Nov 6, 2016
Hand #81: Luis Cruz raised with 8-high and took it away. Yong looked as if he needed a serious hand to get back into this final, with just 19 big blinds to Luis Cruz’s 84 big blinds at the end of the hand.
Hand #82: Yong called with and Cruz checked with The flop of was checked, but the turn saw Yong bet 200,000. Cruz called having paired his jack on the flop. Cruz checked the river and Yong bet 450,000. Cruz didn’t enjoy calling, but did so and took it away. Just 14 big blinds left for Yong, whose body language has noticeably changed here in Nottingham.
Hand #83: Cruz held and limped, with Yong holding . The flop of saw Cruz bet his two-pair and he won another to further debilitate Yong’s hopes. Luis Cruz went into a 7:1 chip lead!
Hand #84: Yong limped with and Cruz checked with . Both men checked the flop of but the turn saw Cruz bet 200,000 and get a call. The river saw Cruz bet 400,000 and Yong let it go. 11 big blinds and a dream.
Hand #85: Yong checked his after Cruz limped with both men checked the flop of but the turn saw Cruz bet 200,00, getting called by Yong. Cruz saw the river and having been checked to, Cruz bet 700,000, slightly less than Yong’s stack. Yong called…and lost over half of his stack! A nightmare for Yong, and everything has gone against him during heads-up.
Hand #86: Down to 540,000 – just four big blinds – Chris Yong moved all-in for the button with , Cruz called with and we went to a board. That came to give Luis Cruz bottom pair on the river and end a superb tournament!
Heads-up, Cruz played brilliantly and the deck rewarded him at every flop, turn and at the end, on the river. Chris Yong had a great run, but he departs in second place as our runner-up with £135,000 representing his best ever tournament result.