£220 50/50 Freezeout
Day 1 Completed
2024 Women’s Winter Festival
£220 50/50 Freezeout
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1
2024 Women’s Winter Festival
Buy-in
£220
Prize Pool
£32,256
Entries
168
Level
23
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
10,000
Entries
168
Players Left
1
Level 23
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 10,000 ante
The Women’s Winter Festival, sponsored by PokerStars, at Hippadrome Casino, continued today with a first-of-its-kind event; the £220 50/50 NLH Freezout. This innovative poker format invited male and female duos to team up and compete in the same tournament, pioneering their own stacks for their own share of the prize pool, but working together to win a special last-longer style side bet for the best-performing duo.
This high-energy one-day event saw 64 males and 64 females come together in pairs to create a final field size of 168 players, generating a prize pool of £32,256. The victor, walking away with the lion's share of these spoils, was Yon Jairo Suaterna of Colombia, who claimed the first-place prize of £7,556.
Suaterna joined today’s tournament alongside duo partner Rosemary Halbach. However, Halbach's 84th-place finish was somewhat eclipsed by the dominating final table performance of her other half, which led to his late-night victory.
£220 50/50 NLH Freezout Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yon Jairo Suaterna | Colombia | £7,556 |
| 2 | Gary Bluston | United Kingdom | £4,720 |
| 3 | Elliot Hackney | United Kingdom | £3,370 |
| 4 | Nitej Davda | United Kingdom | £2,590 |
| 5 | Jen-Yue Chiang | United States | £1,990 |
| 6 | Candice Nice | United Kingdom | £1,530 |
| 7 | Maria Lachana | United Kingdom | £1,250 |
| 8 | Esongkuo Elombi | United Kingdom | £1,040 |
| 9 | Kathleen Padovani | United Kingdom | £870 |
The Silver Pass Sweat
A sweat started to brew as the last standing duo would each receive a PokerStars Silver Pass worth $2,500. During Level 14, it was announced that only three pairs remained in contention for the last longer prize:
- Bernadette Daley and Christopher Taylor
- Sacha Tiotto-Smith and Matthew Durban
- Vanessa Kade and Elliot Hackney
Durban would first fall, exiting to the rail and leaving just two pairs remaining. The tension continued for six more levels, deep into the money. With the stacks shallowing and both remaining pairs tangling in all in confrontation, an explosive hand was imminent.
The last longer came to a head in an epic face-off that saw one member of each rival duo in an all-in and call confrontation for the Silver Pass; Bernadette Daley's pocket sixes had run into the pocket aces of Elliot Hackney. Despite Hackney’s cruel slow roll, the Poker Gods failed to reward Daley in an act of karma and she was sent to the rail. With this pot, both Kade and Hackney declared themselves as the last remaining duo, each getting their hands on the elusive $2,500 PokerStars Silver Pass.
An Act of Good Will
After both securing the Silver Pass, an act of friendly fire saw Hackney send his former partner to the rail.
Upon busting, Kade quietly approached Daley and offered to give away her $2,500 Silver Pass, in a gesture of goodwill. Daley, who still seemed in high spirits at her 12th-place finish, gladly accepted and the exchange was made.
Final Table Action
The final table was fast-paced with all nine players rarely reaching a flop without an all-in and call confrontation. Candice Nice, Maria Lachana and Kathleen Padovani comprised the last three remaining women, but Nice’s exit in sixth place ended the campaign for a female champion in the inaugural £220 50/50 NLH Freezout at the Women’s Winter Festival.
Silver Pass winter Hackney's run ended in third place for £3,370. With the addition of his package worth $2,500, Hackney was close to achieving first place money for his bronze medal performance.
A head-up battle that only lasted a matter of hands saw Gary Bluston sent to the rail in one last all-in and call confrontation, leaving Suaterna to claim the trophy, title and £7,556.
That concludes the PokerNews coverage of the Women’s Winter Festival 50/50 NLH Freezout. Stay tuned for more action in this first-of-its-kind festival as the Main Event plays down to a winner tomorrow.
Level 23
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 10,000 ante
Gary Bluston moved all in for 1,150,000, from the button, and Yon Jairo Suaterna, in the big blind, made the call.
Gary Bluston: J♣4♠ 
Yon Jairo Suaterna: K♦4♥
The board ran out 10♠8♦7♦2♦9♦; Bluston couldn't improve and was sent to the rail.
Despite his runner-up finish, Bluston retained the same positive attitude he held throughout the entirety of the tournament and seemed happy to make his way to the payout cage.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
5,040,000
1,540,000
|
1,540,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 23
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 10,000 ante
Yon Jairo Suaterna, in the small blind, had Elliot Hackney, in the big blind, all in and at risk.
Elliot Hackney: 6♠5♠
Yon Jairo Suaterna: A♦Q♦
The board ran out J♣K♠J♦8♥K♣; Suaterna held to trigger heads-up play.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,500,000
1,900,000
|
1,900,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 23
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 10,000 ante
Nitej Davda, on the button, found himself all in and at risk against Yon Jairo Suaterna, in the small blind.
Nitej Davda: Q♦10♣
Yon Jairo Suaterna: 10♦10♥
Davda was in bad shape and the 7♣A♣8♠8♦6♥ runout changed nothing; Suaterna's tens held to send Davda out in fourth place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,600,000
-250,000
|
-250,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 23
Blinds: 50,000/100,000
Ante: 10,000
Level 22
: Blinds 30,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Jen-Yue Chiang, in the big blind, was all in and at risk for his effective stack against Gary Bluston, in the cutoff.
Jen-Yue Chiang: A♠K♥
Gary Bluston: K♦K♣
The board ran out 8♦4♥J♠10♠10♦; Chiang couldn't crack kings and was sent to the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,150,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 22
: 30,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
After a preflop raising war, Candice Nice, on the button, found herself all in and at risk for her effective stack of approximately 500,000 against Yon Jairo Suaterna, in middle position.
Candice Nice: 7♠7♣
Yon Jairo Suaterna: Q♦Q♥
The board ran out 9♥6♦6♣5♣Q♣; Suaterna improved to a full house to eliminate Nice, the last remaining woman in the tournament.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,850,000
1,230,000
|
1,230,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 22
Blinds: 30,000/80,000
Ante: 80,000
Level 21
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Maria Lachana moved all in from under the gun for around 250,000. Gary Bluston, in the big blind, made the call.
Maria Lachana: J♦9♣
Gary Bluston: K♣Q♥
Despite the 8♦7♠3♣ flop giving Lachana hope of a straight, the K♠ turn and A♠ confirmed her departure.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
850,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
|
Busted |