Twelve players joined us to compete for the title of Shootout Champion in our third event of the 2024 season. 

On the Grey Table, 2023 Main Event Champion Altaf joined us for his first event of the season; Christina and Crystal continued their campaign to stay near the top of the 2024 leaderboard; and Thuy looked to improve on her disappointing finish in Event #1. 

On the Blue Table were four more players looking to climb the standings after busting early in Event #1 and missing Event #2: Peggy, Quang, Matt, John. 

And on the Red Table, Chris and James faced off for the first time after a season-long battle for 2023 Player of the Year, while Luciano and Daniela Tavares navigated the switch from teammates in Event #2 to competitors in Event #3. 

The fireworks begin early on the Red Table.

Daniela picked up right where she left off in Event #2, hitting yet another monster hand to start the night, but this time it was her husband (and Event #2 teammate) who was the victim. On the very first hand of the night, with blinds at 75/150, she flopped a full house with 5-4 offsuit against Luciano, winning almost 4,000 chips right off the bat. 

The spousal rivalry continued throughout the early levels as Luciano and Daniela battled aggressively, often raising and re-raising against each other. Luciano was on the losing end of another 4,000-chip pot when he flopped a pair with A-2 on a board of J-5-2. Despite some aggressive betting, he was unable to get Daniela to fold her Q-6, and Daniela ended up making a pair of Queens on the river. 

But Luciano got some of that back in another heads-up pot with Daniela. Holding K-9, he flopped top pair on a board of K-8-3. After Daniela bet into him, Luciano raised, then watched as Daniela re-raised him. Luciano called, but that 3-bet on the flop slowed down the action; after seeing a Ten on the turn, both players checked, and a 5 on the river likewise went check-check. In the end, Luciano’s K-9 held up as Daniela showed T-2 for just a pair of Tens. 

Looking to replenish her stack, Daniela then turned her sights on Chris. With blinds at 125/250, Daniela limped in and Chris checked from the big blind with 3-2 offsuit. The flop of J♦︎-4♥︎-3♣︎ gave Chris bottom pair, and he called a small bet from Daniela. The 2♣︎ on the turn improved Chris to two pair, but put a flush draw on the board. Chris made a big bet and Daniela called. The A♣︎ on the river was not what Chris was hoping to see. He put out a small minimum bet of 250, hoping that Daniela hadn’t made a flush. But Daniela quickly called and showed the Q♣︎J♣︎ for top pair on the flop and a rivered flush, and another 3,000 chips were pushed her way. 

Two hands later, Chris saw an opportunity for payback. He raised with QQ on the button and Daniela called. The flop came out 9-9-2, Chris bet, and Daniela called. The turn was a 6 and Daniela called another bet from Chris. The river was another 6, and Chris checked back, realizing that there were not many hands worse than his that would call a third bet. That check on the river saved him some chips as Daniela turned over A-6 for a rivered full house, dragging in another 6,000 chips. Less than half an hour into the night, Chris was already down to less than 8,000 chips from a starting stack of 20,000.

Daniela wasn’t the only player who could make big hands on the Red Table. Two hands later, James made the nut flush with A♦︎Q♦︎ on a board of T♦︎-7♦︎-3♣︎-6♦︎-6♠︎ and won a 5,000-chip pot against Daniela. 

A few hands later, Chris, James, and Daniela found themselves in a giant pot with all three players hitting monster hands. With blinds at 200/400, Chris raised to 1,000 and got calls from all three players. The flop came K♦︎-J♦︎-J♠︎, and all four players checked. The turn was the T♦︎. With a straight, flush, and full house (and even a straight flush!) all possible, the action checked to Chris who put out a small bet of 1,100. Daniela called, Luciano folded, and James called. The river was the A♣︎, making a straight even more likely. James thought for a long time before putting out a tiny bet of 1,100 into the pot of 7,300. Chris likewise took his time before raising to 3,100. Daniela took no time putting in the 3-bet to 5,100. With action back around to James, he agonized for a long time but finally made the hero fold, revealing after the hand that he held Q-9 for a turned straight. Chris looked down at his K-J — a very strong full house — and considered 4-betting his last 4,000 chips into the pot. But ultimately, Daniela’s hot streak scared Chris off and he just called, hoping that Daniela didn’t turn over a better full house, a straight flush, or a royal flush. Daniela revealed A-Q with the A♦︎ for a straight (but only one card away from a royal flush!). Chris raked in about 18,000 chips and was back up to just over his 20,000 starting stack. 

Matt makes quick work of the Blue Table, and the bustouts begin on the Red Table.

But the action on the Red Table was nothing compared to what happened outside on the Blue Table a few minutes later. On a flop of J-9-4 rainbow, the action checked to Quang, who went all-in, Peggy called, and then Matt (the biggest stack at the table) check-raised all-in behind. Peggy called again and found out that both she and Quang were in trouble. Quang held Q-9 for second pair, Peggy held A-T for a backdoor straight draw. But Matt held J-J for top set and a stranglehold on the hand. Matt was a 90% favorite, and a 6 on the turn left Quang and Peggy drawing dead. Matt had busted two players and seized control of more than 80% of the chips on the table. 

But Matt wasn’t done yet. The very next hand, with blinds at 300/600, John picked up QQ on the button and raised to 2,600. Before he could even finish stacking his chips from the previous hand, Matt went all-in and John called thinking he had a great chance to double his 15,000-chip stack and get back into contention. But Matt turned over AA, showing John that he had only a 20% chance of surviving. And those odds got dramatically worse, as Matt unbelievably hit top set again when the flop came out A-7-4, leaving John with only a 0.1% chance of hitting the two remaining Queens on the turn and river to avoid elimination. An 8 on the turn and a 2 on the river sealed the win for Matt. He had made quick work of his table, busting all three players in less than an hour, leaving him waiting on the sidelines for the other two tables to identify their winners who would join him at the final table.

Back on the Red Table, Luciano was winning small pots and chipping up. With binds at 500/1,000, Chris raised on the button and Luciano called in the big blind. The flop came 9-5-4, and Chris made a small continuation bet, which Luciano called. The turn was a 2, and both players checked. The river was a 7, and both players checked again. Chris turned over 66, but Luciano had hit a pair on the river with his K-7 and scooped another pot, bringing him up to almost 20,000. 

But Luciano’s run stalled in a hand against James a few minutes later. Both players flopped top pair on a flop of J-T-7 with one heart. Luciano’s K-J had James out-kicked, but James held J♥︎9♥︎, giving him a gutshot straight draw to an 8 and a backdoor flush draw to go along with his pair. After the 5♥︎ on the turn and the 7♥︎ on the river, James had made his flush, and Luciano called his 2,000-chip bet on the end. And Luciano was suddenly down to under 5,000. 

Two hands later, Chris raised on the button with A♣︎9♣︎, and Luciano put his remaining chips in from the big blind. Holding just T-5 offsuit, Luciano would need a lot of help to keep his hopes alive. But the board ran out Q-7-7-A-2, and Luciano was the first player out at the Red Table. 

Daniela wins key hands and survives multiple all-ins to keep her hopes alive.

James continued chipping up as he took his A-T offsuit up against Daniela’s T♦︎9♦︎. Both players flopped a pair of Tens on the J-T-2 flop, but James’s Ace kicker held up when the turn came a King and the river came as 8. 

Daniela’s bad luck continued the next hand when Chris raised on the button and Daniela called holding a pair of 9s. The flop came A♦︎-K♣︎-9♣︎, giving Daniela bottom set. But the 4♣︎ on the turn and J♣︎ on the river made for a very dangerous board. In the end, Chris turned over pocket 7s with the 7♣︎ for a bad flush, but good enough to top Daniela’s three 9s. Chris added about 12,000 chips to his stack, while Daniela was down to her last 10,000.

Over the next half hour, Daniela was at the center of the action, surviving elimination several times and winning many important hands to keep herself in contention, riding a wild roller coaster of luck. First, she pulled in 10,000 chips when her J-T hit a straight as the board ran out K-T-4-9-Q, easily beating James’s Q-3 offsuit for a pair of Queens. 

Then disaster struck. With blinds at 1,200/2,400, Chris raised to 5,000 on the button, and Daniela called with K♥︎-9♦︎. The flop came Q♥︎-5♥︎-3♥︎. Daniela checked her King-high flush draw, and Chris put out a tiny bet of 2,500. Daniela called, and saw the 3♣︎ on the turn, which was no help. She checked again, and Chris put out the same 2,500 bet, which Daniela called again. The T♠︎ on the turn once again didn’t help Daniela, who checked again. Chris put out a slightly larger bet of 3,000, and Daniela ultimately called with her King-high, hoping that Chris was bluffing. But Chris turned over A♥︎8♥︎ of hearts, revealing that he had flopped the nut flush and Daniela had been drawing dead the whole time. Chris collected more than 25,000 chips, and Daniela was left with just 3,500. 

Two hands later, Chris raised Daniela all-in, and Daniela called holding Q-3. Chris turned over J-T, revealing that Daniela was a favorite to double up. Both players hit a pair on the Q-T-7 flop, and Daniela’s pair of Queens held up as an 8 came on the turn and a 3 on the river. Daniela was up to about 7,000 chips (about 3 big blinds). 

And three hands later, her chips were all in the middle again before the flop. This time, she held just 6-2, while Chris showed A-3. Daniela would need some help to keep her run alive. And help is just what she got as the flop came K-6-4, giving her a pair of 6s. A 5 on the turn gave Chris a straight draw. He would need an Ace, a 2, or a 7 to knock Daniela out. But the river was a meaningless King, giving Daniela the win again. 

The roller coaster continued for Daniela the next hand as she found herself in a three-way pot against both Chris and James when Chris limped on the button, Daniela completed from the small blind, and James check his option in the big blind. The flop was T-9-4 with two clubs. Action checked to Chris who put out a small bet of 2,500. Both players called and saw the 7 of clubs on the turn, making a flush possible. All three players checked and saw a Ten on the river. All three players checked again, and Chris took down the pot with T-8 for trip Tens; James and Daniela each had a pair of 9s. Chris added another 14,000 chips to his stack, and Daniela was once again on the ropes, with just 1,700 chips in her stack. 

But Daniela was back to her winning ways after the second break, putting her last 2,000 chips in the pot with J-8 and getting called by both James and Chris. The board ran out T-9-2-Q-4, giving Daniela a straight and tripling her stack to 6,000 (1.5 big blinds). 

Three hands later, Daniela hit another straight — this time with K-Q as the board ran out A-Q-T-J-5 — and doubled her stack again, now up to three big blinds. 

Her luck continued the very next hand as Chris picked up A-2 in the small blind and raised Daniela all-in for her last 11,000. Daniela called and turned over A-3, dominating Chris’s hand. The board of 8-8-6-9-K was good enough to allow Daniela to survive, but not good enough for a double up as the players chopped the pot with their Ace high. 

Five more players fall as the final table is formed.

Two hands later, now down to just 8,000 chips, Daniela limped on the button with J♦︎7♣︎. James completed from the small blind and Chris checked from the big blind. The flop came K♣︎-9♦︎-4♦︎, and action checked to Chris who bet 4,000, enough to put Daniela all-in. Daniela called, James folded, and Chris revealed K♦︎-9♠︎ for top two pair. Daniela was in dire straights with less than 4% chance to survive. She would need to hit two Jacks or two 7s to make trips, or two cards to make a straight. The turn came the 5♦︎, and the river was the Q♦︎, giving Daniela a flush. But Chris’s K♦︎ gave him a higher flush, knocking Daniela out in third place at the Red Table.

After that, the Grey Table finally got in on the bust-out action as the players took turns hitting flush after flush. First, Altaf, Christina, and Crystal all limped in and saw a flop of T♦︎8♦︎5♣︎. All three players ended up all in with Crystal in the lead holding A-T for top pair-top kicker. Christina held J♣︎T♣︎ for top pair with a backdoor straight draw and backdoor flush draw. Altaf held 9♦︎6♦︎, for a flush draw and gutshot straight draw; although he had the worst hand at the moment, he was actually the favorite in the hand with about a 48% chance to win. The 4♣︎ gave Christina a flush draw and didn’t help Altaf; Christina and Altaf now each had about a 25% chance to win the hand, and Crystal had improved to almost 50%. But the 2♦︎ on the river gave Altaf his flush, busted Christina, and took a chunk of Crystal’s stack.

But Altaf couldn’t ride that momentum very far. The very next hand, he lost almost all of his stack when Thuy flopped a flush from the small blind holding 4♦︎2♦︎ on a board of K♦︎J♦︎5♦︎. Altaf held A♦︎J♣︎ for middle pair and the nut flush draw. A Jack on the turn gave him more outs, as he could now make a full house or the nut flush to knock Thuy out. But a harmless 9 on the river gave Thuy the win and left Altaf with just 11,000 chips.

Crystal finished the job the next hand when she hit a flush of her own with Q♠︎3♠︎ on a board of J♣︎4♣︎2♠︎A♠︎8♠︎. Altaf held just 9♦︎8♦︎, and was knocked out, collecting a $10 bounty for knocking out Christina. Meanwhile Crystal was up to about 48,000 chips as she began heads-up play against Thuy, who had 32,000.

A few minutes later on the Red Table, with blinds at 3,000/6,000, James put in his final 10,000 chips from the button with T♣︎6♣︎, and Chris called holding Q-9 offsuit. James was behind, but still had a 40% chance of surviving. The flop of Q-5-3 rainbow didn’t give James much help, and it gave Chris a pair and put him further in the lead. James had various backdoor draws, but would need two good cards to survive. The 9♥︎ on the turn was not one of those cards, and sealed Chris’s win at the Red Table. 

At this point, it looked like power couple Matt and Crystal would be joining Chris at the final table to fight for the money. But it was Thuy, riding a wave of momentum, who ultimately prevailed at the Grey Table when she knocked out Crystal with yet another flush. It was Thuy’s first final table appearance at the Pinnacle Poker Club and she squared off against Chris and Matt. 

Thuy and Matt clash in several huge hands early in the final table.

Just a few hands into the final table, Thuy took a huge pot from Matt, giving her more than half the chips on the table. But the very next hand, she got caught trying to use that big stack to bully the table with a triple-barrel bluff holding J♠︎-8♣︎ as the board ran out K♥︎-6♠︎-3♠︎-7♠︎-5♣︎. Matt made a huge hero call for all of his chips on the river with just 8♣︎-8♠︎. Matt’s pair of 8s won him the 150,000-chip pot, knocking Thuy down to just 50,000.

A few hands later, with blinds at 5,000/10,000, Matt limped from the small blind. Chris, down to just 40,000 chips, looked down at pocket 9s and moved all his chips into the pot. Matt quickly called, revealing that he had been trapping with A-K suited. Chris was about 50-50 to double his stack and survive. But he had apparently used all of his luck against Matt in their epic heads-up battle in Event #2. This time, Matt hit a King on the river and knocked Chris out in 3rd place. Chris collected $30 in bounties plus $50 for his 3rd-place finish.

As the heads-up battle began, Matt had a massive chip lead and was a huge favorite to get his first win of 2024. And just a few hands into the heads-up battle, Matt took half of Thuy’s remaining stack, leaving her with only 20,000 chips of the 240,000 on the table.

But Thuy was not giving up without a fight. First, on a flop of T♦︎9♥︎7♦︎, Thuy found herself all-in holding 8♦︎6♦︎ for a straight (plus a flush draw) against Matt’s Q-9. Thuy’s hand held up and she doubled up to about 40,000.

Thuy hit another straight the very next hand to double again. This time, she held A♥︎K♥︎ on a flop of Q♦︎T♠︎2♥︎. Matt moved all-in with K♦︎J♣︎ for an open-ended straight draw. A 5 on the turn was no help to Thuy, but a Jack on the river gave her a straight. Suddenly, she was up to 80,000 chips and right back in the game.

But Matt kept chipping away at Thuy’s stack, taking about 30,000 with Ace-high when Thuy’s T-9 failed to improve, and then another 30,000 as his 8-2 hit a straight on the river to beat Thuy’s pair of 6s.

Finally, Matt put Thuy all-in for her final 20,000 before the flop. Matt held K-T suited, and Thuy held 8-7 offsuit. The board was no help to either player, running out Q-4-A-A-6, giving Matt the win with King-high.

Thuy took home $110 for her 2nd place finish, plus one $10 bounty, along with 12 POY points to put her in second place on the season leaderboard.

With his second masterful heads-up performance in back-to-back events, Matt collected $200 for his win, to go along with $60 in bounties. He also received 18 POY points, putting him in the lead for Player of the Year with 20.5 points.