Stephen Chidwick looked down at the {9-Clubs}{7-Clubs} and opened to 75,000 getting a call from Poolak in the big blind holding the {a-Spades}{6-Hearts}. Two checks on an {8-Spades}{7-Hearts}{k-Diamonds} flop saw the {9-Diamonds} hit the turn.

Pollak check-folded to a bet of 140,000 from Chidwick.

Hand 38: Koon put in a raise with the {j-Diamonds}{8-Hearts} on the button and Chidwick picked up the {a-Diamonds}{k-Diamonds} in the big blind, three-betting to 280,000 and getting a quick fold from Koon.

Hand 39: Pollak limped in with the {a-Diamonds}{7-Spades} and Koon checked his option with the {8-Diamonds}{5-Clubs}. Pollak bet the {3-Spades}{k-Spades}{q-Hearts} flop and Koon folded.

Hand 40: Koon limped with the {k-Clubs}{8-Clubs} and Pollak checked with the {7-Spades}{4-Diamonds}. Koon checked the {k-Spades}{2-Clubs}{3-Hearts} flop and Pollak bet 35,000. Koon raised to 100,000 and Pollak let it go.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Jason Koon us
Jason Koon
2,775,000
15,000
15,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Run It Once
Profile photo of Benjamin Pollak fr
Benjamin Pollak
1,935,000
-280,000
-280,000
Profile photo of Stephen Chidwick gb
Stephen Chidwick
1,460,000
420,000
420,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Benjamin PollakJason KoonStephen Chidwick

Isaac Haxton Eliminated in 4th Place ($122,500)

Level 20 : 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
Ike Haxton
Ike Haxton

Hand 35: Koon found a good starting hand again, raising to 65,000 with {A-Diamonds}{Q-Diamonds}. Isaac Haxton was in the big blind with {A-Clubs}{4-Diamonds} and he burned one time bank before making it 285,000 to go. Koon called to continue to the flop.

The {3-Diamonds}{5-Spades}{K-Spades} hit the felt, giving Haxton a wheel draw. He fired 150,000, just under a quarter of the size of the pot. Koon called and the {10-Spades} came on the turn.

Neither of the players had a spade in their hand and they checked to the {A-Hearts} river. Haxton checked and Koon moved all-in for 690,000 effective. Haxton called but he saw the bad news as Koon had a better kicker to his ace. Haxton walked away in fourth place, good for a $122,500 payday.

Koon, meanwhile, soared to the chip lead with 2,760,000.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Jason Koon us
Jason Koon
2,760,000
1,000,000
1,000,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Run It Once
Profile photo of Isaac Haxton us
Isaac Haxton
Busted
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Isaac HaxtonJason Koon