Event #28: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em
Day 3 Completed
2019 World Series of Poker
Event #28: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2019 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$1,000
Prize Pool
$2,229,300
Entries
2,477
Level
36
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Level 36
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Stephen Song entered the day with nearly half the chips in play among the six remaining players at the beginning of Day 3 of the 2019 World Series of Poker Event #28: $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em. His sights were set on the first place prize of $341,854 and the opportunity to earn his first career WSOP gold bracelet.
“It’s surreal. I don’t even know. The money’s insane. WSOP summer is where you can actually make life-changing money. It’s pretty unreal,” Song stated in his interview after the tournament. The most recent bracelet winner is no stranger to the spotlight, with over $1.3 million in lifetime earnings after this score including a WSOP circuit ring and first place prize of $75,480 from January, 2019 in the High Roller event at WSOP Circuit – Thunder Valley. Other major final tables Song has reached include the 2018 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship (6th - $138,254), the 2018 WSOP Circuit – Hammond $5,300 High Roller (2nd - $73,539), and the 2018 WSOP Circuit – Lake Tahoe Main Event (4th - $49,392).
Finishing runner-up to Song was Scot Masters of Kenova, West Virginia, who bowed to Song after a short heads-up. Masters outlasted several notables including bracelet winner Ryan Laplante, who came in third for $154,268, and rising Brazilian star Renato Kaneoya who finished fourth ($113,712). The tournament attracted 2,479 participants and created a total prize pool of $2,229,300.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Song | United States | $341,854 |
| 2 | Scot Masters | United States | $211,177 |
| 3 | Ryan Laplante | United States | $154,268 |
| 4 | Renato Kaneoya | Brazil | $113,712 |
| 5 | Sevak Mikaiel | United States | $84,581 |
| 6 | Dominic Coombe | Australia | $63,491 |
| 7 | Pedro Ingles | Spain | $48,101 |
| 8 | Vegard Ropstad | Norway | $36,783 |
| 9 | Yosef Lider | United States | $28,394 |
It took around three and one-half hours of play and 110 hands today, 129 in total on the final table, for Song to emerge victorious. When asked about his strategy in a large-field tournament, he stated that his main focus was to go for chips and accumulate a stack from early on in the tournament.
The journey to victory wasn’t all smooth sailing, however, for the Connecticut resident. On the tenth hand of the day, he found himself hit the second-nut flush on the turn only to run into the nut flush of Kaneoya. He still had a sizable chip lead, though he saw Kaneoya and WSOP bracelet winner Laplante consistently add to their stacks as the afternoon went on.
On Hand #55, Song found himself in a three-bet pot on the flop against Kaneoya. He barreled the turn and was unable to get Kaneoya off a better hand, resulting in a virtual tie atop the leaderboard. On the following hand (Hand #56), Song attempted a three-barrel bluff with king-nine offsuit that was picked off by Masters, sending Song into third place in chip counts for the time being.
The turning point of the tournament came on Hand #99, when Song defended his big blind against Laplante’s raise from the button during three-handed play. There flop was two-tone with two aces and a queen on it and Song checked to Laplante, who made a continuation-bet of 400,000. Song then check-raised to 1,400,000 and was met with a three-bet to 5,750,000. With the decision effectively being one that would ultimately put Song to the test for his tournament life, he shoved all in and was quickly called. Song tabled a flush draw and was behind the trips of Laplante but improved to a flush on the turn and was able to hold and secure a double up while regaining a big chip lead.
Song ultimately knocked Laplante out in third place ($154,268) when his ace-jack suited held versus Laplante’s ace-six suited in an all-in preflop situation. He was then heads up with around 80 percent of the chips in play, and the heads up match against Scot Masters (2nd place, $211,177) lasted just 10 hands, with the culmination being another all-in preflop situation between the pocket nines of Song and Masters’ pocket fives. Song flopped a nine and had Masters drawing dead on the turn as the two shook hands while the dealer turned over the meaningless river card.
Moving forward, Song plans to invest a lot of his winnings. “Already I invest most of my winnings with my parents,” said Song. “My dad’s like the smartest guy I know.” The money to be won in poker has always been a prime motivator for his success, though he does not plan to stop playing any time soon.
When asked if he will be playing this year’s Main Event, he confirmed that he would be. “I will probably play in the Main Event hopefully every year for the rest of my life, but we’ll see.”
Level 36
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Hand #129: Stephen Song limped from the small blind. Scot Masters moved all in from the big blind and Song snap called.
Song could practically feel the bracelet around his wrist and Masters would need to get lucky as he was well behind.
Masters 
Song 
.
The flop all but secured it for Song as it came the 
. The turn 
and the river 
ended Masters's tournament in an outstanding 2nd place finish.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
49,540,000
8,300,000
|
8,300,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 36
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Hand #127: Walk for Scot Masters
Hand #128: Masters limped from the small blind and Stephen Song shoved all in, Masters folded.
Level 36
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Hand #120: Scot Masters completed from the small blind and Stephen Song checked his option. The flop came 
and both players checked. Song led out for 500,000 on the 
turn and Masters folded.
Hand #121: Scot Masters raised to 1,000,000 from the small blind and Stephen Song defended. The flop was 
and Masters check-called a continuation-bet of 1,200,000 from Song. The turn was 
and Masters again checked. Song fired a second barrel of 3,000,000 and Masters folded.
Hand #122: Scot Masters completed his small blind and Stephen Song raised to 1,300,000. Masters announced he was all in and Song quickly mucked.
Hand #123: Stephen Song limped the small blind and Scot Masters raised to 2,000,000 from the big blind, getting Song to fold.
Hand #124: Scot Masters folded, giving Stephen Song a walk.
Hand #125: Stephen Song completed from the small blind and Scot Masters checked his option. The flop came 
and Masters check-folded to a bet of 500,000 from Song.
Hand #126: Scot Masters raised to 1,500,000 from the small blind and Stephen Song called. The flop came 
and Song checked. Masters made a continuation-bet of 3,000,000 and Song folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
41,240,000
1,950,000
|
1,950,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
8,300,000
-1,950,000
|
-1,950,000 |
Level 36
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
The remaining two players are taking a five-minute break before commencing heads-up play.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
39,290,000
550,000
|
550,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
10,250,000
-550,000
|
-550,000 |
Level 36
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Hand #119: From the button, Stephen Song raised to 1,000,000. Ryan Laplante moved all in from the small blind and got an immediate call from Song.
Laplante would need some help as he was dominated heading to the flop.
Laplante 
Song 
The flop did not give Laplante much as it came the 
. The turn gave him slight hope as the 
rolled off but the on the river sealed the WSOP bracelet winner's elimination in 3rd place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
38,740,000
9,100,000
|
9,100,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
Level 36
: 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Hand #111: All three players saw a flop of 
. They checked it to the turn which was the 
and again all three checked. The river was the . Stephen Song bet 1,000,000 from the small blind and Ryan Laplante called. Song showed the 
for the winning hand.
Hand #112: Song shoved all in from the small blind which folded out the big blind.
Hand #113: Laplante limped, Scot Masters shoved all in and Laplante quickly folded.
Hand #114: Laplante moved all in from the button and got no callers.
Hand #115: Masters shoved his stack from the button and nobody called.
Hand #116: Laplante folded out the big when he shoved from the small blind.
Hand #117: Laplante shoved again to no calls.
Hand #118: Song moved all in from the small blind and folded out the big blind.
Level: 36
Blinds: 250,000/500,000
Ante: 500,000
Level 35
: 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
Hand #105: Ryan Laplante limped from the button and Scot Masters announced he was all in from the small blind. Stephen Song folded his button and Laplante followed suit as Masters raked in the pot.
Hand #106: Scot Masters opened to 1,200,000 from the button and was three-bet to 3,700,000 by Stephen Song in the small blind. Ryan Laplante folded his big blind and Masters called. The flop came and Song made a continuation-bet of 2,700,000. Masters folded.
Hand #107: Stephen Song raised to 1,300,000 on the button and both remaining players folded.
Hand #108: Scot Masters limped from the small blind and Stephen Song checked his option. Masters bet 400,000 on a flop of 
and Song called. The turn was and Masters check-folded to Song's bet of 1,100,000.
Hand #109: Stephen Song completed his small blind and Ryan Laplante checked his option. The flop came 
and Song checked to Laplante, who bet 500,000, prompting a fold from Song.
Hand #110: Ryan Laplante limped his small blind and Scot Masters checked his option. The flop came 
and Laplante bet 400,000. Masters folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
29,640,000
240,000
|
240,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
10,800,000
-5,225,000
|
-5,225,000 |
|
|
9,100,000
4,600,000
|
4,600,000 |
|
|
||