Kainalu McCue-Unciano Wins the 2019 WSOP Monster Stack

Kainalu McCue-Unciano is the latest player to secure a seven-figure payday at the 2019 World Series of Poker. The 25-year-old Hawaiin-born poker pro outlasted a field of 6,035 entries to take down this year’s $1,500 buy-in ‘Monster Stack’ no-limit hold’em event, earning his first gold bracelet and the top prize of $1,008,850.

“Everyday I told myself that I would do it. It’s just an unreal feeling. It’s kicking in slowly, it’s crazy. It’s a crazy feeling,” said McCue-Unciano after coming out on top. “This is the biggest final table I’ve ever been at. I tried not to focus on the money, I just tried to play the best that I could. I just kept fighting. Luck was on my side today.”

Prior to this million-dollar score, McCue-Unciano’s biggest cash was for $75,930 in a Venetian DeepStack Extravaganza event. In addition to the massive prize money and the bracelet, McCue-Unciano also earned 1,320 Card Player Player of the Year points as the champion of this event. This was his second POY-qualified final-table finish of the year, having won a $600 buy-in event at the Wynn in March. He now sits in 51st place in the 2019 POY race, which is sponsored by Global Poker.

McCue-Unciano came into the final day in second chip position with six players remaining. The outright leader, Benjamin Ector, get his day off on the wrong foot. In the very first hand of play Ector tried to run a monster three-barrel bluff with 43 on a Q1026K runout. Unfortunately for him, his lone opponent Gregory Katayama had called the flop with 66 and hit a set on the turn. Katayama called all-in when Ector shoved the river and won the massive pot worth over 110 million. With that, Katayama surged into the lead while Ector fell to the second shortest stack.

Ukrainian poker pro Igor Yaroshevskyy came into the final table with just 14 big blinds. He got his last chips in with K4 and McCue-Unciano called out of the small blind holding A3. Neither player improved and McCue-Unciano’s ace high was enough to send Yaroshevskyy to the rail in sixth place ($195,687).

McCue-Unciano scored his second knockout of the final table by finishing of Ector. Less than an hour and a half after he started the day as the outright leader, Ector was all-in with 77 and racing against J8. McCue-Unciano hit a flush on the turn to leave Ector drawing dead. He was awarded $258,516 as the fifth-place finisher.

Poker pro and training site owner Bart Hanson was the next to fall when his 12 big-blind shove with A6 was called by the AJ of Katayama. Hanson picked up a straight draw on the turn, but in the end both players paired their aces on the river and Hanson’s inferior kicker meant he was eliminated in fourth place. Hanson earned $344,079 for his deep run, the largest score of his career.

McCue-Unciano surged into a massive lead during three-handed play after hitting a gutshot to win the bigges pot of the event to that point. Katayama raised to 4 million from the button with pocket tens and McCue-Unciano called from the big blind with 43. The flop came down 962 and McCue-Unciano checked. Katayama bet 4 million and McCue-Unciano check-raised to 9.5 million. Katayama called and the 10 hit the turn to give Katayama a set. McCue-Unciano bet 12.5 million. Katayama called and the river brought the 5, completing McCue-Unciano’s gutshot straight draw. He fired 60 million and Katayama called, only to muck when he was shown the straight.

With that McCue-Unciano soared to 229 million, while Katayama and Chauve sat with 39.6 million and 26.6 million each. Chauve chipped up enough to have Katayama covered before the two got involved in an all-in clash. Katayama shoved his last five or so big blind with J4 from the small blind and Chauve called holding QJ. Chauve made two pair, sending Katayama home in third place ($461,369).

McCue-Unciano took nearly an 8-to-1 chip advantage into heads-up play. Despite that, Chauve was able to fight his way back into the lead eventually. After a few more lead changes, McCue-Unciano was able to regain control. By the time the final hand was dealt, he once again held a formidable advantage. McCue-Unciano shoved from the button for Chauve’s last eight big blinds holding K6. Chauve called with 1010. The board ran out KJ6K9 to secure the pot and the title for McCue-Unciano. Chauve took home $623,211 as the runner-up.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the final table:

For more coverage from the summer series, check out the 2019 WSOP landing page, complete with a full schedule, results, news, player interviews, and event recaps.

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