Michael Liang Wins 2024 Lodge Championship Series Main Event

The 2024 Lodge Championship Sequence $2,000,000 assured $3,000 buy-in no-limit maintain’em important occasion is within the books, with Michael Liang capturing the title and the highest prize of $428,000.

This was the third-largest rating of Liang’s profession, trailing solely the $606,890 he earned because the runner-up within the 2021 World Poker Tour Venetian important occasion and the $515,014 he scored for a second-place displaying in a $25,000 excessive curler on the 2021 World Sequence of Poker. He now has greater than $3.1 million in profession event earnings to his identify.

Along with the cash and the {hardware}, Liang was additionally awarded 1,260 Card Participant Participant of the Yr factors for popping out on high on this occasion. With 1,500 whole factors, he now sits in 83rd place within the 2024 POY race standings offered by World Poker.

This occasion drew 581 entries, leading to a $416,775 overlay. The highest 63 finishers made the cash, with a min-cash value $7,600. The ultimate day started with 13 gamers nonetheless in competition, with Liang tied for third place within the chip counts and bracelet winner Nicholas Pupillo out in entrance.

Pupillo had pulled even additional forward of the remainder of the pack by the point the ultimate desk was set. The primary knockout noticed WPT champion Ryan Van Sanford lose a preflop race in opposition to Eitan Sternlicht to complete ninth ($36,000). He then gained one other preflop all-in showdown, along with his pocket nines turning a straight in opposition to the pocket queens of Ebony Kenney (eighth – $47,000).

2023 Lodge Championship Sequence important occasion winner Preston Duron made a powerful run at defending his title, however finally bowed out in seventh place ($62,000) when his 6-4 suited was unable to finest the 7-6 of Pupillo.

Andrew Ostapchenko then acquired all-in with Q-J going through Pupillo’s A-10. Neither participant improved on a king-high runout and Ostapchenko was despatched packing in sixth place ($82,000). With that, the ultimate 5 all ensured themselves a six-figure payday.

Casey Diener’s closing stand got here with A10 going through A-Q suited to Liang, who was the second-shortest stack on the time. Liang flopped aces up and held from there to remove Diener in fifth place ($109,000).

Liang misplaced a giant all-in throughout four-handed play that left him with only a few huge blinds remaining. He managed a pair double-ups to get out of the hazard zone, although. Justin Carey (4th – $145,000) was finally the subsequent to fall, along with his pocket sevens dropping a rae in opposition to Pupillo’s A-Okay suited. Pupillo made aces and kings by the river to attain the knockout, extending his already sizable lead.

Sternlicht referred to as off the final of his stack with A-4 in a battle of the blinds in opposition to Liang, who had shoved from the small blind with pocket kings. The large pair held up and Sternlicht completed third for $197,000.

Heads-up play started with Pupillo holding 18,640,000 to Liang’s 10,380,000. Liang almost pulled even after profitable a wholesome pot with the turned nut flush in opposition to Pupillo’s second-nut flush. Liang had overtaken the lead and constructed a large lead of his personal in time for the ultimate hand of the event. Liang raised to 1,000,000 from the button with A8. Pupillo three-bet shoved for 7,350,000 with Okay5. Liang made the decision and the board ran out 107298 to earn him the pot and the title. Pupillo earned $277,200 because the runner-up, rising his lifetime whole to greater than $5.8 million.