The Asian Poker Tour recently just came through Macau, China for it’s 2010 stop on the circuit. Not an impressive story by any means. The impressive part were Macau’s cash games, which saw some of the world’s premier high stakes players, including Phil Ivey, Tom “durrr” Dwan, John Juanda, and Chau Giang, battling for their share of the endless wealth of the local Chinese businessmen.
First reported by world renowned tournament director Matt Savage, the action has been chronicled on the Two Plus Two Poker Forum and is the stuff of legend, giving new definition to the words “big game”. Forum user “Stella Yeh”, who was confirmed to be the Marketing Director at the Poker King Club card room at the StarWorld Casino (home to a significant portion of the epic sessions), submitted the following post:
“Last night all the regular high roller Chinese guys were playing..along with World Champion Chau Giang. (Durr and Phil were taking a nap and getting some rest)
How it went down:
Blinds: $10,000, $20,000HKD blinds, $10,000 Ante/person
There was a straddle of $40,000 HKD.
Chinese guy: bumps it up to $100,000HKD (with Ace, Jack)
Chau Giang: raises to $500,000HKD (with Ace, Ace)
Chinese guy: calls ….(everyone else folds) it’s now heads up
Flop comes out: J, J, 10
Chau Giang: Checks (two pair, aces and jacks)
Chinese guy: bets $1.2 million (with trip Jack’s, ace kicker)
Chau Giang: Calls
Turn: Ace ( WOW, Chau Giang has now made a Full house Aces over Jacks….While Chinese Guy has Full house Jacks over Aces)
Chau Giang: first to act ….Checks!
Chinese guy: pushes All IN …around $9 Million HKD
Chau Giang: Calls
River comes a 3: Chau Giang takes down the over $20 Million HKD POT!!!!!!!”
When translated into US Dollars, the hand was worth $2.58 million, an absolutely massive pot that stands as a testament to the action that has been seen day in and day out for the past two weeks. If not the largest, it was certainly one of the most notable hands.
While the aforementioned hand lined Giang’s pockets handsomely, rumor has it that it is Dwan who was the biggest winner at the tables (see picture). Originally down over $20 million HKD, he apparently rocketed back to over $62 million HKD, roughly $7.99 million US, the end result of a 15 hour heads-up marathon session.
Play has all but ended, with Ivey headed back to the states up on his visit and with Dwan taking time away from the tables to vacation across the rest of Asia, most likely to find a prospective third world nation to purchase with his winnings.
