11:00pm Liang Xu leads the way in which into the overall table

We've reached our MPC24 Red Dragon final table!

Liang Xu will bring probably the most to the table tomorrow when the action kicks off at 3pm. Here's the general table draw.

Seat 1 - Takashi Ogura (Japan) - 2,710,000Seat 2 - Liang Xu (China) - 3,375,000Seat 3 - Fan Xie (China) - 1,110,000Seat 4 - Ying Lin Chua (Malaysia) - 2,665,000Seat 5 - Chengbei Lei (China) 1,700,000Seat 6 - Yang Zhang (China) - 1,375,000Seat 7 - Tom Alner (UK) - 1,030,000Seat 8 - Yongqiang Huang (China) - 520,000Seat 9 - Wayne Zhang (China) - 1,610,000

We'll have a recap of today's events at the PokerStars Blog once possible.

Final table chip leader - Liang Xu

10:50pm: Tu eliminated; final table set!

Our lingering shortstack Nan Tu finally faced elimination head on when he clashed with Japan's Takashi Ogura. The 2 got the entire money in preflop and Tu had the worst of it.

Tu: A♣5♣Ogura: A♦Q♣

A large crowd had gathered around to sweat was potentially the last hand of the night and when the 6♠8♠K♠2♦8♣ board confirmed Tu's elimination there has been a cheer around the tournament floor.

Tu leaves us in 10th place at the final table bubble.

The remaining nine players are only bagging up their chips now. We'll have updated counts and the general table draw once possible.

10:40pm: Chop it up

Nan Tu was still peddling a brief stack after a contemporary hand. It folded around to him within the small blind and he jammed into the massive blind of Ying Lin Chua only to be quickly called..

Tu: A♥7♣Chua: A♦4♥

Tu was in front however the K♣Q♣9♠Q♥T♣ run out meant the 2 would narrow the pot.

10:25pm: Tu crippled

Nan Tu just took a large hit to his chip stack after moving his last 850,000 in from the cutoff. Fan Xie called to place herself in danger from the small blind and the cards went on their backs.

Tu: 6♣6♦Xie: K♥K♦

Xie had woken up with pocket kings and left Tu on the lookout for a six to knock her out and avoid a crippling blow to his stack. The A♠8♣9♥J♥Q♥ saw Xie's railbirds erupt into applause as her kings held to depart Xie with only 275,000 in chips remaining.

10:10pm: Final ten chip counts

We're at the direct final table bubble now as play resumes.

Here's how our final ten are standing in chip counts.

Liang Xu - 3,200,000Takashi Ogura - 2,600,000Wayne Zhang - 2,200,000Ying Lin Chua - 1,850,000Yang Zhang - 1,400,000Tom Alner - 1,350,000Nan Tu - 1,300,000Chengbei Li - 850,000Fan Xie - 830,000Yongqiang Huang - 650,000

10:05pm: Level 25 begins, blinds are 20,000/40,000 with a 5,000 ante

9:20pm: Dinner break

We're just one clear of the overall table but players have just commenced a 45-minute dinner break.

Liang Xu is our current chip leader with 3,200,000 to play with sooner than Takashi Ogura within the second spot with 2,600,000.

We'll have full chip counts of all players once we return.

Be certain to join us after the break!

9:05pm: Aces for Xie, Santos Armendariz eliminated

It folded around to Inaki Joseba Santos Armendariz at the button and he moved all in before being snap-called by Fan Xie within the big blind.

Santos Armendariz:3♥3♣Xie: A♠A♦

Santos Armendariz slammed the table on the sight of Xie's pocket aces and was sent to the rail when the cards came down T♣5♣5♦K♥Q♥.

With that elimination we're all the way down to only 11 players remaining.

Fan Xie

8:50pm: Tu doubles through Alner

On a flop of 9♦2♥4♦ Nan Tu moved all in for 409,000 and was called by Tom Alner.

Tu: 4♠4♥Alner: T♣9♣

Tu had the hand almost locked up already and by the 8♣ turn Alner was drawing dead. The inconsequential 9♠ river completed the board and Tu scored himself a double up.

8:35pm: Liu loses flip eliminated

Kelly Liu has was just knocked out painfully on the subject of the overall table by current chip leader Liang Xu. The 2 got all of the money in preflop with Liu holding ace-queen and Xu with pocket eights.

Liu had to improve but did not accomplish that when the 2♥T♠4♠6♣2♦ came down. Xu increases his chip lead as Liu heads to the payout desk.

8:20pm: Level 24 begins, blinds are 15,000/30,000 with a 4,000 ante

8:10pm: Another lucky river for Ogura ends Ngan's run

Takashi Ogura brought it in for a raise to 55,000 and next to behave Simon Ngan reraised to 162,000. Ogura quickly moved all in with enough to hide Ngan sending the latter into the tank.

Ngan studied this opponent for around a minute before announcing call because the cards went on their backs.

Ngan: A♠K♦Ogura: A♦Q♦

Ngan had the dominant hand and faded the risk for the primary four community cards with 3♣5♦A♥5♥ being opened up at the table. The river, however, brought the Q♣ to pair Ogura and knock Ngan out of the tournament.

That elimination takes us to simply 13 players remaining and sees Ogura stack a mountain of 1,900,000 in chips.

7:55pm: Huang hits Tu

Yongqiang Huang opened the action from the hijack seat with a raise to 60,000 before Nan Tu three-bet to 165,000 from the small blind.

Huang called the reraise and players went to a flop of 2♦A♥5♥. It went check-check and the dealer turned the 6♣. Tu opted to guide for 135,000 and after some deliberation, Huang called.

The 3♥ river saw Tu check and Huang pushed all in. Tu immediately put his hand to his mouth after which threw his cards away.

Huang showed the table T♥T♦ and scooped the pot.

Nan Tu

7:40pm: Not more dream for Cheam

Alvin Cheam has just left us here after a preflop all in confrontation with Yin Lin Chua saw Cheam at risk.

Cheam: 7♣7♦Chua: K♥K♦

Cheam was on the lookout for a seven to maintain the dream alive however the 5♦2♦T♠5♠A♠ runout wouldn't cooperate.

Chua adds 214,000 to his stack and now sits with around 1.8 million.

7:30pm: Chip standings with 17 remaining

We're all the way down to two tables now with only 17 players left within the hunt.

Liang Xu has emerged as our chip leader, with Tom Alner in second place and chasing his second Red Dragon title.

Also still within the running are Hong Kong Stars members Wayne Zhang and Dong Guo.

Here's where the remainder 17 players are sitting and the way they stack up.

Table 18Seat 1 - Yongqiang Huang - 710,000Seat 3 - Tom Alner - 1,660,000Seat 4 - Chengbei Li - 750,000Seat 5 - Simon Ngan - 740,000Seat 6 - Nan Tu - 770,000Seat 7 - Tianhong Su - 1,610,000Seat 8 - Wayne Zhang - 1,420,000Seat 9 - Yang Zhang - 1,400,000

Table 19Seat 1 - Jia Wang - 930,000Seat 2 - Dong Guo - 240,000Seat 3 - Kelly Liu - 320,000Seat 4 - Alvin Cheam - 280,000Seat 5 - Ying Lin Chua - 1,550,000Seat 6 - Fan Xie - 240,000Seat 7 - Takashi Ogura - 1,050,000Seat 8 - Huitong Cao - 620,000Seat 9 - Liang Xu - 1,940,000

7:20pm: Level 23 begins, blinds are 12,000/24,000 with a 4,000 ante

7:10pm: Scheduled break

The remaining 17 players have stepped clear of the tournament area for one more 10-minute break. Coverage will resume momentarily.

7:00pm: Katsunari Maeda eliminated

Chengbei Li just sent another player home, this time it was Katsunari Maeda.

The two found themselves all in preflop and Maeda was in rough shape to maintain his tournament life, holding K♥Q♣ against Li's dominating A♥K♣.

Maeda had his hands clenched in prayer over his face but those prayers weren't answered because the board ran out 8♣3♥J♠6♣7♥.

He leaves us almost four hours into today's proceedings.

6:45pm: Ogura running it up; Zhang sent packing

Japan's Takashi Ogura started today as one among our shorter stacks but he's been doing well to acquire chips so far.

Ogura added some more to his stack once you have lucky to eliminate Fu Zhang.

Zhang raised to 55,000 preflop before Ogura popped it to 215,000 from the massive blind. Zhang came back over the top, Ogura quickly called, and the cards went on their backs.

Ogura: A♠7♦Zhang: A♦Q♥

Zhang was fit to double up until the 5♠9♠K♥ flop meant he needed to sweat another spade arriving to make Ogura a flush. The Q♦ turn improved Zhang to a couple however the 3♠ river completed Ogura's flush and ended Zhang's tournament run.

Ogura started on an insignificant 160,000 but after that hand he climbs as much as 1,160,000 in chips.

Takashi Ogura

6:30pm: Li leaves Chen heading for the exit

Chuansong Chen just hit the rail here after you have his stack all in preflop against Chengbei Li.

Chen: A♦4♦Li: A♥J♣

Chen was behind however the 2♠8♦5♣ flop gave him a glimmer of hope. He added a gut shot straight draw and backdoor flush draw to his possibilities of survival but neither would come to fruition because the Q♣ turn and 6♠ river completed the board.

Chen was eliminated while Li stacked up a complete of 870,000 in chips.

6:20pm: Three tables remain

We've only just clocked three hours into today's proceedings and already we've reached our final three tables. That suggests we're only 18 eliminations clear of the belief of play here tonight.

The remaining 27 has been informed that not the approaching break however the following one they are going to have a 75-minute dinner break before coming back and playing right down to a last table.

6:10pm: Level 22 begins, blinds are 10,000/20,000 with a 3,000 ante

6:00pm: Cao climbing

Garry Lam made a preflop raise to 35,000 before Tom Alner at the button three-bet to 100,000. Huitong Cao cold-called from the massive blind and Lam stuck around to peer a flop of K♦Q♣T♣.

It was then that Cao seized the betting lead, firing for 200,000. Lam and Alner didn't hesitate long before folding and Cao flashes the J♥ before collecting the pot.

5:45pm: Sakurada sent home

Japan's Konosuke Sakurada was just eliminated by the hands of Leon Tsu.

The two found themselves all in preflop with Tsu holding A♥8♥ and Konosuke just behind with A♣7♣.

Sakurada couldn't improve or discover a chop because the board landed 4♠6♣T♦3♦9♣ meant his tournament over and Tsu would climb to 360,000.

In the similar orbit, Tsu chipped up even further after taking a pot from Wayne Zhang.

Tsu raised to 33,000 before Zhang made it 81,000 to head from the button. Tsu came back excessive for 349,000 and despite cutting out a call, Zhang decided the let the hand go.

5:25pm: Chan's chips visit Alner

Wai Wa Chan was just sent hurtling to the rail after finding himself at the wrong end of a flip with Englishman Tom Alner

After a player brought it in for a raise to 33,000, Tom Alner moved all in and Chan called off with less for his own tournament life. The initial raiser begrudgingly tossed his cards within the muck and the remainder two within the hand tabled their hands.

Alner: A♦K♣Chen: 8♠8♦

It was a good fight and Chan held in the course of the 3♣T♣Q♣ flop but together Alner picked up an international of outs. Any club, any jack, any ace or any king would see Alner make the most productive hand, and he received immediate service at the J♣ turn.

Chen was already drawing dead when the 3♦ completed the board to peer him eliminated and Alner eclipse 1 million in chips.

Tom Alner

5:10pm: Level 21 begins, blinds are 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante

5:00pm: Scheduled break

Our remaining 38 players have left the tournament area for a 10-minute break.

4:50pm: Aces for Liu

Kelly Liu was all in preflop and in danger against tablemate Jia Wang.

Liu looked good to double up holding A♠A♥ against Wang's A♣K♠ and the aces would rise up because the cards landed 2♣K♣6♠J♥7♥.

Despite the setback for Wang she still has a healthy 630,000 in chips.

4:35pm: Cheam saved by the river

Alvin Cheam moved all in preflop for his 192,000 in chips before Dong Guo made the decision to position him in peril. Guo tabled his J♠J♦ prematurely because the big blind had still yet to behave however the player did fold and Cheam revealed his A♠Q♥.

Things were looking bleak by the turn for Cheam when the board of 9♠2♠6♦T♣ left him needing an ace or a queen to stick within the tournament. Much to his delight the Q♣ river rolled off and he scored a double up in preference to being sent out the door.

After that hand Guo falls to 180,000.

4:15pm: Santos Armendariz slapped by a cooler

Inaki Joseba Santos Armendariz was just punished by a chilly deck in a hand against Simon Ngan.

We arrived on the river with the board reading 7♣7♦4♦T♣3♣ and the 2 players had all of the chips within the middle.

Santos Armendariz held pocket tens for a turned full house and the second one nuts but Ngan could beat it with pocket sevens for a flopper four of a kind.

Santos Armendariz was out of his seat on the sight of his opponent's hand but returned once he realised he still had chips. After that he'll be hoping to take his last 158,000 and run it up.

4:00pm: Level 20 begins, blinds are 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante

3:50pm: Early eliminations continue as Chen exits

Players are flying out the door on this first level as Weihang Chen was the following casualty is a spate of eliminations.

Chen opened the action to 21,000 and after the player at the button called, Huitong Cao squeezed from the small ignorant of 135,000. When the verdict was back on Chen he moved all in excessive for an additional 469,000 in chips.

The caller gave it up before Cao asked for a count and went into the tank. After some considerable thought Cao committed the chips and the cards went on their backs.

Cao: K♠K♦Chen: Q♠Q♣

Chen was after a queen to maintain his Red Dragon run alive however the 4♦T♥3♠9♥7♦ run out didn't oblige. He left the tournament area as Cao stacked up his mountain of chips.

Accumulating chips - Huitong Cao

3:35pm: Hisayama finishes off Shen

Hao Shen recently found himself all in and in danger against tablemate Riyota Hisayama.

Shen: 6♣5♣Hisayama: K♠J♥

Shen needed some help to stick alive and while he found a gut shot straight draw at the 4♠9♥8♠ flop, the 3♦ turn and T♥ river bricked off to peer Shen eliminated.

That hand brings Hisayama as much as 345,000 in chips.

3:15pm: Rough run out leaves Ip reeling

Dawson Ip was just sent packing within the early stages here after he got all of the money in preflop with pocket aces but couldn't hold.

Ip: A♣A♦Liang Xu: A♠Q♦

Ip was in a commanding position preflop however the Q♠Q♣9♦ flop immediately meant he was drawing to only one out. He would never find it at the 6♣ turn or 8♦ river and was dealt an unlucky elimination.

His opponent Xu however stacked up some newly acquired chips for a complete count of 680,000.

3:00pm: Cards within the air!

We're live again! Tournament official Rex Cheong has just told the players it is time to shuffle up and deal.

Blinds will recommence at 5,000/10,000 with a 1,000 ante and the typical stack firstly of proceedings sits at 293,181.

Let's see who of our last 55 could make all of it the best way all the way down to the general table tonight.

Stay tuned!

MPC24 Red Dragon Day 3 gearing up

The penultimate day.

Where our remaining 55 players will fight right down to a last table.

Once again Kamel Mokhammad would be the man to chase. After finishing as chip leader on Day 1b he did it again yesterday, bagging up 905,000 when play concluded.

We'll be back underway at 3:00pm and because the plan is to complete with our final table set, there is no predicted finishing time tonight.

As usual we'll be covering everything it's a must to know from here in Macau. Keep your browser locked to the PokerStars Blog as we make our way towards a last table!

All photos by Kenneth Lim Photography courtesy of PokerStars LIVE Macau

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