What appeared to be a tough river decision for Kota Hirano turned into a sweet payoff.
Hirano and Matas Marä Iukonis stared down a pot of 43,000 by the time the board showed 5 ♦️ K ♣️ 4 ♠️ 9 ♣️ J ♣️. Hirano fired a pot bet only for Iukonis to move all in, sending Hirano deep into the tank.
Hirano was covered but eventually decided his hand was too strong to fold and called for his tournament.
True enough, it was. Iukonis had A ♣️ 9 ♦️ pair, Hirano had 8 ♣️ 6 ♣️ for the flush. After the chips were counted, Iukonis was eliminated.
| Player | Chips |
| Kota Hirano | 280,000 |
| Matas MaräIukonis | 0 |