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.

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.

A limped blind battle leads big blind Gary Thompson to triple barrel 16,000, 29,000 and 74,000 on the board 5♥ Q♠ 6♥ 7♣ 7♠ with Stephen Song calling until the river where he lets it go.

Everything is looking peachy for Zhou when the dealer hits the felt 5♥ 7♠ 3♣ A♣ before turning pear shaped on the river 8♦ , giving Song a set that sends the AAPoker ambassador to the rail.

Yisha Chen wants 13,000 and big blind Stephen Song obliges. The board J♥ 7♣ 6♦ K♦ T♦ gets checked until Song tries to steal and puts out 20,000 with Q♥ 5♣ before surrendering the pot when Chen calls with Q♣ 9♥ , losing a time bank in the process.

Yisha Chen min-raises from the cutoff and small blind Stephen Song defends to see the flop 9♠ K♥ 4♦ with Song check-raising to 35,000 and Chen fills up her 10,000 c-bet. The T♠ turn gets rejected for a free river 3♦ where Song fires another 150,000 after using a time bank and Chen folds, losing three time banks in the process.

With a 9,000 raise and a flat in front, big blind Stephen Song puts his two opponents all-in, but they both let it go.

Big blind Stephen Song defends against an 8,000 open from Patrik Demus in +1 to lay eyes on the flop 2♦ 9♦ 4♣ where Demus continues for 13,000 before filling up Song's 35,000 check-raise and the J♥ turn drops. Song's 75,000 lead gets met, the board completes 3♣ and Song is back to a check. Demus tries his luck with a 55,000 bet in position, but snap folds after Song put him all-in with the aid of a time bank.

Under the gun Stephen Song opens 5,500 and hijack Chris Park ups it to 18,000 before big blind Calvin Lee's 50,500 cold four-bet takes it down.

Under the gun Stephen Song lays out 4,500 and big blind Calvin Lee defends to see the flop K♥ 4♣ 5♥ where Lee check-calls 8,000 before taking over the reins with a 7,000 lead on the 3♥ turn that goes unanswered.

A limped blind battle has Stephen Song triple barrel 1,500, 7,500 and 30,000 on the board 3♣ 8♥ K♠ 6♦ Q♣ which Chris Park calls all the way before mucking his hand to Song's K♦ 9♣ top pair.

When the action folds to Stephen Song in the small blind a call is announced, Dong Chen raises to 5,500 and fills up after Song three-bet to 22,500. Chen calls a 13,000 continuation on the J♦ 2♦ J♣ flop, the turn 3♦ gets checked to the Q♠ action river. Song needs a time bank before putting his opponent all-in, Chen opts to call for 173,000 after using two time banks with A♦ Q♣ and packs up when Song tables 6♦ 7♦ flush.

Hijack Stephen Song lays out 2,000 and big blind Quan Zhou defends to the flop 5♥ 3♣ 3♠ followed by a 7,000 check-raise and Song fills up his 2,000 c-bet. The turn J♣ has Zhou fire another 16,500, Song calls and the river 3♦ gets checked down to reveal Song's 9♣ 9♦ as the winner against Zhou's Q♦ 2♦ .

The river 2♣ keeps Song ahead and Action Ivan starts his trip to the registration desk.