Chidwick's friends and family, right at the front of the rail here on the final day of the partypoker LIVE MILLIONS Main Event
A monumental pot at the MILLIONS Main Event final table saw Stephen Chidwick win from a losing position against Katie Swift when his ace-jack found two jacks to fill up against Swift's ace-king.
In the aftermath of such a game-changing hand, we spoke to three people as affected by the drama as anyone, Stephen's parents and close friend Max Silver. The two families are closer than most, from Broadstairs and Deal in Kent, a county nicknamed the 'Garden of England' for its stunning countryside.
"We live very near the Swift family in Kent," said Stephen's father Peter Chidwick. "Just 15 miles away."
When we asked if the Chidwicks had seen Stephen in action before on the rail, they told us that they got the closest they could.
"We were on our way to an EPT final in San Remo when he got knocked out before the final table." said Peter.
"We've had plenty of practice watching him live online and following the live updates." says Julie Chidwick, Stephen's mother. " But he was out before we got there."
Both parents were right on the rail (pictured) celebrating Chidwick's win in the most recent crucial hand against Katie Swift.
"It's nerve-racking, you don't expect him to get there." says Peter.
Max Silver is one of Stephen's best friends in poker and is right next the Chidwicks on the rail.
"I'd say [Stephen] is the most-feared player at the table. He definitely has the most live experience and is very tough to play against. Now he has chips, they could be really worried. When he was short, he couldn't really do too much but now he has chips, he can make a push to win small pots and try to dominate. It's hard to beat a man who's really good and really lucky. Right now, he's both."
From the hijack, Stephen Chidwick moved all in for 61M and Katie Swift reshoved for 99.9M from one seat over to get everyone else out of the way.
Stephen Chidwick:
Katie Swift:
On the flop, Chidwick picked up some chop outs, but the turn and river improved Chidwick to a full house and he scored a full double up, leaving Swift as the far shortest stack.
In what would turn out to be the biggest hand yet of the final table, the action folded around to Katie Swift on the button. She made it 11M to go with , and Mulhern defended his big blind with .
After being checked to, Swift continued for 8M on the flop, and she fired a second barrel on the turn after being called. Mulhern made the call again. It got really interesting on the river. Mulhern took the initiative betting 26M, and Swift went deep into the tank. First off she cut out chips for a raise, but ultimately she decided on calling instead, hoping to catch Mulhern in a bluff.
Mulhern turned over his measly pair of sixes and was very surprised as Swift's hand hit the muck. With that pot Mulhern has overtaken the chiplead at this partypokerLIVE Millions Main Event final table.
Maria Lampropoulou raised to 12.5M on the button with and picked up two flat calls out of the blinds with Jeremy Pantin with and the of Jon Spinks. The trio checked the flop and the turn.
Pantin then checked the river and Spinks bet 12.5M, which sent Lampropoulou into the think tank.
Mateusz Rypulak made it 10M to go from the button with and both Jacob Mulhern with and Maria Lampropoulou with made the call in the blinds.
The flop came , Mulhern and Lampropoulou both checked and Rypulak fired 13M. Mulhern made a small raise to 29M total, and that was good enough to take the pot.
Jon Spinks made it 10M to go from the hijack with and Jacob Mulhern took a flop in the big blind with . The didn't offer much for Mulhern, and he folded to a bet of 8.5M.
Stephen Chidwick came in for a min-raise in the cutoff, and Mateusz Rypulak defended his big blind. On the flop Chidwick continued for 6M and Rypulak called. The players then checked through the turn and river, and Rypulak's was enough to take the pot from Chidwick's .
After claiming the pot against Katie Swift without showdown, Neel Murthy was in the big blind and faced a raise to 11M by Maria Lampropulos with and three-bet to 31M with the . Lampropulos called and the flop fell to see Murthy continue for 22M, which Lampropulos called.
After the turn, Murthy counted his stack carefully before then moving all in for 83.5M. Lampropulos called and Murthy immediately left his chair, knewing he had no chance to win the pot. The American was drawing dead while the meaningless river completed the board, and Murthy takes home ￡72,395.
All remaining seven players have at least ￡100,000 locked up.
Neel Murthy raised to 11M from under the gun with the and Katie Swift called out of the big blind with . The flop came and Swift checked, Murthy bet 5M and Swift called.
After the turn, Swift checked again and Murthy's second bet got the job done.
Juan Riera (left) and Tony Dunst do battle in the ￡1milllion guaranteed MILLION ￡2,700 Side Event.
With ￡1,000,000 in the prize-pool and ￡250,000 up top, no ordinary kind of side event is going on in parallel with the MILLIONS Main Event.
With 24 players remaining, the 8-Max ￡2,500+200 tournament in getting to the business end of proceedings and there are some very familiar names still involved.
Tony Dunst has 4.5 million and came into play with the chip lead, having crushed the last level of play. We caught up with as he made his way to the tournament area this morning.
"It's a super-fun tournament and ￡250,000 which is around $320,000 up top for a side event! There are tonnes of regular tournaments that can't provide that. It was a really long, intense day of poker yesterday. With the turbo flight, we played 20 levels of poker. That's a lot, but I feel fresh and I can't wait for the kick-off."
Since sitting down, former WSOP bracelet winner Dunst (pictured, right) has turned 3.6 million into 4.5 million, but he's still just below the lead. Juan Riera (pictured, left) has 4.6 million having burned through the first 30 minutes of play on a real heater.
Will Davies, a very popular player here in the United Kingdom, also has a big following on the rail and is growing a stack to do damage with 2.6 million chips. He's joined in the last three tables by Simon Higgins, who is slightly shorter at 800,000 chips, but is still casting an envious eye over at the Main Event.
"I'd be so nervous on that final table, but it's an amazing tournament." Higgins said of his fellow professionals going for a million up top. If Higgins was to win this incredible side event, he'd take home more than fifth place in the MILLIONS Main Event.
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flop, Chidwick picked up some chop outs, but the 
turn and 
river improved Chidwick to a full house and he scored a full double up, leaving Swift as the far shortest stack.
.
flop, and she fired a second barrel on the 
turn after being called. Mulhern made the call again. It got really interesting on the 
and the 
of Jon Spinks. The trio checked the 
flop and the 
and Maria Lampropoulou with 
made the call in the blinds.
, Mulhern and Lampropoulou both checked and Rypulak fired 13M. Mulhern made a small raise to 29M total, and that was good enough to take the pot.
. The 
turn and 
river, and Rypulak's 
was enough to take the pot from Chidwick's 
. Lampropulos called and the flop fell 
turn, Murthy counted his stack carefully before then moving all in for 83.5M. Lampropulos called and Murthy immediately left his chair, knewing he had no chance to win the pot. The American was drawing dead while the meaningless 
