The World Series of Poker Paradise festival continues this week and next and after a thrilling win for Allan Mello in the Millionaire Maker event it was the final table of the $1,500-entry Mystery Million Event #1. Reaching the final table with the lead was a player who had never won a WSOP bracelet, the newly crowned queen of Game of Gold, Maria Ho. Who would take home the bracelet? It was a fantastic race for the line.

Huge Numbers in Paradise

A total of 3,446 entries meant that the Mystery Millions were a roaring success, with the final nine players guaranteed to win at least $51,000. Heading into the action, it was the poker legend Maria Ho who led the way as she bid to win her first-ever bracelet after going close on numerous times over the years.

The first player to depart from the nine-handed final table was South Korean player Hyunsup Kim. He lost out on the latter stages but won $51,000 when he shoved with and was called by Maria Ho with . In an unfortunate run-out for the at-risk player, Kim was aghast at the flop of . No help came on the turn and Kim was drawing dead to the river of a .

The man who left in eighth place was arguably – aside from Ho – the biggest threat to the others for claiming the gold WSOP bracelet. Davidi Kitai is a multiple bracelet winner and comes alive in the final stages of a live MTT. The Belgian also fell foul to Ho, as he shoved with and was called by Ho with . The board of provided another scalp for Ho and sent Kitai to the rail with $64,000.

Continental Trio Make Way

With seven players remaining, Indian player Kartik Ved was short in chips and had juss 20% of Ho’s stack when she again claimed another player’s tournament life. Ved bet from middle position before calling off his stack to Ho’s raise from the cutoff. Ved had but was behind Ho’s , with even his flush draws covered. The flop kept Ved behind, though it added tens into his outs. The turn and river, however, sent Ved to the rail as he cashed for $80,000 in seventh place.

French player Thomas Santerne was the unfortunate player to exit in sixth place. All-in with , he ran into Maria Ho’s which held through the board, meaning Santerne headed to the cash desk to collect $101,000, while Ho’s lead grew. With five left, she had 89.8 million, with Jin Hoon Lee her closest rival on 24.8 million. He was followed by Konstantin Maslak (23m), Max Pinnola (21.8m) and Drew Scott (12.9m) as Ho had built a stack larger than all of her opponents combined.

Drew Scott was short and decided to effectively raise all-in, then calling it off with . He was ahead of Maria Ho with at the start of the hand, staying that way after the flop. The turn was safe for the Canadian too, but Scott was heading out after the killed his hopes of victory and he won $127,000 in fifth place.

Ho Goes Close as Lee Gets the Luck

Down to four players, Maria Ho doubled up Max Pinnola twice in what were pivotal hands. All the chips were committed pre-flop in both hands, and each player had the better hand in alternate all-in pots. But Ho lost them both and instead of eliminating Pinnola, ended the two hands just a handful of chips ahead of him in the counts.

Konstantin Maslak’s elimination in fourth place saw the Russian’s dominated and defeated by Lee’s as the ace-high board reduced the field to three and sent Maslak to the rail for $160,000. At that stage, Lee was third in chips, but that was about to change in a big way.

All-in with pocket fours, Ho had another chance to score a vital elimination but when she had committed her chips with , Lee had and hit the turn on a board. That pot catapulted him into the lead and gave his five times Ho’s stack. Soon after, the Game of Gold winner was all-in with and lost to Lee’s similar as the board of sent her home in third place for $200,000 so close but so far from the WSOP bracelet she has been working towards for two decades.

Heads-up, Lee held a lead of 106 million chips to Pinnola’s 66.5 million. The American initially got a double up with just six-high but his luck was to run out. All-in with , Lee triumphed over Pinnola’s . That pot set Lee up for a 3:1 chip lead and soon after, Pinnola’s shove with was called by Lee with and it was all over, a king on the flop and no four coming for Pinnola meaning the bracelet belonged to the South Korean, along with the $420,000 top prize.

Watch the final table right here: