The Main Event is now complete and Edmonton's Singh Chen took down the big prize today and won his first Ring in the process. Chen came into the day with one of the shorter stacks but managed to hold on and get heads up with Husanain Al Ghunaim.

Chen was at a disadvantage going into the final phase, but suddenly went on a heater, seemingly always hitting bigger than Al Ghunaim. This was Chen's first win on the live felt, and the score is about four times his previous lifetime earnings of $87k.

It was a crazy heads-up that saw Hasanain Al Ghunaim get two-handed with the lead, but then get run over by a red-hot Sing Chen. Chen got the run-good once they were heads up, seemingly always having it when Al Ghunaim had just a bit less. In the final hand, Chen had chipped Al Ghunaim down to about 10 million, and it all went in preflop with five-four and Chen called it down with ten-nine. Neither player hit the board of but Chen's ten played for the best nothing and it was all over.

Sing Chen limped, then called a raise to 600k from Hasanain Al Ghunaim. On the flop of Al Ghunaim fired 1 million, and he fired 2 million on the turn, getting calls both times. The brick river got a check from Al Ghunaim, but he tank-called for 4 million. Chen showed a king to take it down.

Hasanain Al Ghunaim raised to 1.05 million and Sing Chen called to the flop. It all kicked off when Chen check-raised from 2 million to 7 million, then snapped off the shove from Al Ghunaim. The both hit the ten, but Chen's queen kicker out-pipped the jack for Al Ghunaim and Chen held to take the lead.

Sing Chen just chipped up when he rivered a straight against Hasanain Al Ghunaim heads up. He bet 500k preflop, then called when Al Ghunaim raised to 1.8 million. Al Ghunaim fired 2 million on the flop, and another 2 million on the turn, getting calls both times.

He slowed down with a check on the river but called when Chen bet 5 million. He mucked his hand when Chen showed ace-four for the gutshot straight on the river.

The Main Event title will stay in Alberta once again as Sing Chen and Hasanain Al Ghunaim are now heads up for the big prize after the exit of Zofimo Xavier. Xavier laddered up quite significantly playing a short stack all day for third place, but he finally lost his chips to Sing Chen when Chen spiked a ten to pair up against the eight-six off for Xavier and send him to the rail.

Sing Chen has been making the big folds today on the final table. On the most recent hand, Hasanain Al Ghunaim raised to 800k and Chen reraised to 2.8 million. Al Ghunaim said on the previous hand that he was gunning for Chen now, and was true to his word with a shove.

Chen hit the tank saying "I have a big hand, buddy." He counted and recounted his stack a few times before folding ace-queen of spades face up. Al Ghunaim showed pocket jacks for what would have been a race between the two big stacks.

They are down to three after Toronto's Tommy Nguyen lost a race to Zofimo Xavier. Nguyen has pocket nines against ace-jack for Xavier, and he looked good to double until Xavier spiked his jack on the river to take it down.

Hasanain Al Ghunaim limped the button and both blinds came along to the flop. Chen fired 500k, enough to push out big blind Tommy Nguyen, but Al Ghunaim was sticky to the turn.

Chen fired another 500k and got a quick call from Al Ghunaim. On the river Chen fired 500k more, then folded diamonds with a seven face up when Al Ghunaim raised to 3 million. Al Ghunaim showed a jack for the best hand.

Sing Chen raised to 550k under the gun before Tommy Nguyen shoved the button for 5.175 million. Once Chen got the count, he elected to fold pocket eights face up, deciding it wasn't worth the chips.

They are down to four players left now after Edmonton's Garett Maybury hit the rail in 5th place. He got his short stack in with jack-ten but ran into ace-queen for Tommy Nguyen and couldn't find his outs.

That also means all remaining players are guaranteed a six-figure score, with 4th place paying $121,729. It also means Alberta is still drawing very live to go five-for-five Main Event titles with Sing Chen still in the mix, and Hasanain Al Ghunaim sitting behind more than half the chips in play right now.

When the plaques come out, you know things are getting serious, and at the moment, Hasanain Al Ghunaim seems to have cornered the market on them. He has a tower in front of him now with more than half the chips in play.

It's likely to get a bit quieter in the Sundance room now after the exit of Arif Dhalla. He got his short stack in with pocket fours and had to go to battle with the ace-six overs for Hasanain Al Ghunaim. Al Ghunaim technically missed the board, but the two pair on board counterfeited the fours of Dhalla, sending the pot to Al Ghunaim.

Dhalla had said if he got fourth or better, he'd be willing to pay his mom back for the flight home, so it remains to be seen if his almost $74k score will be enough to get him to fork out for the flight.

Hasanain Al Ghunaim has about half the chips in play right now with more than 27 million in front of him. Sing Chen has about half that amount for second, while the other four players are living on the dregs of what's left.

Hasanain Al Ghunaim defended his big blind to a button raise to 400k from Tommy Nguyen. Al Ghunaim checked the flop, then called the bet of 300k.

He checked dark before the hit the turn, and Nguyen fired 1 million. Al Ghunaim called and checked dark again before the river. Nguyen opted to check behind, and Al Ghunaim showed for the win while Nguyen mucked his hand.

It looks like Arif Dhalla is back to buying his own drinks now after the bust of Oniske recently, and he's also switched back to Corona. That said, he may have negotiated another deal with Zofimo Xavier to get his mom off the hook for his flight home.

Arif Dhalla was about to call his mom for a flight home, but he got a reprieve. With action on a flop reading Dhalla shoved over a check from Hasanain Al Ghunaim.

Al Ghunaim asked for a count and then called, but his second pair with jack-deuce was behind the top pair for Dhalla with king-queen. Dhalla rivered a third queen just to be safe and he's up to about 3 million now.

I'll grab exact counts at the break coming up in about 15 minutes.

Tommy Nguyen raised the button to 400k and  Hasanain Al Ghunaim defended his big blind with a call. Al Ghunaim checked dark to the flop and Nguyen bet 200k. Al Ghunaim raised to 600k and Nguyen made the call.

The turn was and Al Ghunaim fired 800k. Nguyen tanked for a bit but slid in the call. Both players checked the river, and Al Ghunaim announced "jack high" before revealing jack-three. Nguyen turned over king-eight for the flopped trips and took it down.

Meanwhile Arif Dhalla has announced that his mother, who works for an airline and owns part of his cannabis dispensary, is paying for his flight home. "And I'm NOT paying her back," he said with a smile. "She makes good money off me anyway."

I missed the action while I was writing up Jason Heang's bust, but Jackson Oniske quickly followed Heang to the payout desk for 7th place, and the game is now down to 6 left.

It was a big hand that saw Sing Chen raise under the gun and Arif Dhalla call before Jason Heang shoved the button. Chen reshoved a bigger stack, sending Dhalla deep into the tank.

Dhalla finally got out of the way and it was heads-up between Chen and Heang.

Jason Heang:
Sing Chen:

Heang was dominated, and in even worse shape when Chen flopped Broadway. Heang still had outs to chop and turned an ace for boat outs to win, but they never came and he hit the rail in 8th place.

"Tell the fans at home I'm switching to vodka!" That was the announcement from Arif Dhalla just now. He's been the most animated player last night and today so far, and he started today with double-beer orders but he's now upped the ante to vodka. Tablemate Jackson Oniske generously agreed to pay for Dhalla's drinks today, so Oniske may well need to win this one to cover his bar tab later tonight.

I missed the action while I was working on a High Roller post, but Sunny Lubana was the 9th-place finisher in the Main Event today. The Saskatoon resident is one of the "god guys" of poker as he donates 10% of all his winnings to a family charity that ficuses on educating underprivileged children, so there are some kids out there who can look forward to some more help in their education thanks to his $37,165 score today.

Sing Chen just made a solid call with ace-high to pick off the bluff from Hasanain Al Ghunaim. I arrived at the table with the turn reading and Chen bet 500k from the big blind. Al Ghunaim called from the button to the river, bringing in the backdoor spades.

Chen checked and Al Ghunaim bet 800k. "You're good, I missed" Al Ghunaim said when Chen called, rolling over queen-high. Chen showed ace-jack for ace-high over the tens on board to take it down.

Final Table Players

WSOP Seniors' Bracelet winner Lonnie Hallett was the first player off the final table tonight. I was working on the pictures while he busted so I missed the action but Hallett pocketed the final payout of $30,046.

They are down to the ten-handed final table in the Main Event now with just under 50 minutes to play in Level 30. Mark Aylward-Nally and Michael McWhirter were the players to bubble the final table today.

Stay tuned for pictures of the final 10 players.

They are just getting back from the first break of the day with 12 players left in the game now. Below is a look at the final 14 players in action today.

They are down to 14 players left in the Main Event after Jorge Artiga-Pacheco was the first out today when he ran ace-queen into ace-king and couldn't get there.

Event #11: $1,700 Main event ($1515 + $185)
Day 1: Jan 18/19/20, 11 am
Day 2: Jan 21, 12 noon
Day 3: Jan 22, 12 Noon
Blinds: 60 Minutes
Entries: 1,475
Remaining: 15
Prizes: $2,234,838
1st Place: $334,891

15 players are returning for Day 3 fighting for the $334,891 top prize. The action kicks off at noon at the start of Level 28 and they'll play until someone has all the chips. Blinds are 60 minutes long for the remainder of the event.

Hasanain Al Ghunaim is the chip leader to start Day 2, but Tommy Nguyen isn't that far behind in second.