Chance Kornuth Wins 2022 Stairway To Millions Event #2

Chance Kornuth continued his impressive start to the 2022 Stairway To Millions series with a victory in Event #2: $2,150 NL Hold’em. Kornuth cashed in the first event, finishing 16th, and his prize included a ticket to the second tournament. After entering the final table of six in fourth chip position, Kornuth defeated Eric Baldwin in heads-up play to come out on top. Kornuth picked up $51,600 for the win, which includes a ticket to Event #3: $4,200 NL Hold’em.

“The cards definitely can make it easy sometimes,” Kornuth said in the moments after his win. “Eric’s a very tough opponent and played incredibly well. It just didn’t go his way.”

By continuing to cash, Kornuth is working his way up the “stairway.” His run began two days ago in Event #1: $1,100 NL Hold’em. In that event, Kornuth finished in 16th place from the field of 190 entries and his $3,800 prize included a ticket to Event #2: $2,150 NL Hold’em. In the second event, Kornuth maneuvered his way through the 129-entry field on Day 1 to finish fourth in chips with six players remaining. He worked his way to heads-up play against Baldwin before battling to take the title.

“I think, in general, it’s really, really good to help people have the opportunity to play some of the higher buy-in PokerGO events that are on stream,” Kornuth said of the Stairway To Millions series. “Hats off to them for setting up this Stairway To Millions. I think it’s great.”

Stairway To Millions Event #2 Results

Stairway To Millions Event #2: $2,150 NL Hold’em drew a field of 129 entries to ARIA Resort & Casino. The top 19 spots earned a cash, which came with a ticket to Event #3: $4,200 NL Hold’em. Included in the group of players to cash in Event #2 were Stephen Song (12th – $7,740) and Michael Wang (13th – $5,160).

Players cashing in Event #1 and then going on to cash in Event #2 on a single bullet in addition to Kornuth include third-place finisher Jovan Santiago, seventh-place finisher Jake Perry, and 11th-place finisher Long Lui.

Kornuth’s Road To Winning Event #2

After placing 16th in the first event of the series, Chance Kornuth was back in action for the second event. Kornuth got started early by busting Martin Zamani in the third level of Day 1. Zamani hopped back in and, as fate would have it, busted again to Kornuth in Level 8.

The final 20 players found themselves on the money bubble in Level 13. That’s when Kornuth knocked out Jaime Cervantes to send everyone into the money. Cervantes was all in from the big blind for less than a big blind and Kornuth had raised everyone else out of the pot. Kornuth had king-nine of hearts against Cervantes’ ace-seven of clubs. Kornuth flopped a king and held from there to eliminate Cervantes.

With eight players remaining, Kornuth clashed with Eric Baldwin in a hand that would see Kornuth double through Baldwin. Kornuth had pocket tens against Baldwin’s ace-ten and held.

After Jake Perry was eliminated in seventh place, Kornuth bagged up 1,600,000 in chips and was fourth on the leaderboard entering Day 2.

At the final table, Kornuth got things started with the first elimination. Jeremy Ausmus was the first player to go. He moved all in from the button with pocket eights and was called by Kornuth in the small blind and Joelle Parenteau in the big blind. Kornuth had ace-six of clubs and Parenteau had queen-seven. Kornuth took the lead on an ace-ten-seven flop and bet out Parenteau. The turn was a king and the river was a three to bust Ausmus.

With the blinds up to 75,000-150,000 with a 150,000 big blind ante, Brock Wilson raised all in from the button for 550,000 with ace-nine. Kornuth called from the big blind with king-four. Kornuth flopped a four, held on the turn, and then rivered a king to bust Wilson in fifth place.

Parenteau busted Baldwin in fourth place, and then Baldwin also took out Jovan Santiago in third place. That set up a heads-up match between Kornuth and Baldwin that began with Baldwin in the lead but not by much. Baldwin started with 6,725,000 to Kornuth’s 6,175,000 and the blinds were 75,000-150,000 with a 150,000 big blind ante.

Kornuth took the chip lead on the first hand of heads-up play, but then Baldwin battled back to retake the lead. Baldwin worked his stack to nearly 10,000,000 in chips and had more than three times the chips that Kornuth had, but Kornuth found a double with ace-king against Baldwin’s eight-seven. That didn’t stop Baldwin from extending his lead once again, but then Kornuth came right back with another double up, this time coming from behind with jack-eight against Baldwin’s king-eight thanks to a jack on the river.

After Kornuth worked his way into the chip lead, Baldwin moved all in with nine-six of clubs and ran into Kornuth’s ace-king. Kornuth flopped an ace and held from there, leaving Baldwin drawing dead on the turn to become champion of 2022 Stairway To Millions Event #2: $2,150 NL Hold’em.

2022 Stairway To Millions Schedule

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