The 2014 CPPT main event at the Bicycle Casino is streaming live with hole cards starting at 3:30 PM pacific. Check it out below!
As the
Card Player Poker Tour Bicycle Casino Main Event heads to its final day, Amit Makhija headlines a talent-filled final table that includes 2012
WPT Legends of Poker Main Event Champion Josh Hale.
Makhija has just shy of $2.9 million in live tournament earnings and is looking to add a
CPPT title to his already impressive resume.
The penultimate day of the event saw 107 players come back on day 2
after putting up the $1,100 buy-in and surviving one of the first three
starting days. There were an additional 56 players who were able to buy
into the event at the start of Day 2 for $4,000 thanks to the Quantum
Reload structure that the Bicycle Casino uses.
The 56 players who exercised the Quantum reload brought the total
field size to 527 and added over $200,000 to the prizepool, bringing the
total amount to just over $663,000 and a first place prize of $175,786.
Adam Volen
At
the moment, Adam Volen is in the best shape to earn the lion’s share of
the prizepool with 4.03 million, but Cody Shedd and Zaher Samaan are
right on his heels with 3.88 million and 3.415 million, respectively.
Josh Hale, John Apikian, Shan Jing and Makhija are in the middle of the
pack, with Tim Cramer and Doug Suyemoto rounding out the bottom of the
final table’s chip counts.
While there are only nine left in contention for a
CPPT title, the day started with 163 players looking to find a way into the top 54 spots to earn a min-cash of at least $2,720.
There field was full of firepower and top pros, but not everybody was
lucky enough to survive the day. Chris DeMaci, Jordan Cristos, Matt
Salsberg, Garrett Greer, Owen Crowe and Barry Shulman were just a few of
the top pros who were unable to survive past the money bubble.
Allyn Shulman on the other hand, made another deep run in a
CPPT
Main Event and extends her lead as the all-time earnings leader. She
finished in 17th place for $5,770 to bring her career total to $310,059
on the tour.
The money bubble burst halfway through the day without any
hand-for-hand action. One the same hand, with 56 players remaining,
three players were eliminated. John Simonian, Mike Katz and Derrick
Mokedi all split 54th place prize money and took home $906 each.
Once the money bubble burst, the eliminations piled up as the day
went on. Melissa Burr, Cord Garcia, Nipun Java, Bart Hanson, actress
Sasha Barrese, former Novemer Niner Soi Nguyen, recent
WPT Legends of Poker Champion Harry Arutyunyan also earned a cash in the event.
World Series of Poker
bracelet winner Marco Johnson just missed out on making this one of the
most star-studded final tables in the tour’s history, finishing just
one spot shy of the final table.
The final nine players will return to the Bicycle Casino on Wednesday
afternoon where there will be a live stream of the final table with
hole cards revealed on a half hour delay. Cards will get in the air at 3
pm and
Card Player will provide complete coverage of the final table action.
Final Table Chip Counts
| Rank |
Player |
Chip Count |
| 1 |
Adam Volen |
4,030,000 |
| 2 |
Cody Shedd |
3,880,000 |
| 3 |
Zaher Samaan |
3,415,000 |
| 4 |
Josh Hale |
3,380,000 |
| 5 |
John Apikian |
2,035,000 |
| 6 |
Shan Jing |
1,675,000 |
| 7 |
AmitMakhija |
1,550,000 |
| 8 |
Tim Cramer |
820,000 |
| 9 |
Doug Suyemoto |
730,000 |
Tim Cramer Eliminated in 9th Place ($11,610)
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 3:49 PM
Tim Cramer
Tim Cramer moved all-in for 793,000 from the hijack and Adam Volen called from the cutoff.
The buttons and blinds released and we had the first final table showdown.
Cramer showed K
J
and needed to improve to beat Volen’s A
Q
.
The board ran 5
7
4
8
Q
and the final table shrank. Volen’s stack grew to 3.2 million while Cramer won $11,610.
Suyemoto Doubles Through Volen
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 4:03 PM
Doug Suyemoto
Adam Volen raised to 115,000 from under-the-gun and Douglas Suyemoto moved all-in from the cutoff for 651,000.
Volen called and showed 8
8
and Suyemoto was in tough shape with 7
7
.
But salvation came in the form of a set for Suyemoto when the board fell J
9
7
4
Q
.
Suyemoto doubled to about 1.3 million while Volen was left with 4.2 million.
Josh Hale Takes Down A Big One Without Showdown
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 4:09 PM
Josh Hale
Josh Hale picked up the 9
9
and raised to 135,000 and Cody Shedd flat called with the A
K
. Amit Makhija folded pocket threes and Doug Suyemoto reraised to 450,000 A
K
.
Hale went into the tank but eventually decided to reraise to 1,000,000.
Shedd now had a tough decision, eventually deciding to fold. The same
went for Suyemoto, who also eventually found a fold, giving Hale a huge
pot preflop without showdown.
Amit Makhija Doubles Through Cody Shedd
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 4:19 PM
Amit Makhija
Shan
Jing raised and Amit Makhija moved all in for 1.1 million action folded
to Cody Shedd, who moved all in over the top for just over 3 million.
Jing folded and the cards were turned up. Makhija tabled A
Q
and was in good shape to double up against Shedd’s A
J
. The board ran out Q
10
2
7
7
and Makhija doubled up to 2.4 million while Shedd slid to roughly the same stack.
John Apikian Eliminated in 8th Place ($15,455)
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 4:50 PM
John Apikian
Shan
Jing raised to 135,000 from early position and was three-bet by Amit
Makhija to 300,000. Action folded to John Apikian on the button, who
moved all in. Action folded back to Jing who went into the tank for
several minutes before pushing his hand into the muck.
Makhija quickly called and showed K
K
and is in the lead against Apikian’s A
J
. The dealer fanned a board of Q
8
4
9
J
and Apikian was eliminated in 8th place. He takes home over $15,000 for
his final table appearance. Makhija climbs to 3.7 million in chips as
the table shortens to seven handed play.
Chip Counts At The Break
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 4:57 PM
The remaining seven players are now on a ten minute break. Here is a look at their chip counts:
| Rank |
Player |
Chip Count |
| 1 |
Josh Hale |
6,210,000 |
| 2 |
Adam Volen |
3,650,000 |
| 3 |
Amit Makhija |
3,615,000 |
| 4 |
Cody Shedd |
3,155,000 |
| 5 |
Shan Jing |
2,240,000 |
| 6 |
Zaher Samaan |
2,090,000 |
| 7 |
Doug Suyemoto |
640,000 |
| 8 |
John Apikian |
$15,455 |
| 9 |
Tim Cramer |
$11,610 | | |
|
Play Resumes With Seven Players
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 5:06 PM
The players are back with increased blinds of 40,000 – 80,000 with an ante of 10,000.
Cody Shedd Eliminated in 7th Place ($19,900)
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 5:15 PM
Cody Shedd
Cody Shedd raised to 185,000 from the hijack and Amit Makhija re-raised to 460,000 from the big blind.
Shedd moved all-in for 3.1 million and Makhija quickly called.
Shedd showed A
K
and was flipping for his tournament life against Makhija’s J
J
.
The 8
J
4
flop left few outs for Shedd and he stood up from his chair and grabbed his jacket.
By the time the 8
fell on the river, Shedd had already left the tournament area.
Makhija chipped up to 6.9 million while Shedd finished 7th and earned $19,900.
A Pair of Big Pairs
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 5:33 PM
When big pairs clash preflop, they’re often hard to fold. In this case though, Amit Makhija was able to let his pocket jacks go.
Adam Volen raised to 205,000 from under-the-gun with K
K
and Zaher Samaan called from the hijack with A
10
..
Makhija was on the button re-raised to 610,000 with J
J
.
Volen moved all-in for 4.2 million, Samaan folded and Makhija tanked.
Makhija thought, looked at his jacks and thought some more.
Eventually, Makhija decided to let his hand go and Volen took the pot.
Volen’s stack rose to 5.2 million while Makhija got away with 6 million still in his stack.
Douglas Suyemoto Eliminated in 6th Place ($25,535)
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 5:34 PM
Douglas Suyemoto
Douglas Suyemoto moved all in for 300,000 and is called by Adam Volen from the big blind. Suyemoto tabled J
5
and is ahead of Volen’s 8
3
.
The flop was J
10
7
and while Suyemoto paired his jack, Volen picked up a straight draw. The 9
fell on the turn which left Suyemoto drawing dead as Volen hit his straight. The river was an irrelevant K
and Suyemoto was eliminated in sixth place as Volen chipped up to 5.2 million.
Shan Jing Doubles Up
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 5:44 PM
Shan Jing
Shan Jing raised to 200,000 and Josh Hale reraised to 410,000. Jing then clicked it back to Hale, making it 620,000.
After a flop of K
Q
3
Hale checked and Jing then all-in for 1.5 million and Hale called.
The turn brought the 10
and the river the 10
to secure a big double up for Jing, who increased his stack to 4.4 million. Hale fell to 3.9 million after the hand.
Raise The Stakes!
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 6:06 PM
The blinds have been raised to 50,000 – 100,000 with an ante of 10,000.
Zaher Samaan Doubles Through Shan Jing
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 6:36 PM
Zaher Samaar
Josh
Hale raised to 200,000 under-the-gun before Zaher Samaan moved all in
for 1.3 million from the button. Shan Jing was next to act in the small
blind and went into the tank. After a few moments in the tank, Jing
re-shoved all in for 5.8 million. Hale quickly mucked his hand and the
cards were turned up.
Samaan tabled A
10
and needed to find an ace against Samaan’s K
K
. The flop was A
6
5
and Samaan vaulted into the lead. The turn was the J
and the river was the 8
to give Samaan a double up.
Samaan doubles up to 2.9 million while Jing slid to 4.5 million.
Chip Counts At The Second Break
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 6:52 PM
| Rank |
Player |
Chip Count |
| 1 |
Amit Makhija |
5,800,000 |
| 2 |
Adam Volen |
5,510,000 |
| 3 |
Zaher Samaan |
4,060,000 |
| 4 |
Shan Jing |
3,460,000 |
| 5 |
Josh Hale |
2,660,000 |
| 6 |
Zaher Samaan |
$25,535) |
| 7 |
Doug Suyemoto |
19,900 |
| 8 |
John Apikian |
15,455 |
| 9 |
Tim Cramer |
$11,610 |
Adam Has Aces
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 7:23 PM
Adam Volen
Adam Volen picked up the A
A
and raised to 275,000.
He got called by Shan Jing with the 10
9
and Josh Hale with the 9
8
.
The flop brought the 7
7
7
and all players checked.
The turn brought the 9
giving both Jing and Hale a lower full house than Volen.
Volen checked to Jing, who also checked. Hale bet 325,000 and both opponents called.
The river brought the K
and Volen bet 1,000,000. Jing went into the tank for quite a while
before eventually folding. Hale made the call only to get the bad news.
With that Volen secured a huge pot, taking the chip lead.
Hale Rockets to a Double
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 7:45 PM
Josh Hale
Adam Volen raised to 255,000 and Josh Hale moved all-in for 1.1 million. Volen called with 8
8
but Hale was in the lead with had A
A
.
Hale was in the lead and improved to a set when the board ran A
7
4
3
6
.
Hale doubled to about 2.3 million and his chances at the title stayed alive.
Blinds Up!
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 8:22 PM
Blinds have increased to 75,000 – 150,000 with an ante of 25,000.
Josh Hale Eliminated in 5th Place ($32,765)
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 8:31 PM
Josh Hale
Josh
Hale moved all-in for 1.5 million from the button and Zaher Samaan
tanked from the big blind. A while later, Samaan counted out the chips
for a call. Then, after a few more minutes of thought, Samaan called.
Hale turned over A
5
and Samaan had him dominated with A
10
.
The board ran 6
K
6
6
K
and players chopped the pot.
The following hand, Hale moved all-in again for 1.6 million. This time Shan Jing called instantly from the big blind.
Hale had J
10
and Jing showed A
K
.
The 2
10
3
flop put Hale in the lead but then an A
came on the turn to give Jing a pair of aces.
A 7
completed the board and the final table shrank for the first time in nearly two-and-a-half hours.
Hale was eliminated in 5th place and won $32,765.
Chip Counts After Hale's Elimiantion
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 8:39 PM
| Rank |
Player |
Chip Count/Payout($) |
| 1 |
Shan Jing |
7,150,000 |
| 2 |
Amit Makhija |
5,500,000 |
| 3 |
Adam Volen |
4,750,000 |
| 4 |
Zaher Samaan |
4,400,000 |
| 5 |
Josh Hale |
$32,765 |
| 6 |
Zaher Samaan |
$25,535 |
| 7 |
Doug Suyemoto |
$19,900 |
| 8 |
John Apikian |
$15,455 |
| 9 |
Tim Cramer |
$11,610 |
Shan Jing Wins A Big One
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 8:55 PM
Shan Jing
From under the gun Zaher Samaan raised to 325,000 with the 10
8
.
On his left Shan Jing reraised to 1,000,000 with the A
5
.
After plenty of deliberation Samaan made the call and the two saw a flop of A
10
7
.
Samaan checked and Jing bet 1,200,000. Samaan tanked for quite a
while before making the call, leaving himself with only 2.2 million
behind.
The turn brought the 7
and Samaan again checked. Jing checked back and the river brought the 6
.
Samaan again went into the tank but eventually checked again. Jign checked behind and revealed his hand to take the huge pot.
Adam Volen Eliminated in 4th Place ($43,115)
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 9:20 PM
Adam Volen
Adam
Volen raised to 400,000 from under-the-gun and action folded to Amit
Makhija in the big blind. Makhija took a few moments before moving all
in for effectively Volen’s 2.6 million chip stack. Volen quickly called
and it was off to the races for Volen’s tournament life.
Volen tabled 9
9
and was flipping against Makhija rolled over Q
J
. The flop was J
4
2
and Makhija took the lead. The turn was the J
and Volen was still looking for a nine. The river was the 6
and Volen was eliminated in third place as Makhija chipped up to just over 10 million in chips.
Chip Counts At The Break
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 9:33 PM
| Rank |
Player |
Chip Count |
| 1 |
Shan Jing |
11,100,000 |
| 2 |
Amit Makhija |
8,885,000 |
| 3 |
Zaher Samaan |
1,650,000 |
| 4 |
Adam Volen |
$43,115 |
| 5 |
Josh Hale |
$32,765 |
| 6 |
Zaher Samaan |
$25,535 |
| 7 |
Doug Suyemoto |
$19,900 |
| 8 |
John Apikian |
$15,455 |
| 9 |
Tim Cramer |
$11,610 |
Zaher Samaan Eliminated in 3rd Place ($56,510)
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 9:48 PM
Zaher Samaan
Amit
Makhija raised to 425,000 from the button and Zaher Samaan moved all in
for 1.9 million from the small blind. Shan Jing took some time in the
tank before folding from the big blind and Makhija called.
Makhija was behind with his Q
J
against Samaan’s A
7
. The flop and turn kept Samaan in the lead as the dealer peeled off a board of K
5
3
5
, but the J
fell on the river and Makhija made the best hand to scoop the pot.
Samaan was eliminated to leave Makhija heads-up with Jing for the title.
Heads-Up Chip Counts
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 9:56 PM
Here are a look at the chip counts at the start of heads-up play.
Amit Makhija – 13 million
Shan Jing – 8.5 million
Shan Jing Hits Gin To Double
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 10:30 PM
Shan Jing
Amit
Makhija had quickly stretched the chip lead he began heads-up play
with, and Jing was getting quite short by the time this key pot arose.
Jing called from the button with the J
7
and Makhija raised his option to 300,000 with the K
2
. Jing called and he flop brought the K
9
7
. Makhija bet 500,000 and Jing called.
The turn was the 10
and Makhija bet enough to put Jing all-in, and after some thought Jing made the call.
Makhija was a big favorite to take down the pot and secure the title
with his pair of kings against Jing’s pair of sevens, but the J
on the river had other plans.
With two pair Jing earned a double up to stay alive, increasing his stack to around 7 million.
Price of Poker Rising
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 10:36 PM
The blinds have been increased to 125,000/250,000 with a 25,000 ante.
Shan "Pacman" Jing Wins CPPT Bicycle Main Event
Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 14, 11:30 PM
Shan Jing
Shan “Pacman” Jing has won the
CPPT Bicycle Casino main event and $135,981.
Jing, who’s known as Pacman in the L.A. poker scene, is a regular in
card rooms across California. Aside from a few cashes in Las Vegas, the
vast majority of Pacman’s $632,489 live tournament earnings come from
tournaments in or around L.A..
Before today, Pacman’s largest cash came from winning the 2007
Winnin’ o’ the Green $1,500 main event for $72,600. Now Pacman gets to
add another L.A. victory title to his resume along with his first
six-figure score.
Pacman’s score was the largest of the $663,000 prize pool had to
offer. The prize pool far surpassed the $500,000 estimated guarantee
thanks to 527 entrants, 56 of whom bought in on day 2 through the
Quantum Rebuy option.
Pacman’s road to victory involved two lengthy days followed by a shorter final table.
The final nine players convened today at 4pm to play down to a winner
and quickly got down to five players. Then play stalled a bit and the
final five players battled for two-and-a-half hours.
After we lost our 5th place finisher, Amit Makhija quickly eliminated two more players and got heads-up with the chip lead.
Pacman then doubled up up early on though and when the final two
players went on break, Pacman was up to 12.8 million to Makhija’s 8.8
million.
That’s when players decided to end things.
Makhija and Pacman decided on a nearly even chop (Makhija got $135,980 to Pacman’s $135,981) and a flip for the title.
Initially, players wanted to draw a high card but decided on a final
hand instead. Pacman got dealt pocket fours while Makhija got ace-nine.
A flip ensued and pocket fours held up.
Makhija finished 2nd while Shan Jing became the
CPPT Bicycle Casino main event champion.
Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded in this event:
| Place |
Player |
Earnings (USD) |
POY Points |
| 1 |
Shan Jing |
$135,981 |
840 |
| 2 |
Amit Makhija |
$135,980 |
700 |
| 3 |
Zaher Samaan |
$56,510 |
560 |
| 4 |
Adam Volen |
$43,115 |
420 |
| 5 |
Joshua Hale |
$35,765 |
350 |
| 6 |
Douglas Suyemoto |
$25,535 |
280 |
| 7 |
Cody Shedd |
$19,900 |
210 |
| 8 |
John Apikian |
$15,455 |
140 |
| 9 |
Tim Cramer |
$11,610 |
70 |
