Anand RathiChip CountsDay 3Level 29 · 50,000/100,000 (100,000)0 of 359 left
Anand Rathi Turns Satellite Ticket Into Natural8 Open Main Event Crown
From a NT$4,000 satellite entry to the top of the podium, Anand Rathi completed a tournament debut to remember after emerging as champion at the PS Championship IV Natural8 Open Main Event. Sponsored by Natural8, the event drew 359 entries with the final 9 players returning today.
An avid cash game player competing in his first-ever live tournament, Rathi eliminated four players at the final table on his way to the title. The victory earned him an ICM deal payout of NT$ 622,504 along with the coveted PS trophy. More than the prize money, Rathi proudly dedicated the victory to his wife.
Payouts
1Anand RathiIndiaNT$622,504
2Kaihung HuTaiwanNT$820,000
3Po Yu ChenTaiwanNT$390,000
4Zhan Xi GuoTaiwanNT$280,000
5Cheng Wei PengTaiwanNT$211,800
6Kazuki FukudaJapanNT$179,000
7Do Yun KuSouth KoreaNT$150,000
8Anson ChoyHong KongNT$123,000
9Xiang Sheng ThamSingaporeNT$100,000
The final table opened with Zhan Xi Guo holding a sizable advantage after bagging 140 big blinds at Day 2. While he pulled further away, Rathi struck the first blow by eliminating Xiang Sheng Tham who called to his doom in 9th place.
Chen Makes Sickest Call
Next to do damage was Po Yu Chen, making the gutsiest hero-call of the final table to cut into Zhan's advantage and bring him down to the rest of the table. From there, the battle for the lead was wide open.
Battle for the Chip Lead
It was at this time that Kai Hung Hu ascended. Hu eliminated Do Yun Ku in 7th place then won another pot off Zhan to wrestle away the chip lead. Chen charged back, eliminating Kazuki Fukuda in 6th place when he landed a two-outer.
Cheng Payjumps to 5th Place
While the big stacks traded blows, Cheng Wei Peng was struggling to stay afloat. Starting the day with just 13 big blinds that dropped further to 8 big blinds, Cheng doubled up three times to keep his tournament alive. One escape came courtesy of a double-paired board that counterfeited Rathi's small pocket pair that allowed Cheng's ace to play. His short stack fight eventually carried him all the way to 5th place.
Four Players, No Clear Favorite
By four-handed, the race had tightened considerably. Hu grinded his way back into the lead and then landed a bluff against Zhan. Rathi answered with one of his biggest pots of the final table, getting maximum value with a full house when he shoved the river that got paid by Hu's two pair.
Then Zhan suffered two big hits to his stack. The first saw Chen's top pair hold against his flush draw. The next clash was more damaging. Rathi was all in on the flop with an open-ended straight draw against Zhan's flopped two pair then found one of his outs on the river.
Two Final Knockouts for Rathi
Zhan's final stand came soon after, and this time Rathi was waiting with the goods. Zhan shoved into Rathi's pocket aces, ending the overnight chip leader's run in 4th place.
In what proved to be the final elimination of the tournament, Rathi eliminated Chen in 3rd place. Rathi check-raised all in with top pair and Chen called for this tournament life with a flush draw. Rathi's top pair held.
The final two players quickly reached an ICM deal that brought the event to a close. Rathi was crowned the Natural8 Open Main Event champion earning NT$ 622,540 from a total prize pool of NT$ 5,11790. For runner up Hu, he pocketed NT$ 820,000 for his larger stack.
Filed by Tricia David