Event 3 (Day 2)
$350+$50+$100 Black Chip Bounty Deep Stack NLH
$200,000 Guarantee Structure | Payouts
Level 34: 150,000/250,000/250,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 781
Players Remaining: 2
Average Chips: 9,700,000
Shortly before six a.m., the BC Bounty came to a close with a terrific hand played by the final two contestants.
Blake, who never trailed during the heads up and was easily in control since the massive double with nines against Lee, had turned the nut straight against his chatty and popular opponent, Jackie Liu. Being an incessant value bettor, her late street checks were often unprotected, and checking into the shove on the river by the rated tournament expert, she was very likely to only have pure bluffcatchers.
Jackie faces the big moment.
While this can work in general, a top player like Blake can take advantage of this aspect of a betting strategy by forcing far too many folds from the capped range. Jackie combatted this scenario by interpreting his range for value shoving being narrow, and was willing to make the call with second pair, a weak 
.
This time, though, he had it, crushing the brave bluffcatch from Jackie with 
for turned broadway.
A great tournament gives her a well deserved $35,795. Not only did she play great poker, she was part of the insistence on playing out the tournament and fighting for the uncompromised right to the cash and the trophy.
Jackie Liu (NY, NY)
Blake Whittington, ten bounties, the trophy, and $61,518 – what a deal.
As for Whittington, he dominated the final table not through aggression, but always seeming to end up in the right spots and to not be guessing but deciding, the sign of an experienced and sharp player. He’s no doubt a worthy champion of the Black Chip Bounty – congratulations, Blake.
$350+$50+$100 Black Chip Bounty Deep Stack NLH
$200,000 Guarantee Structure | Payouts
Level 34: 150,000/250,000/250,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 781
Players Remaining: 2
Average Chips: 9,700,000
Very quickly Blake has expanded his lead to about three to one. He’s applying more pressure than Jackie can handle at the moment.
Liu – 5.5 million
Whittington – 14 million
The all-ins fade for a moment, as perhaps Liu has gathered just enough bigs to make it dangerous for Blake to continue ripping it in.
She takes two pots in a row on the flop, moving from a nadir of 4.1 m back up to 5.3 m.
Then, another all in from Whittington, who seems to want to end it. He had refused a deal earlier but broached it again. Jackie is determined to play on.
Another flop in position for Jackie, but this time Blake does not simply go away. They see a turn on 
, which Blake now leads. Jackie takes a long time to process this unusual action, then shoves. Great decision – Blake snap folds.
A needed uptick for Jackie gets her closer to six million.
$350+$50+$100 Black Chip Bounty Deep Stack NLH
$200,000 Guarantee Structure | Payouts
Level 34: 150,000/250,000/250,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 781
Players Remaining: 2
Average Chips: 9,700,000
First, Jackie Liu completed a second double through Whittington, jamming 
and fading Blake’s 
.
It’s a big pot for Jackie, who surpasses Lee for second, with a little over 7.5 million.
The pair holds for Liu.
Whittington takes a hit, having risen as high as 12 million. However he immediately gets it back when Chris Lee in the small goes with fives for his 3.6 million over a button raise from Jackie.
Blake has the answer with nines, and gets the money in as well. Jackie folds, and Blake improves to a full house by the river. Chris, Blake, and Jackie shake hands as a long three handed battle is over.
Chris Lee takes home $21,875.
Heads up begins with Whittington holding a slight advantage of 10 million to nine million.
$350+$50+$100 Black Chip Bounty Deep Stack NLH
$200,000 Guarantee Structure | Payouts
Level 33: 100,000/200,000/200,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 781
Players Remaining: 3
Average Chips: 6,500,000
Why not shove, Blake asked, maybe just to leave yourself some in case…
With Lee on the ropes, Whittington was given the opportunity to cripple him.
Lee found a 1,500,000 bet on the river, with the board reading 
.
After several minutes of tanking and questions, Blake let it go, while Lee lets himself back into the game.
Soon afterward, left out of the action and wounded, Jackie began shoving her 20 bbs.
Surprisingly, Lee found a call from the small blind, while Blake folded. Lee turned over , in reasonable shape against Jackie’s naked ace. Despite a spectator thinking a straight had bailed out Lee, ace high held.
Jackie fades kings and jacks, as well as an imaginary straight.
Huge double for Jackie.
From the button, Blake Whittington raise , and Chris Lee defended his BB with 
.
On an eight high, two club flop the two got the money in, but Lee could not improve.
With no deal, things like this can happen – all the money goes in and the chip leader is now last.
Double for Blake, who now has the lead at over 9 million, while Lee falls to third.
Three hands later, same formation. Blake further depletes Chris by making 
work.
Estimated Chips:
Jackie Liu 5.1 m
Chris Lee 4.5 m
Blake Whittington 9.4 m
$350+$50+$100 Black Chip Bounty Deep Stack NLH
$200,000 Guarantee Structure | Payouts
End of Level 31: 60,000/120,000/120,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 781
Players Remaining: 3
Average Chips: 6,500,000
Another stack is gone. Guillermo Hamilton was midstacked throughout the night, but the hit he took from Thayer Rasmussen put him on the defensive. He got in 
versus and could not overcome a nine on the board.
Guillermo Halmilton makes $18,030 for fourth.
Exact Chip counts at break:
Jackie Liu 6.625 m
Chris Lee 8.315 m
Blake Whittington 4.815 m
Discussions for an adjusted payout are more serious now, but in the end… play on.
$350+$50+$100 Black Chip Bounty Deep Stack NLH
$200,000 Guarantee Structure | Payouts
Level 31: 60,000/120,000/120,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 781
Players Remaining: 5
Average Chips: 3,900,000
Estimated Chip counts by seat
- Guillermo Hamilton 2.2 m
- Jackie Liu 5.5m
- Chris Lee 4.2 m
- Thayer Rasmussen (bust)
- Blake Whittington 6m
Thayer Rasmussen takes 5th place money – $14,583. Well bowled.
Thayer Rasmussen got in his last 7 bigs with a pair of sixes, but Blake Whittington got there with to end a strong run and bring us to the final four.
An adjusted payout has been floated several times but objections rule so far.
$350+$50+$100 Black Chip Bounty Deep Stack NLH
$200,000 Guarantee Structure | Payouts
Level 31: 60,000/120,000/120,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 781
Players Remaining: 5
Average Chips: 3,900,000
Liu gets a cbet through two players on a drawing board, somehow.
Thayer tries to complete from the small blind to see a flop but Blake doesn’t let it go unchallenged from the big, forcing a fold with a hefty raise.
Soon after, Thayer ships his thirteen blinds with AK…
…cracking Guillermo’s KK on the turn to keep the tournament crawling along.
$350+$50+$100 Black Chip Bounty Deep Stack NLH
$200,000 Guarantee Structure | Payouts
Level 30: 50,000/100,000/100,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 781
Players Remaining: 5
Average Chips: 3,900,000
Guillermo about to get the bad news from Jackie after calling on the river with king high.
Jaana Kindsigo was cooled off by Blake Whittington, AK v AA.
Excellent run by Kindsigo for sixth place, $11,932
Aces always lighten the mood.
Estimated Chip counts by seat
- Jaana Kindsigo (busted)
- Guillermo Hamilton 4.2 m
- Jackie Liu 5.1m
- Chris Lee 3.6 m
- Thayer Rasmussen 1.3 m
- Blake Whittington 5.5 m
$350+$50+$100 Black Chip Bounty Deep Stack NLH
$200,000 Guarantee Structure | Payouts
End of Level 29: 40,000/80,000/80,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 781
Players Remaining: 6
Average Chips: 3,200,000
The last six.
Estimated Chip counts by seat
- Jaana Kindsigo 1.825 m
- Guillermo Hamilton 3.9 m
- Jackie Liu 4.2 m
- Chris Lee 3.8 m
- Thayer Rasmussen 1.4 m
- Blake Whittington 4.1 m