20K (SHR) - 8 HANDED ($20,000)

The Lord Poker Tournament $20,000 Super High Roller broke its guaranteed $500K prize pool just before the end of level 10 and added some more until late registration closed which got the total entries to 32, resulting in a $640,000 prize pool with $242,000 going to the champion. Eleven players are left standing that will try to make it into the 5 ITM spots for at least $60,000.

Yesterday's SHR Main Event Winner Stephen Song came out on top with 1,315,000 (110BB) Being one of the 11 early birds, he came out of the gates swinging, delivering the first knockout of the day against Ivan Zhang with A♠ A♦ versus Zhang's Q♦ 8♦ in level 1 and axed Dong Chen in level 3 with a 6♦ 7♦ flush on J♦ 2♦ J♠ 3♦ Q♠ when Chen had top pair with the nut blocker A♦ Q♣ that had him sit on a whopping 442BBs at the time. He gave a great summary of his run in the interview right after.

I mean right from the start, I ran really good. I won a nice pot and was able to stack Ivan with aces, which was really good, so i had like 400K right away and then before i knew it stacked Dong Chen who is a really good player too, that got me to 6-700K instantly and then the rest of day I was kind of just cruising a little bit. I took a little bit of hit when i lost jacks - it was for a pretty big pot - but right after i sucked out with eight's vs jacks, like instantly right after and then i had it back. Once i moved to the feature table I started running really good so yeah it was a pretty easy day overall.

James Mendoza - last night's SHR Main Event runner-up for $450,000 - is chasing Stephen Song once again, bagging 1,180,000 (98BB) in second place.

Carrying the torch for the ladies is Yisha Chen - 2024 Triton Montenegro Main Event 9th place finisher for $478,000 - who ended the day in 3rd with 1,100,000 (92BB).

Day 2 will commence at 13:00 on Tuesday the 20th in level 13 and finish when a champion has emerged.

The SMP Live Updates will cover the action from start to finish.

Two hands after, Dominik Nitsche opens 30,000 from the cutoff, James Mendoza ups it to 80,000 with Nitsche snap calling and exposing his hand Q♣ T♠ , because he thought Mendoza was all-in.

Mendoza's 75,000 c-bet gets called on the flop J♠ 5♠ 2♠ before another 75,000 gets Nitsche to make a correct fold with his flush when Mendoza showed K♠ Q♦ for a higher flush.

First to act James Mendoza min-raises and takes two customers to the flop 9♥ Q♣ J♣ that gets checked to the T♠ turn. Mendoza's 40,000 delayed c-bet gets filled by Taylor Black in +2 for a heads-up T♦ river. Back to a check, Mendoza folds to Black's 120,000 bet.

With the guaranteed prize pool of $500,000 breached to $640,000 we have 16 out of 32 entries still in the running and late registration is closed. Play will conclude at the end of level 12 today.

Cates' double up is made official when the dealer completes the board J♠ .

Cutoff Taylor Black opens 13,000 and takes two interested parties to the flop 2♣ 9♣ K♦ that gets checked to button Dan Cates who makes it 15,000, Dominik Nitsche folds T♣ 9♥ from the big blind and Cates takes it down with a 35,000 check-raise holding A♣ 3♣ .

Dominik Nitsche limps from +1 with A♥ 6♥ and fills up after small blind Dan Cates upped it to 20,000 with A♣ J♠ to see the flop 7♣ 7♠ T♥ . Cates' 15,000 c-bet gets called before his 25,000 second barrel gets the job done on the 2♣ turn.

The board completes 8♦ Q♠ keeping Mendoza ahead for a much needed double up.

First to act Gary Thompson leads the way with a raise to 5,500 and takes both blinds to the 4♥ 4♦ 2♣ flop. His 6,000 c-bet gets called by small blind Dominik Nitsche before the 5♣ turn is checked to the 6♦ river. A small 8,000 lead from Nitsche is enough to get Thompson to fold.

Button Dominik Nitsche makes it 8,500 and fills up after small blind James Mendoza pumped it to 27,000. Nitsche calls an 8,000 c-bet on the 3♣ 6♥ A♦ flop before betting 27,000 on the 7♦ turn. Mendoza check-calls and does so again on the K♦ river with the aid of two time banks after Nitsche forked out another 75,000 with A♣ Q♣ . Mendoza mucks and is left with crumbs.

Looking at three limps in front of him, Marius Gierse pumps it to 11,000and only initial limper Dominik Nitsche pays up to see the 8♠ A♣ A♦ flop. Gierse double barrels 6,000 and 18,000 on the turn Q♣ with T♦ 9♦ where he gets Nitsche off of his pocket fives.