Chance Kornuth Wins Event #7 for 3rd Stairway To Millions Victory

Chance Kornuth's first 2022 Stairway To Millions event at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas resulted in him taking home the Event #7: $2,740 No-Limit Hold'em title. Although Kornuth began heads-up with a commanding lead, he was soon on the other end of things staring at a huge deficit. Kornuth roared all the way back and claimed victory for his third career Stairway To Millions title to go along with the $45,373 first-place prize.

Following this victory, Kornuth now eclipses $11.55 million in lifetime tournament earnings while simultaneously joining Michael Wang as the only players with three Stairway To Millions titles and a title at two different properties.

Event #7 of the Stairway To Millions attracted a total of 92 entrants to smash the $100,000 prize pool guarantee. The $230,000 prize pool would be split among the final 12 players as Philip Shing, Jim Agate, Gus Kalathakis, Joe Curcio, Qing Liu, and Bill Klein all collected Event #8 seats after falling short of reaching Day 2. Just six players would return today as Kao Saechao held an overwhelming chip lead as play began with Kornuth playing nearly every hand of the first orbit.

Sitting at his third final table of the series, Samy Dighlawi found the first double up when he was all-in with pocket queens against the pocket eights of Wu Zhou. Zhou would be looking to improve on his two runner-up finishes, but couldn't rebound after doubling Dighlawi as he exited in sixth place when his king-jack couldn't improve against the pocket sevens of Saechao. Victoria Livschitz fell in fifth place when she ran into the superior ace-king of Kornuth.

Dighlawi found another double, but when he shoved jack-ten once more, Kornuth called with pocket sevens. Dighlawi spiked a ten on the flop, but a seven on the turn would end his run in fourth place. Kornuth, Saechao, and Dave Lin all locked up a $10,400 seat into Event #9, and it would be Lin momentarily taking the chip lead from Saechao. It was then Kornuth's turn to move into the chip lead, and after a few more pots went his way, he soon held six million in chips. 

Saecheo's run ended in third when his ace-eight ran into the ace-jack of Kornuth to leave Lin trailing Kornuth in heads-up play by nearly a five-to-one deficit. Lin however managed to find a double, and then surged ahead into the lead, but Kornuth wouldn't be ready to quit. Kornuth doubled with top pair against Lin's straight draw, and then was all-in with pocket sevens against Lin's ace-four. Lin flopped trips, but Kornuth flopped a full house, and when quads failed to spike on the turn and river runout, Lin was down to less than two big blinds. Lin found one double, but then exited the next hand to award Kornuth the Stairway To Millions title..

Stairway To Millions Event #7 Final Table Results

2022 Stairway To Millions Schedule

Currently underway from The Venetian Resort Poker Room is Event #8 of the Stairway To Millions with Friday seeing the $10,400 buy-in level of the series. Follow along with all the live updates from the entire Stairway To Millions which will be provided by the PGT.com Live Reporting Team.

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