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.

Outflopped and left with two outs on Q♣ 2♣ T♦ 4♦ , Park gets up and ready to leave before the miracle 7♦ hits on the river.

Hijack Yisha Chen puts 21,000 in front and quickly calls after cutoff Chris Park three-bet to 55,000. Park's 40,000 c-bet gets called on the flop Q♦ 8♣ T♥ and the turn 3♠ is checked to the 3♣ river. Chen takes over the reins with a 75,000 lead and Park folds.

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.

Yisha Chen limps her small blind, Chris Park raises to 28,000 and calls after Chen pumped it to 100,000. Chen continues for 50,000 on the 7♣ T♣ 2♦ flop, Park calls and both of them check the turn 4♣ and river 7♦ with Chen flipping over A♥ Q♣ which prompts Park to muck.

Button Gary Thompson leads 16,000 and big blind Yisha Chen defends to see the flop K♦ A♥ 2♣ where Gary bets 20,000 before folding to a 56,000 check-raise from Yisha.

Under the gun Chris Park puts 16,000 in the middle and big blind Yisha Chen defends to see the flop K♣ 3♣ 3♥ where she check-calls 8,000, but lets it go on the turn 3♦ when faced with another 25,000 bet.

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.

Cutoff Yisha Chen raises 11,000 and big blind Lei Yu defends to see the flop A♣ A♠ J♠ where Yu check-calls an 8,000 c-bet. The turn J♦ and river 2♣ get checked down with Yu's J♥ 5♥ coming out on top.

A single raised pot of 9,000 goes to the flop 7♦ 4♦ 7♣ heads up where Quan Zhou c-bets 11,000 from +2 and big blind Yisha Chen pays up. The 3♠ turn gets rejected for a free river T♥ with Zhou's 26,000 bet in position getting the job done.

Button Yisha Chen min-raises K♣ Q♥ and quickly fills up after small blind Calvin Lee three-bet 21,000 with J♦ T♦ for the flop 9♠ 2♠ Q♣ to drop. Lee check-calls 15,000 before switching to a lead on the A♦ turn. Chen calls and the T♥ river gets checked down, revealing Chen's pair as the winner.

Cutoff Patrik Demus separates 5,000 from his stack and calls after big blind Yisha Chen increased to 20,000. Chen's 11,000 c-bet ends the hand.

Cutoff Lei Yu opens 5,000 and takes two customers to the flop 7♣ 4♥ Q♥ where his 7,000 c-bet takes him heads up with button Yisha Chen to the J♦ turn. Both of them check for the board to complete J♠ and Yu's 25,000 lead gets the job done.

With a 4,000 raise in front, cutoff Yisha Chen ups it to 12,000 and Calvin Lee's cold call from the button takes them heads-up to the 4♠ Q♥ 3♦ flop where her 9,000 continuation gets called and the turn falls A♣ . Chen slows down to a check, Lee forks out 30,000 and scoops the pot.

With a 3,500 open and a flat in front, Yisha Chen squeezes 15,000 from the small blind and only button Quan Zhou comes along for the ride to the 6♠ 8♠ 4♥ flop. Chen needs a time bank before deciding to check-call Zhou's 27,000 bet and folds to a 60,500 jam on the T♦ turn.

After just losing a pot, Yisha Chen gets involved again with an 8,000 three-bet from the hijack and Taylor Black fills up his 2,500 open from +1 before check calling 6,000 on the flop 6♦ J♠ 3♦ . The turn 6♠ gets rejected for a free river 2♠ where Chen value bets 25,000 with a 7♠ 8♠ flush, Black calls and throws it in the muck.

Yisha Chen raises to 2,500 from the cutoff and fills up after small blind Ami Barer upped it to 11,000. Barer continues for 6,500 on the flop 6♦ 5♠ J♠ with Chen coming along before she folds to a 25,500 second barrel on the 9♦ turn.