Another PokerStars Triumph for Stephen Song; EPT Champ Wins NAPT $25K SHR

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Nov 07, 2024 4 min read

Action has concluded in the $25,000 Super High Roller here at the PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) hosted by Resorts World Las Vegas. Stephen Song emerged victorious, dominating his way atop the podium to earn an impressive $439,400 payday.

Song continues to excel at PokerStars events this year, as this victory comes on the heels of an even bigger one just a couple of months ago when he took down the 2024 EPT Barcelona €5,300 Main Event for €1,290,386. In between, Song added a cash in the 2024 EPT Cyprus $5,300 Main Event last month.

The star-studded field in Las Vegas attracted 60 entries, with only eight players capturing a piece of the $1,440,600 prize pool. Song entered the final table as the overwhelming chip leader and was able to close it out, defeating Sean Winter in a back-and-forth heads-up battle to claim the coveted PokerStars trophy. Winter earned a respectable $288,100 for his runner-up finish.

$25,000 Super High Roller Final Table Results

Winner's Reaction

PokerNews caught up with Song after the win to ask him how he was feeling after topping such a tough field of competitors. "I mean, it feels really good to win a tournament. It's a tough field, too. I had to battle some of the best players in the country or even the world, so yeah, it felt really good."

When asked if there were any turning point hands or key moments, Song explained "Sean's super tough and that heads-up was grueling, it swung back-and-forth. It really all came down to that king-eight ballsy call I made. It's a tournament, so anything can happen, I'm just grateful that it worked out perfectly."

Day 3 Action

Song entered the final day of action with a massive chip lead over his three opponents, holding more than half of the chips in play. He began his ascent to the top of the leaderboard on Day 2 when he found himself in the dream spot with pocket aces right before the final table. He then went on to knock out Paul Jager in eighth and Thomas Eychenne in sixth before the night's end to propel himself even further.

The first casualty of Day 3 was James Collopy, who was in a great position to double up when he got it all in preflop with ace-queen versus Song's ace-four. Song found a four on the turn and showed no signs of slowing down early in the day.

Once three-handed play began, Winter became the clear short stack, dwindling to just two big blinds at one point. He started his comeback with two back-to-back double ups, and for over a full level, it was Winter applying the pressure and winning pot after pot. Winter then found another timely double up against Song and in doing so, overtook Edward Sebesta for second place in the counts.

Song's next victim was Sebesta, who got it all in preflop with ace-king against Song's pocket tens, in a classic coin flip situation. Song's pair proved best, as Sebesta couldn't find an ace or a king to stay alive. Sebesta's impressive tournament run earned him a third-place finish and the respect of veteran players alike.

Heads-Up Play

Song began heads-up play with a two-to-one chip lead, but his advantage didn't mean smooth sailing as Winter continued his comeback story. Winter began applying the pressure, winning several small and medium-sized pots to chip up and close the gap. He went on to take the lead in a hand where Song overbet the river, and Winter picked off the bluff, tabling trip aces to best Song's nine-high.

Once Winter pulled ahead, it almost seemed destined that his "chip and a chair" moment would come to fruition, having been left on fumes just a few levels prior. Winter even turned the tables at one point where he was the one holding the two-to-one lead after moving all in on the river in a sizable pot where Song ended up surrendering his hand.

Over the next couple of levels, Song and Winter exchanged jabs, with the chip lead changing hands numerous times in back-and-forth action. The key turning point in the match took place in a hand where Song made a big hero call on the river holding top pair with four cards to a straight on the board.

Although Song held over 12 million of the 15 million chips in play, Winter showed he wasn't going out without a fight. He won several hands in a row and even found a double up with ace-three against Song's queen-jack to stay alive. Not long after, Winter found himself short once again and ultimately got it all in preflop with queen-five suited against Song's ace-nine. Song's ace-nine held in what proved to be the final hand of play, earning him the prestigious win.

When asked if he had any plans to celebrate and what's next for the future, Song mentioned, "Not really, probably just hop in the main at some point. After this NAPT series, I'm going to take some time off until Florida WPT, and then, probably, since I'm right there, I'll just shoot over to The Bahamas. My family is in Florida, too, and then I'll see them for Christmas right after. It kind of works out perfectly."

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