It takes several crucial components to make a riveting final table. Let's break them down.
The chip leader
That title goes to India's Raghav Bansal. He emerged as an early frontrunner yesterday, before letting the lead go to Dan Smith. A late resurgence took him back to the top of the counts.
With more than $400K in live earnings, Bansal is no stranger to big final tables. He had a runner-up result in the Macau Poker Cup for $137,587 in February this year.
The new level kicked off with big action, as Dan Smith raised to 45,000 from under the gun. Raghav Bansal three-bet to 113,000 in the small blind and Sosia Jiang then let the clock run down to one second before announcing a reraise. More than five seconds later she then squeezed to 350,000 and Smith asked for the three-bet size of Bansal, then crossed the hands behind the head.
Smith ultimately folded and Bansal also got out of the way, while Jiang had to forfeit one time bank chip.
One hand later, Sergey Lebedev raised to 45,000 on the button and Jiang three-bet to 125,000 in the small blind. Smith shoved out of the big blind and scooped the pot.
Raghav Bansal raised to 36,000 from under the gun and Dan Smith called in the cutoff. On the flop, Bansal continued for 38,000 and Smith called before the turn saw another bet worth 86,000 by Bansal. Smith called and the on the river then triggered a third barrel worth 156,000 by Bansal.
Smith gave it a long thought and folded, then said "you have the ace high flush." Bansal flashed the .
Hand 2
Sosia Jiang raised to 35,000 from under the gun and Smith as well as Bansal in the big blind called. The flop came and the action checked to Smith, who bet 90,000. Bansal quickly folded, but Jiang called.
On the turn, Jiang checked again and Smith bet 165,000. Jiang let the clock run down to just a few seconds and moved all in, Smith asked for a count. The shove was for 391,000 in total and Smith tossed in the additional chips.
Sosia Jiang:
Dan Smith:
Jiang was looking for a spade or a straight card in order to double, and the river did exactly that to let the last woman standing double.
The final table is quickly becoming the Troy Quennville show and the Canadian has just taken yet another pot down, this time off former front runner Raghav Bansal.
Pre-flop it was Bansal who opened the action from middle position with a raise to 36,000 only to see Quenneville re-pop to 73,000 from the button. The Indian player thought it over and tossed in the call to take play heads-up to the flop, which Bansal checked in the dark before the cards were even spread.
Quenneville thought it over before firing for 86,000 and Bansal did not take too long to make the call, bringing the action to the turn.
Bansal checked again and Quenneville loaded up the second barrel, firing for 119,000. After a slightly longer visit to the tank Bansal called once more and the hit the river.
That was it for the betting in this particular hand, Bansal turned over but was behind to Quenneville��s and another pot is shipped the Canadian��s way.
Despite winning two side events here at the PokerStars Macau Championship for a little over US$50,000 already this week China��s Xixiang Luo could not go the distance here in the HK$103,000 High Roller and has become the first casualty of the final table.
Pre-flop it was Dan Smith who opened the action with a raise to 38,000 from the button and Troy Quenneville made the call from the small blind before Luo squeezed all-in from the big blind for 441,000 in total.
While Smith quickly folded Quenneville looked interested and asked for a count before making a quick call before the 5 allotted seconds of free time are over.
Xixiang Luo:
Troy Quenneville:
The Canadian immediately flopped top pair on the window card with the rest of the flop coming down . The turn and river gave Luo no help and first blood goes to Troy Quenneville while Luo headed to the cash desk to pick up the equivalent of US$57,560. All seven remaining High Rollers have HK$652,000 (~US$84,760) locked up for their efforts.
After two raises by Nick Petrangelo that went through without resistance, it was Ben Lai who joined the action and made it 35,000 to go. Dan Smith defended the big blind and checked in the dark, then the flop came . Lai continued for 30,000 and Smith check-raised to 100,000, which Lai called.
Both then got into a staring contest on the turn and Smith let the shot clock run down to five seconds before checking. Lai checked behind and did so again on the river. Smith turned over the and that won the pot.
Raghav Bansal faced a raise to 35,000 by Troy Quenneville in the hijack and called out of the big blind. On a flop of , Bansal checked and Quenneville continued for 45,000, which Bansal called.
After the turn, Bansal checked the second street in a row and Quenneville fired a second barrel worth 57,000 and Bansal came along.
On the river, Bansal checked and Quenneville checked behind. Bansal rolled over for a full house and that won the pot.
We have only seen two flops so far and in both hands were we did so it was Canada��s Troy Quennville who won the pot.
In the first Xixiang Luo opened the action from under-the-gun with a raise to 38,000 with Quennville making the call from the big blind.
Both players checked the rather wet flop, before Quennville took a stab for 54,000 on the turn. That was enough to get Luo to give it up and the Canadian won his first hand of the day.
Three hands later it was Quennville who was the initial aggressor, popping it up to 35,000 from the cut off. Ben Lai shot him a suspicious stare and threw in the call from the small blind, Nick Petrangelo folded the big blind and it was heads-up to a flop of .
Lai checked, Quennville bet 38,000 and the Hong Kong player quickly folded and the Canadian won another.
flop, Bansal continued for 38,000 and Smith called before the 
turn saw another bet worth 86,000 by Bansal. Smith called and the 
on the river then triggered a third barrel worth 156,000 by Bansal.
.
and the action checked to Smith, who bet 90,000. Bansal quickly folded, but Jiang called.
turn, Jiang checked again and Smith bet 165,000. Jiang let the clock run down to just a few seconds and moved all in, Smith asked for a count. The shove was for 391,000 in total and Smith tossed in the additional chips.
river did exactly that to let the last woman standing double.
turn.
hit the river. 
but was behind to Quenneville��s 
and another pot is shipped the Canadian��s way.
. The 
turn and 
river gave Luo no help and first blood goes to Troy Quenneville while Luo headed to the cash desk to pick up the equivalent of US$57,560. All seven remaining High Rollers have HK$652,000 (~US$84,760) locked up for their efforts.
. Lai continued for 30,000 and Smith check-raised to 100,000, which Lai called.
turn and Smith let the shot clock run down to five seconds before checking. Lai checked behind and did so again on the 
and that won the pot.
, Bansal checked and Quenneville continued for 45,000, which Bansal called.
turn, Bansal checked the second street in a row and Quenneville fired a second barrel worth 57,000 and Bansal came along.
river, Bansal checked and Quenneville checked behind. Bansal rolled over 
for a full house and that won the pot.
flop, before Quennville took a stab for 54,000 on the 
