Stanley Choi Wins Macau High Stakes Challenge

Sunday September 1,2012 : CHINESE PLAYER WINS MACAU HIGH STAKES CHALLENGE
 
US$6.4 million earned in a day
 
Stanley Choi scored a remarkable coup this week, earning the US$ 6,465,560 first-place prize in his first big live tournament win after just a day's action.
 
The US$ 260,000 buy-in Macau High Stakes Challenge at StarWorld Hotel’s Poker King Club attracted 73 players and including re-buys generated a prize pool worth US$ 23,511,128, ensuring that the main prize Choi took home was the tenth biggest in poker history.
 
Among the opponents China's Choi faced on his path to victory were notable names like Andrew Robl, Gus Hansen, Erik Seidel, Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, Philipp Gruissem, John Juanda, Sam Trickett, JP Kelly, Joe Hachem and Brian Rast.
 
Of all the top names in play John Juanda did best, finishing fifth for US$ 1,645,800 and followed closely by the UK's Sam Trickett in another big win – seventh for US$ $999,213.
 
The final table comprised Choi and Zhu Guan Fai, Nicholas Wong, Tang Zheng, John Juanda, Lap Key Chan, Sam Trickett, Phil Ivey, Alan Sass, Philipp Gruissem, Di Van Hoang Dang and JP Kelly – all of whom  won at least a half million US dollars.
 
Zhu Guan Fai faced Choi in the heads at the close of the day’s action, but by then Choi had the game well under control and he had to be satisfied with a second placing and a US$ 4,349,735 pay day.