Friday, August 28, 2015 5:40 PM Local Time
Michael Sewell is heads up on a flop and checks to the button.
The player on the button bets 5,000 and Sewell calls. The falls on the river, and both players check. The river is the and Sewell tosses two maroon 5,000 chips into the pot. The button tanks for nearly a minute before he calls.
Sewell quickly flips for the nut flush to scoop the pot.
Michael Sewell - 88,500
Friday, August 28, 2015 5:38 PM Local Time
Friday, August 28, 2015 5:32 PM Local Time
Nicholas Immekus is in the cutoff and bracelet winner Robert Cheung is on the button. They're heads up in a three-bet pot and the flop reads . Immekus checks and Cheung bets 6,100. Immekus wastes little time moving all in for 18,250 more. Cheung pieces together the hand in his head taking a few minutes to ponder his options. He reluctantly finds a fold and Immekus takes the pot.
Nicholas Immekus - 39,000
Robert Cheung - 26,000
Friday, August 28, 2015 5:21 PM Local Time
First in from middle position, Greg Himmelbrand opens to 1,400. The button three-bets to 3,200, and Himmelbrand moves all in for 17,800 total. His opponent asks for a count, then calls with the covering stack.
Himmelbrand:
Opponent:
The board runs out , and Himmelbrand is eliminated.
"Come on, Greg," Justin Liberto says, noticing Himmelbrand eyeing up the clock as he paces away.
Himmelbrand still has one bullet left to use today, if he chooses to. "Oh, I'm for sure playing tomorrow," he smiles back at the table. "I'm just trying to decide if I'm going to play again today."
Edit: He is.
Friday, August 28, 2015 5:20 PM Local Time
It folds to James Sloat in the small blind and he makes it 2,400. Action is on Sean Troha in the big blind and he shoves for his last roughly 8,500. Sloat calls and Troha is at risk.
Troha:
Sloat:
The board runs out improving Sloat to a pair of queens. With that, Troha, a two-time ring winner, is eliminated from the Main Event.
James Sloat - 60,000
Sean Troha - Eliminated
Friday, August 28, 2015 5:04 PM Local Time
Level: 9
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 75
Friday, August 28, 2015 5:03 PM Local Time
Phong Than Nguyen opens with a raise to 1,050 from middle position. Joe McKeehen calls in the hijack before Sara Hall three-bets to 4,100 from the button.
Action folds back around to Nguyen, who calls, as does McKeehen. The three see a flop and action checks to Hall, who bets 6,200. Nguyen counts his stack before moving all in for 8,900. McKeehen quickly folds and Hall calls.
Nguyen tables for a set of nines while Hall holds . The turn and river seal the pot for Nguyen.
Phong Than Nguyen - 30,500
Sara Hall - 31,500
Friday, August 28, 2015 4:59 PM Local Time
A player in late position raises to 1,100 and it folds to Nick Guagenti in the small blind. He calls and it's on Ari Eiblum in the big blind. He raises to 4,500. The late-position player four-bets, making it 10,050 to go. Guagenti folds and Eiblum promptly moves all in for about 32,000. The late-position is covered, but calls nonetheless.
Eiblum:
Late-position player:
The board runs out and Eiblum retains his lead to send the late-position player to the rail.
Ari Eiblum - 60,000
Friday, August 28, 2015 4:55 PM Local Time
Tom Grey raises to 1,400 from middle position and three players call to see a flop.
The action checks around to Grey, who bets 2,400. On the button, Darvin Moon (pictured) moves all in for 12,850 and the action folds back around to Grey. After taking some time, Grey eventually calls, putting Moon's tournament life at risk.
Moon has two pair with and Grey holds . Grey is looking for a third heart to hit the board and complete his flush, and he doesn't have to wait long. The falls on the turn and now Grey is dodging an eight or a six to eliminate Moon.
The river is the , sending the pot over to Grey and knocking out Moon.
Tom Grey - 40,800
Darvin Moon - Eliminated
Friday, August 28, 2015 4:42 PM Local Time
An early-position player opens for 1,050. A late-position player calls and Dennis Phillips comes along from the small blind. The big blind folds and they're three-handed to the flop.
The board comes and Phillips checks. The early-position player bets 1,700. The late-position player folds and it's back on Phillips. He calls and they're heads up to the turn.
Both players check the .
The river brings the and both players check again. Phillips flips over for top pair and the early-position player folds. Phillips wins the pot.
Dennis Phillips - 17,000
Friday, August 28, 2015 4:26 PM Local Time
Level: 8
Blinds: 250/500
Ante: 50
Friday, August 28, 2015 4:23 PM Local Time
Following a raise from the cutoff, John Gallaher three-bets from the small blind to 3,000. One player calls behind before the cutoff moves all in for about 12,000.
Gallaher moves all in over the top, forcing out the third player, leaving it heads up.
Gallaher:
Cutoff:
Gallaher is looking for a jack and doesn't find one on the flop. The turn is also a blank for Gallaher, but he spikes the on the river to scoop the hefty pot and eliminate one player.
It's the second consecutive knockout for Gallaher, who eliminated a player on the previous hand.
According to players at the table, Gallaher called a 7,000 all in preflop with . His opponent held and jumped in front on the flop. But a on the turn put Gallaher back in front and a blank on the river secured Gallaher the knockout.
After these two hands, Gallaher is now known as "Johnny Run Good" at the table.
John Gallaher - 59,600
Friday, August 28, 2015 4:03 PM Local Time
Following some preflop raises, Steven Tabb gets all in from the big blind against DJ MacKinnon who's in late position. Tabb is at risk and holds the worst of it.
MacKinnon:
Tabb:
The flop and turn are no problem for MacKinnon. The river , though, hits Tabb hard improving him to a set and besting MacKinnon's aces.
"Nice hand," MacKinnon says calmly as he ships roughly 11,000 the way of Tabb.
Steven Tabb - 23,500
DJ MacKinnon - 17,500
Friday, August 28, 2015 4:02 PM Local Time
From middle position, Stepan Gusak opens to 900. The player in the cutoff calls, as does Darvin Moon in the big blind.
The three players see a flop. Moon checks and Gusak bets 1,400. The player in the cutoff raises to 3,900 and Moon quickly folds. Gusak moves all in, having the cutoff covered. After a moment, Gusak's opponent slides his remaining 8,000 into the middle and Gusak flips for a flopped flush. His opponent tables for two pair and is looking for an ace or a three.
The turn and river keep Gusak out in front to scoop the pot and eliminate one.
Stepan Gusak - 48,500
Friday, August 28, 2015 3:44 PM Local Time
Level: 7
Blinds: 200/400
Ante: 50
Friday, August 28, 2015 3:25 PM Local Time
Thai Ha, sitting in the hijack, is heads up on a board with the player in the big blind.
The big blind bets 4,100 into a pot of more than 8,000. Ha takes a moment, but calls. The falls on the river and the big blind checks. Ha tosses in three maroon, 5,000 chips, putting his opponent all in. After double checking his cards briefly, the big blind flicks his hand into the middle and Ha scoops the pot.
Thai Ha - 44,900
Friday, August 28, 2015 3:25 PM Local Time
There's an early-position open to 800 and middle-position call, and Bryan Dickens three-bets to 3,100 in the small blind. The initial raiser is the only caller, and it's heads up to the flop.
It comes , and both players check. The turn is the , and Dickens checks again. When his opponent bets 4,000, Dickens check-raises to 10,000. His opponent moves all in for 23,200, and Dickens calls with the covering stack.
Dickens:
Opponent:
Dickens flops top set, and he needs to avoid a five to earn the knockout. The river is the safe . He drags the big pot, eliminating a player and climbing close to 70,000 in the process.
Dickens was part of the Event #1 final table here at Horseshoe Baltimore, finishing in seventh place.
Bryan Dickens - 69,000
Friday, August 28, 2015 3:20 PM Local Time
The board is complete and it reads leaving four diamonds out there. DJ MacKinnon is under the gun in a heads-up pot against a player on his direct left. MacKinnon leads for 5,200 and the player goes into the tank. After a few minutes, she plops in calling chips and MacKinnon shows for a king-high flush. The player flashes for a set of sevens that improved to a flush on the river. Unfortunately, it's second best and she surrenders the pot to MacKinnon.
DJ MacKinnon - 32,000
Friday, August 28, 2015 3:08 PM Local Time
A late-position player opens the action for 700 and Justin Liberto three bets to 1,900 from his direct left. The button calls while the blinds fold. The late-position player calls and they are three handed to the flop.
The flop comes and the late-position player checks. Liberto bets 1,700 and the button player raises, making it 5,500 to go. The late-position player quickly gets out of the way. Liberto calls leaving himself just over 20,000 behind and they head to the turn.
The turn brings the . Liberto checks. The button player slides in a stack that has Liberto well covered. Liberto goes into the tank for a couple minutes. In the end, he calls and the button player taps the table signifying he's good. Liberto shows for an overpair and needs to fade a handful of outs versus the of the button.
The river completes the board and Liberto doubles up and then some.
Justin Liberto - 57,000
Friday, August 28, 2015 2:49 PM Local Time
Level: 6
Blinds: 150/300
Ante: 25