TLPT MAIN EVENT 15K (SHR) - 8 HANDED ($15,000)

Bad news for Mendoza after falling behind on the flop 3♦ 7♥ 2♣ and not being able to catch up when the board completes 7♦ J♦ . He still takes home the biggest cash of his career that stood at just over $300K until today for finishing 3rd at the 2023 WSOP Bracelet Event #59.

After some back and forth in the last few hands and James Mendoza down by a little bit, he limps T♦ 6♣ and Stephen Song opts to check again with 5♦ 3♥ . Song check-calls a 500,000 bet to the 3♠ turn that gets rejected and the board completes J♦ . Song forks out a massive 3,000,000 over-bet and Mendoza doesn't buy it, making the call with the aid of a time bank. Some friendly banter between the two contenders follows before they focus on the next hand.

James Mendoza limps 6♥ 2♥ and Stephen Song opts to check for the flop 5♦ 9♦ 2♣ that gets rejected for a free turn 3♣ where Song tries to steal with an 800,000 lead, but Mendoza pays up. The board completes Q♠ with both players checking and Mendoza's bottom pair coming out on top.

Aside from a preflop scoop with a four-bet and a walk for James Mendoza every other hand went to Stephen Song who increased his lead to a 7:1 now.

A limped pot gets checked to the turn 8♣ T♥ 7♣ 2♥ where James Mendoza bets 800,000, Stephen Song check-raises to 2,200,000, but decides to let go of J♦ 2♠ after Mendoza jammed for a total of 6,100,000 with Q♥ 8♠ .

No help for the German online crusher on 3♣ T♦ 2♥ Q♣ 6♥ sees him vacate his seat and the table gets prepared for the very lopsided heads-up.

After two orbits of chips moving back and fourth with not much changing in chip counts, Stephen Song leads 600,000 from the button and Martin Nielsen defends his big blind. Song continues for 400,000 on the T♠ 8♦ 3♣ flop and fills up after Nielsen check-raised to 1,000,000. The turn 8♥ has Nielsen put out another 500,000 that gets called and the board completes 5♠ . Nielsen wagers his last 3,000,000 for a massive bluff with 7♦ 6♦ , but Song snaps with trips K♠ 8♣ to extend his lead even further.

Being ahead, Lin needs to evade six outs and does so on the turn A♠ before the river 9♠ gives Song a pair to knock her out.

First to act Stephen Song makes it 500,000 and takes two players to the flop 5♠ 6♠ T♣ where his 450,000 c-bet gets filled by both to reveal the J♥ turn. He fires a second barrel of 800,000 with A♦ K♠ , hijack James Mendoza raises T♥ T♦ to 2,200,000 after using a time bank, big blind Marius Gierse folds A♥ T♠ and Song follows suit.

Under the gun Patrik Demus min-raises A♥ T♣ and cutoff Stephen Song comes along for the ride with 6♠ 6♦ to the flop A♠ T♦ 6♣ . Demus goes on to triple barrel for 400,000, 1,300,000 and 1,600,000 to the river 2♦ and K♠ where Song takes a time bank before deciding to raise to 4,800,000. Demus gives it some thought, but makes a strong fold.

Right the next hand, first to act Jiaming Zhao raises to 450,000 again and finds two customers to share the 9♦ 2♦ 5♣ flop with. He continues for 500,000 and only big blind Stephen Song pays up for the turn 7♠ to be revealed where two checks complete the board J♥ . Zhao fires another 1,100,000 which gets Song to lay it down.

A min raised pot between under the gun Stephen Song and hijack Patrik Demus gets checked to the turn 9♦ 7♣ 4♦ 4♣ where Song lays out a 275,000 delayed c-bet and Demus calls to see the board completes 4♥ . Another 600,000 from Song gets the job done.

Under the gun Hua Wei Lin min-raises and takes hijack Stephen Song to the flop T♣ 9♣ 4♠ where she check-raises 700,000 and Song fills up his 200,000 bet. Lin takes a time bank before checking the 4♦ turn and Song follows suit for a free 9♥ river. Lin forks out a 1,000,000 lead that goes unanswered.

James Mendoza kicks off the action with a 200,000 raise from +1, small blind Stephen Song pumps it to 800,000 and Mendoza pays up to see the flop 6♥ 3♦ K♠ where Song's 400,000 c-bet gets called. After using a time bank on the 5♣ turn, Song fires another 900,000 which sends Mendoza in the tank. The Filipino-American uses up three time banks before letting it go.

Stephen Song limps his small blind before filling up a 350,000 raise from Martin Sedlak. Both players check to the river 8♣ K♣ 2♣ 8♠ 4♥ where Song leads 580,000 with top-pair K♥ T♥ and Sedlak calls, throwing it in the muck after seeing his opponents hand.

First to act Junbo Qu lays out 180,000 and fills up button Stephen Song's 410,000 three-bet to see the flop 3♣ Q♦ 6♣ where Song's 150,000 continuation is enough to take it down.

After just scooping a pot, under the gun Stephen Song leads 170,000 and finds no callers, adding some more to his mid-sized stack early.