Michael Liang Wins 2024 Lodge Championship Series Main Event

The 2024 Lodge Championship Series $2,000,000 assured $3,000 buy-in no-limit maintain’em predominant occasion is within the books, with Michael Liang capturing the title and the highest prize of $428,000.

This was the third-largest rating of Liang’s profession, trailing solely the $606,890 he earned because the runner-up within the 2021 World Poker Tour Venetian predominant occasion and the $515,014 he scored for a second-place exhibiting in a $25,000 excessive curler on the 2021 World Series of Poker. He now has greater than $3.1 million in profession event earnings to his title.

In addition to the cash and the {hardware}, Liang was additionally awarded 1,260 Card Player Player of the Year factors for popping out on prime on this occasion. With 1,500 whole factors, he now sits in 83rd place within the 2024 POY race standings offered by Global Poker.

This occasion drew 581 entries, leading to a $416,775 overlay. The prime 63 finishers made the cash, with a min-cash price $7,600. The ultimate day started with 13 gamers nonetheless in rivalry, with Liang tied for third place within the chip counts and bracelet winner Nicholas Pupillo out in entrance.

Pupillo had pulled even additional forward of the remainder of the pack by the point the ultimate desk was set. The first knockout noticed WPT champion Ryan Van Sanford lose a preflop race towards Eitan Sternlicht to complete ninth ($36,000). He then gained one other preflop all-in showdown, together with his pocket nines turning a straight towards the pocket queens of Ebony Kenney (eighth – $47,000).

2023 Lodge Championship Series predominant occasion winner Preston Duron made a formidable run at defending his title, however in the end bowed out in seventh place ($62,000) when his 6-4 suited was unable to greatest the 7-6 of Pupillo.

Andrew Ostapchenko then obtained all-in with Q-J dealing with Pupillo’s A-10. Neither participant improved on a king-high runout and Ostapchenko was despatched packing in sixth place ($82,000). With that, the ultimate 5 all ensured themselves a six-figure payday.

Casey Diener’s ultimate stand got here with A10 dealing with A-Q suited to Liang, who was the second-shortest stack on the time. Liang flopped aces up and held from there to eradicate Diener in fifth place ($109,000).

Liang misplaced a giant all-in throughout four-handed play that left him with just some large blinds remaining. He managed a pair double-ups to get out of the hazard zone, although. Justin Carey (4th – $145,000) was in the end the following to fall, together with his pocket sevens shedding a rae towards Pupillo’s A-Okay suited. Pupillo made aces and kings by the river to attain the knockout, extending his already sizable lead.

Sternlicht known as off the final of his stack with A-4 in a battle of the blinds towards Liang, who had shoved from the small blind with pocket kings. The large pair held up and Sternlicht completed third for $197,000.

Heads-up play started with Pupillo holding 18,640,000 to Liang’s 10,380,000. Liang practically pulled even after profitable a wholesome pot with the turned nut flush towards Pupillo’s second-nut flush. Liang had overtaken the lead and constructed a large lead of his personal in time for the ultimate hand of the event. Liang raised to 1,000,000 from the button with A8. Pupillo three-bet shoved for 7,350,000 with Okay5. Liang made the decision and the board ran out 107298 to earn him the pot and the title. Pupillo earned $277,200 because the runner-up, rising his lifetime whole to greater than $5.8 million.

Here is a have a look at the payouts and POY factors awarded on the ultimate desk:

Photo credit score: Lodge Card Club / 8131 Media.