MAIN EVENT (CS) - 8 HANDED

The Lord Poker Tournament Circuit Main Event with a prize pool of $700,000 has reached the Final 9 down from 60 hopefuls that started Day 2 ten levels ago.

Chip leader William Jia - a young Australian pro who came close to a bracelet at the WSOP last year, finishing 9th out of 965 in the $10k Mystery Bounty for $80K - was 10th in chips this morning, but 2nd on his table with a great position and applied pressure from the get-go. A pivotal hand came in level 22 when he took on then chip leader Stephen Song, defending his big blind with K♠ 2♠ against a button min-raise. He called a 3BB c-bet on the flop K♦ 7♣ 8♦ and switched to a 2BB lead on the turn K♥ that got called by Song and the board completed J♦ . Jia checked, Song forked out 5,5BB and called Jia's 16BB check-raise with A♠ A♣ . Close to the end he knocked out Yang Liu after winning a flip with eights against ace-king and ended the day by eliminating AAPoker Ambassador Quan Zhou on the final table bubble, open-jamming the small blind with 4♠ 5♥ against Zhou's Q♠ 9♣ and the board ran 8♠ T♣ 2♥ 3♠ 4♣ . He brings 2,575,000 (51BB) to the final table.

Second in chips and the most experienced player at the final table is American Stephen Song who has a bracelet and six rings to his name and won the EPT Barcelona $5K Main Event last September for a whopping $1,425,651. He started Day 2 seventh in chips, but had some heavy hitters on his table with overall chip leader Bin Wang to his immediate left. His break came in level 18 when he four-bet jammed Q♠ 6♠ for 35BB and doubled up against Xuanzhi Zhao with A♥ K♦ when the board ran 7♠ 9♦ 8♥ 5♦ Q♣ and went on a tear after that. Still on the most stacked table of the tournament he knocked out Rui Sun with aces against kings and won massive pots against other greats like Martin Sedlak and Nevan Chang that took him into a massive lead during level 20 before he lost with A♠ A♣ against Jia's K♠ 2♠ in the previously mentioned hand. After a roller coaster ending to his day, he bagged 1,945,000 (39BB).

Everyone has $9,700 secure for 9th place, but all of them will be gunning for the first prize of $120,000 and the trophy along with it.

The Final 9 will start at 12:00 on Friday the 16th of May and the SMP Live Updates will be there to cover the action from start to finish.

Small blind Nevan Chang limps and Stephen Song opts to check and see the flop 6♣ A♦ K♠ where Chang starts a triple barrel bluff for 40,000, 100,000 and a final 415,000 all-in to the river Q♦ and 8♠ . Song calls all the way and tables the winner Q♣ J♥ to knock out Chang who plays the board with 4♣ 5♣ .

Zhou's big blind special holds when the board completes 5♣ and 6♠ , giving him a boat and a much needed double up.

Liu hits his three-outer on 3♥ 4♠ 6♠ 9♠ K♣ to stay alive for now.

Button Stephen Song wants 50,000 with A♠ A♣ and big blind William Jia obliges to watch the flop K♦ 7♠ 8♦ hit the felt. Song's 80,000 continuation gets check called to the turn K♥ where Jia takes over the reins with a 55,000 lead and Song pays up. The river J♦ has Jia back to checking, Song forks out 135,000 and fills up after Jia check-raised to 400,000 with K♠ 2♠ to beat Song's aces.

Nevan Chang increases to 32,000 from the hijack and fills up after cutoff Stephen Song upped it to 110,000. Song's 55,000 c-bet gets called on the flop T♥ K♠ 8♦ before the turn A♥ gets checked for a free river 3♣ . Song forks out another 300,000 with the nuts Q♥ J♥ and gets paid by Chang who throws it in the muck.

Under the gun Xuanzhi Zhao opens 32,000 and finds a customer in button Stephen Song to share the flop K♠ A♣ 8♣ with. Zhao's double barrel of 40,000 and 110,000 gets called by Song to the river 3♠ and 9♥ where Zhao fires a third bullet of 200,000 before going into the tank when Song puts him all-in for another 331,000 on top. Using a time bank, Zhao begrudgingly lets it go which puts Song in an even larger overall lead than before.

Hijack Martin Sedlak leads 32,000 and takes button Stephen Song to the flop 8♠ 7♠ 8♣ where Sedlak check-raises 70,000 into Song's 25,000 bet, but ultimately lets it go after Song put him all-in.

No help for Sun on T♥ 3♠ 8♣ T♦ J♦ and the cooler is complete.

Song's live cards improve on 7♠ 9♦ 8♥ before making a straight on the turn 5♦ which reduces the river Q♣ to a mere formality.