NCPO main event – Heads up – Japan vs New Caledonia – we have a champion !

Let the battle begin, Mitsohiro will take a 2:1 chip lead into the heads up battle with 2,445,000 to Daniel Gillies 1,245,000 chip stack. The current blind level calls for 10,000-30,000-60,000 – there is only 60 big blinds between them so i don’t expect this will take long – whichever way it falls!

Hand no.1

Mitsuhiro folds – Dan takes blinds and antes

Hand no.2

Mitsuhiro raises to 175,000 – Daniel folds

Mitsuhiro shows Kx 10x

Hand no.3

Daniel folds from small blind

Mitsuhiro shows A X

Hand no.4

Mitsuhiro folds from small blind

Daniel shows A X

Hand no.5

Daniel calls from small blind for 50,000

Mitsuhiro raises to 175,000

Daniel folds

Hand no.6

Mitsuhiro raises to 175,000

Daniel calls

Flop Ad 6c As

check – check

Turn 5s

check-check

River Qh

check-check – showdown

Mitsuhiro shows KxQx for a pair of queens

Daniel shows 6x8x for a pair of sixes

I don’t like the soft action here by Daniel, some pressure on the flop or turn could have seen him take down this pot.

Hand no.7

There is a call from the small blind and checked option

Flop 5h Jc 7h

Daniel bets 125,000

Mitsuhiro re-raises to 325,000

Daniel folds

Mitsuhiro tables Jx5x for top and bottom pair

Hand no.8

Mitsuhiro calls from the small blind

Daniel checks his option

Flop 2d 4h 6c

check-check

Turn 9h

check-check

River 3c

check-check-showdown

Daniel shows 7h 4c for a pair of fours

Mitsuhiro shows 8x 7x – still drawing

Hand no.9

Daniel raises to 225,000 – effectively committing to this hand

Mitsuhiro re-raises all-in

Daniel make the call

Mitsuhiro 8h 8c

Daniel As 7h

Flop 4d 5d 8d

Yahtzee!!! for Mitsuhiro who has flopped a set of eights! Daniel holds a seven so has straight potential with any 6

Turn 3c

Daniel picks up more outs with a double belly buster straight draws – any 2 for the wheel and any 6 for the bigger straight

River 4s

The four repeats and that is it – Mitsuhiro is the new NCPO main event champion until we meet again next year.

What an absolute legendary run this man has had through the main event, he played and led day 1b as the overall chip leader across both flights into day 2. At the conclusion of day 2 he was still on top of the chip lead going into the final table today and whilst the chip lead may have swung once during the day – it took about one hand to take the commanding lead again!