David Gee Takes the Final Table Chip Lead in Spectacular Fashion on Day 2 of the 888poker Live Manchester Main Event
In a day filled with come-from-behind double ups and spectacular bustouts, the highlight was saved for the last hand.
Neville Betty, the Day 1c chip leader, was all in for 450,000 with two aces. David Gee had just two fives as Betty was poised to double up on the final table bubble. The flop, however, is one neither player will soon forget as Gee spiked quads to bust Betty in 10th place and set the final table at the end of an action-filled Day 2 of the £1,100 888poker Live Manchester Main Event.
Gee, who has more than £160,000 in live earnings throughout the United Kingdom in his career, will take the chip lead into tomorrow’s final table with 1,680,000. He’s followed by Jamie Walden, who’s looking to continue his stellar summer as he bagged up 1,475,000. Walden won his first WSOP bracelet last month for $313,370 and will be chasing the £60,000 top prize tomorrow. Stephen Barnes (1,460,000) is also in the million-chip club, while Aram Ramadan (950,000), Robert Boon (835,000), Mark McDade (760,000), Zhicheng Miao (505,000), Man Li (460,000), and Qasim Zia (255,000) round out the rest of the final-table lineup.
Final Table chip counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Gee | United Kingdom | 1,680,000 | 84 |
| 2 | Jamie Walden | United Kingdom | 1,475,000 | 74 |
| 3 | Stephen Barnes | United Kingdom | 1,460,000 | 73 |
| 4 | Aram Ramadan | United Kingdom | 950,000 | 48 |
| 5 | Robert Boon | United Kingdom | 835,000 | 42 |
| 6 | Mark McDade | United Kingdom | 760,000 | 38 |
| 7 | Zhicheng Miao | United Kingdom | 505,000 | 25 |
| 8 | Man Li | United Kingdom | 460,000 | 23 |
| 9 | Qasim Zia | United Kingdom | 255,000 | 13 |
Day 2 Action
Day 2 began with 12 new arrivals boosting the field up to 279 total entries and building a prize pool of £265,050. Just 75 began the day, and 888poker Ambassador Lucia Navarro was among the first to bust out. She was followed to the rail by Guillermo Sanchez Otero, Gary Blackwood, and Dean Hutchison.
Fellow 888poker team member Ian Simpson finished a few spots off the money when Enea Soumpasi spiked a flush on the river to beat his two pair. Vivian Saliba was eliminated on the money bubble after running eights into Keith Johnson’s jacks as 33 players guaranteed themselves a payday.
Steven Warburton (31st) and Tom Middleton (26th) were among the first players sent to the payout desk. Gerald McInally, who made the money with just one big blind, had his chip-and-a-chair story end in 23rd place. Jonathan Roberts, who built up a massive chip lead on Day 1a, ran his king-ten into Zia’s ace-king to finish in 22nd place, while Day 1b chip leader Johnson followed in 21st after George Pop picked up two aces to beat ace-king.
Arvydas Vilcinskas was all in against Boon in a million-chip pot with two kings against Boon’s jacks, but Boon spiked a set on the turn to bust Vilcinskas in 20th. Tuan Le (19th) and Sohail Manavi (18th) followed to the rail, while Gee picked off a bluff to bust James Bott in 17th. Matthew Davenport ran two fives into Barnes’ pocket tens to finish in 16th.
After the field redrew to the final two tables, Walden was all in for 272,000 with ace-seven against Pop’s kings and hit a flush on the turn for a fortunate double up. Callum Gordon (15th) and Stephen Cherry (14th) were eliminated before Walden doubled up again with a full house off Zia.
Alec Wong attempted a big bluff with just six-high but Miao picked him off with trip aces as Wong finished in 13th. Soumpasi then lost a race with ace-king to Barnes’ jacks to finish in 12th, while Gee spiked an ace on the flop to beat Pop’s nines and send him to the rail in 11th.
Betty was comfortably in a position to make the final table as the field was reduced to 10 players, but two hands proved his undoing. First, Walden flopped a set of sevens and bet 425,000 on the river as Betty called with two aces. Betty then had his aces cracked again by Gee’s fives, and the final table was set.
Day 3 begins tomorrow at noon local time with 56 minutes remaining in Level 23 with blinds of 10,000-20,000 and a 20,000 big blind ante. Everyone left is guaranteed £6,100, while they’ll be looking for the £60,000 top prize and trophy.
PokerNews will be back tomorrow following all the action from the final table until a champion is crowned.