Event #54: $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em

Max Lykov came into today's final table as the chip leader with almost a third of the chips in play and never lost that lead as he stayed in command throughout the day's proceedings.

The action was fast early on as Stanislav Alehkin hit an early double up with    through Joshua Evans'    to give the Russian a fighting chance. It was Sebastien Roy though, who would bust first when he reraised all in with    against Lykov, the latter's    rivering broadway to send the French-Canadian spinning out of the event.

Joshua Evans, crippled from doubling up Alekhin earlier was when he pushed with    and found Dror Michaelo more than willing to make the call with   . Michaelo had a real sweat though, when the board came      , fading the flush draw.

With Lykov and Michaelo holding most of the chips, everyone else was suffering as short stacks. Douglas MacKinnon made a push with queen-seven but Lykov held pocket sevens to dominate him, a queenless board later and the chip leader was increasing said lead.

Ren Ho Zhang won a huge flip against Alekhin and then dispatched the crippled short stack in sixth place, leaving just one Russian remaining in Lykov. At this point, Englishman Warren Wooldridge came into his own, first doubling through Lykov then knocking out Harald Olsen in fifth place. Olsen had pushed with    from the small blind and Wooldridge made the call with   , neither player hit and Wooldridge moved up into second place as a result.

Ren Ho Zhang was knocked out in Lykov in third when he bluffed all in with a missed straight draw, only to find Lykov happy to call with a rivered flush. Wooldridge was then eliminated in 3rd place after an extended period of three-handed play, Wooldridge got it in with    against Lykov's    but the latter flopped a nine and it managed to hold to give a 2:1 lead over Michaelo going into heads up.

The final battle against Michaelo was brief and bloody, the Russian getting paid off when he flopped the nut straight and then quickly dispatching his foe when he had him all in with a dominating hand. Lykov takes home nearly $650,000 for his efforts and already having an EPT title, is now two-thirds of the way towards a triple crown.

It also makes him the third Russian to capture a bracelet this summer, an impressive achievement. Congratulations to him from everyone at PokerNews and don't forget, the Main Event will be starting tomorrow from 12pm!

Max Lykov raised to 260,000 and Dror Michaelo made the call to see a     flop.

Michaelo led out for 325,000 and Lykov made the call to see the   turn. Michaelo fired 325,000 again and Lykov made it 850,000 to play. Michaelo made the call and then fired out 800,000 on the   river.

Lykov seemed a little concerned, asking Michaelo how much he had back before electing to just call.

Michaelo flipped    but Lykov showed    for the flopped straight to take an even bigger lead in this event.

Warren Wooldridge raised to 300,000 on the button and Maxim Lykov announced he was all in from the big blind. Wooldridge called putting himself at risk.

Wooldridge:   
Lykov:   

Wooldridge was in the lead and poised to double until the flop came     giving Lykov a pair of nines. Wooldridge would need to pair his jack or hit an eight to make a straight to stay alive but the turn and river brought the   and   and Wooldridge was eliminated.

Max Lykov has moved the aggression up another notch. He's raising almost every pot and winning the vast majority while the other two players are yet to find a way to combat it.

The only major pot that went away from him was when he raised to 260,000 in the small blind against Warren Wooldridge but then check-folded to a 500,000 bet on the     flop.

Backed by a strong Russian rail however, it's hard not to back him at this point.

Warren Wooldridge called a bet of 250,000 on a flop of     against Max Lykov in a blind on blind battle. Lykov continued the agression by betting 375,000 on the   turn, Wooldridge counted his stack and appeared to be debating a call but suddenly decared he was all in for 1,755,000 more.

Lykov didn't instantly fold but thought about it for a minute or two before he did give up the hand to cries of, "Too much!" from the English rail.

Maxim Lykov raised to 225,000 from the button and Dror Michaelo called from the big blind. The flop came     and after Michaelo checked, Lykov bet 250,000. Michaelo then thought for a bit before putting out a large raise to 800,000. Lykov almost instantly declared he was all in and Michaelo went into the tank. He eventually released his hand and Lykov added to his chip lead.

Maxim Lykov	8,800,000	1,300,000
Dror Michaelo	1,700,000	-1,300,000

It certainly seems that Max Lykov doesn't intend to wait for the other two players to knock each other out, he's going after both of them at the moment..

During the last level Warren Wooldridge raised to 180,000 on the button and Max Lykov made it 415,000 in the big blind. Wooldridge thought about it for a minute before electing to make the call to see a     flop. Lykov studied the board carefully before betting 340,000 and Wooldridge quickly gave it up.

As the level went up, Wooldridge raised to 250,000 and Lykov made the call to see a     flop. Lykov led out for 290,000 and Wooldridge made the call, but when the chip leader bet 530,000 on the   turn, the Englishman quickly folded his hand to some scattered cheers from members of the watching Russian rail.

It appears that Dror Michaelo is getting a little antsy. In one hand, Warren Wooldridge raised to 180,000 from the small blind and Michaelo pushed all in for over 3,000,000 from the big blind eliciting a fold from Wooldridge.

Not long after that hand, Maxim Lykov raised to 175,000 on the button and Michaelo shipped his whole stack in again prompting Lykov to fold.

If he continues to make big moves we could see another double up or elimination soon but only time will tell.